We don’t want to say it, but we have to – “Ciao, Alba!” It’s time to move on. Today we’re going to drive northeast to Malpensa Airport – the big airport near Milan. We’ll stay at an airport hotel tonight, then catch a plane home in the morning. Spending the night at a hotel near the airport burns a day of travel-time, but we’ve found that it’s worth it in the long run. Continue reading “Ciao, Alba!”
Baci-di-Dama, Mamma!
It’s our last night in Alba. Alba has turned out to be an ideal home base for exploring the Langhe wine region. Wine wasn’t invented here, but it feels like wine could have been invented in the Langhe. Baci-di-dama weren’t invented here, either, but we’re going to have some tonight! Continue reading “Baci-di-Dama, Mamma!”
“And They’re Off!” – The Donkey Races of Alba
Finally! The Donkey Races of Alba are upon us! It has been a day of festivities, starting with a parade through town. Medieval denizens of every sort marched through Central Alba’s cobblestone streets. With the exception of lowly serfs and convicted criminals chained up in wooden carts, everyone was in a festive mood. Continue reading ““And They’re Off!” – The Donkey Races of Alba”
It’s Donkey Race Day in Alba!
It’s Sunday morning in Alba, Italy – the final day of Alba’s White Truffle Festival. And that can mean only one thing. Yes. It’s Donkey Race day! Continue reading “It’s Donkey Race Day in Alba!”
The Alba White Truffle Fair
The Alba White Truffle Fair has been underway here in Alba all week. It’s a big deal. And today is a market day, so vendors selling everything imaginable line the streets. The town is like a circus, full of food and people like us, just having fun. Continue reading “The Alba White Truffle Fair”
Lunch in La Morra
La Morra is a picturesque hilltop village in Piedmont, in the northwest corner of Italy. We spent the morning here, sampling barolo and other wines at a local wine expo. That was great, but now we need some nourishment, so we’re settling in for a nice, leisurely lunch in La Morra. Continue reading “Lunch in La Morra”
Wine Tasting in La Morra
It’s wine tasting day! We have an appointment later this morning to meet with an independent wine producer in the hilltop village of La Morra. It’s not far from Alba, so after breakfast at the hotel, we’ll get in the car, plug the address into the GPS, and go do some wine tasting in La Morra. Continue reading “Wine Tasting in La Morra”
Want Tickets to the Donkey Races? Don’t Give Up!
We arrived in Alba, in northwestern Italy this afternoon. Since our arrival, we’ve been busy. OK – busy eating, mostly. But now we’re on a mission. We need to procure donkey race tickets before they’re sold out. It turns out that it’s no easy feat to buy a couple of tickets to the donkey races. Who knew? Continue reading “Want Tickets to the Donkey Races? Don’t Give Up!”
Psst… Wanna Buy Tickets to the Donkey Races?
We’re in Alba, in the northwestern corner of Italy. We arrived this afternoon, checked in to our hotel, and headed out on foot to explore our new surroundings. At the local Tourist Information Center, we made an appointment to visit a small wine producer tomorrow. We have one more task to accomplish today. We want to buy tickets to the donkey races. Continue reading “Psst… Wanna Buy Tickets to the Donkey Races?”
The Road to Alba
It’s a travel day! It’s always fun to be off to someplace you’ve never been to before. In this case, we’re on the road to Alba, in northwestern Italy. To get to Alba, we’ll drive up the beautiful Italian coastline from Santa Margherita Ligure to Genoa – you know, where Christopher Columbus was born. At Genoa, we’ll turn inland and head northwest toward Asti, (as in “Asti Spumante”), and then into Alba. Let’s go! Continue reading “The Road to Alba”
