The hunt for tartufo

I headed to Alba, the epicenter for Italian black and (when in season) white truffles. I was fully prepared to get knee deep in muck following pigs around as they snorted down the delectable fungi, but I didn't have to do much mucking around. It seems that the Italians have found a cleaner (and less smelly) way to find the tartufo. They use dogs. The pigs, it seems, act as pigs do and while they snort, they also tend to mangle. Dogs, on the other hand, are daintier and less prone to trample the rare mushrooms which can cost a (caution: hyperbole ahead) gazillion dollars an ounce. In the end, I found it was easier to find the truffles without the help of any animal and just walked in to a store.

No Country for Old Cows

For a place where eating meat and cheese are national pasttimes, I have seen only two cows. The rolling hillsides are perfect for uddered animals, yet none roam. It seems that, in Italy, cows do not get put out to pasture as land is at a premium (better suited for growing grapes or olives). While the thought of cows living their lives indoors unsettles me, I seem to quickly forget my qualms as I drown my breadstick in tallegio. I guess I will never be a spokesperson for PETA.

Spineto Scrivia

This is your typical Piedmont region town. The church stands in the center of the piazza, there is one bar/cafe where the town people (350 of them) meet to gossip and have their morning espresso. The land around it is filled with vineyards, bee keepers, and fruit agriculturists, and everyone stops what they are doing between 12:30pm and 3pm to enjoy what life has to offer them.
At night, parents frolic with their children in tow, and when it gets too late .. well, kids are resourceful!

Highlights from the Emilia-Romagna Region

Parma. Land of parmesan cheese and parma ham. You cannot help but fall in love. If you are a vegetarian, you might feel differently as the smell of cured ham hangs heavily over the city. It is also one of the few places in north-central Italy I have traveled to where I saw non-tourist non-Caucasians.













Castell Arquato is a medieval town tucked between the rolling hills that this region is known for. The town is small and all roads leading up to the castle are steep and cobble stoned. I wonder what happens to the people who live here when it rains. Perhaps they all head to Casa Benna.
Casa Benna attracted my attention because unlike most things in Italy, it says that it is open all the time. Imagine, a place you can get wine at all hours. I have found heaven on earth, and its tour guide is Maria Benna. Who wouldn't want to sample wine from this lady ... in fact, I was ready to buy before she opened the first bottle (actually I opened the bottles as her hands looked like they have done enough wine uncorking and pasta rolling for three lifetimes!)