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Walking Level: 2 - good trail running/walking shoes or hiking boots recommended
Price per person (double occupancy):
Monferrato Pre-Trip: €675
Lake Como - Langhe: €2,195
Maritime Alps - Riviera Post-Trip: €1,095
Participants signing up by May 15, 2010 will receive the following
discounts:
€75 discount off the Monferrato price
-- so €600 final price
€200 discount off the Lake Como – Langhe price
-- so €1,995 final price
€100 discount off the Maritime Alps – Riviera price
-- so €995 final price
Above prices quoted with 10 person trip minimum (trip maximum is 16)
Please contact us for more details.
Tour Notes
A special extended version of the Smugglers'
Return, with an international group expected.
Extended Smugglers' Return, October 6-17, 2010
Monferrato - Lake Como - Langhe – Maritime Alps - Riviera
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During this journey, we will follow in the tracks of the old salt smugglers, as they made their way from the Mediterranean Sea through some of Northern Italy’s most spectacular countryside and back. This adventure is ideal for those keen to explore dramatic Lake Como on foot, the Langhe - Barolo wine country - in fall colors and at the start of the white truffle season, and two fairly unknown regions nearby: the Monferrato, tranquillissimo notwithstanding its vicinity to Milan and Turin, and the Maritime Alps - Riviera, where we will wander through olive groves and imposing hill towns below 9,000-foot peaks, only a few miles away from the Mediterranean.
Pre-Trip Day 1 – October 6
Into the Monferrato
We arrive in Milan’s Malpensa airport, and drive about an hour through the
risotto-rice growing Po River plain. As we cross the Po river, we enter
the realm of the Monferrato. Once a powerful independent
state in its own right, this region is now known for its Barbera
and Grignolino wine production, superb cuisine and serene
countryside. Our destination is a village in a little-known corner of the
region, where we’ll enjoy a lunch of typical monferrino specialties before
walking to our scenic hilltop inn, our home for the next
two nights.
Pre-Trip Day 2 – October 7
Casale Monferrato & Infernot
In the morning we’ll tour Casale Monferrato, Renaissance
capital of the Monferrato and visit its Baroque synagogue,
learning more about the historic Jewish presence in this region from a member
of the community. Then we’ll head to a neighboring hill town for an interesting
subterranean exploration… underneath the buildings themselves,
where a series of wine cellars have been creatively excavated from the rock,
followed by a walk back to our inn.
Main Trip Day 1 – October 8
Al Lago!
Off to the lake! We pick up the remainder of our group at Malpensa airport,
and then continue one hour to the city of Como. While our
driver transports our luggage to our lakeside hotel, we’ll enjoy a stroll
through Como’s well-preserved historic center with a local city guide. We’ll
finish at the boat dock and board a boat that will take us on a leisurely
cruise up the lake, the best way to take in the incredible scenery. When
we reach Bellagio, we’ll disembark and walk to our hotel,
exploring this town which is marvelously situated at the lake’s center.
Main Trip Day 2 – October 9
Hamlets of Bellagio
Today our guide will be a local woman who has dedicated much of her life
to studying the culture of the area, collecting artifacts from the past,
and documenting the history of the lives of past residents. Bellagio is
made up of a number of small villages, some situated along the lake and
others situated further up on the slopes of 6,000 foot Monte San
Primo. We’ll take a delightful walk from the center of Bellagio
up through several of these outlying hamlets. After a visit to our guide’s
cultural museum in one of the more ancient of these villages, we’ll
walk back down to the lake for lunch on fresh lake fish and afterward stroll
through the magnificent Villa Melzi gardens. If we wish
this evening, we can head by boat across the lake for dinner in the quaint
village of Varenna.
Main Trip Day 3 – October 10
Panoramic Meadows & Terraced Gardens
Today we’ll walk up to a magnificent scenic overlook, then down through
pasture meadows and a tiny village for a splendid lunch on local specialties,
including polenta uncia with game. We’ll then explore the terraced
and wild gardens of one the most beautiful lakeside villas, the Villa
Carlotta, as well as its art treasures.
