Eat (almost) Anything at Least One

Alba - Giorno 9

2011-09-22T17:05:00.000+10:00

Thursday is market day and I thought I'd start with some photos from the market.

This is where you'll find the real farmers market - what you see for sale here is either made or grown by the people selling it

Whereas, the rest of the market is a mix - some are growers, some are wholesalers

the produce is a mix of locally grown and imported - it can be from a different region or country and generally you'll see origin information on the tags.

Like these fantastic peppers are from Cuneo.

Lunch was a simple affair - start with fresh bread from La Forneria

add some fabulous salami from Guido

and finish with cheese and giardiniera (made by me)

and a couple of bottles of Ginger Baladin.

Dinner was the result of an impulse purchase at the butcher - these individual sized cotechino

Really simple to cook - prick them just a few times then simmer for about 20 minutes. Cut in half, saute until golden and they are ready. Serve on top of creamy parmesan mashed potatoes

Alba - Giorno 8

2011-09-21T18:52:00.022+10:00

For breakfast we once again went to what has become our favourite coffee spot La Douce Maison especially when the brioche have just come from the oven and are lovely and warm.

After breakfast, time for a bit of a stroll and to pick up provisions for the day. At the bread shop I make sure I take a photo of this

it's a tap of warm chocolate - I wonder how many people would like to stick their face under that.

There's work to be done so we'll be staying in today and staring at computers though I have more free time to spend on cooking.

I turn these beautiful peppers into Giardiniera Piemontese inspired by a recent meal.

In the afternoon, we very much enjoy our liquid gift from Curtis and Leigh

- it's excellent with lardo crostini.

From Guido the butcher, I bought these lovely pork chops

and they are simply cooked in a little oil and butter and fresh sage

browned on each side - it only takes a few minutes.

and they are a great companion to the giardiniera.

Once again, Alba puts on a fabulous sunset.

Details:
La Douce Maison
Piazza Rossetti 5, Alba
Closed Monday

Alba - Giorno 7

2011-09-20T18:52:00.000+10:00

With Slow Cheese done and dusted we can now just enjoy being in Alba and we began the day with coffee at Di Baya Saida

and ended with Arneis at Vincafe

In between we admired the wonderfully clear skies allowing us a proper look at the surrounding mountains -

and bought proper crusty bread from the Panetteria.

We enjoyed grappa tasting at Enoteca Le Torri and settled upon two

From Macelleria Guido, we satisfied Paalo's hunger for veal liver with these beautifully fine slices

and tried two of his spiedini - a mix of chicken, pork, beef and sausage on a skewer.

The liver ended up as this classic dish - Fegato e Salvia

And as night approached, the sky turned gold.

Details:

Baya S.A.S. Di Baya Saida
Piazza San Francesco 5/D, Alba
+39 0173 361677

VinCafé
Via Vittorio Emanuele 12, Alba
+39 0173 364603

Enoteca Le Torri
Via Cavour 5/A, Alba
+39 0173 441763

Macelleria Guido
Via Cavour 15a, Alba
+39 0173 440846 ‎

Bosio Mauro Panetteria
Via Cavour 21, Alba
+39 0173 440436

Alba - Giorno 5

2011-09-18T22:51:00.007+10:00

We should have been at Slow Cheese today but we're feeling a bit cheesed off so we've decide to stay home today. On our early morning walk for coffee and brioche, we ponder a serious question - are there truly Irish pubs everywhere?

It's quiet at this time of the day, the streets oh so picturesque

and with a little imagination, you can pretend you've stepped back in time.

For all the beauty, there are reminders of much darker days

and a faith that still runs strong.

For our second coffee of the morning we tried Pasticceria Cignetti on Via Vittoria Emanuele

and then spent a little time next door ogling the truffle delights at Tartufi Ponzio

My curiosity has been spiked by the freeze dried white truffles and the truffle pearls (spherified truffle juice) - they look like salmon roe but black.

We pause for a longer look further up the road at Polleria Elio Ratti

and continue down the road to Piazza Savona

On our way back, there's obviously something happening around Piazza Duomo

love these little cars

but the matt black Vespa is ultra sexy.

While we've been on our walk, the festivities have been building as today there's a running race around the city called Corri sotto le Torri (Run under the Towers)

The fanfara of the Bersaglieri are here - I just love the hats!

We follow the soldiers for a little while then return to the Piazza where the presentations for the race are under way.

it is a bit drizzly but the Mayor is there to present the prizes to the winner

There's all sorts of categories - these were the junior winners

and these two guys won for being non-italians! The <strike>bastards</strike> lucky ducks won a Culatello and a dozen bottles of red! Paalo and I looked at each other - next year that will be us.

Oh, and this is Italy, there are even prizes for animals!

Back in our apartment I capture a few more shots of the city before lunch.

Lunch is something simple - a bit of this

a good portion of that

a whole heap of this

and you end up enjoying this - Tajarin with Black Truffles

Late in the afternoon we returned to Piazza Savona to watch the Fanfara put on a show - it's amazing to see them running and still able to play their instruments. I get tired looking at them.

After the show as we head back to our apartment we stop for a few drinks at Vincafé.

Night time brings another fabulous sky

a perfect way to end what has been a wonderful day.

Details:

Patiscceria Cignetti
Via Vittoria Emanuele, 3
Open: Tuesday to Sunday

Tartufo Ponzio
Via Vittoria Emanuele, 26
web

Polleria Elio Ratti
Via Vittoria Emanuele, 18
web

Vincafé

2011-09-18T17:01:00.004+10:00

Vincafé is one of the winebars that our host Mario has recommended and as we're walking past it on the way back from seeing the Bersaglieri, it seems a good opportunity to pause and enjoy a wine or two.

There's a constantly changing selection of 50 to 100 wines by the glass - the menu of which is written on a chalkboard on the rear wall. What makes you do a double take are the prices that range from €2 to €6 (that's for a Barolo!) a glass - when was the last time a glass of wine was that cheap (and actually drinkable) in Australia?

To our surprise, we're also given a plate of nibbles. When we order our second round,

we're given another plate!

From 6pm to 9pm, things get serious - the bar is covered with platters of delicious aperitivi and if you pay €1 extra for your glass of wine, the food is free and it's self-serve.

There's also a pretty fabulous cheese cabinet.

Details:

Vincafè
Via Vittoria Emanuele, 12
12051 Alba CN

Phone
+039 0173 364603

WEB

Alba - Giorno 4

2011-09-17T23:51:00.034+10:00

It's Saturday which means it's market day. Now, when Mario told us that the Saturday market was big and basically took over the town, he wasn't exaggerating. In fact, as soon as we walked out our door, there it was. I think you know I might just have squealed a little.

