Côte d’Azur – Èze-Village

Eze_0

The tiny medieval town of Èze-Village sits like a barnacle some fourteen hundred feet above the sea. From this perch you can see miles of coastline. The other part of the commune Èze-sur-Mer sits directly below it, very close to the sea. Historically, it is very old, going way back before Roman times. As I write this, I must confess some incredulity as why anyone would build something back then so high up and away from the sea. The only answer I can come up with is for protection from what I can only conjecture.

Getting There From Nice

To get to Èze-Village (tourism) from Nice you have several public commuting options, in order of difficulty. You can take the bus directly there. The route was 82 at the time of this writing, but this may change, so check the bus schedule. The easiest was to do this is at the Information Center at the Nice Train Station. Keep in mind that buses depart from different places in the city, so you will either have to walk or make other arrangements, bus or tram perhaps, to get there. If a direct bus route is not to your liking you can also take the SNCF train. These run along the coast and depart from Nice regularly and stop at Èze-sur-Mer. You will then have to take the bus to Èze-Village atop the hill, or, hike up the hill which will take about an hour.

Eze_1
Èze-Village – From the Bus Stop

For those who experience motion sickness take care, as any bus ride you take will require the necessary sedatives or medications. The roads are very windy and have numerous switchbacks!

Eze_38
The Nietzsche Footpath – Length Over 2km

For those who cannot see their own toes and cannot touch them without bending their knees, I would not consider trying to hike up the mountain. It is somewhat treacherous and steep. We used it to return and on the way down we saw an older couple who were going down and having trouble (read shortness of breath, etc). The Nietzsche Footpath is impressive, it is not a real footpath but more like a hiking trail and has probably taken its share of victims over the years. Be smart and do NOT ignore the sign at the start.

Not knowing these options ahead of time, we decided to take the bus directly from Nice. Before it even arrived, there was quite a group of people waiting at the stop. If you do have motion sickness issues you may want to wait for a bus that is not packed or ask someone on the bus once you are on, if you may have a window seat. This is especially true if your bus driver, like ours, must have dreams of driving Formula One race cars! If your bus is as crowded as ours was, you may not be able to look out. So again, be prepared, you’ve been warned!

The Botanical Garden

Eze_14
Èze-Village – Overview from Botanical Garden

At the summit of this beautiful little town, sits a Botanical Garden. Called Èze Botanical Garden it displays vegetation that typically grows along the Mediterranean coast. The entry fee for us was 5€ and you pay right there before you go in. It’s probably money well spent since the views are amazing and they obviously use the money to keep the garden up, which I must say is in fantastic condition.

There are also several places in the garden to take photographs.

The Botanical Garden also has an excellent view of the Devil’s Bridge (I know every town and country seems to have this bridge, but it’s pretty cool to see anyway).

The Perfumeries

In Èze-Village there are several Perfumeries where one can make an appointment to actually spend time with a certified Perfumologist and mix their own fragrance. The two major ones that sit next to one another, are Galimard and Fragonard. We chose Galimard, for whatever reason and found the whole process quite intriguing, though completely out of my league (I just do not have the nose for it). The cost at 80€ each can be considered high but includes you walking away with your own scent. Which, if you consider would be in the range of 50€ to 60€, probably is not a bad deal for expert help.

Getting Back To Nice

Eze_32
Tagliatelle al Ragu, Salad and Wine – YUM!

After all of this, it was time for lunch. We found a nice little place right at the beginning of the village called “Mets Vins Chics“. They serve all kinds of lunch fare and wine at reasonable prices. If you do come to this area, you may notice how closely related the food in this area is to the neighboring Italian cities and towns. With the historical fluidity of borders and commerce, it should not be a surprise and it sure tastes good!

Once finished with our meal, our daughter Ericka wanted to check out Fragonard as well. They have somewhat of a larger showroom but unfortunately no longer mixed nor sold the fragrance she was interested in. So we left there, kind of disappointed.

Eze_34
The Nietzsche Footpath – Treacherous, like his Philosophy

It was time to head back and I decided to take the Nietzsche Footpath and the SNCF train back to Nice. The path is very steep and one must take care to make sure you do not slip and fall. It is also very long and will take you approximately 40 to 45 minutes just to descend. Then, there is another 5 minutes or so to walk to the train station along the road where the path exits.

This slideshow requires JavaScript.

Èze-Village is a very nice, interesting place to visit. There is not much there save the view and the garden, so I would suggest bundling it with something else, like the Perfumery, to make it worth the time and expense.

Côte d’Azur – Nice – Part One

Nice_0
Nice – The French Riviera

Nice and the Côte d’Azur conjure up thoughts of beautiful weather, money (rich people) and vacation. It is a destination that many people have on their bucket-list of things to do; if not for the casinos, then at least for the sun and crystal clear light-blue sea. It was after some trepidation on my part and a pause in our other travels, that we decided to go to Nice for another short holiday.

