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Sunday, November 23, 2008

Mottarone In Autumn

The first snow of the year… Well, not in Stresa, but up at the top of Mottarone Mountain, 1491 meters (4920 feet) above Stresa, there has been snow in the past days. Not enough to block the roads either, but just enough to change the view from one of a dry, brown, autumn landscape into an early winter one, with a glowing, brilliant white surface. Choose a clear autumn day, and take a trip up the mountain for a temporary taste of winter and a breathtaking view of northern Italy.


There are two ways to reach the summit from Stresa. It’s an easy enough, 30-minute drive up a private, 9 kilometer (5½ mile) winding road. Follow the signs and the switchbacks until you reach the park at the top. The alternative is to take the funivia, the cableway from the Lido in Stresa, the same location as the Carciano boat station and L’Idrovolante Ristorante and Bar. The 18-minute ride gives the opportunity to relax and watch the view change as you rise higher and higher above the lake.

If going up in the autumn bring your warm scarf, and your gloves, and an extra layer to wear. Once up at the top you’ll need them. When the wind is strong, it will be quite frigid, but this has advantages as well. With wind the skies can be crystal clear, and when the skies are clear it is possible to have a 360° view of seven surrounding lakes and the Swiss Alps to the north. Monterosa, which is the highest peak in Switzerland, can be seen to the northwest, and if you are really lucky, you may be able to see the golden statue of the Virgin Mary, on top of the Duomo, about 70 kilometers (44 miles) away, in Milan.

After some minutes outside in the mountaintop air you’ll need to warm up. Luckily, there are several restaurants at the summit that serve typical mountain foods and warm drinks. I like Casa della Neve, House of the Snow. And there’s no better way to ward off a chill there than with a glass of fil-de-fir, the classic regional drink. First produced at a small distillery on Monterosa, the drink is served warm in a small glass, like the type you may use for orange juice. The drink looks a bit as if you melted down an orange creamsicle into a glass and then heated it. It’s difficult to explain; better if I use the description written about it when it won the “Spirits of the Year’ gold medal award in 2001: 

“Vibrant, creamy orange. Nutmeg, orange peel, and farmer's cream nose. Very viscous on the attack with subtle orange blossom and lush brown spice notes. Displays a very pure and distinctive eggnog-like character with an angular grappa-like undertone. Serving hot brings out attractive egg white elements and better integrates the flavors with the thick texture. Unique and utterly captivating.” 

I completely agree! So, wrap your cold hands around your glass of fil-de-fer, head over to the fireplace, and relax on the couches for a while. You’ll be almost on the border of Italy and Switzerland, somewhere between autumn and winter, but on top of it all.


Mottarone has its charms in all four seasons, winter, spring, summer, and fall. For cableway prices and schedules, and more information, visit the website: www.stresa-mottarone.it/home_eng



Saturday, November 22, 2008

The Market Report

It's Friday, and so I bring you a market report from the Stresa Outdoor Market. The weather is getting colder; there was a chilly wind today too, and as I strolled through the market to pick up my roast chicken I knew exactly what else it was that I wanted to shop for. A sciarpa, a scarf. Of course I have scarves already; it is practically a law that women must wear them here, but on this stormy morning I was feeling I needed a warmer one. Something soft and toasty and fluffy. I am in luck, because the vendors, in their prescience, know that I am not the only one who will be shopping for a scarf in these days, and the stalls are filled with choices. I see scarves of all sizes, materials, patterns, and weaves. Mostly I see purple. Purple is definitely the color of the season, and not only for scarves. The market is a sea of purple, violet, and lavender. This is what I like best about visiting the market weekly… the constant change and the speed with which trends and tastes make their way here. Quindi, therefore, I buy the fluffiest, warmest, purplest scarf I can find. The problem is, not having been born Italian, I seem to always have trouble tying my scarf into a proper Italian knot. It never has that certain casualness that I'm after, even though I have researched online how it’s done. Oh well! I’m warm now, and I’ll have all winter to practice.

The Stresa market is held every Friday in Piazza Capucci. Open from early morning until 1 pm.

Sunday, November 16, 2008

The Lago Maggiore Express

This is a great day trip for spring, summer, or autumn, and no car required, and one of the most popular excursions to do from Stresa. The Lago Maggiore Express offers the opportunity to enjoy incredible Alpine scenery, charming mountain villages, beautiful churches, regional cuisine, a leisurely lake cruise, and two countries, all with relative ease and comfort.

Does it sound impossible? It’s not. Here’s the basic itinerary:
Begin the day with a cappuccino at the Stresa train station and a 45-minute Trenitalia trip on the red line north to Domodossola.