It's not just one market - it's four markets.

You've got the market that takes over the main streets, which sells everything - from batteries to socks, then you've got the market that occurs during the week

and you've got the real farmers market which on saturday is much larger and you can even buy live poultry - a laying chicken only costs 5 euro!

There's also slow food sponsored "Alba Earth Market" which sets up in Piazza Pertinance overlooked by the lovely Church of San Giovanni Battista.

This really is market heaven.

We couldn't spend too long here as we're returning to Bra for Day 2 of Slow Cheese and today we have some taste workshops booked.

Once again because they are photo heavy they have their own posts which you can find here:
Taste Workshop LCH07 - Roquefort: The King of Cheese
Taste Workshop LCH10 - On the Verge of Extinction: Alpine Beaufort
Taste Workshop LCH12 - Giarolo's Bounty

We should have stayed in Bra for another class but frankly neither one of us really could be bothered - while the workshops have been interesting enough, the organisation has left us frustrated and that jerk photographer just makes it impossible to sit comfortably. What is even more stupid is that they have no provision to realocate our tickets - we're not interested in a refund, it just seems a waste that someone else couldn't use our ticket.

We're a little deflated when we return to Alba and it appears we've missed something while we've been away

ohhhh, look at the lovely old cars.

Unsure of what to do for dinner tonight, we wander past La Piola to see if they might have a table. As we approach, we notice we're not the only ones trying their luck - the last of which leave with a very sad face. As we're already in the building, we ask anyway and unbelievably, they somehow conjure one up for us.

Maybe we looked a little sorry for ourselves but it ends the day on a high especially when we get to enjoy such a great meal at La Piola.

Cena - La Piola

2011-09-17T21:12:00.032+10:00

La Piola is the sister restaurant of Piazza Duomo - it's located on the ground floor of the same building and its focus is more traditional, serving dishes of the region but with the same skill, level of care and quality as you'd find in PD. I suppose you'd equate it the Bistro Vue - Vue de Monde type of relationship.

Grissini and Bread

Vitello Tonnato

One of the more amazing versions of vitello tonnato that I've ever enjoyed. I'm so used to seeing grey veal but here it almost looks raw - sliced so finely, it's almost carpaccio like. Tender but with flavour and the tonnato sauce simply perfect.

Misto di Antipasti

A little bit of everything - from the top center and going clockwise -
vitello tonnato, insalata russa, tongue, cured meat, formaggio di langa, baccala mantecato and in the center, carne cruda

Tajarin al Ragu di Salsiccia

Gnocchi

Both pasta dishes were as good as you would want them to be.

Zabaione al Moscato

Bonet al Cioccolato

as were both of the desserts.

Seriously impressive food - it may be a little more pricey than say the Bottega but in comparison to what you'd pay for this back home in Melbourne, this is still a bargain and that's not even taking into consideration just how damn inexpensive the wines are.

The details:

La Piola
Piazza Risorgimento 4
12051 Alba (CN)

Phone:
+39 0173 442800

Open:
Lunch - 1200 to 1430
Dinner - 1900 to 2200

Closed
Sunday Night and Monday
Sunday and Monday (June, July, August)
Always open (September to December)

Annual Closing
between December and January
from 7th to 22nd August

WEB

Slow Cheese 2011 - Day 2

2011-09-17T17:52:00.005+10:00

Today it's all about the taste workshops and we will be attending three.

The notes of which can be found in their respective posts:

LCH07 - Roquefort - The King of Cheeses
LCH10 - On the Verge of Extinction: Alpine Beaufort
LCH12 - Giarolo's Bounty

Taste Workshop LCH10

2011-09-17T16:51:00.072+10:00

On the Verge of Extinction: Alpine Beaufort
4pm Sala Liceo Scientificio

The pearl of the Savoy Alps, Beaufort is a large, hard, raw cow's milk cheese with a distinctive concave rind, now mostly produced in cooperative dairies in the lowlands. Hervé Mons, an affineur from Saint-Haon-le-Châtel and a Meilleur Ouvrier de France, will lead a tasting of cheeses from one of the last mountain producers of Beaufort, the Perret family of La Tueda. The cheeses are aged for months in caves in an old railway tunnel. You'll taste a winter Beaufort (aged for 16 months), a summer Beaufort (14 months) and an Alpine Beaufort (14 months), paired with red and white wines from Savoy, a region whose wines are undeservedly little-known.

Ready for the next class

wines from left to right:
W1 - Domaine Giachino Monfarina
W2 - Domaine Prieuré Saint Christophe Vin de Pays d'Allobrogie Altesse 2009
W3 - Domaine Giachino Persan
W4 - Domaine Prieuré Saint Christophe Mondeuse Tradition 2005

Notes:
W1 - made from Jacquère (white)grapes, variety mainly found in Savoy; on lees until bottled;
W2 - made from Altesse (white) grapes, variety found mainly in Savoy; biodynamic; cold settling, lees stirring, 8 months in oak, 20% new wood; needs aging
W3 - made from Persan, another local grape variety; most aromatic of the wines in this set
W4 - made from Mondeuse, ancestor of Syrah; biodynamic, organic

Cheese notes:

can be different styles of cheese in same appellation
Co-ops blend milk produced throughout the year
minimum age of 6 months before you can sell cheese
milk is processed 2 times a day so it needs constant tasting
two of the cheeses are from 2010 but different months
three varieties, summer, winter, alpeggio - alpeggio is made in the chalets in the Alps

Tastings starts at top of plate and goes clockwise.

Cheese #1

- from Feb 2010, Co-op

Cheese #2

- not a Co-op, not a chalet, which is unusual

- herd is in mountains but cheese produced in valley

- large herd

Cheese #3

- from July 2010, Summer

- Perret family near Méribel
- 2600 meter altitude
- morning and evening milking

Taste Workshop LCH07

2011-09-17T13:00:00.103+10:00

LCH07 - Taste Workshop - Roquefort, The King of Cheeses
Held: 1pm Sala Liceo Scientifico

Perhaps the world's best-known blue cheese, Roquefort is named after the village of Roquefort-sur-Soulzon in Aveyron. Here, following ancient tradition and a strict production protocol, the cheese ages for months in the natural limestone caves of the Grands Causses. The tasting will be led by Xavier Thuret, a Meilleur Ouvrier de France (a prestigious recognition for French craftspeople) and technical consultant to the Société Roquefort, which unites the seven existing producers. You'll discover the nuances of the seven cheeses, pairing them with dry and sweet wines from different denominations: Bordeaux (Sauternes and Barsac), Loire (Coteaux du Layon), Alsace (Haut-Rhine), Roussillon (Rivesaltes) and Vallée du Rhône (Beaume de Venise).

