Students who intend to study abroad typically prepare a list of countries, cities, stores, and restaurants that they wish to cross literally and metaphorically “cross off”. The usual offenders are predictably Paris, London, Berlin, Barcelona, Amsterdam, and the occasional Budapest. Italy however is always the tricky one. Unlike most countries, where tourists blindly zero in on one city, and that city only, Italy has more than one go-to. For example, the romantic canals of Venice, or the enticing leather found in Florence, and of course the Coliseum of Rome. Lucky for me, I leave here. So, I’ve boated around the island of Capri, I’ve shared a gondola ride along the Grand Canal of Venice, and I can honestly say I’ve seen almost all there is to see in Rome. So, upon hearing of my class trip to Turin, I am ashamed to admit that I was a tad let down. It wasn’t on my list. Nevertheless, I noted the words chocolate factory somewhere within the trip itinerary, and I was sold.
On November 19th, I woke up around 6:00am. We boarded the busses around 7:15 and the journey began. It took a short bus ride to Termini, a four hour train to “Torino” and a second short bus ride to the countryside before I could say “finally, we’re here”. “Here” was actually the most stunning, peaceful places I’ve ever been. Endless acres of green, decorated with wilting grapevines, I was heaven. Moreover, I was in wine heaven.
We quickly sat down at a quaint, yet slightly rustic lunch spot where we were served a three-course meal. First, we were served a pumpkin inspired appetizer, which was accompanied by a smooth white wine. It was delicious. Next, was my favorite, a meat gnocchi, which came doused in the meat’s own broth. This course was appropriately served alongside a glass, or three of red wine. Lastly, came white, creamy custard, which reminded me of meringues. I now wish that I ate a bit slowly.
Soon after the meal was over we were rushed to our private tour of the grounds. Our tour guide, petite as ever, explained to us the traditions and history behind the vineyard known as Fontanafredda. We first heard of its love story. This love story involved Vittorio Emanuele II, King of Sardinia and the owner of the land at the time, as his own private estate. Vittorio had fallen in love with his star-crossed lover, Rosa, who was only a commoner. Regardless of her status, Vittorio granted the entire land to her, so that she later became the Countess of Fontanafredda. After our hearts had melted a bit, we quickly entered the wine cellars. Here, we learned of the wine making process. More specifically, we learned that the grapes harvested, de-stemmed and crushed, left for 10-20 days to in the alcoholic fermentation process, pressed so to draw off the wine, and later left to ferment once more, only to be bottled, sealed and shipped. At this point you can imagine how our mouths began to water.
At last, we could taste. However, not until we sniffed, examined, swirled, and sniffed the wine once more. Of course, I’m only joking. Nevertheless, it took quite a bit of time before the sparkling white wine first touched my lips. But, when it did, it was superb. After the sparkling white came two opposing red wines. The first was okay, but certainly not my favorite. The third came home with me, bottled and ready to be placed under the Christmas tree for my red-loving father. It was delicious, and even more so because I’m not usually a huge fan of the ruby red drink. At this point, it was time for another long ride back into the city, and for a good nights rest.
The next morning I slept in a bit. I had chosen the market tour over the early departing cinema tour. So, around 10:30 the rest of us lazy bones embarked for the famous Torino market. Our tour guide spoke very little English, so our trusty Professor Fossa did much of the translating. Still, I managed to learn of the diverse population of Turin, which had I not know, would have made the market all the more confusing. The market was a melting pot in and of itself. Meats, fish, cleaning products, clothing, candy, you name it, it was there. Our tour guide however had us on a tight leash. We first tasted the food from her home country, Romania. Meat atop fresh baked bready hardly seemed like a delicacy to me until she explained to us the cultural significance behind the bread. She told us that this particular bread is enjoyed to remember loved ones who have passed. So, we respectfully ate our delicious snack and thanked our guide for sharing such a touching experience with us. Quite honestly, the market was a bit overwhelming for me. There were limbs of full animals being hacked away and cow intestines for sale. Additionally, if that wasn’t enough to frighten you, we were also reminded on multiple occasions to tuck in our expensive belongings and cellphones by our tour guide and a miscellaneous undercover cop. I guess I expected something with a bit more organization and charm.
Not to worry though, the next stop was the chocolate factory. More than just chocolate, the factory had the charm I was longing for. Run by less than a dozen workers, it felt like being in my mother’s kitchen again. The man, who’s name I seem to forget, demonstrated how to make chubby Santa’s and mini hazelnut drops. Both, looked absolutely scrumptious, but we only tasted the hazelnuts. They even left us with goodie bags, just like we’d get when we were kids. Finally, we hopped back onto the oversized coach bus only to be dropped back off again at a famous literary café. It was truly the perfect ending to a lovely day, and an even better trip. We were greeted by small sandwiches and hors d'oeuvres and then left to sit and enjoy the food and company. This was my kind of class trip.
