The drive south east from Gattinara along the SP 299 was straightforward, following a tributary of the Agogna across endless rice fields. We intended to leave the Fiat Panda (hybrid) at the Maggiore depot in an industrial estate on the outskirts of Novara, and arrived there after a 40 minute drive (extended slightly by my failure as the driver to refuel before we arrived) . A very cheerful and obliging woman received the car and ordered a taxi for us, as we waited with our luggage in a Hyundai show room.

The city of c 100,000 people, second largest in Piemonte, was busy on Friday evening, but the taxi hurtled us around the back streets to the Hotel Cavour directly opposite the train station. It is decorated with fascinating blown-up life-size historic photos of women working in the rice fields.

The pedestrianised main shopping streets are the corso Cavour, heading up from the piazza Garibaldi and the station, and the via Mazzini. They follow the route of the principal roman road, the cardine, running north-south and the change of street name comes when the route crosses the decumano, running east-west, now the via Italia and corso Cavallotti. The crossing is known as the Angolo delle Ore; the ancient site of a municipal sundial.  (See the red dot on the map above)

Finally able to unpack, we left the hotel in the evening sunshine, and walked through the crowded streets full of people beginning their weekend with aperitivi and even opera – Madama Butterfly was on at the big Teatro Coccia. 

 We found the huge Castello site with new build successfully incorporating some of its huge footprint for public events (eg our Alto Piemonte tasting weekend); the Broletto (a quiet square on which stand four diverse palazzi of different eras) and the Duomo. We visited all these later, at our leisure.

The Basilica of San Gaudenzio, above, with its extraordinary tower and cuppola, was designed by Alessandro Antonelli in the C19 ( whose grandiose ambition can be seen in so many of Novara’s spaces) and can be seen for miles across the flat Po plains. The tree-lined baluardos (boulevards) encircling the old town replaced the lines of the old city walls in the early nineteenth century, and follow the ancient, raised defensive embankments. 

We walked and walked through many elegant arcades, passing osterie, ristoranti, trattorie, bistrot and bars, and finally opted for a poke bowl each at a local take away, before returning to our hotel, surprisingly quiet given the numbers of street people hanging round the bus station and the square, which for some is home. 

Saturday 11 May : the first day of Alto Piemonte tasting at the Castello in Novara

A slow start – the first of the trip – as the Alto Piemonte event didn’t begin until 11.00. Breakfast wasn’t bad – yoghurt, frittata, eggs and the odd tomato and olive, but very short on staff.

The spaces inside the Castello are very civilised and the tasting area upstairs just about big enough though the acoustic is poor when crowded (where isn’t?)

I particularly enjoyed the ground floor with its striking archeological walls, a few settees, open doors, and cool fresh air. A gallery of producers’ photos added atmosphere. We have met all those shown below !

Most of this blog was written here, while David worked his way through 50 producers over the two days I was there. I tasted perhaps half a dozen producers, punctuating the long writing spells. Lunch was available from a couple of mobile stalls in a courtyard providing pasta, coffee and pasticcerie.

On Saturday evening we returned to one of the ristoranti we had spotted the day before, on the corso Felice Cavolotti: Burro e Ferrovia, which was excellent; saffron spaghettoni and a fish in miso sauce, while I had an elegant (and warm) small slow-cooked beef with chopped raw scampo on top, and a modest vegetarian main, accompanied by a very bright nebbiolo rosato.

Sunday 12 May : the second day of Alto Piemonte tasting at the Castello in Novara

We left the hotel and walked once again to the Castello where the 10.00 start was delayed by the late arrival of (probably hung-over) producers.  David continued to work his way down the list while I tasted a little and wrote alot in the cooler downstairs sala di collonne.  For lunch David had cunningly booked at Il Mannarino, on the nearby piazza Martiri della Libertà, a crossover between a butcher and a largely meat ristorante, which was hearty and interesting to see. 

Later in the afternoon I left the building and made my way through Novara, full of Sunday shoppers, promenaders and church goers, as well as Forza Italia, Fratelli d’Italia and Cinque Stelle stands (Novara’s administration is run by a coalition of right- and far-right elected representatives) to the square outside the Duomo, where the tiny Baptistero peeps over a C19 collonade.

This ancient Baptistero with its sunken font, remarkable frescoes and octagonal shape is one of Novara’s treasures. It dates from the fifth century:

The huge Duomo, on an ancient site (originally the Temple of Jove) faces the diminutive Baptistero. To turn from its modest, human scale to be confronted by the colossal west doors of the monster cathedral is shocking. The scale object by the pillar below is an adult! 

Inside mass was ending. The huge interior seemed full of people in their very Sunday best – perhaps this was a special Mothers’ day service? We had seen large numbers of bouquets on sale in Florist shops and flurries of purchasers. 

I was astonished by the busy streets, the crowd within the Duomo, its vast interior and hideous exterior.

I headed away from the city centre, towards our hotel, passing exposed roman walls which date from the first century BCE, and these plus the high banks that surround the old city and the Castello demonstrate that Novara has been an important stronghold for millennia. 

In the evening when David returned from the tasting we met for a beer and aperitivi in the Broletto where the children of large family groups could play safely in the enclosed square.  

We walked to the large park beyond the Fortezza, and back along one of the baluardos, high above the surrounding suburbs. Novara is an impressive place! We only just made it to the Piadinaria before it closed, the Poke place having done so already, and ate outside while the staff locked up and went home.

Monday 13 May

I left Novara station on the prompt 07.22, as David waved me off from platform 3. He planned to leave by train in the afternoon for Siena, and a couple of tuscan stays and tastings, the first at San Felice tonight, and with Argentiera near Donoratico on Tuesday evening. David will be to-ing and fro-ing by train both days, via Empoli and Livorno and back, before being collected at Poggibonsi on Wednesday for the press trip at San Gimignano. 

My journey went smoothly; disembarked at Torino Porta Susa, strolled across corso Bolzano to the ticket kiosk, bought a €7.50 ticket, and caught the 08.38 bus arriving at Caselle airport at 09.10, three hours before departure. I settled in to the little cafe as before, next to the D block BA bag drop, bought breakfast and lunch, and waited. 

Once checked in security was very quick and easy, and soon we were assembling in boarding gate 1, a favourite spot of mine; loos handy, good views, small numbers, prompt boarding and departure. Hurray for small airports!

What did we do before mobile phones! Perhaps talk to each other? 

Gatwick was quiet and quick, with luggage arriving just as I had sailed through passport control and promptly boarded the train to Clapham, arriving with just time to use the lift immediately opposite my train door up to the concourse (very unusual for me, but I was transporting 5.7 kg of bottles in my luggage). I carried it down to platform 9 two minutes before the 13.57 arrived. Fantastically efficient, until a points failure at Woking delayed the train by half an hour. Hey ho! Nevertheless, home by 15.45!