The European Chronicles 2024.7 - To Valdobbiadene!
The Prosecco Hills Beckon
With more than a little sadness, we say auf wiedersehen to the Nationalpark Lodge and Heiligenblut. The hotel, and the location, are fantastic, we'd come back again in a heartbeat. More to see and do. And the staff...Karina, Sabine, Wilfred...first class, extremely helpful. The sauna...beautiful...the riding...stunning...the food...delicious. Til next time...
The skies threaten; we're in and out of rain most of the ride, heavy only for a short period. Mid-50s most of the way, but as we drop, temps go up. So far, we've had three "had to" ride days, and two have rained. Such is life, don the rain gear. 😎. Oh, and the snow that was predicted? Nope. This trip's first Tom Petty Moment: most things I worry about never happen anyway. Something to remember.
Lots of cloud drama.
Sant Antonio Pass was fun. Small, tight, steep...Krisanne is a fantastic pillion.
Our route; the grey line is the Austria-Italia border:
Relive 'To Valdobbiadene!'
And...check out Mia's top speed...we're talking Motogp territory!!!! Who knew?...and so smooth Krisanne was still able to take pictures...
There will be tunnels...
Eventually into...
We find our way to Roggia dei Cedri, our cedar eco-pod for the week, one of five.
Roggia dei Cedri
Mia goes in behind door number three. 😎. Incredibly nice; I emailed if there was a garage and got an immediate, "Ciao, si c e il garage. A presto. Alberto" reply.
(KB's note: The sculpture below, and the little "rock spirit animals" to follow, all by the same artist!)
Reception is in a giant wine barrel.
Right behind reception is...surprise!...a winery...Ciodet...and the fridge is stocked, at least to start. 😎
Ciodet Winery
Same owner, Alberto. We'll be stopping by, I'm sure. The bottle from the fridge: stunningly good Brut, it disappeared quickly.
A short stroll to the piazza.
I wonder how much to ship home...I'm sure we'll find out...(KB's comment: yes, yes we will. Tomorrow in fact! Alberto is taking us to visit the sculptor's studio - urlo!)
The next day, a fantastic breakfast at the adjacent pastry shop.
Pasticceria Alla Villa dei Cedri
But then...time for a Land Rover Tour. 😎
Another couple, from Cambridge, England, was being shuttled to their next hotel, they did the first half of the tour. Driven by Alberto, the owner of the hotel and the winery.
And we're off!
Alberto has owned this Series 2 Rover since 1971, and had it restored.
Relive 'Rover Tour!'
The Cambridge couples' next stay...a stop on the Giro d'Italia, stunning views...maybe next time???
But they don't have Alberto and his Rover.
It is very hard to convey how STEEP these vineyards are...very...
These last three shots are from an area called Cartizze, the "top" of the Prosecco food chain. There's DOC, DOCG, and Cartizze, a sub zone of only 107 hectare.
Sadly, shortly after, these wonderful NOOZ compact travel sunglasses I've been wearing for the past several years broke. Waaaaaaa!
Back in the piazza, there's a market going on.
Postal delivery vehicle
Time for a tasting...
We were "walk ins," not knowing that a "tasting experience" needs to be booked. Aurora made us welcome anyway; the perfect host.
First, a short video on the history of Bartolomiol, founded in 1922.
By the way, the red couches...not only cool, but also very comfortable.
Then a set up of four wines based on the sugar content, from "Extra Brut" (the lowest) to "Dry" (the highest). You can see the sugar content grades below:
We were both BIG fans of the Extra Brut and Brut, especially with any food...a terrific cheese and some breadsticks were provided. The sweeter Dry was very flavorful...it would pair nicely with something spicy, or to sip on its own.
We took a bottle of the Extra Brut with us, and also booked a tour of their winemaking facility for later in the week. Looking forward to that.
Bortolomiol Prosecco
We also learned about a very small winery that uses nothing but Cartizze grapes...PDC Cartizze (or, on their website "Cartizze PDC")...more to come!
When we got back, Luigi the Lawnmower was diligently working to keep our eco-pod well trimmed.
The Pillion POV
Sensuale. Roggia dei Cedri, Valdobbiadene, and frankly, all about us in "Le Colline del Prosecco Superiore." Hills tumbling over themselves: rocks, water, dirt, flowers...the spirito of winemakers present and past, whispering secret enticements to their grapevines...grow little ones...
Did Mike mention earlier that this area is a designated UNESCO (United Nations Educational, Scientific, and Cultural Organization) World Heritage Site? From the in-room brochure: "Home to charming villages and traces of history. An environment where nature and humankind exist side by side, forging a territory that elicits wonder at every glance..." Indeed.
Today we're having rain showers - some thundering, others not. It's humid, gracious, SO humid...my hair has nary an uncurled strand. Alberto shall kindly take us to Cartizze PDC winery today at 15:00 for our tasting, but we'll walk home - about 4.5 km, and beautiful all the way. (Tiny little roads though, good to watch and listen for cars, bicycles, motorbikes!)
There's a true sense of famiglia here, in everything. The people, all OF one another. And place = part and parcel. Such a difference from (my life). I adore my tiny family - (mom, sis, nephew, sis's hubby), but I used to move the states about like breathing, and so, relationships were too left behind. The connectedness I feel here? Foreign. And, like most things impossibile, enticing.
More to follow. Stay well, be kind to yourself and others. Much love.
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