Panna cotta with fig jam. Barbarescu. Swordfish Monterosso-style. Cantucci dipped in Schiacchetrà. Barbera. Strawberry-tree fruit. 382 steps to Corniglia. Boat ride back from Portovenere. Fried zucchini blossoms. Fiocchi/sacchettini (“beggar’s purse” pasta) filled with cheese and pear. Several hours spent with good friends who live far away. A guided driving tour through the misty Langhe wine country. White truffles on pasta with a cheese sauce. Black truffles on same. Learning about the Slow Food movement from a passionate devotee, and enjoying mushrooms in Piedmont and sea bass in Liguria in the fall. Amazing Mediterranean vistas. Mussels. Bread soaked in the broth from the mussels. Bunet. Warm fall sunshine. Fresh focaccia with olives & tomatoes. Earning the dinner -and dessert- with 4+ hours of hilly hiking. Learning that grappa is called a coffee-killer for a reason. Extra-bitter chocolate, pear, and roasted chestnut-flavored gelato from Torino’s Grom shop. Fresh sausage. The Infinity Trail. Vermentino. Nebbiolo. Hazelnut cake with muscat cream. Grissini. Coffee, Italian-style. Testaroli with pesto. Farinata.

So, we had a great trip, hiking, eating and visiting in Italy’s Liguria and Piemonte regions. Photos coming soon.