Waiting for the workshop to start

The building is quite beautifully distracting

Table settings - by the number of glasses we've going to be enjoying a few wines

Headphones - the workshop is translated into English and other languages so you don't miss a thing

lots of lovely bread and grissini

the stars of todays class - Roquefort

All the wines

From left to right:
W#1 - Crillon Des Vosges 2007 Blanc moelleux de rhubarbe
W#2 - Pierre Frick 2010 Pinot Blanc, Alsace
W#3 - J. et P. Aguilas Domaine Gaudard Coteaux du Layon
W#4 - Château Coutet 2006 Barsac-Sauternes
W#5 - Château Lamothe Guignard 2005 Sauterne
W#6 - Beaumes de Venise 2010 Domain de Bernardin
W#7 - Muscat de Rivesaltes Domaine Cazes 2007

and all the cheese

Clockwise from the Top:

C#1 - from Vernières family in Roquefort; sells under distributors name; 5 months old, no length, creamy, melts in mouth
C#2 - Gabriel Coullet - 3rd biggest industrial producer, produced under his name; large eyes and veins, more traditional typed veining, more complex, delicate aroma
C#3 - Papillon brand, more intense mould, wide eyes, delicate aroma, less fungus more vegetable; La Ferne family,
C#4 - Roquefort Carles, less than 10 people work in the dairy, 30 ewes milked
C#5 - made by co-operative that rent cows, Les Fromageries Occitanes, very fine veins, more pungent, creamy
C#6 - Ca de Baredeau(?) produces 3 different Roqueforts, melts to touch, butteriness increases with age,
C#7 - Le Vieux Berger family, 2 small dairies, more consistent, dark green moulds, very powerful fungal aroma, grainy

the workshop is finished

Some notes:

70% of French ewes milk ends up in Roquefort which explains why the French don't make cheeses like Pecorino
More eyes, more flavour and persistant colour from white to yellow
Distribution of mould is important, imperfect distribution considered a fault
December to June - minimum affinage 3 months
Salt content has decreased - 20 years ago 7.6 grams salt per kg, now 2.3 grams salt per kg
Treat Roquefort like butter

There's a couple of things that are a bit annoying - one of which is that there is no printed listing of the names of the cheese or wine we've tasted. It just is a bit bewildering considering how well planned this is that no-one has ever thought to give the participants a list of what they are actually tasting. The only way to find out what we drank was to stay after the class and take photos of the empty bottles. Likewise, the names of the cheeses are my best guess at what was said during the talk.

The other is this guy

who has the annoying habit of bullying people during the workshop into picking up their glasses and cheese so he can take a staged photo of them eating and drinking. He is interrupting people who are trying to listen to what is being said is so *&@#*& rude, I'd like to shove that camera someplace where the sun don't shine. I seriously do not see the value in having photos of people chewing and for some unknown reason, he is sanctioned by the organisers.

Alba - Giorno 3

2011-09-16T18:50:00.001+10:00

We're in need of a coffee or two to start the day so it's a good excuse to explore more of the city.

Alba was a town with lots of towers, some still stand, most fell down or like this one, partially fell down.

I love this building, it is known as the "torre abbassata" - the lowered tower.

We satisfy our coffee cravings at La Douce Maison on Piazza Rossetti overlooking the Duomo - we heartily recommend their still still warm from the oven, crema pasticcera filled brioche.

Tower of the Duomo

Looking over Piazza Duomo

We can't dilly dally around Alba for we have plans - it may have taken us 4 years but we are heading back to Bra to attend Slow Cheese. It's less than a ten minute walk to Alba station were we pay the heady sum of €4 for a return ticket.

and in around twenty minutes we're at our destination.

As our day at Slow Cheese is quite photo intense, it has its own post - you can read about the day here - Slow Cheese Day 1

On the way back from the station, we stop at one of the other supermarkets to see what it's like and chance upon a quite interesting looking liqueur that I couldn't help but purchase.

Granger Genepy Nature Chaberton - a regional speciality liqueur of Piemonte. It's a distillation of the Genepy herb which is found in the alps.

After all the cheese, dinner is going to be simple - I'm using these fantastic freshly made tajarin

beautiful Beppino Occelli butter

an extremely generous serving of our bargain truffles

put them all together and you end up with this

Ahh, today was a good day.

Slow Cheese 2011 - Day 1

2011-09-16T11:49:00.000+10:00

Since we weren't able to get into any of the classes today, we've decided to spend our time at the Gran Sala dei Formaggi ed Enoteca (Great Hall of Cheese and Enoteca). We learnt from our previous visit to Slow Cheese that leaving this for the last day meant that most of the interesting wines and cheeses weren't available.

Entrance to the Great Hall costs €8 and you get a wine glass and glass holder as well as one cheese tasting voucher and one wine tasting voucher and if you are a Slow Food member it's €4.

Grand Hall of Cheese housed under the porticos in Corso Garibaldi

There are 805 wines available to taste - mostly Italian but a good number of French as France was the theme for this years festival. There are also 184 cheeses available for tasting.

The tastings aren't free but they are very reasonably priced - though the ticketing system can be a little confusing, well, it is Italy. Wines are from 2 to 5 "buoni" a glass while the cheese is all 1 "buoni". You buy the tickets in set amounts and 1 buoni costs 1 euro.

There is amble seating with lots of tables and chairs and generous servings of constantly replenished grissini and bread.

As we're in Piemonte we'll be focusing on the local wines and cheeses, with a few exceptions.

(699) Brachetto d'Acqui Pian delle Canne 2010, Alice Bel Colle
middle sweetness, crisp and refreshing
(700) Brachetto d'Acqui Spumante Rosso DOCG, Cossetti
slightly bitter with cheese but settles down, raspberry tartness

(28) Bra Duro Stravecchio (DOP)
Producer: Caselifico Spertino
Production Area: the whole province of Cuneo and the territory of the commune of Villafranca (To)
Milk Type: Cow with possibly small additions of sheep and goat milk
Type: Consistent, yellow dark ochre colour with diffuse tiny holes
Ageing: over 12 months
Aged-Selected by: Giolito Formaggi, Bra (Cn)

(37) Verzin Blu di Capra
Producer: Beppino Ocelli
Production Area: Farigliano (Cn )
Milk Type: Goat
Type: Veined, soft and buttery
Ageing: 60 days
Aged-Selected by: Giolito Formaggi, Bra (Cn)