Whenever possible, we travel via train since it is more cost-effective and has one of the better, if not the best, Eco-friendly footprints. The trip took us surprisingly just over five hours from Turin, most likely due to a mixture of train schedules and the routes involved. However, one of the advantages of being retired is time is the one commodity you have in abundance.

Since this was not actually a last-minute decision, we were still able to use a modest amount of planning and coordinated the trip with our daughter Ericka, who joined us the following day. She flew in and using the Côte d’Azur (I must say) fabulous metro/tram system which now links up with both terminals at the airport, we were able to meet her at Terminal 1.

Our choice of Nice was due to many factors. First the train station is large and one can travel to many different places taking advantage of both regional and special coastal trains. It also happened to be in the center of the Côte d’Azur, the famous vacation coast which attracts visitors and tourists from both FranceEurope and beyond. Nice has been expanding their metro and transportation system and it seems to be paying off; it did for us. If you are staying for any amount of time you can buy a 10-trip (not day) transportation pass for 10€ (that’s a 30 percent discount or 4 free trips). Though we did not use them all, we used enough to do better than break even.  We then handed them to someone at the hotel, so they could use the rest.

MapAndPostcards

Our Hotel

We stayed at the Hotel Belle Meunière, a short two-minute walk from the main train station and our domicile for our travels. Though our room was not much to look at per se, one has to understand the hotel is actually under renovations. The outside of the hotel is very well-kept and seems to be an old historical landmark of some kind, since they have obviously tried to keep it sound. The inside however, is somewhat confused but manageable.  It is obviously a converted manor house. It is therefore, not really a hotel but more of a hotel/pension fusion, if there is such a thing.

HotelBelleMeuniere_1
Hotel Belle Meuniere – A Niçois Experience

We found the price and location with respect to the train station very acceptable and there are also very good Niçois restaurants nearby. However, the location also worked somewhat against it as well, since areas around train stations tend to be a bit dirty. This is also true of the area around this hotel.  If you are really into the beach, you might prefer something closer to the shore, though they will be more expensive. Though I would not give it any Michelin stars, it was manageable and the staff go out of their way to make you comfortable.

Nice From Inside and Above

Nice_17
Notre-Dame de Nice

Nice is a typical European city. It has a core or old city surrounded by many environs or suburbs that have their own distinct look and things to see. One of the more prominent sights along the main Avenue Jean-Médecin in Nice, is the Roman Catholic Gothic basilica called Notre-Dame de Nice. Like Notre-Dame de Paris, it also has a large rose window on its front but is much younger, smaller and is not a cathedral (it is not even designed after the one in Paris). It will at least make you stop and take a photograph.

Castle Hill

Another must see is the overlook of the city from the Colline du Château or Castle Hill. It is a modest walk from the old city up the hill to the East, before you are able to enjoy the vista.

There are several points along the way up to stop and enjoy the view of Nice.

GriffinPattiEricka_CastleHillWaterfall
Patti and Ericka – Enjoying The Waterfall After The Climb Up The Hill

There are also other things to see on Castle Hill, including a waterfall and an overlook of Villefranche-sur-Mer, the next town over, though somewhat obscured by trees on the walk down.

This slideshow requires JavaScript.

The above are a collection of our initial photographs as we walked through the city.

We also have favourite place in France, called Charlot Premier in Nice, which does excellent oysters.

– Roger Moore

More on Nice and our other travels to come…

 

Turin – Treats On Or Close To Our Street

Having resided in Turin now for six months we are getting more and more time to explore. Sometimes it’s a monument we haven’t seen before or a shop that looks unfamiliar. Most of which, in the past months or so, have taken quite a walk to get there and back. So we decided one day this week to have lunch and a coffee and see what we could turn up, right on or very near our own street, via Giovanni Giolitti.

Lunch

A nine or ten block walk from our apartment, past the Piazza San Carlo, is a small fresh pasta place called Brün. Actually located on via Vittorio Alfieri, which is technically one and the same with via Giovanni Giolitti since they are in fact one and the same street.

Brün_Aug2019
Brün – via Vittorio Alfieri – Pasta Fresca

Brün resides in a very clean-looking building just past the Piazza San Carlo. It’s entrance sports a business shingle at street view that is quite easy to see as you are walking.

BrünInside_Aug2019
Brün – Modern Interior

Inside the owners went with a more modern and efficient layout and design than you would probably see elsewhere in Turin. Their main claim to fame here is their pasta, which is made fresh daily and comes in  three price tiers and about eight styles, from the customary Italian Tagliatelle and Spaghetti, all the way to the more expensive and delicious ravioli – Agnolotti.

This slideshow requires JavaScript.

We both decided on the Tagliatelle, but served two different ways and both were absolutely delicious. The pasta was served on plates of recycled paper and the utensils were also of recycled plastics. Each plate costs less than six Euros.  Add two glasses of wine and both can eat a delicious lunch for under fifteen Euros easily!

