15/02/2025
I have not posted in a while but wanted you to read about a recent trip that was different and was very rewarding especially for those who love great food and enjoy local wines.
New Destinations
At the beginning of October, a group of adventurous and hungry travelers left for a 11-day trip of Food and Wine in Italy. We flew into Milan and then continued to Stresa which is on Lake Maggiore which is considered one of the most romantic places in Italy and is the destination for many weddings and anniversaries. We started the next day by driving to Lake Orta and visiting the island of San Giulio and cruising across Lake Maggiore and visiting Prince Borromeo’s Isola Bella. Beautiful gardens and white peacocks awaited us there. The descendants of the family still owe and visit frequently. We began our enjoyment of food that evening while dining on locally caught fish from Isola Dei Pescatori or fisheremen’s island.
The following morning, we headed to Turin, the capital of Italy's Piedmonti region, sometimes called the capital of the Alps. We made a stop in the land of rice and risotto where we visited the rise fields and learned about the varieties of rice grown in this region. The preparation of the risotto was begun the day before and finished cooking in time for our lunch. We were all writing down ‘secrets’ of the perfect risotto to take home. Later, we toured Turin, the industrial capital and nostalgic home to the House of Savoy, Italy's royal family. We visited Baroque Piazza San Carlo, the so-called Italian Living Room; continuing to the birthplace of the first king of Italy. This palace became the seat of the first Italian Parliament. We also toured the elegant Subalpina Gallery. Our final visit was at Piazza Castello known as the ‘heart of the city,’ with the Royal Palace, the Royal Church of San Lorenzo, and Palazzo Madama, where the first Italian Senate was located. We finally had time for a coffee a sweet and a little shopping
The next morning began our vineyard tours - Piedmonti and its wines. We traveled through the regions of Langhe and Monferrato and visited the heartland of Barolo, the most famous and valuable Italian wine, produced by Nebbiolo grapes that link their names to the famous wines of the area. We discovered the secrets of the "red gold" with a guided tour of the cellars followed by wine tasting. Afterwards, we headed toward Ligurian Riviera and time to visit picturesque Portofino, an Italian gem frequented by the rich and famous. It overlooks the harbor with its fishing boats and luxurious yachts.
Most of us were looking forward to our morning departure to the spectacular Cinque Terre*, a UNESCO World Heritage Site and one of the most beautiful areas of the Liguria region. Here, five small villages are suspended between sea and earth, nestled in the cliffs overlooking the sea, set beside hills where the land's finest wine grapes are grown. Spectacular vistas were all around. You didn’t know where to look first. Our strenuous walking tour covered a fair amount of ground including uneven surfaces, stairs, steps, and significant slopes. Trains and/or boats would be the means of transportation between the towns. “At the end of the tour, I had counted going through over 160 tunnels,” commented Fragopoulos.
After Cinque Terre, we headed to Bologna, passing through the region of Emilia, stopping to visit the world- famous land of balsamic vinegar. We began to better understand how many years of aging are needed to produce this exquisite gourmet vinegar. We were told, “Please, Please, Please don’t tell me you use it on salad.” Known for its culinary delights, we enjoyed typical dishes of the region for lunch. The tour of Bologna took us to explore the oldest food market called "Quadrilatero."Bologna’s medieval market is so unique because of all of the food specialities and the architecture. We savored a variety of food specialties - Bologna's reputation calls it the ‘foodie capital of Italy.’ We walked along the Piazza Maggiore with the Accursio Palace, and the Neptune Fountain and headed to St. Petronio Basilica, with its treasures such as its sundial, the Archiginnasio Palace with its frescoed walls, the Two Towers, and Santo Stefano Square. After checking into our hotel, we had an evening walk and savored some Cicchetti, typical Venetian small dishes while viewing the medieval palaces and the quaint streets of this lovely, genuine small city in northern Venet. Our final day some enjoyed tasting Prosecco wine in its land of origin while journeying through the countryside, passing castles, villas, and medieval towns. A departure dinner brought our adventures to a close. What can be said about ‘new destinations, For myself, “I was impressed that all the vineyards, wine makers and balsamic manufacturers, were family owned for several generations. Would love to see more of this here in the US.” Brooks said, “I loved it and I’d do it again.” Gary Cowan expressed, “The memory often discussed is the food and wine. This journey has alerted my tastebuds frequently to want more of the incredible flavors that emerge from the Italian kitchens.” Also traveling with Gary was Sharon and Gary Luhn, Lagina Evans, Dan Farris and Sandy Koczwara.
Providing educational and exciting travel opportunities to some of the most inspirational and beauti