In Domodossola switch to the Swiss SSIF green line. This smaller train winds its way through Valle Vigezzo and the rugged Centovalli, hundred valley, region, going over deep chasms on spectacular arched bridges, crossing rivers, traveling through meadows and chestnut woods. It makes stops in the picturesque towns of Druogno, Santa Maria Maggiore, Malesco, and Re, each of which has its own delights.

Because there are several trains throughout the day you may disembark and embark in these towns at will. Your one ticket allows the full circular trip in any configuration you choose.
The train continues through the Ticino region of the Swiss Alps before arriving in Locarno, on the northeastern tip of Lago Maggiore. Take a pause for an aperitivo in this Swiss city before meeting the boat at the Locarno embarcadero for the lake portion of the trip on the Navigazione Lago Maggiore sightseeing ship.

In the autumn the train runs a reduced schedule, focused on the fall foliage.

One ticket, countless choices to customize the trip, a little bit of everything for everyone, and no driving for anyone makes this one great day trip. 

This can be booked in full at the boat docks, the train stations, and at tourist agencies in town. 

An easy place to learn more, look at time schedules, check up-to-date prices, and book this tour is at Tomasucci Travel in Stresa, at their office or online: http://www.stresatravel.com/Tomassucci_Web/lake_maggiore_express.htm#.VzMEpPmDGko

Web site: http://www.lagomaggioreexpress.com/Inglese/index.htmlpress

last updated 2018




lastlas

Friday, November 14, 2008

International White Truffle Fair Of Alba

If you’re in Piemonte in the autumn, beato te! Lucky you! You’re here during truffle season, which after the vendemmia, the grape harvest, may be the most important annual event of the year. The white truffles, tartufo bianco, that are found in Piemonte, and especially in the countryside around the city of Alba, are the most expensive and highly sought after in the world, with a single kilo selling for between €2,000 and €4,000. Each autumn the harvest is celebrated at the International White Truffle Fair of Alba. Weekends throughout October and November there are festivities such as tastings, hunts, concerts, lectures, classes, and more, with the heart of it all being the exhibition hall in Alba. This weekend, to mark the close of the season, there will be a truffle auction, and a Truffle of the Year will be chosen.
In honor of the occasion, and to honor this mysterious mushroom relative, here are a few truffle facts you may not yet know:

Although historically hogs have been used to sniff out truffles, recently dogs are becoming more popular as truffle hunters. Dogs can be trained to simply find the truffles and not eat them, while the hogs will immediately devour any truffle they can.

Truffles have a strange, symbiotic relationship with the oak, hazel, poplar, and beech trees around Alba. Attempts to cultivate truffles around the world have met with various degrees of success, which accounts for their continued rarity and the exorbitant prices they command.

White Alba truffles are best eaten raw; unlike the French black truffle they do not cook well. The aroma of the white is strong and pungent, and able to fill a room instantly.

Alba is an easy day-trip destination from Stresa. And if you are fortunate enough to go to see the festival, do keep a couple of things in mind. It will be crowded. So much so that getting into restaurants may be difficult. It may be best to bring a picnic lunch along, or to purchase food at one of the market stalls. But by all means buy your piece of truffle, bring it home with you, and then carefully shave your treasure over a bowl of buttered pasta or salad. 

Alba is approximately one and one half hours from Stresa by car. The White Truffle Fair runs for six weeks from October through the first weekends in November.

Verbania, a "Green" City

Here's an interesting news item I just read... The Legambiente, the Environmental Society, has completed their annual study of the capital cities of the Italian provinces. Of the 103 cities examined, Verbania, which is 15 minutes to the east of Stresa along the lake, was found to be the fourth most "green" city in Italy. Several aspects were studied; the ecosystem of the area, and well as the facilities in place that allow its citizens to live a more sustainable, smaller carbon-footprint, life. Even better news is that Verbania moved up from its 16th place ranking of last year. The city produced less trash, used less water, recycled more, and testing showed cleaner, better air quality. People not only used the public transportation systems more, but also decreased their use of cars and increased their use of bicycles.

Stresa, not being a capital city, was not ranked in this rating. But I feel certain those same findings would apply here as well. And it's nice to see in official words what I've known all along... that this is a special place, of exceptional natural beauty, filled with people who appreciate it and are working to keep it so.
stresa stresa stresa stresa stresa stresa stresa stresa stresa stresa stresa stresa

Monday, November 10, 2008

Vino e Formaggio at the Grand Hotel des Iles Borromees

Fabulous wine, fabulous cheese, fabulous armagnac, all at a wine and cheese tasting at the fabulous, five-star, Grand Hotel des Iles Borromees in Stresa. Organized by AIS, which is the Association of Italian Sommeliers, and sponsored by SOPEXA, marketers for the French wine and food industry, this event was attended mostly by restaurateurs, with the motive of educating themselves as to proper pairings of French wines and cheeses. I wasn’t there for professional reasons; I will freely admit I was only there for the wine. And the cheese. And the scrumptious lunch buffet served during the pause in this all-day event. And although this course was taught in Italian, that wasn’t the difficult part for me. The difficult part was staying awake after the lunch buffet in order to taste the six different armagnacs. That was hard.

