Piedmont Property Blog

Ryanair have announced weekly flights to Cuneo  during the 2008/9 ski season. Flights are available from the Stansted and Birmingham from 20th December, and prices start around the £27.00 mark.

Cuneo is the capital of the Piedmont region of Italy and  is close to Turin. This is great news for those who enjoy the Piedmont ski resorts and also for those who have a holiday home in this beautiful part of Italy.

Most of our properties are based in the increasingly popular Langhe wine region  (the home to Barolo wine) and while the drive to Turin airport is by no means difficult, Cuneo is far easier and does not involve any motorway. The journey takes about an hour from Alba.

All in all great news for those who have a property here, or just enjoy the wonderful skiing facilities in the Cuneo area.

I’m often asked about the best way of learning the language  especially by people who are moving here full time and starting a new life in the wonderful Piemonte region, and although my Mother is Italian, which of course gave me a huge advantage, I’d like to share some tips with you which I have picked up over years living here.

I think its important to understand that the people here appreciate any effort to speak their native  language  therefore creating a positive environment in which to learn.

Here in The Langhe region you can sign up for free Italian lessons which take place in Alba, Cortemilia, Bossolasco,Dogliani and most large towns. You take a small test for want of a better word, which allows the school to evaluate your level and place you in the appropriate group. The courses take place between October and June and consist of two three hour lessons twice a week. You can get all the relevant information from the local tourist office. (more…)

Cuneo was the host to stage 16 of the Tour which involved a 157 km ride to Jausiers in France and included a grueling 2802m climb to the top of the Col de la Bonnette.

Although the stage was won by Cyril Dessel, the day will be remembered for John-Lee Augustyn misjudging a bend at Bonette and sliding down the side of a mountain. A road side fan came to his rescue but I have no idea what happened to his bike, pretty scary stuff. Its a brutal sport cycling.

I have to admit to being a little disappointed at Mark Cavendish pulling out earlier in the week, but he did win four stages and I think Britain has a true cycling star in the making.

If you’ve never been to a stage of the Tour before its something well worth doing even if you’re not keen on cycling. Events kick off about two hours before the race with a massive carnival/procession which includes hundreds of cars in bright colors and strange styles, people dressed up in all sorts of costumes, in fact great entertainment for the children. I’ve included a selection of pictures just to give you an idea. The atmosphere in the town was electric.

When the procession finished many of the riders signed autographs for the fans which I thought was a nice gesture with many posing for photographs. Respect to them all. (more…)

We meet many interesting people from all over the world in our line of work and one of the most frequent questions asked is “Which is your favorite part of Piemonte”? This is almost impossible to answer as Piemonte really has so much to offer, be it vineyards, mountains, beautiful towns and villages etc. That said I have to admit to being truly in love with The Langhe region of Piemonte.

The Langhe or Langa as the Italians call it, is found in the wine growing area of Piemonte and is located south of its capital Alba. The area has a strong agricultural background  which is clearly evident as you drive about. You’ll see the local people working the land, be it hazelnuts, vineyards, fruit and vegetables, in fact they thrive on being as self sufficient as possible. You’ll also realize after a while that people here seem to live longer and this I put down to their hard working life style and healthy diet, including wine of course! (more…)

The nature of our work means that Lesley and I spend most our time in the wonderful villages of The Langhe where we are privileged to meet the charming Piemontese people form the local area.

One village we truly adore is Prunetto which is situated in the Alta Langa (Upper Langhe) 720 metres above sea level. Here one can witness the true Piemontese life style at its best. Most of the small shops in the area are family run and you can be sure of a warm welcome no matter what part of the world you are from.

These shops are a great source of information about who does what and where to get what in the area. The villagers of course speak little English but will make every effort to communicate with you. Its worth learning a few words of the local Piemontese dialect… greatly appreciated.

Prunetto castle is definitely worth a visit as is the local church which is home to some stunning frescoes. Last but not least is the local trattoria (restaurant) called “Della Piazza”. The Signora here offers simple great home cooking made with local produce. Try a nice glass of Dolcetto with your meal.

Below is a picture of Prunetto church. This is a HDR image which I made with five different exposures and converted with HDR software. This can of course be done in Photoshop.