(30) Cevrin di Coazze (Presidi Slow Food Italy)
Producer: Lussiana Ugo e Az. Agriocola Lussina Fratelli
Prodcution Area: Val Sangone, Province of Torino
Milk Type: Raw, mixed goat and cow
Type: Slightly grainy, yellow on the outside going to white on the inside
Ageing: minimum 60 days

(34) Robiola di Roccaverano (DOP) (Presidi Slow Food Italy)
Producer: Casagross, Agrilanga e Simone Stutz
Prodcution Area: Langa Astigiana, Province of Asti
Milk Type: Raw Goat from Camosciata Breed
Type: fresh, tender, firm and white
Ageing: 2-3 weeks, minimum 6 days

(17) - Alta Langa Brut Rose Contessa Rosa 2007, Fontanafredda
perfect as an aperitif, light acid, slight bitterness
(18) - Alta Langa Metodo Classico 2005, San Silvestro
crisp, acidic and bubbly almost too bubbly

(35) Saras del Fen (Presidi Slow Food Italy)
Producer: Pier Claudio Michelin Salomon
Production Area: Mountain community of Val Pellice, Chisone and Germanasca, Pinerolese Pedemontano, over 1000 metres in altitude, in Province of Torino
Milk: Whey from raw cow, goat and sheep
Type: Fine, lumpy when the cheese is fresh; compact, translucent, of white, brown and yellow colouring if matured
Ageing: up to four months

(33) Montébore (Presidi Slow Food Italy)
Producer: Coop. Vallenostra
Production area: Valli Curone e Borbera, Province of Alessandria
Milk: Raw, cow and sheep
Type: Smooth or slightly holed, in various shades of white
Ageing: around 2 months

(32) Macagn (d'Alpeggio) (Presidi Slow Food Italy)
Producer: Coop. Produttori del tradizionale formaggio Macagn
Production Area: Prealpi Biellesi and Valsesia, Province of Biella e Vercelli
Milk Type: Raw cow
Type: Compact, varying colour from straw yellow to gold depending on maturity
Ageing: minimum 20 days

(132) Langhe Bianco Matteo Correggia 2007, Matteo Correggia
(176) Roero Arneis Gianat 2008, Negro

(27) Bra Duro DOP
Producer: Caseifico Ceirano Antonio
Production Area: all the province of Cuneo and the territory of the commune of Villafranca Piemonte (To)
Milk: Cow (with possible small additions of sheep/goat milk)
Type: Consistent, ochre colouring
Ageing: minimum 6 months
Aged-Selected by: Giolito Formaggi, Bra (Cn)

(29) Castelmagno d'Alpeggio (Presidi Slow Food Italy)
Producer: La Meiro - Terre de Castelmagno
Production Area: Frazione Chiappi of the Commune of Castelmagno (Cn)
Milk: raw cow with minimum addition of goat/sheep milk (from 5 to 20%)
Type: Ivory colour and soft; after maturation, more compact and more darkly coloured, sometimes greenish-blue hue due to the development of penicillin mould
Ageing: at least 4 months

(296) Cesanese 2007, L'Olivella
(439) Barolo Monvigliero 1999, Bel Colle

(31) Gorgonzola Piccante (DOP)
Producer: Caseificio Nuova Castelli
Production Area: in Piemonte, the Province of Novara, Vercelli, Cuneo and the commune of Casale Monferrato; in Lombardy, the Province of Bergamo, Brescia, Como, Cremona, Milano and Pavia
Milk: cow
Type: Veined, tight, white or pale yellow, streaked with green-blue
Ageing: for 90 to 110 days
Aged-Selected by: Giolito Formaggi, Bra (Cn)

(36) Tuma di Pecora delle Langhe (Presidi Slow Food Italy)
Producer: Mario Gala, Anna Maria Trombetta and Marco Ferrero
Production Area: Alta Langa, Province of Cuneo
Milk: raw sheep from breed "Sheep of the Langhe"
Type: soft; colour white or pale yellow
Ageing: minimum 1 week

(46) Puzzone di Moena (Trentino) (Presidi Slow Food Italy)
Producer: Giampaolo Gaiarin
Production Area: Commune of Predazzo and Moena, Trentino
Milk: raw cow
Type: soft, cooked, pressed
Ageing: minimum 12 months

Alba - Giorno 2

2011-09-15T22:52:00.001+10:00

Our objectives for today are simple - check out the market and lunch at Piazza Duomo and to get the day underway, naturally enough, we need coffee.

Oh how we've both missed the macchiato/brioche combination and in Alba there's no shortage of cafes to try out.

No photos of the market for now - don't want to appear to be too much of a tourist. First impressions are very positive - large selection of stalls selling all sorts of things, from clothing to cookware to plants as well as fruit and veg, augmented by deli, meat and fish vans.

We spend a few minutes trying to work out where the proper farmers market was before realising that it was just outside the city walls.

It's here where you find the local growers - while there might not be the variety of the other market, you'll get food from the area. It's here that I seemed to have attracted the attention of one of the local characters. While he took me from to stall, he asked if I was interested in truffles - Of course I was!

He went back to his stand and retrieved a hidden jar, opening the lid, he got Paalo to open his hand and poured out a motherload of truffles.

For us, 10 euro the lot!

You can't help but madly giggle at the price but on the walk back to our apartment you can't help but get annoyed when you think of the ridiculous prices we pay for Australian grown black truffles.

What's worse is that the industry tells us that their price is on par with Europe - that is utter rubbish and plays on the naivety of the Australian public. The Australian price has nothing to do with the European price, it's more to do with recouping the capital cost involved in trying to grow the truffles.

This last year the gouging was particular bad - the appearance of the much hyped, pop-up, rip-off truffle shop with prices from $2500 to $3500 a kg left us gobsmacked and as much as we love truffles, we don't love being ripped off and until the industry starts being honest about their pricing, we have no interest in buying their product.

Back in the Apartment, we took a closer look at our treasure, there's going to a lot more truffle meals in our future but that will have to wait - we have lunch at Piazza Duomo to do first.

The ringing bells come in handy, letting us know that it is twelve o'clock and time to meander across the piazza for our booking.

I've already written about the meal and it effortlessly ranks as one of the best meals we're ever had and rates above anything we've had in Australia.

Late afternoon, time for a passeggiata along the main strip - Via Vittorio Emanuele, the relaxing stroll is brought to the halt by the window of Polleria Elio Ratti

they weren't there yesterday, white truffles are now available! I do manage to control my urges, the purchasing will be left for another day, it's not like we are short on truffles at the moment.

Early evening at the Piazza, the banners of the borgo are being put up on the church and

one last shot of the building that houses Piazza Duomo - it's on the floor with the balcony and the Italian flags.

