After a very acceptable breakfast at our hotel we retrieved our bikes from the underground parking area. Today we are going to Asti although it was not a planned stop over. With the mixed weather forecasts of late we thought that shortening our stage lengths for the next few days was prudent. The ride to Asti would be around 50 kms.
The weather was overcast and cool. We had only gone a few blocks before Scott added another layer and his gloves. Our route out of town took us back down to the Tanaro river and along the hillside on very quiet country roads. We followed along the river for the entire ride to Asti but only occasionally did we ever actually see it. The routing began along Via Casalbagliano and later became SP245 and then various other SP roads before reaching Asti. The roads were all good and a nice change from the highway riding yesterday. Maybe we are just getting picky, but it was more like what we are accustomed to when touring.
The area had some vineyards but many hazelnut trees as well. We wondered if hazelnuts were now taking over as a selected crop over grapes. But as it turns out, Italy is the second largest hazelnut producer in the world and is mainly concentrated in Piemonte region.
We passed through only a few towns today, but this small market was on the edge of Masio. Here we picked up some buns and treats for our lunch.
More hazelnut trees. Just so you know, ¨Nutella is described as a chocolate and hazelnut spread, although it is mostly made of sugar and palm oil.¨ like 13% hazelnuts. But it all started near here in Alba. And more wikistuff, ¨The traditional Piemonte recipe, gianduja, was a mixture containing approximately 71.5% hazelnut paste and 19.5% chocolate. It was developed in Piemonte, Italy, due to a lack of cocoa beans after post-war rationing reduced availability of the raw material¨
Jacquie GaudetI've never understood the popularity of Nutella. Hazelnuts and chocolate, absolutely, but I'm a label reader and the ingredient list put me off immediately. Reply to this comment 2 years ago
Water gauge near the Tanaro river. The colours on the stick go from yellow, orange, red to black depending on the river height and indicating level of threat. The river looks low right now. The town is also protected with a large wall but there is an obvious concerned about potential flooding.
Keith AdamsI'm surprised that the part of the pole representing the greatest threat is painted in the least-visible color. Reply to this comment 2 years ago
Hazelnut grove. I could not understand why the ground under the trees was so flat, smooth and clean. The nuts are harvested after they fall by being blown into piles with strong leaf blowers and then picked up by hand!
We may not have chosen the best way to enter Asti, a town of 75k people. You must go over a busy highway, the Tanaro river and a large set of railway tracks before entering the town core. These obstacles limit access and therefore the main artery into Asti is likely always full of cars.
We also found it tricky to navigate the multitude of street choices to our hotel and decided the best approach was to ride the wrong way on a long one way street that promised to lead us directly to our hotel. We were relieved when we finally arrived! Our host was waiting and provided us with excellent directions on where to locate some nice restaurants.
Heading out for the evening, even with our clear instructions that sounded so simple, we still got lost. But that was great because we were able to see a good part of Asti's core. There are many beautiful buildings, squares and streets. When we finally found the Osteria Del Diavolo it was not too far from where we started! Without reservations, we were seated at a table outside on an unexpectedly warm evening. It was a great place to enjoy our evening meal.
A different look today. Scott bought today`s refreshments at the Spar across the street from our hotel. Our bench was really just a sunny spot in the parking area, and we were able to plan the next day.
After dinner we wandered back to the hotel and called it a day. Tomorrow we will have a short ride to Neive, noted as one of the most beautiful small villages in Italy.