Dessert

After paying for lunch we walked out of Brün only to take a short walk up via XX Settembre and around the corner to visit La Romana, located on via Santa Teresa.

LaRomanaOutside_Aug2019
La Romana – via Santa Teresa

From the outside it looks expensive, which normally in Turin still means delicious but pricey. However after looking what they had to offer we thought the pricing was more or less inline with what we would expect.

LaRomanaInside_Aug2019
La Romana – The Coffee and Gelati Bar

The inside is a very modern decor with employees that also speak English, so you will have no problem ordering your Gelato and other desserts (there are many). We opted for the Gelato.

The store has much more to offer and appears to do all of their baking on site. In fact, while you are eating your gelato you can see the Baker make desserts behind a glass. The centerpiece of the store is a large glass enclosure with all of the day’s high-caloric offerings. All look very appetizing and we are definitely going back, not only for the Gelato which we think is as good as or slightly better that Fiorio and Grom, but to purchase and bring home a cake or tort.

This slideshow requires JavaScript.

Coffee

After dessert it was time to cap it off with an early afternoon coffee. What better place to go than down the street and around the corner to the Piazza San Carlo and Caffè Torino.

CaféTorino_Aug2019
Caffè Torino – Early 20th Century Decor

Caffè Torino is one of Turin‘s hallmark coffee bars where one can enjoy a Campari or Aperol Spritz, coffee, tea or any number of tall drinks. They also serve some light fare in the event you are hungry.

Coffee_1
Patti’s Caffé Macchiato

Patti had the establishment’s caffè Macchiato and I had a caffè (espresso) with a shot of Sambuca. The Sambuca sweetens the espresso a bit making it a caffè corretto. Each coffee came with the customary Torinese shot of sparkling water to cleanse your mouth once finished.

Make no mistake, Caffè Torino is modestly expensive when compared to other places where you can indulge in coffee around Turin (the home of coffee in Italy). We spent more on two cups of coffee and a Sambuca then we did on our pasta lunch with wine! You are however paying for the atmosphere. Therefore, if you choose your drinks wisely (or not), you can manage a very nice experience without an enormous bite coming out of your wallet.

All in all, we had a great lunch right on our own street and just a short walk away. Bear in mind all of this did take us close to three hours, or an hour lunch-break, if you are on Italian time!

Susa – Old Roman Appeal

If one were to take Trenitalia from Turin Porta Nuova west to its logical end, one would find Susa, a quiet little alpine town built by the Gauls sometime before the Roman Empire. Excited? You should be, we were and were not disappointed.

Susa_Stazione_Aug_2019
Susa Station

We entered the town via the train station, an hour’s ride from our main train station in Turin. As we traveled down the Susa Valley, somewhere starting around Avigliana, we slowly became surrounded by hills, then mountains.

TurinPN_Susa_Aug_2019
Train route down the Susa Valley

Upon reaching Susa, we were encircled by Graian Alps. , especially Rocciamelone which sits just due north of the town.

Susa_OverlookParkAugusto_Aug_2019
Overlooking the Park of Augusto, with Rocciamelone towering overhead

We had arrived around eleven o’clock in the morning, ready for some serious tourist trekking of the town and a peak at the food festival they were having this weekend.

Gauls and Romans

The town, like many very old towns in Italy, enjoys a rich history dating back before and including the Roman Empire. When the Roman Empire ascended into existence after the Roman Republic, Susa became a voluntary part of it in the 1st century BC.

Susa_CesareAugustusArch_Aug_2019
Ceasar Augustus Arch, Susa, 8 BC

The arch was positioned along the Via Cozia (today known as Via delle Gallie), the road that led to Gaul. Its age and architecture are impressive, it is also amazing that it has stood in such good shape for over two thousand years!

Susa_RomanAqueduct_Aug3_2019
Roman Aqueduct Terme Graziane and Gates

The aqueduct above is impressive itself and was built to feed water to baths somewhere, however it actually disguises a dirty little Gaul secret. The wall that connects to it on the left masks a set of holes carved into the rocks that were supposedly used to collect blood from Gaul sacrifices. Nice right? Those Gauls knew how to party.

Susa_Patti_CivicMuseumGrounds_Aug_2019
Patti on the grounds of the Civic Museum for Roman History

Susa Around Town

If you are not so inclined to delve deeply into the Roman history of the area, it is easy enough just to enjoy the town itself.

Susa_CathedralofSanGiusto_Aug_2019
Cathedral of San Giusto

There is the old Cathedral of San Giusto, which was built in Romanesque style.

Susa_LookingTowards_France_Aug_2019
Dora Riparia’s Glacial Blue color in Susa

The Dora Riparia makes its trek through Susa carrying its aquamarine glacial waters. It eventually is joined by other tributaries, especially the Cenischia, before it reaches Turin and joins the river Po.

