September 27

Our Piemonte staycation adventure has begun! Starting the Pleasures of Piemonte in Torino with a lovely group, a mix of familiar faces and a few new ones. This tour is my creation and I am so happy to be able to do what I love.

September 29

Our second day in Torino was spent exploring The Castello Reale, Porta Palazzo market which has a marvelous choice of food, a walk in the park, and the Cinema Museum with a great local guide, Matteo Gazzarata.

September 30

Actors and artisans, things we’ve randomly discovered. The costumes are made from papier mache. The people in costume (not paper) had just finished an event for the Holy Shroud. We simply said hello and asked if we could take their picture (thank you Vicki!). One of them opened up the space where Giordano Michele makes his creations from anything that’s been discarded…bit and scraps!

These experiences remind me that being curious, looking around and engaging with strangers is what being a traveler, as opposed to a tourist, is all about.

The Great Gallery designed by architect Filippo Juvarra at the Veneria Reale in Torino, does not disappoint. 15 meters in height at the center of the vault, 80 meters in length and 12 in width, it is a wonder to behold!

October 3

A perfect fall day for a walk in through the vineyards between Roddino and Sinio in the Langhe. #lisasdolceitalia #piemonteitaly #winecountry #countrywalks #italiantour

October 5

All the way to the top and a well earned lunch. It’s already day 8 of our Piemonte staycation tour and climbing the dome at the Sanctuary of Vicoforte gave us quite the appetite.

Lunch at Trattoria Croce D’oro with Franco and Silvana is always the best!

October 8

It’s hard to pick my favorites but here are some snapshots from the last 10 days of my tour, The Pleasures of Piemonte. Having spent years dreaming about sharing some of my favorite places in Piemonte as a tour, this is a dream come true, and I want to thank everyone who has traveled with me in both the first and second running of this trip. People are what makes any trip special, whether it’s a guide, a housekeeper, a hotelier, the bus driver…this list goes on.

The traveler, tour member, client…call them what you will, is like turning the key in a lock and watching the door open. What’s on the other side? You can make everything perfect but if someone is not open to new experiences, perfection doesn’t matter.

More often, not everything is perfect (that’s life), but wonderful people make the most of the experience and come away with stories to tell and new ideas to share. This is the beauty of travel!