Special Places in Italy

 

Walking and Eating in Cortemilia, Italy

Cortemilia, Italy

Our friend and host for the next four days, Carlo Zarri, once told us Italy can claim three special places, Roma, Venezia, and Firenze. Now, having been to all three, we agree, however, the one place we visited before any of the three, still remains so special to us, Cortemilia and the Villa San Carlo. I suspect Carlo’s grandfather would approve (below, left).

We first arrived in Cortemilia by foot, at the conclusion of a seven day walk along the Barolo Wine Trail, nearly a decade ago. We selected the walk, in part, due to the end being the Villa San Carlo. We had read about Carlo, his family and Inn and knew it would be the perfect ending to our first week in Italy.

As we entered the Villa, Carlo stood behind the desk and welcomed us warmly. We recognized him from his photos immediately. We talked for a while and he casually mentioned this evening would be the final evening of the year for the Villa as he closed each winter. Then he told us we were the sole guests this late November evening. Our hearts sunk. As bed and breakfast owners, we understood the final night before closing at the end of your season. We also understood the effort to prepare a meal for two takes nearly the same energy as for many more. We disappointingly offered to dine elsewhere in Cortemilia that cold night, not wanting to inconvenience him. He strongly rejected our offer, insisting he would prepare our meal. Later that night, he would provide us with one of the best meals we have ever eaten.

This visit to Cortemilia is our third. We celebrated Lois’ 60th birthday here. The area reminds us of our home in Virginia with rural country roads, elevations, and lots of agriculture, albeit a few more olive and hazel nut trees. The tranquility can almost match the food. As magical and as unique that we found Venice, we opted to return here this year instead. Accordingly, we must amend Carlo’s list of special places to include his home town.

We did not arrive on foot this year. We arrived by car with Earl behind the wheel, his first driving experience out of the US. Pulling out of the Hertz parkinglot in Sienna around 10am, we had 3 maps and written directions on the IPAD. Driving in a foreign country can be intimidating. It was definately a new line item for the list of adventures. Roads are not named, but numbered – with more than one reference. It’s easy to miss an exit or entrance to a toll road. It’s hilarious when you approach an automated toll both which sucks in your toll card and proceeds to explain what you need to do in Italian. With cash and coins and credit card in hand, we struggled to pay the toll. Cars now lining up behind us, the automated teller gave up, spit out a lengthy piece of tape and opened the gate. Margaret found the English translation on this tape which basically said we screwed up and now needed to go on-line to pay the $1.20 toll. (gimme a break!)

Getting off the main highway and onto the country road to Cortelmilia was comforting as all 4 of us began to see familiar sights- then the driveway to Villa San Carlo. Hugs awaited us and I turned to Earl and said it felt like we were somehow ‘home’. After getting settled, we sat outside in the gardens sipping white wine while awaiting the Finnish delegation. The 5 course gourmet dinner lasted until at least 10:30pm. Plans were made to ‘walk off’ the appetizer the next day.

There is an incredible ‘fragrance’ in this place of Cortelmilia. You can smell it on a walk in the woods or down the street. It’s so different: a combination of damp and mossy stone walls, the sweetness of flowers and cherries on the trees, and the smokiness of dead hazelnut wood burning somewhere in the fields. It was so nice to sleep with the windows open all night long and listen to bird songs in the morning. It is here we will renew until the next phase of the Big Adventure.

We have posted this entry here and in the old Travelpod site.