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 (5 ½ 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.

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: mottarone mottarone mottarone mottarone mottarone

“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 egg nog-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.” mttarone mottarone mottarone mottarone mottarone mottarone

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.

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 kilogram selling for between €2000 and €4000 (that’s up to $2,700 per pound). 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. stresa stresa stresa stresa stresa stresa stresa stresa stresa stresa stresa stresa stresa stresa stresa stresa

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.

Web site: www.fieradeltartufo.org/en/

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.

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.