Susa_ComuneDeSusa_Aug_2019
Susa Torre, Comune di Susa

The Torre in Susa, a building obviously repurposed over the years.

Susa_PiazzaDellaTorre_Aug_2019
Piazza della Torre, Susa

Pizzeria Ristorante Italia

Finally after a few hours enjoying the absolutely gorgeous weather and amazing scenery it was time for something to eat. We decided the street food we saw was not going to slake our thirst nor satiate us, so we ventured away from the center of town, which we also found much too noisy (they do allow cars to flow through it). From the Piazza Trento we walked down the via Francesco Rolando and found an obvious favorite, Pizzeria Ristorante Italia.

Susa_PizzeriaRistoranteItalia_Aug3_2019
Inside Pizzeria Ristorante Italia

The restaurant was actually quite busy; the photograph above being taken before the mass of locals entered in small groups to eat their lunch. Many of which ordered the blue plate and much to our chagrin got served before ourselves. Oh well, it wasn’t like we were in a hurry, being retired is so nice…

Susa A Great One Day Adventure

We had a marvelous time in Susa and want to come back in the Fall and perhaps Winter to enjoy the change of season and their Christmas market respectively. So we encourage you, if you are ever in the vicinity of Turin, do not dismiss Susa as a possible day trip. Check their calendar first, just in case they have something special going on. Even if they don’t, a one day trip just for the history will be worth it. Until then, here are some extra photographs of Susa for your enjoyment.

This slideshow requires JavaScript.

Avigliana – A Valley Jewel

A short trip by train just outside and to the west of Turin lies Avigliana, a medieval town some would call a small city.  However, regardless of its size, it is charming nonetheless.

TurinToAvigliana
Turin Porta Nouva to Avigliana via Trenitalia
TrainStation_Avigliana_July2019
Avigliana Train Station

We arrived on a picture perfect day with only a few clouds hovering over the mountains to the North and West and no threat of rain whatsoever in sight.

SacraDiSanMichele_Avigliana_July2019
Abbey Sacra di San Michele

As soon as we left the train station we could see the Abbey Sacra di San Michele perched on the Monte Pirchiriano to the West. From Avigliana this is also an easy sight to visit if you are traveling by car. However, even if you are traveling by train and on foot it is also possible if you have the time. It lies some ten kilometers from town and has history that dates back to the tenth century. Our trip centered more on the historic part of town and visiting the lakes, which promised to be magnificent.

This slideshow requires JavaScript.

Our ascent to the town was along a more or less direct route from the train station. Instead of following the signs near the train station, we walked via San Giuseppe to via Porta Ferrata.  Once you reach the fork in the road take the right branch which will bring you to the Church of Santa Croce and an uncommon overlook of the Susa Valley. Coming back down and continuing a bit further we came across the Porta Ferrata, an old medieval gate that dates back to the 13th century.

PrattoDelRio_MtMusine_Avigliana_July2019
Panoramic view from the overlook at the Church of Santa Croce

We had now spent a little over an hour walking through the narrow streets and alleys, exploring those little areas that afforded us access. From the spine of the hill on which the town sits, one can get some great photographs of the mountains, including historic landmarks.

TorreDiOrologio_ParrochiaSSGiovanniEPietro_Avigliana_July2019
From via Dell’Orologio the Torre dell’Orologio and cupola of the Parrochia SS. Giovanni e Pietro

From the via dell’Orologio we quickly descended the historic center of town to make our way to the lakes. (It is best before you leave to download any maps as well as familiarize yourself with your overall route.  We found cellular service in the town a bit spotty, so if you are addicted to travel-by-phone only, you may run into difficulties and feel lost at times.)  However, if you are lucky enough to find the main road, via Garibaldi that leads to Corso Laghi, you are all set; the maar lakes are South on that road.

LagoGrande_Avigliana_July2019
Lago Grande di Avigliana

After about a fifteen or twenty-minute walk we came across the first lake, Lago Grande, meaning “large lake”. The term maar comes from the fact that both of these lakes are essentially volcanic craters. The volcanoes are of course extinct, but since the lava domes they once had have collapsed, the depressions have filled with water making these amazing lakes. The green tint comes from a mixture of mountain glacier runoff and algae. However they got there, on a beautiful sunny day they are just amazing to see and enjoy.

Residents must enjoy the peace the lakes and mountains offer them since it appears that no motorboats are allowed on the them, only sailboats and others that require human power.  We also witnessed several people swimming the width of the large lake which must be close to one kilometer.  There is also a diving school on the East bank of the large lake where you can take diving lessons. Though we were within a short walk to the smaller lake we decided not to go, We had both walked over three miles and were starting to get a bit tired.

GriffinPatricia_LagoGrande_Avigliana_Juli2019
Patti enjoying the weather and a rest from all of our walking

The stroll back into town took another twenty or so minutes and we were now both hungry and looking for something to eat.  We had thought about eating somewhere along the lake, but none of the restaurant menus there appealed to us.  So we headed for the main piazza in town, piazza Conte Rosso.

