Alba, Barbaresco et Neive

Part of Vinum

Nous avons été à Alba pour 2 jours.  Le temps a fait pluvieux au dimanche.  Nous sommes passé nos temps écrivant le blog et lisant nos romans au matin.  Apres midi nous sommes marché à la vieille ville où nous trouvions une fête appelée « Vinum », qui est comparable au « Toast Martinborough ».  Il y avait beaucoup des places ayant vendu des nourriture et des vins. 

It's wet in Alba

Lundi, nous sommes allés à Barbaresco une petite ville qui est sur le sommet une colline.  Nous avons promenés autour la ville et  nous sommes monte un tour où il y a une grande vue.  Après nous sommes allés une autre petite ville appelée Nieve où nous avons mangés le déjeuner au restaurant I ♥︎ BA.  Le repas a été très bien; la nourriture était typique de la région du Piémont.  Les cafés et les nourritures sont moins chers que en Suisse !

Maintenant, c’est anglais.   Si, il y a quelque grammaire que devrait corrige, je vous voudrais faire les suggestions !

Some live traditional Italian entertainment

 

It was damp and overcast when we woke on Sunday.  We spent the morning writing blogs and reading.  I was quite tired from the long drive from Geneva.

A mini Giro d'Italia

Around midday we decided to venture out and see what our area looked like including going to the old part of the town.  Alba is a city of around 30,000 people.  There is an old part which is very historic then the newer parts which have been added in the last century or so and where there is also quite a bit of industry and warehousing.  The old part of town is about ten minutes walk from where we are staying, so very close.  It was drizzling when we left the apartment and rather cold.  Fortunately both of us had wrapped up a bit anticipating the weather. 

Barbaresco Tower & main street

On the way Bev spotted a gelato place and could not resist its charms despite the freezing weather.  Not to be outdone I also had a small gelato.  Then we wandered across the road and found that there was a food and wine festival occurring (actually it took a while to register - I just thought it was a few people with their wares out for tasting and it was not until I saw people with wine glasses around their necks that it became clear.  Then I saw that a festival called Vinum was happening over this weekend and the weekend before.  I suspect the weather was keeping a few punters away though. 

We wandered through part of the old town. It is very cute with narrow cobbled streets and old buildings that seem to almost lean into each other. We were a bit hungry and stopped bought a gnocchi dish and a fried egg

Neive from Barbaresco

covered in black truffle (black on the outside and white inside).  It was very simple but well cooked and very tasty.  While we were wandering around the rain came down harder and eventually we took refuge in a café where we enjoyed a coffee.  The coffees here are about a third of the price of the ones we were having in Switzerland so  it is quite a contrast price wise.  In fact most things are considerably cheaper here. 

Atop the tower

While wandering we found an area where vegetables and other goodies were being sold.  It looked really nice and fresh so I bought some asparagus (green) and some interesting zucchini. Then I spied a man selling cheese.  I had no Italian so it was causing some problems  finding out about the cheese as he had no English.  We finally established that we both spoke a bit of French so I found out that it was made by a cooperative in the Compagne region, that it was no pasteurised and that it was all made from goats’ milk.  It was delicious!!  There was another woman who was selling meats

Our cafe in Neive

of various sorts and was trying to get people to her stall.  We tried a whole lot of salami and raw meat plus some ham.  It was all very good.  She had very little English but was such a delight that I bought something from her as well.  I had a plan for our meal. 

That night we had fresh asparagus, zucchini and ham which I did very simply by steaming the asparagus, and gently frying the ham with the zucchini.  Bev pronounced it a success.  We had that with a local red blend of dolcetto, barbera and nebbiol which is wine that is food friendly. 

Barbaresco village and its vineyards

On Monday we did a bit of shopping at the local supermarket before finding a cute little café for a coffee.   

We then got in our oversized car and headed for Barbaresco which is about 12 kilometres from

One of three churches in Neive - could be more.

Alba. The GPS is not the best but it did get us there although there were occasions I completely ignored it.  I have found that the maps it has must be seriously out of date and it also does not understand one way streets.  It also sent me down an impossible narrow street fit for only a Mini!!

Barbaresco is a very small hilltop town with a rather interesting tower that when climbed provides a stunning view over the Langhe (the region we are in).  To the north the Italian Alps loomed over us all covered in snow.  It was very picturesque.  The tower we found had only been opened up for about a year as it needed funds for some restoration.  The ticket seller was very friendly and when we said we were from NZ she lit up and told us that she had just spent a year there; a month in Auckland and then around 9 months in Wellington (working as a translator and at the restaurant Shed 5). She loved her stay there.

A very small church done up beautifully

We were going to go to a restaurant at the base of the tower but when went to get a table we found it was full. Apparently reservations were required. 

We then happened on another little restaurant in an equally cute village called Neive that was called I ♥︎ BA which we found out meant I love Barbaresco - the wine and area.  The food was simple and typical of the Piedmont region which is just what we wanted. The food was very nice and it was just enough. 

After the meal we wandered around the village which is bigger than Barbaresco.  It has two distinct parts, a newer part on the flat ground below the old village which is on a small hill. 

On our return  to Alba we went and had a drink at the local bar.  Again I felt the lack of Italian but the warmth and friendliness made it easy to get our drink..

I am really loving this area and I will be sad to leave in a few days time as there is much to see and do if only one had the time.  Another time perhaps.