A short break-away in the region of Piedmont

6^th – 9^th of August 2013

I always enjoy travelling to the region of Piedmont as I feel it is the undiscovered gem of north Italy not visited by many.  Not only does it offer calm and tranquillity but also beautiful landscape of mountains and rivers, forests filled with pine and chestnut trees, not to mention mushrooms when in season, quaint towns with medieval foundations, wine farms and much more just waiting to be discovered.

South of Alessandria you will find Ovada and a little lower you will spot Molare. Cassinelle is a small town 5km from Molare

A short 2 hour journey from Monterosso brought us to Tenuta Elena, where we visited Giorgio, a family friend. Him and his family own and run a wine farm on a hill overlooking the small town Cassinelle.

We got to enjoy the view of the valley and the town of Casinelle with each meal on the terrace

Cassinelle is a very small, quaint town boasting Italian character. A quick drive through the narrow cobbled streets revealed a bakery, a tiny supermarket and of course a café where you could find the local men gathering every evening for a chat.

The streets of Cassinelle

Although Cassinelle is less than an hour drive from the coast, there is no need to venture that far to escape the heat and refresh in cool waters as the Orba River which flows through this region provides a beautiful alternative to the Mediterranean beaches.

One afternoon we went to the nature reserve and swam in the Orba River. The river has large pools where you can swim and even scramble off rocks for a dive into the deep waters. However, I must be honest here and admit that diving into the water, even if only from a nerve-racking 1m high rock, was not quite for me. I rather spent my time gentle gliding through the calm water, been amused by someone’s dog who every time Giorgio climbed onto the rocks went swimming after him. 

A refreshing swim in the Orba River where one can dive off the rocks into deep pools

A scramble over rocks revealed a beautiful view of the flowing river. Nature is abundant in Piedmont and while I sat on the rock with my feet dangling in the water trying not to jump when the little fishes came to nibble at my feet, I thought to myself how lucky I am to be able to experience the beautiful little corners of Italy.

Our second last day in Cassinelle began with a thunderstorm which was fascinating to watch but when it seemed like a crack of lightning struck the earth with a sharp sound of a whip and a bright light blinded my vision, mom and I jumped inside the house and waiting for the storm to pass.

A thunderstorm in Piedmont which was even accompanied by small hailstones

When the storm broke we decided to take a drive to Sassello. However, it seemed the thunderstorm was a bad omen for the day because as we ascended into the mountain pass, the car suddenly stopped. The fuel gage was broken and we had run out of diesel. Luckily Giorgio caught a lift back to his farm where he could grab a can of diesel and return to rescue the stranded South Africans.

While waiting for Giorgio to return from our break down I had the opportunity to snap some country shots

Our Sassello expedition was temporarily postponed and we went to visit a Grappa Distillery called Distilleria Gualco in a little nearby town, Silvano d’Orba.

Giorgio, the grandson of Susanna, who after her husband’s death carried on the family tradition of distilling Grappa, gave us a tour of the cellar. He still uses the same oven as his forefathers used to distil Grappa which was built in 1870.

The Grappa cellar at Distilleria Gualco

In honour of his grandmother, the Grappa is labelled ‘Le Grappa di Susanna’ and runs ever so smoothly over your pallet. Later that evening, after supper we sampled four varieties. We began our Grappa tasting with Suavitas, a Grappa infused with milk and lemon. It had a lovely sweet taste and was my favourite. Thereafter we had Superla which is a Grappa infused with 12 types of herbs. We then advanced onto Grappa Stravecchia which is made from the grapes Dolcetto d’Ovada (from Giorgio’s winery) and matured in a barrel for two years. Lastly, we ended our tasting with a smooth Grappa Vecchio Piemonte also made from Dolcetto d’Ovada but matured for three years in the barrel.

Scenes from the farm where we had purchased Piemonte Steaks for dinner

The next day we ventured out again for Sassello and this time the only challenge was winding through the curvy mountain passes to reach this popular town passing Pian Castagna on the way.

The well-known Virginia Amaretti biscuits are produced in Sassello and can be purchased at the cafés

After a cappuccino we wandered along the cobble streets of the historic centre of Sassello.

On one of the buildings we discovered an old-fashioned sundial accurately telling the time

Heading out of town I spotted a signboard that pointed towards a medieval bridge and with resistance, I dragged everyone down the cobbled street to have a look. Luckily Giorgio had found a plum tree that when he gave the branch a tug, a shower of plums came raining down which we had to scurry after to collect as they went tumbling down the hill. Thereafter, the reluctance of going to see the bridge was dissipated by the sweet taste of the plums.

The medieval bridge in Sassello

We drove home through Ponzone towards Acqui Terme allowing the beauty of the forests and farmlands to enchant us. Little villages, as if someone had sprinkled pastel coloured hundered-and-thousands over a lusciously green landscape, dot the landscape of folding hills.

The region of Piedmont offers many little surprises and is well worth for one to explore and discover the magic that is hidden within these mountains.

Rural charm at Tenuta Elena, Cassinelle