ParrocchiaSSGiovanniEPietro_Avigliana_July2019
Chiesa de San Giovanni

Retracing our route back to the piazza and up the long street stairs of via Garibaldi we see the Church of San Giovanni from under the Porta San Giovanni. The church stands there almost confused that it is no longer held up on the one side by a building that most likely once stood there. It most likely had been torn down centuries ago, but the scars from its lost companion are still obvious in the relentless sun. The facade, which one must say is somewhat unique, dates back to the 14th and 15th centuries and seems to borrow from several styles.

PiazzaConteRosso_Castello_Avigliana_July2019
Piazza Conte Rosso

Piazza Conte Rosso is a working piazza, with cars co-mingling with pedestrians.  From here one can see the ruins of the old castle on the hill, Castello di Avigliana. There are also several caffés and bars here, as well as the restaurant, San Michele.

RistoranteStMichele_Avigliana_July2019
Ristorante San Michele

The food at Ristorante San Michele is very good and moderately expensive. There are daily specials and several dishes that are unique to the Piedmont. They also serve bio wine which is environmentally friendly, from the Piedmont, quite unique and is very, very good!

If you are in the area of the Piedmont or Turin and have a few hours or a day extra, then Avigliana might be a very relaxing choice for you. There is definitely enough to see and do, you can rent boats on the lakes and swim, and there is more than enough to eat and drink.

Here are some other photographs, enjoy!

This slideshow requires JavaScript.

Rivoli – Simple Pleasures

After reading several reviews and actually knowing someone in the states that has the last name Rivoli, my wife and I decided on a road trip today to that namesake.

Anfang_Rivoli_2019
Entering Rivoli

From Turin‘s Porta Nuova (Turin‘s main train station) we traveled using Trenitalia‘s service to Susa (not to be confused with Porta Susa in Turin), getting off at Alpignano. Then after going under the railroad tracks using the tunnel, since we were disembarked on track 2, we took the GTT 1432 bus from Piazza Tulio Robotti for eight to ten minutes to Rivoli at Fermata 13264 on via Don Murialdo.

BemahltesHäuser_Rivoli_2019
The narrow streets of Rivoli

Once you step off the bus and find your bearings you begin to realize that you need to ascend a hill, your ultimate destination being the old Savoia Castel and new Museum of Contemporary Art. Passing many shops and colorful buildings, some needing ownerships, others busy with activity, you slowing ascend the via Fratelli Piol, or main street.

The city itself is actually very well-kept, like other Piedmontese, they obviously have some pride in keeping their community clean. I admit it must be a struggle for them as well as other communities, from what we’ve seen, but this seems not to deter them. The Europeans as a whole still seem to feel they have a right to just pollute and it will not affect them (I will write another article, specific to Turin, on this later), even though they vote and their government seems to do otherwise.

ChiesaSantaCroce_Rivoli_2019
Chiese Santa Croce

After some walking, browsing and curious on looking into shop windows, one will arrive at a fork in the road and clearly see the Church of Santa Croce. A cinnamon and stout marvel of Christianity. With a mural of Christ with his cross above the large wooden doors, but no longer owned by the Catholic Church, but rather the Res Publica – Galleria d’Arte Democratica for art exhibitions and shows.

GrandeRistoranteDelCastello_Rivoli_2019
The Old Grande Ristorante del Castello

Upon reaching the top of the hill you arrive at the old castle, or the Castello di Rivoli. Built by the Savoia and houses the Museum of Contemporary Art it is well worth the travel and the climb.

It commands an amazing view of the surrounding area as well as Turin and other parts of Rivoli itself.

bersichtTorinoVonDerCastello_Rivoli_2019
A view of Turin afar, as viewed on a smoggy day from the Castle

When one faces the East North East one also enjoys an amazing view of the Alps too!

bersichtDenAlpen_Rivoli_2019
A semi-clear view of the Alps, yes they are close here

I will admit the day was somewhat warm and humid.

bersichtKircheUndTorino_Rivoli_2019
Another view with Chiesa Collegiata di Santa Maria della Stella

However, compared to North Carolina standards, at fifty percent humidity, it was not totally intolerable. We would therefore call this a warm day, though uncomfortable. Some other sites on our descent included the following.

It was time to eat, being both hungry and a bit dehydrated from the climb, we searched for a place that served both simple but filling fare. We found the Caffé Roxy where we were able to order what we call in the States, flat breads with salami, drinks (both wine and water) as well as dessert, caffe and aperitif, all for 24€. Not a bad deal and the service was excellent as well!

RoxyCafe_Rivoli_2019
Caffé Roxy on the way up to the castle

After a full stomach and enough shopping we had had our fill of Rivoli and it was time to leave. This is where we caution everyone about the deplorable state of some of the fermatas or bus stops in Italy, you just cannot read some of them or they are CLEARLY WRONG. Pay attention to the numbers that are marked on them. The information that your internet application has is probably correct. Also, do NOT have an expectation of bus color or that you will see a bus number when it approaches, ALWAYS ASK THE DRIVER, especially when you are in an out-of-the-way place. It will make your life so much easier, though a bit uncomfortable (since you will have to use your limited Italian.)

