Road Trip – Innsbruck, Austria

I suspect G and I are the only two people ever to pass through Innsbruck’s “Triumphal Arch” with no plans to ski.

Not that there isn’t great skiing here – this is Innsbruck, after all. To start, there’s the Bergisel Ski Jump pictured in the distance here. This is the site of the biggest event on the ski jumping calendar, the Vierschanzen-Tournee (Four Hills Tournament).

For you architecture buffs, the Nordpark Cable Railway tower at the top of the ski jump was designed by Zaha Hadid.

Instead, we opted to do some sightseeing. The Golden Roof museum commands your attention. The roof is capped with 3,657 gold plated tiles!

The balcony under the Golden Roof was added in the year 1500 by emperor Maximillian I. The emperor enjoyed viewing the beauty of the Alps and the hustle and bustle of the Herzog-Friedrichstrasse (main street) below from this privileged position.

Next stop: the Grassmayr Glockenmuseum.

The museum explores 400 years of the Grassmayr family’s bell-making tradition.

The museum has many fine examples of Romanesque and Gothic bells on display.

As well as, a bell made from a bomb casing! I think it’s ironic that this one can make you an angel first, then insure you get your wings! Very efficient.

Later, a leisurely stroll along the River Inn towards the clock tower below…

reminded us it was time for a snack.

So, we popped into Cafe Katzung for a traditional apres-ski treat: the “best hot chocolate in town.”

As we continued to survey this Tyrolean gem we realized Innsbruck has so much more to offer than just skiing. It’s no wonder this city hosted the Olympic winter games in both 1964 and 1976.

Who knows? Maybe next time we’ll ski.

Arrivederci!

 

 

My Daily Bread

As with my pasta, whenever I’m in Italy I buy my breads from a local baker.

My favorite shop – and the one I believe is the best in town – is conveniently located at the bottom of the hill.

I use the shop’s location as an excuse to walk down then up the hill. (Remember, we’re in the Alps.) And thus, I use the walk to justify the consumption of my indulgent purchases when I get home.

In addition to the usual selection, there are plenty of holiday goodies to choose from.

Recently, I purchased a fresh-baked panettone from the shop and was grateful they came in two sizes: the standard size we’re all accustomed to seeing in colorful boxes in stores this time of year, and a smaller, more manageable size for the two of us. As you might imagine, store bought panettones pale in comparison to a freshly baked one.

There’s even a nice selection of pre-made pastas. Not that I plan to stop visiting Pastissima anytime soon. But it’s nice to know I have options.

Here in Biella, many food artisans are celebrated for using traditional recipes and methods of preparation. They intentionally forgo modern methods and updated recipes to the delight of those of us who appreciate the tried and true. The result is more often than not, an unparalleled sensory delight.

Arrivederci!

 

 

Due Cuori – A Love Affair

In an earlier post, I briefly mentioned one of our favorite local restaurants: Due Cuori (Two Hearts). So, today I want to share a bit more about this special little place tucked inside the arcade that surrounds the piazza (below).

Anna – the proprietress – has thoughtfully filled the space with so many special touches.

Immediately upon entering the restaurant, you encounter the old scale above, (a recurring theme in this tiny little space), filled and surrounded by antique silver, crystal, white linen, local baked goods, wine and greens. All hints of what to expect.

If you think the counter above or below has a certain French bistro flair, remember, we are in Biella, near the French border. These two cultures have no doubt informed each other over the many years.

The restaurant has an understated elegance, achieved, in part, by a sense one is dining among found objects collected over the years. I believe the fantastic chandelier below illustrates this aesthetic nicely.

The most wonderful jazz music plays in the background and accompanies the very sensory experience this restaurant offers.

The backbone of every Italian meal. Bread or pane. The bread sticks above are typical in Biella. They are fatter than the bread sticks we’re accustomed to and they have a faint hint of cheese, but still very airy on the inside.

The pasta below is filled with zucca (pumpkin) and sits in a bath of melted Toma cheese. One of the cheeses produced in Biella and found in many of the local dishes here. FYI: Anna sources all her ingredients from only three local farmers.

At the end of the meal, the sting of the bill is softened by its presentation.

Arrivederci!

La Colazione – Breakfast

This past weekend, we decided to venture down the hill, away from our sleepy little piazza, and try the well-known Caffè del Teatro for our usual breakfast: 2 latte machiatos and 2 brioches. The brioches are baked on the premises daily by the caffè’s master baker. Delizioso!

Seems everyone in Biella had the same idea that day, as both the bar (above) and the outdoor patio (below) were humming with weekend foot traffic.

With so much to choose from, it’s no wonder Caffè del Teatro is a local favorite.

And unlike most places in Biella, or Italy for that matter, the Caffè is open until midnight every day. No doubt we’ll be back to sample even more goodies.

Arrivederci!

Il Mercatino & a Recent Acquisition

Sunday, we were out strolling, enjoying the November sun, when we stumbled upon this mercatino (flea market) at the bottom of the hill.

The mercatino was filled with a melange of all sorts of treasures, both old and new. And although there was much to admire and desire, I fell in love with these espresso cups and decided I had to have them.