Pranzo - Piazza Duomo

2011-09-15T12:56:00.319+10:00

To misquote Shakin' Stevens, "Pink Door, What's the secret you're keepin'?"

The answer arguable could be - the best meal we've ever had.

Piazza Duomo is a 2 star Michelin restaurant and from all we've read and seen about Chef Enrico Crippa, we are looking forward to an interesting meal. To enter you have to first get through that pink door. On one side is a brass intercom that you have to use - it's a bit like going to visit someone's home, you have to be buzzed up.

You're greeted and taken through an anteroom before being shown to your table.

We'd both seen photos of the dining room but having been there in person, I must say that photos don't really do it justice. It's a far more attractive space - there's only about 8 tables seating less than 25 people, and they are well spaced - the tables are large and the chairs are very comfortable. Oh, you even get a little footstool for your bag - a bagstool I suppose.

The tables are already set with a few items

In the test-tube - sweet grissini, On the spike - taralli al finocchietto selvatico (Wild fennel Crisps), In the bag - cialde di riso - zafferano, riso nero, barbabietola, pisello, mais, curry e patata (rice chips - saffron, black rice, beetroot, peas, corn, curry and potato) - out of shot - curried almonds

Lingue di Gatto al Mais (Corn Cat's Tongue)

These are little snacks we can enjoy as we look at the menu. There are four degustation options - Evasione e Territorio (11) - Tradizione e Innovazione (10) - La Degustazione (7) and La Degustatzione +

La Degustazione + is the La Degustazione menu plus 3 dishes of the day - all up 10 courses. Each of the degustations have totally different dishes on them which makes it extremely hard to choose. Eventually we decide on the La Degustazione +.

I must add that they actually only give the menu with prices to the male - I don't mind that but I know there are some that would get their knickers in a knot. Seriously get a life if that is the case.

Should mention the wine list - there are actually two huge volumes - one for the local wines and the other for everywhere else. Paalo didn't really want to risk further damage to his elbow so Sommelier Mauro Mattei will be selecting local wines to match the meal as he sees fit.

Now the fun part begins, the amuse starts to come out

Shiso Apple Sorbet, Cocoa and Olive Marshmallow, Goat Cheese Ball, Fish Chips, Corn Tacos

Agrum Sorbet, Foie Gras Mousse

I say start because after this first selection is deposited on the table - more dishes come out

Parmesan Marshmallow, Prosciutto, Balsamic

Fake Olives with Meat and Vegetable fillings

The finale amuse is this savoury spinach sponge with mushrooms:

Now we know why the tables are so large! The amuse is the shock and awe of amuse - you are left dazed by the tastes, textures and sensations. Mid way through we give each other a look - we're both wondering how soon would be too soon to return for round 2.

Once the amuse is finished and cleared away a silver tray filled with grissini graces the center of the table.

It's soon time for the first course:

Set before you are extra long tweezers and a folded envelope

inside it lists all the ingredients that can be used to make up Enrico Crippa's signature dish

Insalata…21…31…41

The numbers refer to the number of ingredients - depending on the season - todays version had over 30.
The crackers you see protruding from the collection of leaves, flowers, seeds and herbs are made from amaranth - and if you haven't noticed yet, he does use a lot of these more unusual grains.

The bowl that holds the salad has a perforated base which means that once you finish your salad, there is an amazingly flavoured dashi-based broth to enjoy. There's only one word that describes this dish - perfection.

Second Course:

Parmigiana di Scampi

You see the word parmigiana and you think eggplant, cheese and tomato, here it's been given quite a twist. The cheese are those rough looking balls of fresh mozarella, the slight grey daubs are an eggplant puree. They sit amongst an exquisite tomato concasse and barely cooked pieces of scampi.

Third Course:

This is the first of the three extra courses - Orata reale servita cruda, lime, pepe verde, foglie piccanti e amare - Raw Sea Bream served wtih lime, green pepper and spicy and bitter leaves. This is a bit like a ceviche.

Fourth Course:

The second of the extra dishes - Gambero di Sanremo al naturale con mosto d’uva fragola, uva regina, foglie di perilla, perilla secca e pimpinella - these are sweet shrimp from San Remo, served raw on a strawberry grape reduction with fresh and dried Shiso and Burnet - the taste and texture of the shrimp is like nothing we'd had before.

Fifth Course:

Merluzzo e Piselli

Cod and Peas - sounds extraordinarily simple but wow, what an amazing dish. The cod was incredible - flaking away perfectly along the natural lines of the fish. The cod has first been lightly salted and then pressed.

Sixth Course:

Filetto al Pepe Verde

Veal fillet with green pepper sauce - they do like they aren't cooked but they are - extraordinarily tender

Seventh Course:

The last of the extra dishes - Rabbit Kidneys and Béarnaise Sauce

Every bit as good as it looks. Perfectly cooked kidneys, lovely well balanced sauce.

Eighth Course:

Risotto Porcini e Anise Stellato

How nice is it to enjoy a risotto that is properly made - the rice has been allowed to achieve that wonderful creamy characteristic. As they say, real risotto can't be moulded into a shape.

Ninth Course:

Agnello e Camomile

Lamb and Chamomile - such a simple description but wow, this is a piece of lamb we're going to remember for a very long time. I just love the dramatic presentation as a long, narrow slice but the tenderness and flavour of this lamb was beyond compare. An amusing point - this is new zealand lamb!

Tenth Course

Spugna alla Nocciola - the dessert is called Hazelnut Sponge but it is so much more than that - it's a celebration of hazelnut and chocolate. Yes there is a hazelnut sponge - you see it on the right hands side, directly opposite it is Sardinian crispbread filled with hazelnut cream. There's a cloud-like hazelnut chocolate mousse in the glass and a creamy hazelnut custard in the white bowl.

By this stage we are extraordinarily content with everything that has been presented and we assume that this is probably the last dish. Aha, we didn't count on the Petit-Fours:

Another multi-plate and multi-part extravaganza

Popped Quinoa, Raspberry and White Chocolate Shards - Fresh mixed Berries

Close up of the traditional Italian biscotti (crescent shape is cornmeal based, the star is cherry chocolate) - in the paper cups, chocolate truffle and chocolate macaroon

At the rear - in the glass bowl, dark chocolate covered hazelnuts, in the glass - chocolate coffee foam

Warm milk with Grappa di Moscato - this is a bit like the best eggflip you'll ever have.

Paalo quite likes the look of the menu for the tea and coffee selections.

The verdict:

The reservation has already been made for the return visit.

