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An Unforgettable Experience

From September 15 to September 29, twenty-nine members embarked on a tour of a lifetime to rediscover and in some cases to discover for the first time the land of our origins. Our tour began in the magical city of Torino, a city of a thousand faces: a center of industry, finance and trade; yet also a city of royal palaces, elegant cafes, beautiful parks, and miles of covered sidewalk "portici." Your feet never get wet while window- shopping under the portici in one of Italy's capitals of quality shopping. A city of a thousand tastes, Torino has a food and wine tradition that is world famous. Highlights in Torino included dining at the historic Ristorante del Cambio, where Count Camillo Benso di Cavour (prime minister and great unifier of Italy) dined regularly, and at Bastian Contrario, where we enjoyed a buffet of 69 antipasti; wine tasting at Palazzo Barolo, where we sampled the exceptional 2000 vintage of Barolo (122 vintners participated) followed by a sumptuous dinner of bollito misto (various mixed boiled meats); drinking a bicerin (a rich mixture of coffee, chocolate, and whipped cream) in an outdoor café under sunny skies; visiting the cathedral which houses the Holy Shroud; and touring the lavish Savoy Royal Palace. A very special experience for us was to visit the military facility of the Brigata Alpina Taurinense (the Torinese division of the elite, independent Alpini Army Corp of the Italian Army) and to have their band perform just for us. Listening to them play the Italian National Anthem and nostalgic Alpini tunes stirred our emotions. While touring the summer residence of Count Filippo d'Agliè, we had the pleasure of meeting Peter Stratta, president of our association's Chicago chapter.

Leaving Torino, we experienced the grand medieval pageantry of the Palio d'Asti while sipping Moscato d'Asti from our seats in the grandstand. The program included a procession of over a thousand people in medieval costume, bareback horse races, and colorful flag-throwing displays.

Our tour would not have been complete without a visit to the monument dedicated to the Piemontesi nel Mondo located in San Pietro in Val Lemina. Michele Colombino, president of our worldwide association, greeted us there. We presented him with a souvenir jacket inscribed with "Piemontesi nel Mondo California." (On an earlier occasion, fellow traveler, Henry Trione, had generously gifted each of us the same jacket.) Needless to say, this visit was quite moving for our little group. It gave us a chance to recall all the sacrifices our ancestors had made when they left their beloved Patria Cita ("Little Homeland") and ventured to other lands to pursue a better life. Later that day we deviated from our itinerary a bit with a surprise visit to the lovely town of Cavour. We were warmly received by the town and its mayor, Silvio Fenoglio, who presented us with beautiful medals commemorating our visit, followed by a delicious lunch.

The colors of the beautiful vine-covered hills of the Monferrato and Langhe were changing from green to yellow and red. A special highpoint for us was truffle hunting in the Monferrato with our hunting guide and his dog "Lady," not to mention our breakfast with them in the forest that included Piemontese cheeses, salami, bread, frittata, and Grignolino. What a breakfast to remember! We even found a few truffles that were prepared for our dinner that evening at a fancy six-course meal at Balin near Livorno Ferraris. Passing through the Langhe, we had a surprise sighting from our bus window of Father Austin Conterno enjoying the afternoon in the piazza of his hometown of Monforte d'Alba.

Piemonte is renowned for its many holy places and we visited a few: La Sacra di San Michele situated on the very top of a mountain with a breathtaking view of the Susa valley, Il Santuario di Oropa with its black Madonna, and Il Santuario di Vicoforte with the largest oval dome in the world. It was particularly moving for us all when Monsignor Kraus, one of our travelers, was granted special permission to celebrate Mass for us at Oropa. We also had the honor of visiting the very unpretentious Waldensian (Protestant sect) church in Torre Pellice and the splendid Jewish synagogue in Casale Monferrato. Both were very different, but equally poignant for us.

We were overwhelmed by the warmhearted reception we received from artist and poet, Candida Rabbia, and the organization Piemont Dev Vive in Cuneo. They prepared for us a splendid luncheon accompanied by a live accordionist who played all our favorite Piemontese tunes. We had a fun time singing along.

Piemonte is known for its lyrical lake region. We had the pleasure of visiting the romantic Lago Maggiore and enchanting Lago d'Orta. Our days included boating, visiting the lovely Isola Bella with its palace and gardens, strolling lakeside, and having our last dinner together in Piemonte on Isola dei Pescatori.

Leaving the mountains, hills, valleys, and lakes of Piemonte, we next ventured to the mountains, coast, and sea of Liguria. Using magical Santa Margherita on the Italian Riviera as our base, we ventured by boat to Portovenere, Cinque Terre and Portofino. Our days in Liguria included antiquing along the streets of Santa Margherita, swimming in the sea, dancing in the square under the stars, sipping Vermouth on the balcony of our hotel overlooking the Ligurian Sea, strolling the little alleys of Genova and visiting its renewed harbor. Our last night in Liguria was spent dining at Ristorante La Stalla-enjoying hors d'oeuvres and sparkling wine on the balcony overlooking Santa Margherita and dancing the night away to our own one-man band, who was joined for a couple of solos by our very talented travelers, Christine Vota and Joe Aliberti.

This was a trip of a lifetime, not only because of the many beautiful places I visited but most of all because of the wonderful people I met along my journey including the warm companionship of my fellow travelers. Many thanks go to our incredible tour leader, Lucetta Rossetto, who not only organized our tour, arranged for exceptional hotels and memorable meals, and accompanied us all the way, but also facilitated visits for many of us with family in Piemonte. She gave so much of herself to us.

Reflections of Kathleen Maggiora Rogers, along with Mary and Madeline Giachetto and Kevin McCabe October 2004

Photos Courtesy of Kevin McCabe, Priscilla Silvey, and Kathleen Maggiora Rogers