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Wednesday, October 28, 2009

Villa Ponti

In this aerial view you can see the proximity of Villa Ponti to both the lake and the statue 'Carlone'.

Villa Ponti is a splendid 18th-century villa of historical importance, located in the center of Arona, near the shore of Lago Maggiore and just a few steps from the large statue of San Carlo Borromeo. For the past 10 years it has also been a world-class art museum, hosting exhibitions displaying masterpieces by many of the greatest painters in the world. To date over 300,000 have already had the pleasure of visiting. But before its second life as a museum, Villa Ponti already had an impressive story to tell. This fine villa was built in 1760 on the ramparts of the fortress La Rocca by Bartolomeo Pertossi, a rich Flemish merchant and a supporter of Napoleon I, who was a guest there after the Egyptian campaign. Years later, the villa was renamed after the engineer Gian Giacomo Ponti, who was an assistant to Thomas Edison and who was born in this house on December 28th, 1878.

Although there were many renovations and alterations during the 19th century, the villa still retains a good part of its original core. Today, visitors enter through the baroque front, which is characterized by a monumental entrance flanked by small wrought iron balconies and windows embellished by metal gratings. The lookout tower, which was really built to hold the water tanks, is prominently visible. Inside the villa one is first greeted by a coffee bar, created out of a former arcade. The various halls now used for the exhibitions and concerts branch off from this main entrance. Some recent shows have featured the works of Raphael and Rembrandt, Picasso, Andy Warhol, and Renoir.

Outside, the building is surrounded by a large park with ancient beeches, silver cedars, magnolias, azaleas, and rhododendrons. The gardens date back as far as the villa itself, and last underwent a major redesign at the beginning of the 1900s.


Phone for further information and reservations for exhibits and concerts:

Villa Ponti
Via San Carlo, 63 - 28041 Arona (No)
Tel. +39.0322.44629


It's always a good time to discover some of the regions museums, large and small. Apart from Villa Ponti here are a few others that have already been mentioned in Stresa Sights:



photos courtesy of il lago maggiore.com

Monday, October 26, 2009

Marron Glace

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Should you, somehow, get tired of hot, roasted chestnuts during the autumn season, maybe once in a while try a marron glace instead. These delectable and unbelievably sweet treats, shown above, are being made and sold at Jolly Bar in these days, and they are another example of a primarily Piemontese use of the season's abundance of castagne. Of course, like many things in this northern region of Italy so close to France, the origins of this dessert is disputed between the two countries. Sometimes even the Swiss claim that they invented them. What's undisputed though is the recipe, which has remained unchanged for more than 300 years.

Marron, by the way, are a specific type of chestnut. It's a little larger, and in addition, the membrane surrounding the nut is easier to remove. These factors make the marron more ideally suited for these candies, but certainly normal chestnuts are used as well.

http://www.laprovence.com/business/img/photos/biz/2007-11/2007-11-25/2007112318193530_Quicklook-original.jpg
Most marron glace are still produced the old fashioned way, just cooking and drying by hand.

Most marron glace are still made by hand, but even when automated, making the candies is a long process, expensive to do and requiring several days of cooking and drying. While cooking, the chestnuts will absorb their weight in sugar syrup, becoming supersaturated. They are then dried, during which time the chestnuts become crystallized, making them chewy, and incredibly sweet. Italians sometimes then use these candies for other recipes. They can be chopped into tiny bits and used as a topping for cakes or gelato, or folded directly into a pound cake along with chocolate pieces. But first... try the original. It's a way to have your chestnuts, and eat dessert too!

Pasticceria Jolly Bar is on Via P. Tomaso, 17. We've mentioned it here before as a nice spot for a sit-down cappuccino, rather than the hit-and-run variety.

Thursday, October 22, 2009

Festival For Il Vino Novello

Stresa seems to be recognizing more and more the appeal that the foods of the area have, to both tourists and residents, and is, as a consequence, planning a greater number of events centered around the regional and seasonal Piemontese specialities. The next upcoming rassegna enogastronomica, that is, a food and wine festival, will be on Sunday, November 10, 2009, and it will celebrate the release of this year's new wines, which are first allowed to be sold on this Sunday. Last year was the first time Stresa organized a festival for the vino novello, the new wines, and having been a great success, the festival will be expanded upon this year.