TicketsForTwo_Rivoli_2019_skaliert
Tickets for Two

After crossing Corso Francia multiple times between Fermata 2794 and 2823 and feeling like fools, we finally caught the bus we wanted for Alpignano, albeit on the wrong side of that street.

We finally arrived at the station with plenty of time to spare, stamped our tickets, and waited for our train, which of course was five minutes late – but, it did arrive! Buona giornata!

Turin – Piolas – Caffe Vini Emilio Ranzini

CaffeViniEmilioRanzini_6_tiny
The Menu

Occasionally, you come across a restaurant, caffe or bar which just hits all the buttons correctly. For us this occurred last evening at Caffe Vini Emilio Ranzini.

I don’t want to call this place a hole in the wall, but that is the first impression a foreigner, an American, will have. All in all it might measure twenty by thirty feet inside, sixty or seventy square feet maximum, including the bar. But, the food is unmatched by other restaurants much larger in size. So, either there is a huge kitchen somewhere we could not see, or the chef is a magician.

To be honest, there is an outdoor patio in the back where they are able to seat perhaps another forty or so guests. We were fortunate this evening to get our own table inside next to the door and near the bar, to watch all the comings and goings (people watching is an acceptable hobby in Italy.)

A Piola Menu

As can be seen by the rather large display above, the menu is displayed on the wall. This is typical for a Piola, a Torinese-style restaurant that has daily offers of food at reasonable prices (or in Italian, a termine piemontese dal significato di osteriabar).

CaffeViniEmilioRanzini_4
Tagliere of Salumi and Formaggi, along with other great stuff to eat

For our dinner we selected the Salami and Cheese plate for two. To accompany this, we also ordered the vinegar roasted zucchini squash, roasted peppers and Polpette di Carni (or hot meatballs).

The meat tasted as one would expect, a nice selection of salami and prosciutto. The cheese selection was very good, especially the blue cheese which reminded us of a Stilton and the other whiter cheese above which reminded us of a sharp white cheddar.

CaffeViniEmilioRanzini_5
Nizza, San Luigi, 2015 – DOCG

The meatballs and zucchini were to die for. It was actually difficult to tell what kind of meat, were in the meatballs (and frankly we were afraid to ask since horsemeat is an acceptable meat in Italy.) But, the spices and the particular way in which they were cooked (it looked like deep-frying but not sure it was), was very tasty. The squash on the other hand was served cold, but the vinegar gave it such a pop in your mouth, you wanted to order more.

The Wine

This specific place also sports a rather nice wine list. Since we were looking for something red to pair with the meatballs, salami and cheese, we went with a nice Barbera. The Nizza from San Luigi, 2015 was an excellent choice. Dry and aromatic with fruity overtones of cherry, it combined very nicely with our meal. A wine which is sure on my short list of choices when I visit my local wine store in the future!

In Conclusion

Though it was our evening out to celebrate our 37th anniversary, we had expected to spend a bit more. So, when the bill came and it came to a total of 37€, we were delightfully surprised. Not only because we thought it so inexpensive, but that we got such good food and atmosphere at such an affordable and reasonable price.

CaffeViniEmilioRanzini_1
The bar at Caffe Vivi Emilio Ranzini

We are sure the menu changes often, weekly at least, perhaps even daily. Our plans are to go back for lunch. One word of caution. They do have Summer hours (9:30-2:30, 5:30-8:30) starting in June, which are reduced from the hours posted on Google. However, we would recommend this place for either lunch or dinner and it’s just two blocks off of via Garibaldi!

5.0 stars! 

Asti – A Relaxing Little Town

AstiKarte_29052019_skaliert_abgeschnitten
A Map of Asti

Upon arrival and leaving the local train station a map of Asti, strategically located for those visiting the tiny city, greets all. It is actually quite informative and gives anyone a good overview of the local points of interest. However in order to have seen the map above one probably also missed the pedestrian tunnel to cross the busy intersection to town from the train station, we did!

Asti_PiazzaStatuto_29052019_skaliert_abgeschnitten
Piazza Statuto

If you bear to the left after the traffic circle and upon entering the town one of the first sites and piazzas, like any other typical Italian town, is the Piazza Statuto. A quaint little piazza in what I would call a lazy and relaxing little town.

Asti_PiazzaSanSecundo_29052019_skaliert_abgeschnitten
Piazza San Secondo – left view

Piazza San Secondo by contrast is a much larger piazza and is ringed with some shopping, if you are inclined to do any shopping while here. In the background popping up over the rooftops one can also see the top of the Torre Troyana.