The details:

Piazza Duomo
Piazza Risorgimento 4
12051 Alba (CN)

Phone:
39 0173 366167

Open:
Lunch - 1230 - 1400
Dinner - 1930 - 2200

Closed:
Sunday Night and All-day Monday
Sunday and Monday (June-July-August)
Monday (October)

Holiday Closure:
Mid December to January
2 weeks in August

WEB

Alba - Giorno 1

2011-09-14T21:52:00.077+10:00

We've been to Porta Susa before so we thought leaving the station to meet up with our host Mario would be easy - we didn't foresee the fact that Porta Susa is pretty much a bomb site.

Through a serious of what must have been wrong turns we end up on a street somewhere in Turin - with no train station in sight. It was like walking out of the Flinders Street underpass and finding yourself in Ringwood.

It's in the mid 30's and humid and the thought of dragged our bags back down those stairs in the hope of finding another exit was beyond us. Luckily we had Mario's number and eventually managed to find the name of the street we were on.

Fifteen minutes later we where in Mario's car being happily quenching our thirst with chilled bottles of water (he really did think ahead!) and making our way through Turin's street towards our final destination - Alba.

We've rented an apartment from Mario and we'll be here for 3 weeks - and just like Paris, we have an excellent view.

After showing us around the apartment Mario leaves to let us settle in - after freshening up it's time to hit the streets and see just what is around us.

We get a pleasant surprise as walk down the main street to spy this in one of the windows

The black truffles are actually available and we actually break up into a little mad giggle as we notice the prices. A truffle that would probably cost over $50 in australia, is for sale here, in a shop, for about $5! You might be thinking well, they are probably rubbish, I can assure you they aren't. Naturally enough, we had to buy one - it eventually ended up here

That is tomorrow's breakfast settled!

We then head to the tourist office to find out where the nearest supermarkets are - shock horror, supermarkets aren't regarded as the product of satan like they are back in oz. Where else are you going to buy 6 one and a half litre bottles of Lauretana for 1.50!

When Mario returns later in the day, we quiz him in regards to markets and butchers and am extremely happy to find out that there are street markets here 3 times a week - on Saturday there is an extra large one that basically runs through the town and you can buy just about anything. The Tuesday and Thursday markets are smaller and mainly food with some other items - there is a real "farmers market" in one of the squares - this is where the local farmers sell their goods.

With this excellent intel and with tomorrow being Thursday - Paalo knows he is going to be a pack horse as I go nuts at the markets.

Mario also offers us some dining advice - pointing out all the interesting bars and restaurants about town and tonight for dinner we end up at one of his suggestions La Bottega del Vicoletto.

Cena - La Bottega del Vicoletto

2011-09-14T19:27:00.081+10:00

As we wandered off through the streets we headed to the closet of Mario's suggestions to find that it is closed on Wednesdays. Oh well, we continued on and managed to get a seat at another of his recommended places - La Bottega del Vicoletto.

This place has a double life of sorts - not only can you buy your typical range of delicatessan items, you can also buy prepared meals. It also has a small dining area inside - which leads to its nickname "7 seats", though there are more tables outside - if you choose them you'll have to put up with the smoke.

We're in Italy and with every meal, there is always bread

Two types and the one in the front was almost cake-like and incredibly yellow - perhaps enriched with egg yolks.

And to drink - A little bubble to toast our first day in Italy:

Arturo Bersano Riserva 2007

There's a la carte and various degustation menus on offer - we've opted for the degustation of the day.

Antipasto:

Insalata Russa - Russian Salad

This is one of my mothers favourites - a selection of diced, boiled vegetables (carrots, potatoes, peas) bound in a saffron flavoured mayonnaise. All the vegetables have been well cooked, each maintaing their integrity and bite, the saffron well balanced so not to overpower.

Pasta:

The famous Tajarin - it is one of the pasta types of the region - some recipes require 40 yolks per kilo of flour! Cooked to perfection and served with a simple ragu. Note that the pasta isn't swamped with sauce, it's actually quite lightly tossed.

Our second wine is:

Prunotto Barbera d'Alba 2006 - impressive

Mains:

Paalo chooses the Lumache (snails) - cooked in a rich tomato based sauce and served with riced potatoes. Nearby Cherasco is famous for their snails and these snails are quite different to the ones we eaten in australia - quite large and meaty.

My choice was the Rooster cooked with balsamic - this is what "chicken" should taste like, incredibly juicy, tender and flavour rich. The sauce had fantastic depth and the balsamic provided that sweet acidic touch to complement the meat.

Dolce:

I've gone for the the simplicity of strawberries drizzled with orange liqueur - a refreshing choice.

Paalo completes his meal with a proper Panna cotta - served with a caramelised vanilla sauce and complete with the perfect wobble.

If this is a typical dining experience we're in for a fabulous time in Alba and thanks go to Mario for letting us know

The details:

La Bottega del Vicoletto
Via Bertero, 6, 12051
Alba Cuneo, Italy

+39 0173 363196 ‎

Closed:
Afternoons - Sunday and Public Holidays and All Day Monday
Seasonal - Second and Third week of August

Train - Paris to Torino

2011-09-14T14:00:00.001+10:00

We're both going to miss this apartment - fantastic position and wonderfully decorated, special mention to the unbelievable fantastic bed, I am so going to buy a King Koil when we get back - the kitchen is fine for shorter stays but for longer periods I'd be looking for something a little more fitted out.

We head to Place Maubert and as we had hoped, there are taxis. It's a quick trip to Gare de Lyon and all is going well until we are dropped off at the station. We are deposited in the basement where several homeless people are living and the stench is eye-watering. We need to take the elevator to get to the station proper and it's an unpleasant trip up as it seems that the elevator is also being used as a toilet. It's an unfortunate last impression of Paris to have.

For some reason we're not allowed to go any further and will only be granted access to the platform level 15 minutes before our train departs. That explained the crowds here gathered around the arrival screens.

Train Travel Tip #1 - Validate your ticket as soon as you see a functioning validation device. Don't assume there's going to be one on the platform and certainly don't leave it to the last minute.

Train Travel Tip #2 - Avoid buying train tickets through Australian Stores. You're more than likely going to pay much much more than you should.

We purchased this ticket through the SNCF site (the French rail site) and if you order it early enough, they will mail it to you for free. You also have the option of collecting the ticket at the station. If we had bought it via the Australian rail stores it would have been at least double the price. If you're travelling through Italy, then the Trenitalia site is invaluable.

We're on a EC Artesia train and the journey from Gare de Lyon to Torino Porta Susa takes 5 and half hours - we'll be getting in after 1.20pm. It's actually a more comfortable train then the Eurostar.