Centered in Piazza Cadorna, beginning at 10 am, a menu will be served of polpette di pesce gardon, patate fritte and riso Orto Mari e Monti. Polpette di pesce are like meatballs, but made with fish. They are served with patate fritte, french fries. Riso Orto Mari e Monti is a casserole-type of rice dish in which rice is cooked in the oven with other foods, foods from the sea and the mountains, mari e monti. Here, they will cook the rice with fish and local vegetables. In another area of the piazza there will be a castagnata, chestnuts roasting. And at the same time, restaurants and bars all around town will prepare menus around the same theme, and make the new wines available for the first time. Not wanting to be left out, shops all around Stresa will move wares outside into the streets for a sidewalk sale, and Via Garibaldi will be transformed for the day into the "Via Garibaldi Street Festival."

festival hours: 10 am to 6 pm.

Sunday, October 18, 2009

Stresa Sights One Year Anniversary!!

A little more than a year ago, while visiting in Stresa, this American girl had the idea to start a blog about the city. I wasn't sure what I intended for it to be, but I gave it its first breath, posting the first post one year ago today. Then I let it grow, I let it evolve, and slowly, over the months it began to take on a life of its own. People stopped by to read it. Some left me comments and others wrote e-mails. Their thoughts let me know what was needed to add to the blog. More people came, and they began asking questions and advice about Stresa. I discovered I knew the answers. I discovered they had no other reliable place to go to ask an English-speaking person about the city. Some people wrote several times, also after their trips, to let me know how everything worked out. A few I've even gotten to meet in Stresa. Eventually even some Stresiani became curious about Stresa Sights. Who was this crazy Americana, and why was she doing this? Some got to know me, and others asked me to help promote events. One year later, Stresa Sights has become, I feel safe in saying, a resource, a guide, and a friendly English corner in this wonderful little Italian town. Basically, consider us your friend in Stresa before you even arrive here.

One year, almost 200 posts, dozens of comments, questions, and mails. We're going to keep doing what we're doing. After all, I promised that there are at least 1000 things to appreciate about Stresa, so we still have so much to talk about. I'd like to thank everyone who has stopped by, those of you who have become regular followers, those who have written for advice, and most of all, those of you who have actually visited Stresa and gotten to know it. After all, that's what I'm here for, sono qui per questo...

Grazie, grazie, grazie, to everyone for a wonderful year! I'm having so much fun doing this!

Friday, October 16, 2009

Gratitude Friday -- Perspective

For Gratitude Friday, thanks to my friend Joel who sends out daily emails with jokes, links, and cartoons. He recently sent this parable on perspective:

One day, the father of a very wealthy family took his son on a trip to the country with the express purpose of showing him how poor people live. They spent a couple of days and nights on the farm of what would be considered a very poor family.
On their return from their trip, the father asked his son, "How was the trip?"
"It was great, Dad."
"Did you see how poor people live?" the father asked.
"Oh yeah, " said the son.
"So, tell me, what did you learn from the trip?" asked the father.
The son answered. "I saw that we have one dog and they had four. We have a pool that reaches to the middle of our garden and they have a creek that has no end. We have imported lanterns in our garden and they have the stars at night. Our patio reaches to the front yard and they have the whole horizon. We have a small piece of land to live on and they have fields that go beyond our sight. We have servants who serve us, but they serve others. We buy our food, but they grow theirs. We have walls around our property to protect us, they have friends to protect them."
The boy's father was speechless.
Then his son added, "Thanks Dad for showing me how poor we are."

Isn't perspective a wonderful thing? Makes you wonder what would happen if we all were grateful for everything we have, instead of worrying about what we don't have.

Joel has been sending out his collections for many years without ever missing a day, even when he's taking 10,000 mile cross-country motorcycle trips or working as a photographer. There are hundreds of people on his mailing list; if you'd like to sign up and see if you like what he sends just drop him a note asking to be added to the list at: joelperlish@aol.com.