Asti_PiazzaSanSecundo_2_29052019_skaliert_abgeschnitten
Piazza San Secondo – right view

Of course the dominant building in this piazza is a catholic church for which the piazza is named after, the church San Secondo. A short walk down the small street directly across from the piazza takes you to the Torre Troyana.

Asti_TorreTroyana_29052019_skaliert_abgeschnitten
Piazza Medici and the Troyan Clock Tower

The Piazza Medici Asti has the historical Torre Troyana o dell’Orologio. Originally started in the 12th century it was eventually bought by the Troya family and finished. Later the municipality of Asti purchased the tower and annexed it to the neighboring government building. As some point a clock was added, probably inside since I saw no evidence of one on the exterior of the building.

Asti_viaPellettaTowardsPiazzaSanSecundo_29052019_skaliert_abgeschnitten
via Pelletta, looking toward the San Secondo church

If you are ever traveling in Italy and are tired of all the crowds of tourists, Asti should be one of your stops. Not that I like to encourage tourism, but if you are looking for a lazy day of strolling around unaffected by the hordes of international travelers this could be a good one day stop for you too. As can be seen by the photograph above the town’s side streets offer a relaxing substitute from some of the busier places around Italy.

Restaurant Le Teste di Rapa

Lunch in Asti offers many possibilities, from regional pizza and focaccia to enoteca and restaurant fusions offering great wines and food. After reading several menus on the street and walking around a bit, we decided on Le Teste di Rapa.

This restaurant offers no outside seating but is rather large inside and has both a downstairs and an upstairs. It also draws a very large local lunch crowd, so it is probably best to get there a bit early, between 12 to 12:30, especially if you have a train to catch or other time constraint. The locals seem to show up around one o’clock and for what we saw pack the place in pretty well.

Asti_BarberaDAsti_29052019_skaliert_abgeschnitten
Bertolino – a great Barbera d’Asti Superiore

The regional wines are the best to try and there is a wide selection. Though Asti is known for Asti Spumante, there are also other great varietals if you are not up for something bubbly. One of which are the Barberas. They go very well with rich food, in my case a dish of Italian meatballs and in Patti’s the daily special of eggplant parmesan. Both dishes were excellent and served with a fresh local white bread.

Asti_TesteDiRapa_Patti_29052019_skaliert_abgeschnitten
Patti outside the restaurant

The Palio di Asti

Once we left the restaurant we had another fifty minutes or so to spend and decided we had time to stroll over to see if there was anything interesting around Asti’s Palio (the less well-known cousin of the one in Siena.)

Asti_PiazzaCampoDelPalio_29052019_skaliert_abgeschnitten

The Palio here is of course a ringed street, that is it goes around in a complete loop, an essential requirement if you are having any kind of race. Though less well-known, Asti’s horse race also goes way back to the thirteen century. A main difference one can see between this venue and the one in Siena is the Asti version has a central piazza encircled by a walkway and a double row of trees. During most of the year this piazza apparently supports a small outside market. Nowhere as busy or large as the one in Turin, but offering the same kind of goods one expects to find at such a market with very reasonable prices as well.

Asti Train Station – Back to Turin

We finally made it back at the train station, taking the pedestrian tunnel this time, around twenty minutes to three.

AstiHauptBahnhof_29052019_skaliert_abgeschnitten
Asti train station and platforms

The trip between Asti and Turin P.N. (Porta Nuova) is just over thirty minutes with only one stop in between just outside of Turin. Otherwise the trip is totally second class at €5.25 one way per person, so do not expect to be able to purchase a first class ticket. But seats are comfortable and plentiful in both directions. The views outside the train are a bit better than traveling toward Milan and points East.

AstiToTurin_Returning_29052019_skaliert_abgeschnitten
Poppies and the bucolic Italian countryside

In any case a very relaxing and lazy day for an excursion to Asti and one destination worth the visit if you have the time, if only for the food and wine! ???? Ciao for now.

Offenbach – A Diamond In The Rough

Venture far from Sachsenhausen or Süd-Frankfurt, or a short stop on your way to Hanau (for whatever reason that may be), you will find the small city of Offenbach. One can say it’s one of those towns or cities that most resembles the new Germany, pluralistic, cosmopolitan and apparently an up-and-coming place. Our daughter lives here and has re-acclimated herself to the bigger city life, than she was used to when she lived in Kassel.

Marktplatz

Though we have no photographs, mostly due to a certain ambivalence on my part, one can say this is where the action is. It has many modern stores, a main pedestrian zone for shopping and several trendy, economical and interesting places to eat. There is a U-Bahn stop here, which can be easily reached from Frankfurt’s Hauptbahnhof or main train station.

Other Areas

Around Offenbach’s Marktplatz, are many different areas for business and residential with the train station for the city slicing right through it. Though we use the Offenbacher Hauptbahnhof regularly, we have never considered looking for a place to eat near it. We were surprised to find a culinary gem not too far away!