From experience I've learnt that taking photos from train windows isn't particularly good - there's always the issue of light reflections but every now and again you'll manage to get a semi decent shot. Best advice is to put down the camera and just enjoy the view. As you travel from Paris to the border, the countryside slowly transforms from flatish plains to rugged mountain ranges.

It's amazing how the hills turn into seriously large, snow capped mountains.

This is where the train stopped for the longest - it's at the border and moves from being a "French train" to an "Italian train".

Lunch

A breakfast service is offered and the trays that arrived us looked pretty good so we decided to see what lunch would be like. We've had really good meals on proper Italian trains with restaurant cars and were interested to see how this would compare. To be honest, it was disappointing.

The options sounded good - lasagna or cannelloni but this is what we got

I don't know if it looks better or worse with the lid off.

For a mass produced pasta dish, it wasn't too bad. The ragu tasted like it had spent some time cooking and the bechamel wasn't too bad either - the pasta wasn't overcooked so all up, it was okay.

The train arrived about 15 minutes late which isn't too bad considering the distance we've travelled however we were totally unprepared by the bomb site that awaited us at Porta Susa Station.

Paris - Jour 7

2011-09-13T19:08:00.068+10:00

It's our last full day in Paris and time to savour the view from our apartment - I don't think I could get tired of that view.

We have a few more things left to do - first up it's one final visit to Place Maubert Market. Next we check out the taxi situation around Saint-Michel. I had read that this was a place where it's usually easy to find taxis since it is so well used but when we arrived, there seemed to be a lot of people waiting for taxis but no taxis to be found. I think we're going to try my first option which is at Place Maubert - there's usually been at least one taxi there every time we've gone past and it's closer to where we are staying.

We take a slow walk towards Les Halles on our way to Dehillerin - and we're pleasantly surprised by the beauty of Saint-Eustache Church.

Dehillerin itself is quite an intriguing shop full of way too many things I'd love to buy. If I spent a month in Paris I believe I'd have an absolutely fantastic kitchen to bring back with me and the savings would probably cover the airfare.

That's one thing that has become depressingly obvious - in Australia we really are paying through the nose not just on luxuries but the basic items.

For lunch we dine at the near-by Au Pied du Cochon - not the type of place we'd normally go to and we wouldn't necessarily go there again but it certainly might be worth it for the curiosity factor, especially if you don't order the pied du cochon!

The rest of the day is basically packing up for our train tomorrow - it will be an early start - we are looking to leave before 6.30am.

Dejeuner - Au Pied du Cochon

2011-09-13T17:49:00.050+10:00

Au Pied du Cochon is a Paris institution - it's been running non-stop since 1947, staying open 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, all year round.

Usually I'd run the other way but it is our last day and this is just a few doors up from Dehillerin and we really needed to find some place for lunch.

The restaurant appears to be over 5 levels with tiny, close set tables. The decor is all burgundy leather and velvet but I did happen to spy on the front door, handles that looked surprisingly like pig trotters. Now where have I seen that in Melbourne?

Our opinion of this establishment is raised by this bowl that comes with the various breads

not quite sure what it was but it was delicious - full of porky goodness.

We begin by having Le Planche - the charcuterie plate to share

an excellent assortment of cured meats and terrine.

For mains

Paalo ordered the signature dish "pied du cochon" - crumbed pigs trotter - though I think today, that signature was a forgery.

This was a huge trotter - a huge male trotter that gave off an almost vomit inducing stench of urine. Paalo offered me a taste and I couldn't even get it past my lips, as soon as it was within striking distance of my nose, I could smell it. Paalo sort of picked at it, dissecting it in a way to give the illusion that some had eaten it but boy, it's up on the list of worse things ever eaten.

I order one of the specials - couldn't quite catch the type of fish but it was grilled on the bone and filleted by the waiters - and served with ratatouille. Way too many bones were left behind which was unfortunate as the fish was quite good though the stand out was the ratatouille.

Needless to say, we didn't chance dessert and finished up with a coffee

which are served with these:

If you find yourself in the area at 3am and are feeling peckish then it's probably worth a visit - personally I'd stay away from the trotter and enjoy the charcuterie plate.

The details:

Au Pied de Cochon
6 Rue Coquillière
75001 Paris, France

Phone:
01 40 12 77 00

Subway: Louvre-Rivoli

Open: 7 Days a Week, 24 Hours a Day, Every day of the Year

WEB

E. Dehillerin

2011-09-13T12:29:00.070+10:00

No visit to Paris would be complete without a visit to the shrine of Kitchenalia Dehillerin.

It's exciting just looking at the window displays

and wondering just how many things can I fit in my suitcase.

It took us a little while to figure out what these pottery dishes were for

if you take a look inside it becomes a lot clearer - they are moulds of sheep!

These are little flags for your steak highlighting their "doneness"

This is just a fraction of the cake tins and moulds they stock.

Oh yes, and it isn't Dehillerin without a duck press

or loads of copper pots. What surprised me where just how reasonably priced the copper ware is here - there isn't the fright factor that we see in Australian pricing.

If you go into the store, it's on two levels - ground and the basement. The items aren't priced but have a code on them, you then have to look for the plastic covered printouts hanging around the store and search on the code - you'll find the price there.

There is a bit of a convoluted process to buy - and if you're behind American's buying the store out of copper, then expect to wait awhile.

First up you need to find someone to serve you - they will get your item and write out an invoice. Next you need to go to the counter and another person will take your money and stamp the invoice to say that you have paid. You then go to another person and they will package your purchase and then finally you can go.

So what did we buy?

The details:
E. Dehillerin
18 Rue Coquillière
75001 Paris, France

Phone:
01 42 36 53 13

Open:
Monday - 9h-12h30 and 14h-18h
Tuesday-Saturday - 9h to 18h
Closed Sunday and Public Holiday.
WEB

Eglise Saint-Eustache

2011-09-13T11:16:00.023+10:00

My first view of the Eglise Saint-Eustache was this

across a construction site at Les Halles.

It's much easier to get a sense of scale from a distance - when you're up close it's impossible to frame.

Inside it's a rival of Notre Dame

The best part - there's only a fraction of the tourists here and they are generally far better behaved.

WEB: Église Saint-Eustache

2 impasse St-Eustache Rue Montmartre
Paris, Ile-de-France 75001

Place Maubert Market

2011-09-13T08:31:00.087+10:00

First stop today is the Place Maubert Market.

To use its proper name, The Marché Maubert is the oldest market in Paris having started in 1547 and it appears three times a week on Place Maubert around the Maubert-Mutalité Metro station.

Situated on Boulevard St. Germaine it truly is in a prime position of Paris. My visit today is strictly to take photos - we've already got too many things to take with us to Italy.

