We had settled into a bit of a routine at the house: Ariel and I, out of long habit, headed into town for pastries; once back, the rest of the crew gradually drifted down for breakfast; and the kids went in for a first swim. The road down to the “downhill village” led over six blind hairpin turns on single track; white knuckle driving!
Andrew and Emily decided that the boys could use some chill time. The rest of the crew were happy to hang out as well, but Dan, Viv, and I were feeling a bit restless, so we drove over hill and under dale to the lovely Barbaresco village of Neive.
After a quick espresso in the town square, we returned home just in time to join the others as we piled into two cars and headed for La Morra and the Ristorante Bovio, where we had celebrated, belatedly, our fortieth anniversary in 2018. We were now celebrating, belatedly, our forty fifth. We had just a wee bit of trouble finding the restaurant, which sits on the steep slopes of the hill up to La Morra; after the odd three-point turn, we were parking and walking onto the large, lovely terrace with head-turning views over the Barolo vineyards.
We again ate very well, with a mix of the classics and some unusual choices: yesterday’s lunch had reawakened my lust for foie gras, so I had Cannelloni di anatra e spinaci con salsa al fegato grasso e tartufo nero (Cannelloni with duck , spinach, foie gras sauce and black truffle) and Filetto di vitello con scaloppa di fegato grasso di anatra al Marsala Florio (Veal fillet and duck foie gras escalope with Florio Marsala). Hey, totally decadent, but what is a vacation for? Ariel, ever adventurous, had Faraona in salmì su crostone di pan brioche con il suo patè di fegato (Jugged guinea fowl on toasted brioche bread with liver patè). Sue is a devotee of carne cruda, and she pronounced this one especially delicious!
Our first bottle was extraordinary: a Franciacorta, 2013 Bellavista Brut Teatro Alla Scala. Deep, intriguing flavors, really one of the best sparkling wines we’ve had. The red wasn’t exactly a disappointment, but it was the least interesting red of the week: a 2004 Bovio Barolo Riserva Elisa, bottled to mark the birth of the winemaker’s daughter. The wine was remarkably round and fresh as it approached 20 years, but it wasn’t particularly perfumed or complex.
Back at the ranch, we all relaxed and swam for a while; then two carloads left for Asti, Sarah to do a bit of shopping, Emily to pick up some of the clothes she had purchased the day before.
Dinner was again on the veranda, followed by a bit of nocturnal swimming!
