Leaving the Italian Riviera was proving to be quite hard. It brought to mind hurricane season along the Gulf Coast. Every once in a while a hurricane would approach the coast but stall out and meander. Many times doing big loops or just plain staying stationary in the warm Gulf waters. This could go on for days, until the storm could find some steering currents. This usually came in the form of upper level winds, the jet stream or a cold front approaching from the north. This leg of the trip felt as though our steering currents were weak. The salty Mediterranean air must have tenderized our brains. By this point in the journey, the days had morphed into weeks and weeks into months. We never new what day it was or even what time it was. The sun-soaked Riviera was taking a nice toll on me. Just as I was getting used to the ideal of possibly meandering beach side for a few more days, the steering currents or in this case “reality” kicked in and changed thoughts of “swaying palms” to thoughts of ”where are we gonna store the caravan” and “ we need train or plane tickets to our departure city of Amsterdam. So the currents moved us quickly towards Rome, where we could hopefully have a few options when it came to storage and travel back to Amsterdam.
Bottle of the Night: Tonight's bottle or bottles, 2000 Le Botteghe Montepulciano and the 2002 Le Botteghe Chianti. I decided to try 2 different wines from the same producer, both priced very reasonably so my experiment wasn't a wallet killer. The Chianti wasn't to my liking, overly tangy with under-ripe strawberry, raspberry and lots of acidity with very little balance,( that's the danger of to inexpensive Chiantis). The Montepulciano on the other hand was quite nice. A very dark and rich blood colored wine rustic with ripe fruit and chocolate. Montepulcianos contain at least 70% Sangiovese.
After the very long ride we arrived at a nice campsite in near the town of Fiona Roma, 30km north of Rome. The site was set in a nice country location. Olive trees, vines and orchards pretty much surrounded the whole area. While visiting the local village for lunch, we met an American transplant from Manhattan who had moved with her family to Italy. It's always a good ideal to ask a local about the areas features. Our ex patriot Karen gave us some great advice on a festival/market that was happening in the hill town of Soriano Cimino, this single piece of advice was the best nugget of information of the whole 3.5 month odyssey. We trekked out the 65km or so north of Rome through hillsides of olive tress grape vines, and chest nut trees. This little jaunt was a great chance to throw some Pat Metheny on the I pod and enjoy the ride. I didn't have many expectations of the festival but was at least hoping for an authentic village experience. What we received was that and much more. Upon arrival in the medieval village there was an excitement in the air. We departed the SUV and headed up the hill through throngs of people happily walking through the village.
The streets were lined with vendors selling everything from roasted chestnuts to flat breads. As we moved up the cobbled stone streets we saw a line forming at a covered tent. I could tell that this was no ordinary line but one leading to good food. With limited table space, the wait was almost an hour long. It turned out to be well worth the wait. After the wait, you could say I was a bit ravenous and my eyes may have been bigger than my stomach. I enjoyed 2 kinds of bruschetta, roast chicken, canaloni, and potatoes. The wine was nice and we ordered 2 glasses thinking that the 6.50Euro price was reasonable. We were surprised when two bottles showed up instead of 2 glasses. Wow 2 bottles for 13Euro! Believe me they didn't go to waste.
After my glutenous lunch-time performance we headed down the cobble stone road, to a central square, where preparation for a parade was taking place. The square was alive with excitement and noise. As we stood and waited for the parade to start, I was expecting a typical American style parade but this event was like something I have never seen. First there was a procession of sorts. I'm guessing it was the local dignitaries who were dawning these incredibly detailed medieval costumes. They strolled ever so diplomatically through the square. The crowd cheered at the top of their lungs as the procession continued with drum corps, bugle corps, armored knights and the re-enactment of a bloody prisoner being led to his execution. Next what can be called a papal court paraded through the streets adorned from head to toe in medieval cornucopia of authentic costumes. This day was truly a highlight. It was as though we were transported back 600 years in time. It's now my thinking that any trip to Europe should be accompanied by at least one local type festival. It's a great way to meet the locals and get a more authentic experience of what life is like in these towns and cities. The next week will be spent exploring Rome and the surrounding environs as well as the task of finding an agritourismo to store the caravan.
Bottle of the Night: Tonights' bottle : 2005 Inter Nos Monferatto
From the Piedmont region Blended with Nebbiolo, Merlot and Cabernet the wine could be called a “super piedmont”. With a very deep rich color and aromas of ripening cherry, black currant, smokey oak and dry earth. Nice full body of dark cherry and cassis lightly acidic and a lasting finish. A great
Introduction to the Nebbiola. Nebbiola is the famed varietal from Nothwest Italy's Peidmont region.
Nebbiolo is prominent in the great tannic age worthy wines wines Barolo and Barbaresco.
©2007 EasyOnThePalate.com More about Winston | Thank you's | Contact us | Other great sites: Savvy Cellar