Monday 2nd June 2014
Great breakfast in keeping with everything else at Villa Pardi.
On a beautiful sunny morning we take our time to pack our bags and bring blog and blog photos up-to-date. Check out at 11.00 and spend a short time sitting by their superb pool, which unfortunately we have not been able to use.
Cinzia, the owner of Villa Pardi had given us instructions to find the nearest ATM but had not told us that it was over 10kms away. We, therefore, spent quite some time backtracking before giving up and heading off towards Genoa. After a fairly lengthy drive came across Massarosa, the location of the above Bankomat!
Finally, we pick up the main autostrada to Genoa which from time to time gives us glimpses of the lovely towns along the Cinque Terre. We again marvel at the Italian genius for building some truly breathtaking freeway bridges and tunnels through the mountainous coastal regions and we wonder how Maureen, even with her new-found determination to handle vertigo problems, would have coped with some of these sections of the autostrada. Shortly after Genoa we turn north on the E 25 towards Alessandria and eventually arrive our accommodation for the next 4 nights, Bramaluna B&B.
This is set up in the hills above the city of Asti ( of Asti Spumante fame ) and we are welcomed by the extrovert owner Maurizio who is also an architect. He has used his talents to convert an old farmstead into a modern, beautifully appointed house with a number of guest rooms the home decor is superb.
As we are the only guests at present we are given a choice of rooms and opt for the one on the top floor with balcony where he serves us tea and biscuits shortly after our arrival. We have booked evening dinner and shortly before the meal arrives Maurizio introduces us to his elegant wife, Mara, who cooks all of the meals. What follows is one of the best meals of our trip with five courses of local organic produce, as befits a B&B situated in Piemonte, home of the Slow Food movement.
Maurizio speaks reasonable is his own excitable way and seems determined to use us as an English lesson, giving me little opportunity to fine tune my Italian, which is gradually improving after a shaky start on this holiday.
Go to bed hoping that we will see more of the improved weather on the next day and that this bloody leg of mine will give me less grief.
Cheers
The Obese Ferret.
2geonomads 
Thanks for handing over the ‘huge’ amount of Kuna!
BTW – K made no mention of anyone he knew in Dubrovnik………..but fancy us finding hime anyway!
Well after arriving home and catching up on “the blog”, we have come to the realization that you are not missing us at all!
Perhaps you would both like to know that we met Chip and Liz at the Shell servo in Busselton, on our “way in” and their “way out”, and dutifully handed over the Croatian fortune, which we hope they will spend wisely during their time in that beautiful country.
Remember the W.A. man with the fag hanging out of his mouth in Dubrovnik, who was trying to entice us into his restaurant?….he just happens to be a friend of Keith’s. (or perhaps a friend of a friend,) and if you had been listening more closely when Keith told you to look out for him, we just might have gone to that restaurant. But we had a great night not going there, didn’t we?
And Gail- remember all that shopping I was going to do in Rome? Forget it! Rome was a B….y nightmare. Soooooo busy, I hated it!
Enjoy the rest of your travels and keep safe. Thanks again for the good times. See you when you get home.
love M and J