More about Piedmont golf courses

There has been a thread about golf courses in Piedmont on the slowtrav website.

Other two golf courses that can be easily reached from Villa Mimma are:

I Girasoli
Location: Carmagnola (90 km from Villa Mimma)
Address: Strada Pralormo, 315 - 10022 Carmagnola (TO)
Telephone: +39 011 9795088
e-mail: info@girasoligolf.it
Holes: 18, Par: 71

This golf corse is designed taking advantage of the natural features of the landscape and you can enjoy beautiful views over the Alps.

La Margherita
Location: Carmagnola (90 km from Villa Mimma)
Address: Strada Pralormo, 29 - 10022 Carmagnola (To) (km da Villa Mimma)
Telephone: 011 9795113 - 011 9795204
email: info@golfclublamargherita.it
Holes: 18

This golf course is also very near Turin and very close to I Girasoli.

Easter Monday: "Pasquetta"

I love Easter Monday in Italy. After a day (Easter) spent at home with the family, with a long meal of many courses, "Pasquetta" (Easter Monday) is a day for gatherings and doing things with friends.

When I used to live at the Cinque Terre, about 25 years ago :-(, my Dad used to run the church choir and we had a heavy schedule of performances from Holy Thursday to Easter Sunday. So when Easter Monday came, it was a lovely day of "freedom" that we spent going off somewhere with many friends and families for a pic-nick.

This meant that everybody cooked something to share, like cakes and quiches, and we either walked to a sunny spot on the cliffs or we drove to the inland and found a lovely grass area where we could spend the day organising games and having a good lough. A guitar was never left behind so singing all sorts of traditional and pop songs was also part of the fun! Grandparents and grandchildren were joining in - no exclusions.

I must admit, I haven't done this for ages, but it is a lovely way to spend Pasquetta and many people still do so, going off with friends and organising relaxing trips to the countryside.

Golf courses in Piedmont from Villa Mimma

There are many beautiful golf courses that you can reach from Villa Mimma in 30-60min drive. You could tea off looking at the Alps or at the seaside, admiring Lake Maggiore or the wineyards on the hills of the Monferrato region.

Here are a few suggestions:

Golf Club Margara
Location: Fubine (22km from Treville)
Address: Via Tenuta Margara 25, I-15043 Fubine (AL)
Telephone: +39 131 778 555
Holes: 18, Par: 72
Annual Closure: Mondays

Golf Club La Serra
Location Valenza (35km form Treville)
Address: Via Astigliano 42, I-15048 Valenza
Telephone: +39 131 954 778
Holes: 9
Annual Closure January

Bogogno Golf Club
Location Bogogno (60km from Treville)
Address: Via Sant’Isidoro 1 - 28010 Bogogno (NO)
Telephone +39 322 863 794
Email: circologolfbogogno@tiscali.it - info@circologolfbogogno.com
Holes 36, Par 72
Annual Closure No

“The first work” of the American designer Robert Von Hagge is set amid the splendid scenery of the hills behind Lake Maggiore and already fully merits its inclusion among the best courses in Italy and Europe.

Golf Club Villa Carolina
Location:Capriata d’Orba (63km from Treville)
Address: Via Ovada, 51 - Tenuta Coltella, I-15060 Capriata d'Orba (AL)
Telephone +39 143 467 355
Email: golfvillacarolina@tiscalinet.it
Holes 27

Description: “Hic dulcis canitur - Here one grows old gracefully”.
This is the first message one sees on entering the magical peacefulness of Villa Carolina. Bria Silva designed the course taking into account the wonderful hilly nature of the place.

Circolo Golf Torino
Location: Fiano Torinese (73km from Treville)
Address: Via Agnelli, 40, 10070 FIANO T.SE (TO)
Telephone: +39 11 923 5440
Email: info@circologolftorino.com
Holes 36, Par 72
Annual Closure Mondays

The Turin Golf Club was founded back in 1957 in the grounds of “La Mandria”, once the hunting estate of the House of Savoy and now a natural park. Within the club grounds there are two different 18-hole courses set in the ancient woods of the park and furrowed by natural streams that create many suggestive views.

