MJP 2.0: Four Magical Days Up North

Wow. This anno sabatico has been loaded with experiences, days, trips, etc., that I will never forget. But last Thursday through Sunday were 4 days that rank right up there with the best of them. The hospitality and warmth I received, along with the beauty I enjoyed seeing -- and tasting -- are prime examples of why this time in Italia has been so amazing.

I drove east from Torino to the Monferrato wine region on Thursday morning. I knew the gods were smiling when, although I was prepared to tempt the fates and brave the drive in a car with a manual transmission, the kind people at Avis reported that there was one car with an automatic transmission available. Given the gorgeous but windy roads in Monferrato, and all the hairpin turns I had to execute, this turned out to be a huge plus.

Thursday and Friday were then tastings from Cascina Gilli (www.cascinagilli.it/#/en/winery/cascina-gilli) and Cascina Garitina (www.cascinagaritina.com). My California wine-growing friend was right to recommend both of these wineries. I'm not sure you could have more fun than driving through this astounding landscape, enjoying conversations with the hosts at Gilli and Garitina, and tasting some outstanding Piemonte wines. Just wonderful.

Chiara at Cascina Gilli was also kind enough to recommend an abbey and old church up in the hills of Monferrato. Wonderful. So peaceful. Nobody else was at the Abbazia di Vezzolano, so wandering around the grounds of this 12th Century abbey was a soothing and peaceful stop. Look for the Vezzolano Abbey (en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vezzolano_Abbey) if you ever go tasting in Monferrato.

In addition to the relaxing drives and great wines, the little Friday night wine-and-art soiree at Cascina Gilli was a terrific way to cap off a couple of days in the region -- and to practice my Italian. (OK, that's an overstatement). I don't think there were any other tourists in attendance.

And, before I forget, if you are in Monferrato and want a great B&B, look up Cascina Rosengale. (www.cascinarosengana.it/default.asp?LANG=en.) Not super fancy, but incredibly helpful owners and staff, and totally awesome food and vino. I lost track of all the dishes they serve for the 4-antipasti (appetizers), 4-primi (first course), and 4-secondi (second course) dinner, but I had to turn down several of them; it was just too much food. The folks at Rosengale really helped me enjoy my couple of days in this Piemonte wine region.

It then got even better. One development from the past couple of weeks is that my original tutor Paola has returned from her summer in the Puglia region. (Valentina did a remarkable job in Paola's absence!) While I was in Piemonte last week, it turned out that Paola was visiting her parents in the nearby Lombardia region. Paola invited me to spend a day or two at her parents' house -- it was an offer I could not refuse.

On Saturday morning, I took off from the Monferrato region for my visit to Paola's family in Pavia -- a city of 70,000 that is 20 miles or so south of Milano. Before I got there, I took a little detour to the town of Casale Monferrato. This town has an active synagogue that was built in 1595. (en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Synagogue_of_Casale_Monferrato.) Given that I was driving and -- as discussed below -- eating and drinking on Yom Kippur, I thought that the least I could do was to stop in at an historic synagogue. I only spent 5 minutes inside, but it felt nice. I'm not sure I have attended both Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur services in the same year (even for just 5 minutes) since the late '80s or early '90s!

I then arrived in Pavia. Paola's genitori (parents) and their long-time friend Lina were the best. Although they barely spoke any English, we had great conversations about Pavia, other regions in Italy, their family history, my family, food, vino, and everything else. My goodness did Paola's mom cook a ton for us. We finished a massive lunch at maybe 3:30. Paola and I then went for a walk around the sites (mostly churches) of Pavia. By 7:30 we were back at the house -- for dinner. I'm sure I have never consumed so many calories in a 6-7 hour span. We weren't done, of course. Paola and I then went to meet 2 of her friends at Pavia's best dessert shop. Yummmm.

On Sunday, Paola and I hit the road early and drove up to Milano. I really thought that I would not have a chance to visit Milan on this trip. But Paola offered to guide me around. Totally psyched to have seen it. I don't think Milano will make my top 5 list of the places I'm visiting, but the Duomo there is truly outstanding. So imposing, both inside and out.

I was exhausted when I made it back to Roma at midnight on Sunday night. More than that though, I was overwhelmed by the kind generosity that Paola's family, Chiara at Cascina Gilli, and Gianluca at Cascina Garitina all extended to me over a whirlwind post-Torino 4 days up north.