ShauMAHL Restaurant

On a chilly, rainy evening with reservations for the Frankfurter Botschaft, we started our restaurant adventure on the Offenbacher Hauptbahnhof platform waiting for a DB train that would never arrive (perhaps another DB störung, they are famous for them as one of our previous blog articles describes; more on this in a later blog entry.)

ShauMAHL front entrance

Dismayed, we quickly canceled our current reservation and began a search for something comparable in the immediate area. We found ShauMAHL.

Patti and Erick, with view of the bar

One would say a rather expensive restaurant. However, as the saying goes (and we are technically on vacation, even though retired ?), “in for a penny, in for a pound!”

Tristan and Ericka before enjoying their meal

They offer a fixed-priced menu which provides a very round selection, from fish, fowl to meat.

Ericka’s veal confit dish

I selected the rabbit dish with green sauce which was excellent. Rabbit, rabbit meatballs, barley, ummmm, good.

Erick’s Kannichen (rabbit) dish

For drink, I selected a nice regionally (Württemberg) produced red, Graf von Neipperg, merlot, 2015 (€79), very nice (I think I used the word ‘okay’ while trying it, much to the dismay of the waitress.) It has all the qualities of being a really good wine. But lest I go into wine snobbery, my bar (bar as in a high-jump bar, a bar to get over) is a 1986 or 1989 Chateau Lynch Bages, need I say more?

Expresso and flaming Sambucca

For dessert we chose whatever we were more inclined to eat, Erick the Apfelstrüdel, Patti and Ericka the ice cream and Tristan a coffee. Erick and Ericka still ordered an expresso with Sambuca straight-up.

For a rainy evening, an expensive (€410), though extraordinary find for a dismissed place like Offenbach.

4.8 Stars ??

Heidelberg – Cloudy And Rainy

After a beautiful evening in Heidelberg, Zeus decided it was time to change the weather on us.

Heidelberg in the evening

Hence, when we woke up that morning, we were greeted by a driving rain. Nothing like the downpours we would get in North Carolina, but a steady, bone-chilling, 48 degree shower on our vacation (we’re calling it that now, not to feel too much like retirees.) That’s not too bad, the last time I visited, it was in the 20s and snowing!

Hans Thoma Platz the stop closest to our Gasthof

After our hotel hostess provided breakfast it was off to the Altstadt and the Heidelberg Castle.

The Altstadt

The Altstadt of Heidelberg is now essentially an outside mall, commercialized with all the latest trendy stores from all over the world. Its nothing the way I remember it from years ago.

The beginning of the Hauptstrasse, Heidelberg

Some of the restaurants look the same but there are many new coffee shops, cafes and contemporary stores that fill the Hauptstrasse. It begins with the Kaufhaus right after exiting Bismarkplatz.

Along the Hauptstrasse

And after walking over a kilometer or so, ends with a church or two or three and the castle.

The Heidelberg Castle

The Heidelberger Schloss, or castle, sits atop the hill overlooking the city.

Heidelberger Schloss atop hill

From the Hauptstrasse it is a formidable structure. There are two ways to visit the castle. One may walk the serpentine street that has a number of switch-backs.

Its raining and I’m cold, two tickets for the train please!

Or one can pay the €8.00 fee to ride the funicular train up the hill which is better choice when it’s raining out, plus admission to the castle is included.

The castle looking towards the pharmacy museum

The castle contains the usual large room for the storage of goods in case the town was attacked. It also houses a pharmacy museum and the largest wooden wine cask in the world, able to hold 58,000 gallons of wine.

The largest wine cask in the world

The cask was used back in the day when the town produced its own wine label.

The smaller cask holding 300 liters of wine

Recently, an effort was started by a local vitner, Jörg Clauer, to restart the production of a Heidelberg labeled wine using the smaller cask that is shown in the ante chamber to the largest one. In it, they have stored 300 liters of Pinot Noir, reviving the wine making tradition here.

Heidelberg Overlook

From the castle one gets a great view of Heidelberg and its environs.

Heidelberg looking west

To the west and north looking toward Weststadt and Bergheim.

The old Heidelberg bridge

Then the old Heidelberg bridge and the last part of the Altstadt.

Heidelberg is still a beautiful little city, full of shopping and some interesting things to see. Though I was a bit disappointed in some of the old shops that are missing, I still think it is worth a look, especially for those who have not experienced its charm yet.

Weinwirtschaft Alt Hendesse

Our second and last night here we ate at the Alt Hendesse restaurant which ostensibly is a Weinwirtschaft.

Weinwirtschaft Alt Hendesse

It could be the establishment used to be part of some wine production at some point in their history. But there is no evidence of any label or production by them on their current wine list.

Patti and Ericka waiting for their Aubergine dishes

However, the food was very good and satisfying. I can only say that for the short time we were there between 8 and 9 PM they were turning people away constantly. They actually somehow made room for us shuffling some locals around to other tables.

4.7 Stars ?