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Norwegians in Italy - 2 Piedmont After our stay in Chianti we had planned to stop at Lucca on the way to Piedmont but changed our minds because of the traffic. But in spite of the traffic we made good time - the roads in Italy are good even if the reputation of Italian drivers is the opposite. We drove along the coast, passed Pietrasanta, La Spezia and Rapallo to Geneva where we headed north on E25 towards Alessandria. The most impressive feature of the coast road is the number of tunnels: There seemed to be more tunnels than open road on stretches leading into the Genoa area and only occasionally could we catch glimpses of the sea. From Alessandria we headed towards Asti and, following instructions, easily found Cascina Desderi. In sunny Florida they owned and operated a motel, a tour operation, and a condominium. They became disenchanted with the political and social climate in the United States after `9/11' and began their search for a new challenge. Their search ended on a hilltop not far from Asti in the Piedmont district of Italy. Two buildings, one a house, the other a combined barn and stable complete with bales of straw, dominated the property and the area around. "To say that the buildings were in disrepair is about as informative as saying it's a long way from Miami to Asti" said Trond and in their web-site is a description of their first impressions: "A ramshackle shed leaned against the façade and an old tarpaulin flapped in the wind, trash and waste from the last 50 years littered the place, dogs and cats barked and meowed in false duets, while hens and a rooster ambled around aimlessly, and newly hatched chickens hopped and screeched to escape the cats' claws." This was in July 2003. The apartments, named after various local grapes, reflect the construction of the original building, with fluted ceilings and, on the ground floor, steps down to the bedroom. Trond and Roald have furnished the rooms with individual pieces from Norway, Florida and, of course, Italy. We had booked early but Trond warned us that Cascina Desderi was booked to capacity, "with lots of children," on the days we were to be there. When we arrived in the early afternoon we found four families from Bergen - 8 adults and 10 children - enjoying themselves in and around the pool. We felt right at home and thought about our 11 grandchildren in Norway. The service was pretty good back at Cascina Desderi too. Next morning we found fresh bread and rolls on our terrace table - courtesy the management, one of whom had driven down to the bakery in the nearby village. After an early morning swim it was refreshing to eat breakfast on the terrace and watch the sun climb and gradually burn off the haze hanging over the distant mountains. A few steps from the pool and beyond the rose bushes, the uniform rows of Barbera grapevines stretched down the hillside. The grapes had been harvested just a week before we arrived and were now fermenting in their steel tanks at a nearby vineyard. In 2004 Cascina Desderi's vines produced 10,000 bottles of Barbera Superiore. These were bottled in spring 2006 and should be ready for drinking - well, just about now. Each of these villages, and hundreds like them, have their cozy restaurants, well-stocked `Cantinas', and, of course, shops selling souvenirs. With the bottle of '98 Barbaresco that I bought was a leaflet - probably from the hand of the modern grandson, that was almost philosophical: "Welcome "from Ancient Farmers and Wine Makers"you are among simple people"our wines are the result of hard work and as much love"each wine has a soul, a history of its own, its own character"approach them with serenity, tranquillity, with no arrogance"we hope you will remember us with sympathy." Who could fail to be impressed? The huge kitchen and terrace outside were hives of activity. This kitchen is designed for courses in Italian Cuisine but one of the guests was a professional chef so he'd been given the run of the place. The children ate their meal of spaghetti and sausages first while the chef, assisted by family and advised by Trond, composed a more complicated menu for the adults. With the food we sampled two of the three Desderi wines, the top quality Black Label, and the second level Red Label. Both wines are good, still young and fresh but with lots of promise. The food didn't last long enough to be young and we made short work of the pasta dishes, risotto, salads, and deserts. Afterwards we sat lingeringly over coffee at the long, candle-lit table, pool glimmering in front and only blackness and silence beyond - another form of luxury. The luxury of silence continued the next day. With the three families on their way back to Norway we had Cascina Desderi to ourselves. The shouts and laughter hadn't bothered us but we enjoyed a leisurely swim and a peaceful breakfast before setting out for further exploration, and our first destination was the nearest golf course at Golf Club Margara. We almost missed the final sign pointing to the club but after a 20 minute drive we were standing in the club house. Margara was an estate originally owned by the powerful Ghetti family and reputedly a refuge for royalty. The course opened in 1970 and after recent modifications and improvements it has emerged as a Par 72, 6932 yard parkland challenge. With its rental apartments, houses and apartments for sale, and extensive leisure facilities Margara would not be out of place in California, Arizona or Florida. But the plentiful