Thursday 30 April 2015

Gourmet Piedmont 2015 - Alba Loop to Pollenzo | Wednesday, April 29 - 41km

Day One – Alba Warm Up Ride to Pollenzo
Distance: 41km Total Ascent: 200m
Towns: Roddi Polenzo, Cinzano, San Vittoria d’Alba - Long Course: Cornelliano, Piobesi
Activities: Guided Tour of Alba, dinner in town tasting some of the local specialties
This is an easy warm-up ride to ease the legs and body into moving again after those long flights, and get a first look at this lovely region.

After a light breakfast at the hotel, I checked out and headed to the station to get to Alba. There were some spectacular views of the mountains.

 




With a change of train at Cavellermaggiore, I arrived around 10am and then got lost walking to the hotel!It was wonderful to be greeted by my guide and old friend Cristiano who informed me this tour would be for a small group of 3 - me and a couple from Perth.



The Palazzo Finati is a really nice boutique hotel in the historical part of Alba. I am staying in the impressive Junior Suite 'I Ventagli'.






After settling in to the room we headed to lunch at La Piola for the first of what will be many meals on this tour.I had vitello tonnato (thinly sliced veal with tuna/anchovie mayonnaise) and we shared a bunet al cioccolato for dessert.

 



 

As much as I did not feel like cycling after such a lunch, I changed into bike gear and off we went. Having not cycled for nearly 5 months and carrying way too much weight, it was little wonder that I opted for the van after only 13km (that felt like 20).

 


Christine and Mal of course rode the whole way and have now hopefully adjusted to riding on the wrong side of the road.
 
We regrouped at 6.30pm for a guided tour of historical Alba and, as the rain started falling, we walked briskly to tonight's restaurant Enoclub Ristorante which is downstairs in a renovated cellar. The pictures tell the story of how the night unfolded, course by course:

Amuse bouche - warm Sicilian caponata.
Antipasto -  cheese tart with tropea onion jam.
Primo - asparagus risotto.
Secondo - skewered goat (casseroled)with potatoes and Albenga artichokes.
Dolce - ganache with strawberries and ice cream.
Vino - as pictured.



 






I was way too tired and bloated to write this blog until morning. Looking forward to a little cycling and more eating.
 

Tuesday 28 April 2015

Gourmet Piedmont 2015 - Pre-tour in Turin | Tuesday, April 28

Here I am in Turin after a very long flight from Melbourne to Milan and then to here by train arriving around 730pm yesterday!
Today is treated as a rest day which, for me, is sightseeing with a selection of photos. Not sure if I spotted a Banksy - you be the judge..
Read all about Turin HERE