To read other bloggers Gratitude Friday posts link to them from Diana at Creative Structures. Be sure to read also Diana's beautiful and wise guest post on Middle-Aged Diva, Part 1 and Part 2. And have a great (and grateful) weekend...

Thursday, October 15, 2009

My House -- Update

A peek over the fence at my future pool.

Colleague has gone and triangulated my house.

Remember my dream house? The one on the shore of Lago Maggiore that I discovered in a photo but didn't know the whereabouts of? Or whether or not it was for sale? Well, my colleague has found it. He triangulated it, he told me, by looking at the landmarks in the view across the lake and focusing them back on the point of the lake on this shore to where the house would most likely be. No one has ever triangulated anything for me before, so this is quite special. There's more... he's gone to see it, and even taken a photo of my pool by peeking over the fence. And even bigger news, the house is for sale.

Of course, having seen the house in reality we now know there may be a fault or two. Not enough yet to deter me from my dream however, of sitting on that terrace, drinking my prosecco, watching the sun set over the lake. Stay tuned...

Tuesday, October 13, 2009

News Bites -- Little Bits Of News From Stresa


Just enough news to digest with a cup of cappuccino...


If a recently begun experiment bears fruit then olive oil may soon be produced along the banks of Lago Maggiore. Agricultural experts from Facolta' di Agraria dell'Universita' di Torino, il Consorzio per la Tutela dell'olio extravergine d'oliva Piemonte e Valle d'Aosta e l'associazione Piemontese Olivicoltori (Asspo) are collaborating with local institutions to try to cultivate olive farms around the lake, in an effort to both bring another source of business to the area and also to produce another food from a region already known for its gastronomic excellence.

The tourist season of 2009 officially ends on October 25. On this date many of the touristic destinations will close completely until the new season begins in late March 2010. Other locations will switch to limited hours and days of opening. Therefore, please check the hours and open dates of all places before you make plans for these next months. In Stresa itself, most restaurants will retain their normal hours and days of operation, but again, do check, as some may take an extended holiday during the winter, or switch to shorter hours.

And even though this summer is just over it's certainly not too soon to plan for the next. Stresa is doing that, with the unveiling of designs for a new public swimming pool near the Carciano imbarcadero and the base of the Mottarone Cableway. With computer-generated images it's easy to see that the pool, if completed, is going to be a showpiece. Set back from the Lido beach and raised higher on a plateau of land, the pool will have a view of several of Stresa's attractions such as the Borromeo Islands and the cableway, and undoubtedly it will become an attraction in its own right. Will it happen? Stay tuned...

This computer-generated image shows how the new pool is expected to look.

Grazie, come sempre, a Stresa2.0 per la news.


Monday, October 12, 2009

Stormy Lago Maggiore





Saturday, October 10, 2009

The Problem With Porcini Mushrooms


The problem with porcini mushrooms is that they can't easily be cultivated. Like truffles, they only grow well in a symbiotic relationship with certain trees and earth around them. In the late summer and early autumn the porcini mature. This means you must eat as many as you can now, because for the rest of the year you will be left only with dried porcini to use.

Luckily, in autumn restaurants in Stresa and the area are happy to help with this task. Like this recent dinner at Taverna il Mago, in Verbania. Mago (as he likes to be addressed) waited for all the guests to arrive, and then he prepared and served four porcini dishes, vino Nebbiolo, caffe and dessert.

Frittelle ai funghi con crostini con pancetta agliata ed insalatina di funghi crudi e spinaci all’extravergine.

Zuppa d’Orzo con Funghi.

Ravioli al ripieno di Porcini.


Medaglione di Fassona con funghi e zucchine.

Torta di Pane della nonna Afra su crema calda.

Taverna Il Mago often prepares themed dinners like this, and always manages to do so for a reasonable cost. I previously wrote about an ostrich dinner I ate there, read it here.


La Taverna del Mago, Viale Azari, 94, Verbania Pallanza.



Thursday, October 8, 2009

Season Of Chestnuts


Once again, it is chestnut season in Italy.