Piedmont rainfall ensures that the greens and fairways are always a solid, almost Irish green. If the golf fairways were green, the fields lining the road through the Northern Monferrato were brown and glistening, newly ploughed and waiting for spring. Our next stop was Moncalvo, a seemingly simple town divided in two by the road. To the left a narrow street lined with shops climbs up to the 13th century church, a vast `piazza' and, behind the church, a breathtaking view of the valley and distant Alps. In Moncalvo you may also buy some of the famous Piedmont truffles - if you have deep enough pockets and are there after October 15th. Back at Desderi, on our last night, Trond and Roald asked us to join them for dinner at the restaurant that had so impressed the families from Bergen. It was almost a repeat of the first evening - a modest building, discreet sign, subdued lighting in entrance, family owned, and a culinary delight. We were treated more like family than guests, a lady from a nearby table came over and greeted Trond - she was one of his competitors from a neighbouring vineyard. This evening summed up some of our impressions from the past few days - of how these two young entrepreneurs from Norway had found their niche, settled in, been accepted, and more than that, been welcomed by the locals. You can read more about Caiano and Cascina Desderi on their web-sites:
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Trond Malmer and Roald Noto have worked together a long time, in Norway, in Florida and now in Italy. They honed their skills in the travel industry, in real estate and in hotel management and operation, first in Norway and then in the toughest of all markets, the USA. 
At Christmas in 2005 they could welcome a group of their friends as guests to their new, almost completed home. By May 2006 the rebuilding and refurbishing was finished, an oversized Olympic pool installed and the first tourists arrived. The barn-cum-stable has been transformed into a harmonious, traditionally coloured, building that houses six apartments and a restaurant sized kitchen equipped with the latest accessories. A seventh `apartment', a few yards down the road is a separate property with its own garden of flowers, fruit and herbs. Each apartment comprises a combined living room and kitchen, a bedroom and bathroom with shower. Upstairs the apartments have balconies, downstairs; terraces. The balconies and terraces face the lawn, the swimming pool, the grapevines, the rolling hills of Piedmont and, on a clear day, the Alps.(Piemonte in Italian is literally foot and mountains.) 
There's no standardisation, each apartment is unique, some with genuine antiques, others with comfortable collectibles, and all with either original tapestries or perfectly placed prints or paintings on the walls. Our apartment boasted a four poster bed and red-striped, silk covered sofa and chairs. We were especially impressed with the high quality of the kitchen equipment: efficient ovens, drawers that slid soundlessly in and out, and cupboard doors that closed and stayed closed. The apartments can be arranged in several combinations for individual families and groups up to a maximum of 22 beds. 
In the evening Trond and Roald took us to a nearby restaurant. We would never have found it on our own since it was off the main road, up in the hills and surrounded by what looked, in the dark, like substantial homes. Trond and Roald were obviously regular guests and we were warmly welcomed by the owner cum headwaiter. Like many Italian restaurants, this was a family affair; wife in kitchen, daughters serving and not more than 10 tables. We left the ordering to `the experts', immersed ourselves in the low-key surroundings and enjoyed viewing the two or three small groups of Italians who, as the evening progressed, strolled in, elegantly dressed as only Italians can be. Trond told us to watch the `headwaiter' who took a taste every time he opened a bottle of wine for a customer. By the time we got to coffee he was extremely jovial. We had much to smile about too because the food was great and the service impeccable. 
The nearest large town, Asti, is not quite as sparkling as the inexpensive wine for which it is best know, but it has its medeival houses, 14th century cathedral and an annual race around the town center that attracts huge crowds: we were a week late for that. Further afield, in the foothills, along winding, narrow roads are the villages around which the quality Piemonte wines are produced: Barolo, center of the district that gives the wine its name, La Morra, source of 35% of the total Barolo wine production, and Barbaresco, with its unique tower, overlooking the river Tánaro. 
There's a particularly pleasant `Cantina' in Barbaresco where we met the typical Italian grandmother and her totally modern grandson. Here we tasted a wide selection of wines, cheese, olives, and cured meats. 
On our return to Cascina Desderi we were immediately asked to join the families from Bergen at their farewell dinner. The evening before, they had been to an `exclusive' restaurant in the neighborhood and were tremendously impressed by the way the owner and the waiters had treated them - and especially the children. "It was as if the children were their most important guests" said one of the mothers. I thought that it was probably perfectly natural because Italian families, with children of all ages, eat out much more often than families in Norway  |
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