First stop is the Saucisson stand:

Can highly recommend these sausages - there's over 20 types you're bound to find something you love.

Beautiful girolles

When the market closes you still have the benefit of some really good food stores

Fromagerie Laurent Dubois - service here isn't quite as friendly as the cheese stalls in the market and the prices are a little higher but they do have an excellent range

Le Cuvier - Wine Store - we found most of our wines from here - there are prices here to suit any budget.

Le Cuvier Wine store /Moisan - boulangerie de saint-germaine

Moisan - I suppose you could run around town finding the latest "in" bakery but why bother when you can find excellent bread so close to home

I love this Rotisserie at the Butcher

Fish Stall - there's also a "proper" Fish Shop

One of the market cheese stalls

The details:

Maubert Marché
Place Maubert
Boulevard St Germaine

Open:
Tuesday, Thursday and Saturday - 7.30am to 2.30pm

Paris - Jour 6

2011-09-12T23:07:00.046+10:00

We've got a few things planned for today - first up is a trip on the batobus

Our nearest stop is at Notre Dame and while we wait for the boat (it doesn't start until 10am) we can enjoy the view

I took a lot of photos from the batobus the last time I was in Paris so I'm not going to bore you with more but I have included a snap of the Eiffel Tower since it's the first time Paalo has seen it.

The ticket we bought from the batobus was one that also included the ability to ride the hop-on hop-off buses and we used these buses to find our way up to Montmatre and Sacre-coeur.

Montmatre seems to be the place to get a good view of Paris but I must say, we were both a bit underwhelmed by it. To be honest, Montmatre isn't particularly pleasant either.

It's all a bit dull - cool blue and grey. A far superior city view would be in Florence from Piazzale Michelangelo.

Oh look, there's Notre Dame!

Okay, where did that huge tower come from?

We had hoped to catch a taxi back down into civilisation but alas none were to be found and we ended up walking all the way to Gare du Nord station.

By this time it's almost 2 and we're tired, thirsty, hot and hungry so we elect to take a taxi to Gare de Lyon and see if we could get a table at Le Train Bleu.

Happily for us, we got a table straight away and enjoyed a much needed touch of luxury.

Well sated, it's a quick taxi trip back to the apartment.

Dejeuner - Le Train Bleu

2011-09-12T17:48:00.128+10:00

Le Train Bleu is located inside the Gare de Lyon station and has been in operation since 1901.

When you know what lays behind the door, the appearance of the entrance to Le Train Bleu seems a bit out of place.

The photos really don't do justice to the absolute splendour of the venue - visit their website to see some decent pictures.

It does get hard to concentrate on the menu when all you want to do is just look at your surrounds.

We always had this on our list of places to visit but hadn't actually made any type of booking - so finding ourselves in the area we decided to try our luck and see if we could get a table - obviously we were successful!

As we were studying the menu, the amuse arrived

That does look like a devil on horseback - retro but tasty and an excellent onion tart - fantastically short pastry.

For starters:

Saucisson pistaché à la Lyonnaise en brioche, sauce périgueux - Lyonnaise Sausage with pistachios wrapped in Brioche, served on Périgueux sauce

I was expecting this dish to be half this size - the Périgueux sauce was perfect, rich and luscious and heavily studded with truffles. The brioche was light and wonderful for soaking up that sauce. The sausage too was really excellent - well spiced and not fatty, with the lovely crunch of fresh pistachio.

Boudin Blanc de Rethel

This particular Boudin has PGI status and can only contain pork, eggs and milk and cannot have any breadcrumbs.

The boudin is sliced and served in a puff pastry case along with a crayfish and mushroom bisque-like sauce.

Mains:

Tartare de bœuf de race Charolaise préparé selon votre goût, traditionnel ou juste poêlé,
pommes frites et salade mesclun - Charolais beef steak tartare served with a leaf salad and fried potatoes

I couldn't not order the Tartare. It comes out unassembled and the waiter then deftly mixes it and moulds it on your plate using only a couple of spoons. I'm amazed at the speed, it wouldn't even take a minute.

The charolais meat was wonderful, beautiful flavour, excellent texture and the spicing is spot on.

Joue de beouf

Braised beef cheek, served with cabbage sauteed with lardons and red wine reduction.

Perfectly tender beef, excellent sauce, lovely cabbage - classic flavours.

Dessert

After so much wonderful food we decide to share a dessert:

Baba au Rhum Traditional

You've got to love a restaurant that leaves the bottle of rum on the table so you give the baba an extra soaking of rum.

The baba was light and well soaked in syrup - the extra splash of rum, fantastic.

The details:

Le Train Bleu
Gare de Lyon, 1er Etage
20 Boulevard Diderot
75012 Paris, France

Open Every Day:
Lunch - 1130 to 1500
Dinner - 1900 to 2300

Phone:
01 43 43 09 06

Reservations online

WEB

Basilique du Sacre-Coeur

2011-09-12T11:59:00.087+10:00

You must visit Sacre-Coeur was the advice given by my mother and her advice on what to see in the past has been spot on. There are probably easier ways to get here than our route but I've got no real desire to use the Metro especially when the weather is warm and muggy.

If you take one of the hop-on-off tour buses it will drop you off a good block from the base of the complex - from there you'll have to walk up one of the streets lined with touts and scammers playing 3 card monty.

Once you reach the base you have the choice - a long steep walk along a path that zig zags up the hill or take the venicular. Oh, if you take the venicular a word of advice - don't mistake the queue for the toilet for the queue to buy tickets for the ride.

For some reason on the day we're here only one of the veniculars are working - so the trip takes a little longer than it should. Keep an eye out on the counter - it lets you know how many spaces are available in the car and theoretically once it reaches zero no one else can enter and the car will leave. I say theoretically because it doesn't stop experienced gypsies from bumming a lift up.

Once you reach the top it's really a few short paces before you see Sacre-Coeur.

It's another flight of stairs until you reach the basilica proper and from either levels you'll get panoramic views of Paris.

Statue of King Saint Louis IX

Statue of Saint Joan of Arc

If you decide to go inside the Basilica don't be like the a'holes that were here today. No photos are allowed inside and there are countless signs telling you this, they even have people stationed at the door especially telling people with cameras - no photos. I really just don't understand why it's so hard to follow this rule. Seriously, if you have such little respect, then do us all a favour and f&ck off.

If you do go inside, put the camera away and use your eyes - take the time and just enjoy the surrounds.

WEB: Basilique du Sacré Coeur de Montmartre
35 Rue du Chevalier de la Barre
75018 Paris, France

Open: 6am - 10.30pm