I have such wonderful memories of autumns in Stresa, and when I think of autumns in Stresa I think also of chestnuts. I first noticed the abundance of chestnuts when hiking on a trail in the hills above the town, aptly named the Sentiero dei Castagni, the Chestnut Trail. I could have filled bushels with them as we walked; instead, I settled for a handful in my pocket, my very first chestnuts picked up from the very ground they fell on; I still have those few as souvenirs. And so, since that time, it's not the fancy restaurant dishes prepared with chestnuts that I recall the most fondly, it's the simple events, the ones that have involved roasted chestnuts.

Of course you'll find chestnuts here on the Sentiero dei Castagni.

Here in Stresa several different groups organize chestnuts roastings in the piazzas and therefore there will be chestnuts to be enjoyed for several successive weekends. The fire department of Stresa organizes the largest roasting, with many pans at the same time set up along the lake near the Stresa imbarcadero. The Gruppo Alpini have arranged for another, in Piazza Marconi...

These firemen in Stresa give me smoky thumbs up for chestnuts.

I was in Mergozzo a different autumn day when they had their event. It was smaller of course, with a couple of large fires roasting near the lake. Above it, as an extra added attraction, a tight cable strung across the corner of the lake offered harness rides from one side to the other. I sat in my favorite spot in the birreria while the people sailed over our heads and the smoke rose from the roasting pans.

Can you imagine how many chestnuts they plan to roast in Mergozzo with that pile of wood?

But my favorite chestnut festival of all was my first, the one in the town of Coimo, in the Valle Vigezzo. This was the largest festival by far that I've been to, as it was more of a regional fair for the string of small villages in the valley. Underneath a large, red tent, rows of picnic tables were arranged. Along the side were the longest grills I've ever seen. On them were cooking the biggest ribs I've ever seen. And there was wine flowing, you could bring your glass or an empty bottle to the counter where it would be filled from nameless vats of red wine. Children from the town, all wearing chestnut festival t-shirts, sold the bags of fresh and very hot chestnuts on another side of the tent. We had a pile of ribs, and a huge bag of castagne which we tore open a bit in the center of the table. These were the first chestnuts I ate, ever, perhaps for this they are my favorite. More likely though it is the memory of the fun of sitting at the long table in the big red tent, filled with the smoky smell of ribs and chestnuts, the sound of people cracking them open all around me and laughter. An overabundance, and not only of chestnuts...




At Coimo, so much food and fun, all for Chestnuts.

Monday, October 5, 2009

The Story Of Ristorante L'idrovolante




It was the 8th of September, in 1912, and for the very first time, an airplane flew over Stresa. The pilot, a Swiss man named Renato Granjean, flew his Borel idrovolante, his seaplane, over the Borromeo Gulf, circling the town and the islands. After this, the beauty of the lake seen from the skies, and Stresa's already existing fame with tourists, brought a greater and greater number of pilots to the area. They offered, for a price, the ride of a lifetime to tourists.

By 1920 this became a big business on Lago Maggiore. Several air companies had formed and incorporated themselves in Stresa. One pilot, Fedele Azari, of Verbania, organized flights for tourists using dirigibles. These were posh affairs, with orchestras and restaurant service on board. Another company, la Societa' Incremento Turiso Aereo, chartered flights from Stresa to Varese and back during the summer months of each year. Three times each week they made the trip with a Macchi M24 seaplane, holding six passengers for each flight and one pilot. The round trip ticket price was 100 lira.

Eventually, a seaplane base, an idroscalo, was established at what is now the location of L'idrovolante Ristorante and Internet Caffe. Nearby, there was a hangar, for the protection, maintenance, and repair of planes. And the business became a bit competitive, with newer, even more exciting attractions. By the 1930s it was possible for brave souls to ride an amphibious glider from the summit of Mt. Mottorone, gliding down for a landing in the water opposite L'idro. Over the years, other little bits of history were made here at the idroscalo. Mussolini landed here in his three-engined Savoia Marchetti S.66 seaplane to attend the Stresa Front conference in 1935. And in 1938, a taste of Hollywood, when Italian director Alessandrini shot some scenes for his film "Luciano Serra Pilota" using the hangar and idroscalo.