Overall, I left Turin with a wonderful impression. Aside from its chillier climate and the underwhelming market, I was pleasantly surprised by the “off the beaten path” city. It was simple, livable, organized, and I am extremely pleased to say I had the chance to witness it all.
On November 19th, I woke up around 6:00am. We boarded the busses around 7:15 and the journey began. It took a short bus ride to Termini, a four hour train to “Torino” and a second short bus ride to the countryside before I could say “finally, we’re here”. “Here” was actually the most stunning, peaceful places I’ve ever been. Endless acres of green, decorated with wilting grapevines, I was heaven. Moreover, I was in wine heaven.
We quickly sat down at a quaint, yet slightly rustic lunch spot where we were served a three-course meal. First, we were served a pumpkin inspired appetizer, which was accompanied by a smooth white wine. It was delicious. Next, was my favorite, a meat gnocchi, which came doused in the meat’s own broth. This course was appropriately served alongside a glass, or three of red wine. Lastly, came white, creamy custard, which reminded me of meringues. I now wish that I ate a bit slowly.
Soon after the meal was over we were rushed to our private tour of the grounds. Our tour guide, petite as ever, explained to us the traditions and history behind the vineyard known as Fontanafredda. We first heard of its love story. This love story involved Vittorio Emanuele II, King of Sardinia and the owner of the land at the time, as his own private estate. Vittorio had fallen in love with his star-crossed lover, Rosa, who was only a commoner. Regardless of her status, Vittorio granted the entire land to her, so that she later became the Countess of Fontanafredda. After our hearts had melted a bit, we quickly entered the wine cellars. Here, we learned of the wine making process. More specifically, we learned that the grapes harvested, de-stemmed and crushed, left for 10-20 days to in the alcoholic fermentation process, pressed so to draw off the wine, and later left to ferment once more, only to be bottled, sealed and shipped. At this point you can imagine how our mouths began to water.
At last, we could taste. However, not until we sniffed, examined, swirled, and sniffed the wine once more. Of course, I’m only joking. Nevertheless, it took quite a bit of time before the sparkling white wine first touched my lips. But, when it did, it was superb. After the sparkling white came two opposing red wines. The first was okay, but certainly not my favorite. The third came home with me, bottled and ready to be placed under the Christmas tree for my red-loving father. It was delicious, and even more so because I’m not usually a huge fan of the ruby red drink. At this point, it was time for another long ride back into the city, and for a good nights rest.
The next morning I slept in a bit. I had chosen the market tour over the early departing cinema tour. So, around 10:30 the rest of us lazy bones embarked for the famous Torino market. Our tour guide spoke very little English, so our trusty Professor Fossa did much of the translating. Still, I managed to learn of the diverse population of Turin, which had I not know, would have made the market all the more confusing. The market was a melting pot in and of itself. Meats, fish, cleaning products, clothing, candy, you name it, it was there. Our tour guide however had us on a tight leash. We first tasted the food from her home country, Romania. Meat atop fresh baked bready hardly seemed like a delicacy to me until she explained to us the cultural significance behind the bread. She told us that this particular bread is enjoyed to remember loved ones who have passed. So, we respectfully ate our delicious snack and thanked our guide for sharing such a touching experience with us. Quite honestly, the market was a bit overwhelming for me. There were limbs of full animals being hacked away and cow intestines for sale. Additionally, if that wasn’t enough to frighten you, we were also reminded on multiple occasions to tuck in our expensive belongings and cellphones by our tour guide and a miscellaneous undercover cop. I guess I expected something with a bit more organization and charm.
Not to worry though, the next stop was the chocolate factory. More than just chocolate, the factory had the charm I was longing for. Run by less than a dozen workers, it felt like being in my mother’s kitchen again. The man, who’s name I seem to forget, demonstrated how to make chubby Santa’s and mini hazelnut drops. Both, looked absolutely scrumptious, but we only tasted the hazelnuts. They even left us with goodie bags, just like we’d get when we were kids. Finally, we hopped back onto the oversized coach bus only to be dropped back off again at a famous literary café. It was truly the perfect ending to a lovely day, and an even better trip. We were greeted by small sandwiches and hors d'oeuvres and then left to sit and enjoy the food and company. This was my kind of class trip.
Overall, I left Turin with a wonderful impression. Aside from its chillier climate and the underwhelming market, I was pleasantly surprised by the “off the beaten path” city. It was simple, livable, organized, and I am extremely pleased to say I had the chance to witness it all.