Monday 26 January The next morning we left with Giacomo, the sales manager, as the sun was rising, to drive into Torino. Roadworks made it slow-going, and we were dropped at the OGR at 09.30, while Giacomo searched for parking. The day began with coffee, a brief gathering of some members of the Circle of … Continue reading Piemonte 36 : Grandi Langhe and Alba : 26 – 31 January 2026
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Piemonte 35: Gattinara and Torino: 19 – 26 January 2026
Monday 19 January We had an early start from Andover, catching the 07.35 to reach Stansted (via Waterloo and Bank to Liverpool St for the Stansted Express) arriving at 10.10 in plenty of time for the Ryanair 12.40 to Turin, which boarded promptly and left only 15 minutes late. We arrived in daylight at 16.00 European … Continue reading Piemonte 35: Gattinara and Torino: 19 – 26 January 2026
Piemonte 32 : Gattinara 11 -14 November 2025
Tuesday 11 November We collected the hire car from Budget, half a mile from our hotel, not especially pleased to have been upgraded to a larger car; in our experience, smaller suits our needs better. In this case, the hybrid MG proved very reluctant to start, and we lost half an hour faffing. Eventually the … Continue reading Piemonte 32 : Gattinara 11 -14 November 2025
Piemonte 29: Gattinara and Carema: 10 – 15 March 2025
Monday 10 March After a good night’s sleep, and breakfast (of sorts) at Cafe Fiorenze (again) we drove to Ghemme to meet Alberto and Angela Arlunno of Cantalupo whose large cantina we had visited in May 2022. Alberto greeted us warmly, though his vagueness has accelerated and within minutes he left us to fetch Angela … Continue reading Piemonte 29: Gattinara and Carema: 10 – 15 March 2025
South Africa part three: 18 – 24 February 2025
Tuesday 18 February - Derek’s birthday Ronnie and Luan (shadowing Ronnie Messias as additional driver for Foundation Tour Services) came early into Stellenbosch from Jamestown where Ronnie lives, avoiding the heavy traffic to make a 09.00 appointment at Aslina Wines, to meet Ntsiki Biyela, described by WOSA as one of SA’s iconic winemakers. Certainly her … Continue reading South Africa part three: 18 – 24 February 2025
South Africa part one: 8 – 13 February 2025
Saturday 8 February 2025 Exactly 6 days after returning from Piemonte, David and I were catching yet another train to an airport - Gatwick this time. Mid afternoon is a good time to travel! We were checked in by a garrulous Norse employee on Premium Economy desk, and were through security in no time, as … Continue reading South Africa part one: 8 – 13 February 2025
Piemonte 28: Turin and the Langhe 25 January – 2 February 2025
Saturday 25 January: Torino e Grandi Langhe 2025 We travelled to Gatwick from Andover on the 09.06, which involved a change onto a very full train at Basingstoke and the tedium of the slow Richmond loop, to reach Clapham Junction. The onward train was quick, and we arrived (not for the first time) very early. … Continue reading Piemonte 28: Turin and the Langhe 25 January – 2 February 2025
Piemonte 24 : Monferrato : 8 – 10 May 2024
Wednesday 8 May After breakfast we joined Alessandro for a tour of Tenuta La Cova here, while his local ‘family’ (perhaps dipendenti - employees) dealt with a huge conifer tree that had fallen across the narrow drive 20 m from the electronic gate. Roberta had ‘escaped’ at 07.30 so its collapse was very recent. Once … Continue reading Piemonte 24 : Monferrato : 8 – 10 May 2024
Venezia: Portogruaro and Treviso: 8 – 11 April 2024
Monday 8 April 2024 Once James, Lucy, Ernest and Olive were safely on board the 12.27 train from Empoli to Pisa Centrale, David and I headed north east by train, which left a few minutes later, via Florence, Bologna, to Mestre. After a 30 minute wait, we continued on the same train (heading for Trieste) … Continue reading Venezia: Portogruaro and Treviso: 8 – 11 April 2024
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