A Day in Alba
There are trips you plan for months, and then there are the ones that come together almost on a whim. This is the one of the second kind and a trip I would definitely repeat. This week I brought two of my kids and my bonus daughter to Alba. Alba is only two hours away from our home in Milan, which makes it the perfect getaway from the city. We left early in the morning, so we would be able to have a full day in Alba.
Our home for the night was Castello di Guarene, a beautiful building from 1726. The rooms are filled with hand painted walls, grand chandeliers and amazing fabrics. Surrounded by the most gorgeous gardens. We started the way I think every trip to Italy should start, with a great meal. For lunch we had the most amazing focaccia, followed by fresh homemade pasta at the hotel restaurant.
In the afternoon we got picked up to go on a truffle walk, which was without a doubt my favourite part of the trip. Unfortunately for us we arrived the day before the white truffle season started, which means that even if you are lucky enough to find white truffle, you have to put it back into the ground. Our guide met us with her truffle dog and we hiked into the woods. It was so interesting to learn about the way it all works. Back in the days they used to use pigs to find truffles, but they are not allowed to use the pigs anymore as they ruin the roots of the trees when they dig for the truffles. Our guide also told us that truffles only grow under five trees, Oak, Poplar, Willow, Linden and Hazelnut. We walked around the woods, watching the dogs search for truffles. The best part was being able to bring the fresh truffles we found home with us.
Back at the castle, we slowed down and enjoyed a quiet afternoon. After some rest, we played a couple of rounds of pool before making our way downstairs for dinner.
Alba is known for Fassona beef, so after we had the amazing focaccia again, we all ordered the steak. The meat was, as all the other meals we had, incredible.
The next morning started in the breakfast dining room, one of the most beautiful rooms I have ever had breakfast in. We lingered longer than we needed to, then went for a walk through the gardens. They are incredible, and wandering through them felt like the gentlest possible way to end the trip
Then it was back to Milan, two hours and what felt like a world away, with a bag of truffles and a reminder that you don't need to go far, or stay long, to really get away.