The wine selections were a Pinot Gris Les Argiles Blanches, from Alsace, a Marsannay 2004 Domaine Mec Camuzet di Vosne Romanee, from Bourgogne, and a Gewurtztraminer Vendanges Tardives 2005, from Alsace. And the cheeses, just to make you drool, were Chevre Crottin de Chavignol, Brie de Meaux, Camembert, Reblochon, Comte’, Munster, Fourme d’Ambert, and Roquefort.
AIS sponsors many wine events in the area. They offer an opportunity to experience fine wines that many of us wouldn’t have the chance to taste otherwise. However, AIS events are held in Italian. For those who like to attend a wine tasting in English, or who would like to host a private wine tasting, there are many opportunities to do so. I’ll write about some in separate posts. Clicking on wine on the sidebar will show you all of the relevant posts.
Wouldn't you love for this to be the suitcase you needed for work everyday?

For a taste of other AIS events throughout Italy visit their main Web site. The site is only available in Italian.
http://www.sommelier.it/default.asp
For those interested, SOPEXA's Web site: http://www.sopexa.com/english/partenaire/index.html This one's in English.

Thursday, November 6, 2008

Museo dell’Ombrello e del Parasole

They say that into every life a little rain must fall, and when it does here, what better way to spend that day than by visiting the Museo dell'Ombrello e del Parasole, a quirky museum dedicated entirely to those devices we use to protect ourselves from the rain. This region was the home to over 150 umbrella-making families in the 1800s, and today, housed in a building shaped like three open umbrellas, you can learn why, and view hundreds of unique umbrellas, parasols, and other items. Gignese, where the museum is located, is a picturesque little town, a bit higher up in the hills; pairing this museum visit with a lunch at an agriturismo would be a really nice way to pass the day when the weather doesn’t cooperate with your outdoor activities.

Open from 1 April to 31 October, 10.00 – 12.00 and 15.00 to 18.00. Closed Mondays, unless the Monday is a national holiday, in which case the museum is open.

The museum is an easy 20 minute drive from Stresa by car or reachable on public buses.

Web site: http://www.gignese.it/museo/


Foxtown Factory Stores Expo

Fashionistas, this is for you. The American, off-price, megamall concept has come to Europe! If an important part of your Italian vacation is to bring back some of the latest fashions, or if you're looking for a good rainy day activity, this mall must be on your must-do list. With 160 shops, seven restaurants, and its own casino, Foxtown combines the best of American ideas — discounts! — with the best European style. You won’t see these shops in your local mall back home. Here, you’ll find clothing, shoes, and jewelry from all of those fabulous and exclusive Italian and European designers, sold at discounts of 30% to 70%. You’ll travel home wearing something that everyone will drool over. But don’t worry, you can find gifts for them here too; truly one-stop shopping. And if you’re feeling lucky, go drop a euro or two into the slot machines at the casino while you’re here. I bet you can’t do that in your mall back home.

Foxtown is open everyday from 11.00 – 19.00. Closed on 1 January. Easter, 1 August, Christmas, and Saint Stephen’s.

Foxtown is one hour from Stresa by car, in Mendrisio, Switzerland

Web site:
http://www.foxtown.ch/index.php?lingua=en&centro=mendrisio


Tuesday, November 4, 2008

Rain, rain...

Okay, now the rain starts to become a bit much. It’s been almost a week of some sort of precipitation every day, and the forecast isn’t looking very promising either. But rather than mope around and wait for the sun to return, the weather has made me think it’s time to add a new section to this blog, Rainy Day Activites. Allora, prendi l'ombrello, bring the umbella, we’re going out!

What are some good things to do if it rains while you’re here? There are always museums of course but I have a better idea. Do the same activities you would do at home, but remember, it isn’t the same old activity when you’re doing it in another country. It’s an opportunity to observe the cultural differences and to take part a little bit in the day-to-day life here. So how about a movie? If your knowledge of Italian is intermediate or better this is great fun. Choose an action film, less dialogue and more visual cues. Or how about shopping? While just another day at the mall at home sounds pretty boring, don’t discount the fun of shopping in an Italian mall and comparing the stores and fashions. Try on some outfits; see how ‘Italian’ you can look. And if you have access to a kitchen, then stop at a supermarket, buy some local ingredients and a bottle of wine, look up a recipe, and create your own Italian banquet.

I’ll expand on some Rainy Day Activities in future posts; click on the Rainy Day Activities link on the sidebar to see them all. But the point is, a little rain shouldn’t be any deterrent at all to having fun. And chissa, who knows, perhaps a great adventure is waiting you in one of these everyday places.


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