Golf Club Colline del Gavi
Location Tassarolo (80km from Treville)
Address: Strada Provinciale, 2, I-15060 Tassarolo
Telephone: +39 143 342 264
Holes 18, Par 73
Annual Closure January

Golf dei Laghi
Location: Varese (80km from Villa Mimma)
Address: Via Trevisani 926 - 21028 Travedona Monate (Varese)
Telephone: +39-0332-978101 Fax: +39-0332-977532
e-mail: info@golfdeilaghi.it
Holes: 18
Annual closure: January

Eighteen holes set among a wood, pools of water, the backdrop of the Prealps and the majestic horizons dominated by Monte Rosa. Golf dei Laghi is definitely one of the most interesting courses among those recently in the limelight in Italian golfing.

Online Italian Recipes

Many of my friends ask me about food and "real" Italian recipes, so I have decided to publish a few online as time allows.
I normally jot down a few instructions on pieces of papers but in this way they are online for all :-)
So, if you are a keen cook and wish to see what my suggestions are, please visit my recipes, on my personal blog designed with the Web&Blog technology! Fantastic!

Boat trips to the Riviera and accommodation in Piedmont

It occurred to me that people may not realise that it is possible in a day to go to the Riviera from the Monferrato region and spend the day along the shore in a nice boat, enjoying the sunshine and the seaside, while keeping the base for the accommodation in Piedmont.

I am trying to put together some possible practical itineraries for you to consider. In the meantime, if you have any particular request about boat trips do not hesitate to get in touch with me (Claudia) at claudia@villamimma.com or drop a comment to this post.

Watch out this space!

Women's day - La festa della donna

The 8th of March is not far away and Italy recognises that it is the International Women's Day. Thanks to slowtrav.com community, I just discovered its historical origins and I have been humbled by the significance of this day, that I have certainly underestimated in the past.

Today, I doubt that generally people know where "La festa della donna" started from.

According to Wikipedia:

International Women's Day (IWD) is marked on March 8 every year. It is a major day of global celebration for the economic, political and social achievements of women.

If you continue reading, the website gives the historical origins of this commemoration:

The first IWD was observed on 28 February 1909 in the United States following a declaration by the Socialist Party of America.

The idea of having an international women's day was first put forward at the turn of the 20th century amid rapid world industrialization and economic expansion that led to protests over working conditions. By urban legend, women from clothing and textile factories staged one such protest on 8 March 1857 in New York City. The garment workers were protesting what they saw as very poor working conditions and low wages. The protesters were attacked and dispersed by police. These women established their first labor union in the same month two years later.

More protests followed on 8 March in subsequent years, most notably in 1908 when 15,000 women marched through New York City demanding shorter hours, better pay and voting rights. In 1910 the first international women's conference was held in Copenhagen and an 'International Women's Day' was established, which was submitted by the important German Socialist Clara Zetkin. The following year, IWD was marked by over a million people in Austria, Denmark, Germany and Switzerland. However, soon thereafter, the Triangle Shirtwaist Factory fire in New York City killed over 140 garment workers. A lack of safety measures was blamed for the high death toll. Furthermore, on the eve of World War I, women across Europe held peace rallies on 8 March 1913. In the West, International Women's Day was commemorated during the 1910s and 1920s, but dwindled. It was revived by the rise of feminism in the 1960s.

It is a tradition in Italy to give a yellow mimosa to women on the 8th of March. It is a beautiful scented flower, theat is in bloom early in Spring. Unfortunately this day si now becoming a celebration like Valentine's day, and the social and political reasons behind its historical origin are often forgotten.

Attedning a wedding: advice

I read various threads on slowtrav.com about attending a wedding in Italy and what it is "proper" and what is not. Things are evolving and differ between regions but here is my advice:

OUTFIT: Although it is becoming more popular to get married in the afternoon with evening reception, morning ceremonies are still very popular. I would never wear a black or white dress at a morning wedding, nor in the evening, unless specifically requested. You may ask and people may do it, but it is considered "tacky".

GIFT: Wedding lists ("Lista nozze" ) are quite popular and they are the easiest way to please the bride and groom without worrying about what you can get them. The amount of money that you spend is totally up to you. There is no fashion and there is no link to what the wedding reception costs at all. If you are travelling from abroad and attending an Italian wedding, a token from your Country may be the best idea. Consider that your Italian friends will know that you are committing quite a bit of money to attend the wedding in terms of travel arrangements, so they won't expect you to go OTT - unless you can afford it!

TOASTS: Italian wedding receptions do not evolve around a specific scheme, like in England where the speeches have a specific format and have to be of a certain length. There are no such a thing like speeches and people just sit and chat all the time. If there are lively groups of friends or cousins, people may end up cheering the bride and groom or asking for a "bacio" (kiss) towards the end of the meal, but nothing formal and always very spontaneous.