Arrivederci!

Wines of Piedmont

The romance of the Piedmont wine region – above and below.

Located in the wine country, inside a medieval castle atop a majestic hill, is the Enoteca Regionale della Serra, where 200 types of the Piedmont region’s best wines can be sampled. The castle’s 16c, brick-vaulted, stone-walled wine cellar holds an impressive 20,000 selected bottles of wine for purchase.

All the wines below bear the D.O.C. (Denomination of Controlled Origin) designation. Wines bearing the D.O.C. mark are registered by the government and required to meet certain production standards. For instance, only certain methods of planting, cultivating and fertilizing can be employed in the production of a D.O.C. wine. Maximum yields are controlled, as are bottling specifications, alcohol content and aging. There are currently about 300 D.O.C. wines in all of Italy. In addition to the D.O.C. mark, the wine bottles’ labels must state the wines’ zone of origin.

Lessona D.O.C.

“This is a rare, precious wine produced in the hilly area, from which it takes its name, a few kilometers from Biella.” Lessona wines must be aged for at least two years, and one of those two years must be in a wooden barrel. FYI: This prestigious wine variety was the one used by heads of state to toast the unification of Italy in 1861.

Erbaluce di Caluso D.O.C.

The first white wine ever to earn the D.O.C. designation. “This is one of the few white vines in Piedmont. The production area is the province of Turin, its epicenter.”

Caluso Passito D.O.C.

This dessert wine results from a long process that starts with picking the grapes, carrying them delicately on workers’ shoulders in order to avoid crushing them (the grapes, not the workers), then placing them on a layer of wheat straw spread on grates. The grapes are then left to appassire (a particular drying process) for several months. The wine must be aged for at least five years.

G and I are only too happy to participate in the region’s impressive wine culture.

Arrivederci!

Free To Be…

As mentioned in an earlier post, Biella is a mountain town. As such, it bears many similarities to both Denver and Boulder. The climate and scenery are similar and surprisingly, the people dress and live a similarly outdoorsy lifestyle. Yet, every now and again subtle differences emerge.

No doubt you’re familiar with Italians’ penchant for cleanliness. Bidets, like the one pictured above, are a common fixture in homes and hotel rooms here. The amusing thing about the bathroom in this photo is that it is located inside the offices of a local real estate company!

A condom dispensing machine located outside, on the sidewalk of a busy commercial street. See the photo below for a better look at the machine’s contents. (Notice how many empty slots there are.  Ah Italia!)

I love how Italians temper your expectations. Case in point: the “Very Good” corn flakes below. And really, is there such a thing as an excellent or fantastic bowl of corn flakes? To my mind, this brand is right on the money.

My clothes’ dryer. (Honest. Those are my skivvies peeking out the back.)

Finally, in our super-sized world, I give you my daily 3 p.m. treat, cioccolata calda (hot chocolate) in a very respectable 8oz cup. The only size available in the cafés and cremerias.

Palazzo La Marmora – Home

We are currently residing in an apartment inside the Palazzo La Marmora. Construction on the Palazzo began in the 13c, but wasn’t completed until the 19c. The Neo-Classic style structure consists of five buildings with the main entrance (located above) and a balcony located in the central body. Inside, is a terraced garden that looks out over the lower part of the city. The interior is made up of numerous courtyards (like the one pictured below) and rooms.

Getting From Here to There

Biella is a city split into two distinct parts – upper and lower on the mountain. Although everything is old here, the upper section, where we are currently residing, is considered the ancient, historical part of the city, while the lower, commercial part of the city, is merely just very old.

The other day I walked down the mountain, but soon found out my nerves were not well suited to walking on the side of a very narrow, curvy mountain road with no sidewalk or shoulder, and cars speeding down around the blind turns. So, instead I go down the mountain the only other way possible without a car. I take the funicolare.

The funicolare is a cross between a cog rail and a ski gondola. Frankly, I like it very much. It makes me feel like everyday starts out on an amusement park ride. Such a start can only promise a fun-filled day ahead. No?

Besides, the funicolare offers one of the best sweeping views of the city below. Not a bad ride down. And at the bottom, I’m greeted by a familiar sight from home.

Seems home is anywhere in the world you are.

Our Neighborhood

This is the street in front of the palazzo. It is the one that takes G to work everyday and me on my daily adventures.

The view is towards the piazza.

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The piazza. Looks sleepy doesn’t it? Don’t be fooled.

Behind those shuttered store fronts hide some wonderful places to eat like…

The cremeria where we have our coffee and brioche (Italian croissant) every morning. And…

Due Cuori (Two Hearts) where Anna, the proprietress, serves the most wonderful food. At the end of your meal she brings you the bill on a dish anchored by three dried rose buds. Perfect.

La Civetta (pronounced: La Cheeveta). This is Benito’s restaurant where we get the most deeply satisfying bowl of vegetable soup twice a week. Upon seating, someone immediately brings you a small bowl of locally produced cheese infused with garlic and freshly sliced bread. A little bit of heaven.

This ancient structure ushers you out of the piazza and the historic part of town into the mountains.