September 2, 2022
To Cherasco: A tough wet ride
When we woke up this morning it was raining, reasonably hard. But the weather forecasts were optimistic and indicated that it would be just clouds after 11 am. We were still uncertain as to what to do and decided to have a late breakfast and then make the decision. By 09:30 the rain had stopped in Neive and was only threatening heavy, low cloud cover. With the forecast of a potential drying trend in the morning we booked a room in Cheresco, almost 40kms west of Neive. We chose Cheresco for no particular reason but when talking to our host she described it as a very nice town and not so busy with the truffle mayhem it seems.
So, it was option number 3 after all - the furthest distance choice. We pushed the check out to 11:00, crossed our fingers and rolled down the hill out of Neive. The route was well considered to keep us off the straight highway roads as much as possible and more in the hills of this very beautiful area. Unfortunately, with the low cloud it was hard to fully appreciate. About five kilometres into the ride and gaining elevation in a heavy Scotch mist, Scott put on his gortex jacket. The next 30kms saw no improvement in the weather and at the highest point of our ride it was just raining. We were feeling wet inside from our sweat and wet outside from the soggy conditions. As we rolled down the hill into Cheresco, we cursed that what had been an excellent route, potentially one of nicest so far, was completely lost in the damp clouds.
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Cherasco is up a steep hill with multiple switchbacks to a flat plateau. A very challenging finish to a disappointing ride. We stayed at B&B Ai Tre Cavalli and our host welcomed the two dripping, messy souls who rang her doorbell. She was a wonderful lady and laid towels on the floor where we could take everything off. Scott strung a handy twine rope across the room where we hung all our gear. Feeling deflated at perhaps making the wrong destination decision today we dove into the containers of cookies that our host had provided, swearing we were not leaving the room until it stopped raining.
Well, it did not stop raining. On our wet ride Scott noticed the key chain and room keys from the Hotel Castelbourg in Neive were still in his pocket. The small bit of luck we had today provided us with a ¨Mailbox Etc¨ just around the corner, but it was to close up at 6:30 and would not be open tomorrow, being a Saturday. We needed dinner anyway. Our host loaned us an umbrella and off we went, feeling dry and warm as we walked the puddle filled streets. Organizing the return of the keys was easy and at a cost of 11 euros Scott felt much better. We also received a great restaurant tip from the young man and a girl at the shipping store. The food at Ghlotti, just inside the gates of the town was very good. We found the restaurant, but it would not open for about 45 minutes at 7 pm.
We wandered further into town, choosing covered walkways when possible. When Scott noticed a butcher shop, he recalled reading about a sausage that is a specialty of Cherasco that is eaten raw. It was made with veal, spices and wine. We wandered into the Macelleria Graziano butcher shop and a lady with limited but sufficient English knew what we were asking about. There was no one else in the shop and we tried the two varieties of sausage that were available. They were full of flavour and it was a very memorable experience for us.
We arrived back at the restaurant and were the first to be seated in the large room. The pizza was Napolese style and very good. We walked back to our B&B just as the misting conditions were stopping. Tomorrow was to be a sunny day and we set our sights on the town of Saluzzo. It is located on the east side of the Piemonte, backing up against the Alps.
Today's ride: 38 km (24 miles)
Total: 696 km (432 miles)
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