Main Trip Day 4 – October 11
Into the Upper Langhe
From Lake Como, we will drive about two hours through the Po River plain
to the heart of the rugged Upper Langhe hills. We’ll visit
one of the few remaining farms where Langa sheep cheese
is produced, and enjoy a delectable tasting lunch. Afterwards, we will head
to our hotel, immersed in the rolling vineyards of the Langhe countryside,
where we can take a sunset stroll on a panoramic ridge overlooking the surrounding
region.
Tonight at dinner we’ll directly experience the historical importance of
the salt smugglers. Legend has it that, in their attempts to avoid discovery
by customs agents, they hid their salt under layers of anchovies – inadvertently
introducing the anchovy to Piedmont cuisine. We’ll have the opportunity
to try local specialties that feature this tiny fish in delicious salsas
like the Bagna Caôda and Bagnet Verd, a parsley-based
green salsa.
Main Trip Day 5 – October 12
Italian Resistance Trail – Barolo Country
This morning we will enjoy an easy walk through the forested Upper Langhe
hills, where many Italian resistance fighters found refuge during the Second
World War. We’ll then descend to the Lower or Barolo Langhe,
home to one of the world’s most unique grapes: Barolo and Barbaresco wines
are made of 100% high-tannin Nebbiolo grape. We will enjoy a wine-tasting
lunch at an osteria near La Morra, followed by
a tour of a local winemaker’s historic cellars.
Main Trip Day 6 – October 13
Alba – Serralunga - Monforte
In the morning we will visit Alba, the Langhe capital,
accompanied by a local guide. We will then have some free time on our own,
perhaps to shop for truffles, torrone or other local specialties.
In the afternoon, we can visit the castle of Serralunga d’Alba
and enjoy a wine tasting at an outstanding Serralunga Barolo producer. We
can then enjoy a rigorous walk from there through vineyards and hazelnut
grove to another splendid hilltown, Monforte d’Alba. Our
final Piedmont dinner will be at our hotel’s exceptional restaurant.
Main Trip Day 7 – October 14
Morning departure from Milan’s Malpensa Airport.
OR
Post-Trip Day 1 – October 14
The Maritime Alps and the Italian Riviera
We hop a train this morning in Cuneo and head south towards the
Maritime Alps. We’ll pass through the Colle di Tenda pass,
one of the most important trade routes through the Western Alps. On the
other side of the tunnel, we arrive in the town of Tende, France,
which we’ll tour with a local guide. After a typical regional lunch, we’ll
stop at a marvelous frescoed chapel before continuing down the valley, the
larch making way for olive trees as we approach the Mediterranean Sea. We’ll
re-enter Italy in the region of Liguria. Our home for the next three nights
is in a beautiful hilltop village, inland from the aptly-named Italian Riviera
dei Fiori, or ‘Flower Riviera’.
Post-Trip Day 2 – October 15
Domain of the Doria
We’ll explore our home village this morning, meandering through its narrow
lanes on our way to the central piazza. Then, accompanied by a
local guide, we’ll head up to a nearby, higher hill town which overlooks
6,000-foot peaks to the north and the Mediterranean Sea to the south. Our
walk takes us up through Taggiasca olive groves (the small
Taggiasca olive makes one of the best olive oils in Italy) to a lovely agriturismo
overlooking the valley. Here we can enjoy a wonderful lunch on homegrown
and homemade specialties, perhaps including a pesto dish, a torta
salata di verdura (savory vegetable pie) and abundant fresh fruits.
Afterwards we’ll descend to the fortified town of Dolceacqua,
former seat of the powerful Doria family.
Post-trip Day 3 – October 16
Bordighera
Our destination today is the lovely coastal town of Bordighera.
Our local guide will lead us on a walking tour of this renown winter residence
of European nobility, with its many splendid villas. Then, we’ll make our
way among the date palms that border the trail along the sea, following
in the footsteps of Claude Monet who painted several scenes
of Bordighera from this vantage point. Our walk will conclude with a visit
to the historic center of Bordighera Alta, perched above the sparkling waters
of the Mediterranean.
Post-trip Day 4 – October 17
Departure from Nice airport.