Italy: Cooking Class

 We started by making the dessert

 Gary filling the dessert cups 

 Senecal's cooking in Italy

 Rabbit simmering on the stove

 The family matriarch teaching us how to make real Italian pasta

 Oh that looks good

 view from our dinner table

 First course: Celery, chicken, cheese, and pecan salad

 Enjoying the second course of pasta that we made

 Third course: rabbit with carrots

 and the best for last: strawberry mousse

sun setting behind the Alps

Our first night in Italy we took advantage of the opportunity to take a cooking lesson with the family who ran Il Bricco.  What an opportunity it was.  Not only were we able to learn more about Italian cooking but we were able to talk with our hostess and learn so much about the region and the regional wines.  Fantastic!!!

Italy: Wine Tasting

Ahhhh yes, wine tasting!  There's nothing like going to a wine region, talking to the wine makers and tasting the sweet sweet juice.  The Piedmont region is bursting with amazing wine.  Even more wonderful were the people and stories of how and why the wine is what it is.  It doesn't get better than that!

Italy: Treasure Hunt

 The abandoned house we decided to stop and look at

 The wine Cellar

 Robin and the Cellar

 Gary and Daniel inspecting one of the glass jugs full of wine

 The Treasure

 Robin

 Daniel

Daniel entering the Cellar

As we were driving from one picturesque town to another, Sand says from the back seat "I wish we could stop so I could take a picture of the abandoned house we just past".  One U turn later we were sitting in front of the house with no idea what we were about to experience.  We all sort of went in our own direction until Gary pushed the fence door opened and discovered we could get in.  It's interesting how an abandoned house in Europe is amazing but one in your neighborhood in the states is an eye sore.  We had fun exploring and taking pictures.  Just as we were about to move on Gary and Daniel found the cellar.  What a find!  We found things that we had just seen in the wine museum in Barolo.  We got some great pictures and it's definitely something we will remember forever.  A true highlight!

Italy: The Amazing Food

 Amazing breakfast at Il Bricco

 One of the many simple but wonderful lunches

 Oh this pasta...we are still dreaming of it!

 Our first dinner in Treiso

 Dinner at La luna nel posso in Neive...Amazing!

 Our simple picnic

 RISOTTO!

 RISOTTO again!!!!

Truly every mean on our trip was just unbelievable!  This is just some of the many pictures we took to remember just how amazing the food was.  Not only was the food delicious but the people were so giving of their time and talents.  If you ever go to this area of Italy call us...we have tons of suggestions of where to eat!

Italy: Day Trip to Isola Bella

 Wine, Pizza, and a Kiss

 Daniel and Robin taking in the view

 Beautiful Lake Town

 Gardens at Isola Bella

 Close up of the white peacocks

 Gardens

 Beautiful views

On our way from Il Bricco to Antico Borgo Sanda, we stopped at an island called Isola Bella located in the middle of lake Maggiore.  We wanted to go to see the white peacocks that stay in the gardens on the Island but had no idea how beautiful the area was.  The lack was crystal blue and everything looked like an amazing post card.  You really couldn't take a bad picture and the pictures don't even really shoe just how beautiful it was in person.  We would love to go back and spend a week just at the lake!