May 30, 2023
Ferrara - Sermide
Just another day on the dike with sun and a lively wind, usually a head wind. But when traveling in the Po Valley it's obvious that the bicycle route will be following the river. We are away from traffic and of course it's flat as a pancake. We don't have a lot of kilometers today and welcome all opportunities to stop along the way so we don't arrive too early. Many pictures of similar scenes. Sermide is actually in the middle of nowhere, but when planning the route I didn't find much else before we got to Mantua.
Here are some scenes from the day.
| Heart | 3 | Comment | 0 | Link |
We arrive two hours before the official check-in, but when I ring the bell, the large gate swings open and we are greeted in Italian by an elderly woman. We are shown the garage for our bikes and have a spacious and cool room on the first floor of the old villa. I expect we will have to get back on our bikes to ride to the only pizzeria in town. What a nice surprise when our hosts ask if we would like them to cook for us. Yes! Everything is perfect, jut too bad the WLAN is so slow.
It has been an unsensational day of easy riding, and/but we are making progress. Soon we will reach Lake Garda and a change in scenery.
The day might not have been sensational, but the evening meal is. It turns out to be an unforgettable experience. Although I enjoy food pictures and descriptions in other people's journals, I seldom feature our dining experiences myself. Today will be an exception. We go to the main building and are greeted by two women, about our age, who will cook for us. They lead us into the dining room, a vaulted hall, where we are the only guests. We are already impressed. I am delighted when I read painted on the wall over our table "A tavola non s'invecchia". I know a smattering of Italian from a prolonged visit to Florence when I was 15 and this happens to be a saying I remember well. "You don't age at the dining table" which I interpret to mean time stands still when enjoying good food, wine and company, or perhaps it is even rejuvenating.
Our hostess/cook knows no English but she speaks slowly and clearly and I have no problem understanding most of what she tells us in Italian about the food and the history of the buildings. When I thank her for speaking so clearly she tells me she was a teacher for Italian.
We share a primo piatto of tortelli di zucca, pumpkin filled tortelli (like ravioli but a different shape), a specialty of the region which we had already tried in two different variations in Ferrara. This time they are with poppy seeds and smoked ricotta, the Montovan style we are told. The secondi are excellent as well. The dessert menu includes sbrisolona, a crmbly sweet almond cake that Janos is fond of and has even made himself. Our hostess is surprised that we know what it is, and asks if he would like grappa to go with it. We thought that meant a shot glass of grappa, but instead she pours it over the sbrisolona, which Janos is instructed to first crumble with his fingers.
| Heart | 3 | Comment | 1 | Link |
1 year ago
After our meal our hostess shows us around the buildings, built around 1600, which have always been in the hands of the Schiavi family and have seen many changes over the centuries. The present Schiavi invested a fortune restoring the ruinous buildings and creating the present albergo and restaurant. They can accommodate 500 people for wedding receptions and other events. While our hostess (I never got her name) explains all of this, she makes frequent pauses and urges me to translate for my husband.
It was an evening full of good vibes, good food and happy memories.
Today's ride: 42 km (26 miles)
Total: 959 km (596 miles)
| Rate this entry's writing | Heart | 11 |
| Comment on this entry | Comment | 4 |
David and Maun Alston
1 year ago
1 year ago
1 year ago