Last Wednesday, I was invited to go hiking with two women I met in the International Club. They are originally from the U.S. but both are married to Italian men so they are well acquainted with many of the hidden gems around here. They took me on a most incredible hike starting from the lakeside town of Torno. A stone path winds up the mountain, often at a very steep angle, passing through forest, cow pastures, vineyards and along a very steep ravine. At the top, there is a rustic "crotto"which is an old restaurant located over a natural cave that was used to store cheese and meats. I was so taken by the experience that I wanted to bring Dave back before the cold weather arrives and the Crotto Piazzaga closes for the season. I called to make a reservation since I had been told by my friends that it was quite popular on the weekends. I was intrigued that a place you can't drive to is so popular.
 |
| Remnants of the ancient town wall of Torno |
So this morning, we drove the 7 kilometers to Torno to begin our hike. The ferry from Como also stops here. To begin, you climb up steps through the steep, narrow pedestrian streets of the town. Then a stone path leads the rest of the way up the mountain, passing through both private and public land. At several points we had spectacular lake views, although today it was a bit "grigio" as one local put it. (gray with light fog) After hiking about 90 minutes, we got to the tiny town of Piazzaga which has approximately 15 cottages and buildings clustered together. We were the first customers to enter the small restaurant so Dave was laughing about the fact we had made reservations. But Veronica, who I had met earlier in the week showed us to an assigned spot at one of the two long tables. And within 15 minutes, the place was filled up with families and other hikers.
 |
| Crotto Pizzaga |
 |
| The ceramic stove heated the room |
 |
| Our hosts |
 |
| Judith and Martin from Hamberg |
A couple about our age came and sat next to us. They introduced themselves and although they were German, they were able to easily converse in English. They were very excited because they had just signed a lease for a small house in the area. They are planning on using it for a vacation home. We discovered we had many similar interests in hiking and exploring the area so we exchanged information so we can stay in touch. As we commented about the restaurant owners' skills and friendly attitude, our new acquaintances agreed because they had gotten to know them since they had already visited a few times. In fact, they said, they "knew we were coming" because Veronica had asked if she could seat them next to us so we would have someone to talk to. Needless to say, we were impressed by the kindness of both our hosts and our new friends.
We ate both a primi course of pasta and a secondi course of meat, all homemade and delicious!
The three young owners are also starting a catering service and cooking school to keep them busy in the off season. We are learning to be Italian so we enjoyed lingering most of the afternoon at the table before saying goodbye and walking back down, this time joining up with a narrow little stone road that leads from another village. It was a great day in every way.
 |
| Found a possible fixer-upper! |
 |
| The steep path down |
No comments:
Post a Comment