Almost one hundred years have passed since that first flight in 1912. Much has changed of course. Planes no longer land here and the hangar is gone. But in its place is the loading station of the Mottarone cableway. And perched at the water's edge where seaplanes once stopped is now the ristorante, bar, and Internet Caffe. One thing hasn't changed however, the view from L'idro... that is as spectacular as ever.



 L'idro, as it's commonly called here, is a lot more than just an Internet cafe with a great view. It's also a casual restaurant and bar getting nice reviews on the travel sites. And it has this great history as well...

Lidrovolante
Piazzale Lido, Carciano
Tel. 39 0323 31384

www.lidrovolante.com

photos courtesy of L'idrovolante
story adapted from a history written by Alberto Grappa




Sunday, October 4, 2009

Class-1 World Powerboat Championship -- Today's The Day!


Today is the big day! The final and big event in the three-day Gran Prix Stresa for the Class 1 Powerboat Championship of the World. Want to watch? Try this Webcam, perched high atop the Hotel Astoria. You can see the activity all along the Lungolago; the tents are bars and vendors, and private tents of the teams and pilots. Maybe you'll catch the boats going past at 160 miles/hour, and it's an incredibile view of the lake to boot!

http://www.hotelstresa.info/webcam.php

This following Webcam is located at Lidrovolante, at the Carciano boat dock. Another great view of the lake, but unfortunately the camera snaps a foto only once every few minutes, and so the chance of capturing any fast action is greatly diminished.

http://webcam.neveazzurra.it/lagomaggiore.jpg

The main Web site for the event has already posted lots of photos from Friday and Saturday, take a look here; there are some nice videos they made of Stresa as well that capture the party atmosphere in town right now.

Main Web site (scroll down a little for three videos of Stresa): http://www.class-1.com/index.asp

Photos of Stresa from main site: http://www.class-1.com/photos.asp

Here's another English language Web site (Italian translated into really fun English) with more information: www.gpstresa.com

Thursday, October 1, 2009

Class-1 World Powerboat Championship


Preparations are underway today for a very big weekend in Stresa. For the first time, Stresa is hosting the Class-1 World Powerboat Championship. The eleven stars, the big powerboats, have been arriving in town, one was seen yesterday outside the Regina Palace Hotel, police are preparing to close certain roads and divert cars to parking areas for what is expected to be very heavy traffic, and even the weather is cooperating, with unseasonally warm temperatures up near the 80s. This will be helpful come the weekend, as the event has in the past also included appearances by bikini-clad models and, maybe this will also be a first for Stresa, Playboy bunnies!

Throughout the year seven teams consisting of a total of eleven boats take part in six Gran Prix events around the world. The Gran Prix races have taken place, or will take place, in Qatar, Norway, Romania, Italy, Abu Dhabi, and Dubai. Ultimately, the winning team will be awarded the most coveted prize in the world of powerboat racing, the Sam Griffith Trophy.

Events in Stresa begin on Friday and Saturday, October 2 and 3, with testing of the boats for positioning in the Borromeo Gulf. The main event is on Sunday, October 4. This will be a breathtaking site. In each boat two drivers are strapped into an enclosed safety cockpit. One has the throttle controls while the other controls the steering. The boats they are encased in are monsters -- five-ton, state-of-the-art carbon kevlar composite powerhouses -- each with two 900 hp engines capable of speeds in excess of 160 miles per hour. It promises to be an incredibile event, and with several miles of lakefront surrounding the Borromeo Gulf, there is no lack of excellent viewing spots.


Restaurants all over town, and especially those along the lake, are organizing events of their own and special meals to coordinate with the Gran Prix. This will truly be a weekend to remember. And yet, in many ways, it's just another day here in Stresa... that's what's really incredibile!

Lots of information, photos, and videos can be seen on the main Web site: http://www.class-1.com/index.aspt

All of the above photos are from last month's Gran Prix in Romania. And thanks to Stresa 2.0 for information about the GP Stresa.

Cappuccino Follow-Up -- More Cappuccino Art

You can never have too much good cappuccino! As a follow up to my recent post about cappuccino, thanks to reader Chaos from Stresa for sending in this cool video of a very talented barista. This video shows HOW it is done, not just the final results. Have fun trying this with your own cappuccino and a toothpick before drinking... Thanks Chaos!!


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