After a great start to our Mannheim course on the 14th of September, Day II was where we really started to get to know our class mates. Our class is made up of 58 people from over 20 countries. The diversity is striking and will make for fantastic social and learning opportunities. Like my time at St Mark's the first week is a very intense "people" experience. Perhaps that is more of a reflection on me but meeting so many people is always a big task. My favourite part of today, slightly more enjoyable than taking part, was watching everything today! People watching is a passion!! From all the backgrounds, from all the difference work experiences, from all the different ages and egos and ambitions, it was fascinating to watch us join in groups and attempt to solve difference, somewhat trivial problems. Our first attempt in Team Orange (no coincidence to Fat Club at all!) was pretty ordinary. We had far too many chiefs and even then the chiefs were fighting for group supremecy not just fighting over the problem. It wasn't long before we were able to break some of this personal styles down allowing for later problems to be solved much more efficiently. Even then our last task of the day was to create a group celebration move. With 56 (two have already left to Warwick Uni) people trying to work this out, forgetting how we had spoken about group team dynamics, our leader for the day Will Smail must have been thinking he had really failed. We had been discussing the importance of creating a chair or speaker for each group, defining the tasks, defining group rules and then working out a plan to implement it. Although we used that successfully in earlier tasks, the last task of the day was ironically the biggest failure! Nevermind. It was a great day and I think we learnt a huge amount allbeit having to do this via clique team building things.
This evening we received a great company presentation from AT Kearney. They are a multi discipline global management consulting firm. They were clearly prepared for the bombardment of the general consensus critiscism of management consulting firms. The usual critiscism of 'work-life balance', 'advice is no good without implementation', 'burnout rate' of consultants and financial crisis issues were all covered. I think they would have been expecting it but in any case they answered things very well. My limited experience working in a management consulting firm but more speaking with former McKinsey-ites, BCG and Bain consultants all ring true with what was discussed tonight. It's still on my target list for many of the positives so we'll see. The active recruitment process was very impressive and meeting the five consultants was most enjoyable.
MBA Day 1
MBA Day 1
Although I arrived very apprehensively, the fact that many of us had met on Facebook already meant much 'ice' had been broken. However the day had finally arrived when we were to start our MBA adventure. As I have talked about the Castle the first striking thing about the school. It is huge and very well equipped. The Professor of the Mannheim Business School, with his marketing background, went on to talk about the school and the history. Being such a new school (only around 10 years old) it did give me and i'm sure the others a feeling that we are part of something a little more special. Many of the aspects that made me choose this school were reiterated which helped me feel comfortable that the decision I had made was a good one. Nonetheless, there were still many aspects of the coming course that left me feeling that we are embarking on a daunting adventure! The day was finished with a lovely dinner at the Novus, a local restaurant. Taking into account all the differences, we are at the end of the day still in it together and still all aiming to have a great time. This was reflected in the dinner and drinks and reassured me that in life - everyone is a good person! I got home late and hit the hay. It's going to be a big year!
Although I arrived very apprehensively, the fact that many of us had met on Facebook already meant much 'ice' had been broken. However the day had finally arrived when we were to start our MBA adventure. As I have talked about the Castle the first striking thing about the school. It is huge and very well equipped. The Professor of the Mannheim Business School, with his marketing background, went on to talk about the school and the history. Being such a new school (only around 10 years old) it did give me and i'm sure the others a feeling that we are part of something a little more special. Many of the aspects that made me choose this school were reiterated which helped me feel comfortable that the decision I had made was a good one. Nonetheless, there were still many aspects of the coming course that left me feeling that we are embarking on a daunting adventure! The day was finished with a lovely dinner at the Novus, a local restaurant. Taking into account all the differences, we are at the end of the day still in it together and still all aiming to have a great time. This was reflected in the dinner and drinks and reassured me that in life - everyone is a good person! I got home late and hit the hay. It's going to be a big year!
Liege, Belgium
I'm a little behind but want to note how great a time I had in Liege. Belgium is a lovely country but the trip was made all the better by gorgeous hospitality of Emma's host family, the Ledant's. Veronique, Guy, Sarah and Martin are some of the most lovely people you will ever meet. Luckily for me, Sarah and Martin spoke very good English and I always appreciated Guy making a huge effort to practice his english also. Without them, (plus Emma's passion for the place) I don't think I would have stayed as long.
Photos are at: http://picasaweb.google.com/ajoest/Belgium#
Liege was one of the first places in the world to develop a coal market way back when. Thus Liege is still an industrial area. In fact Belgium relies heavily on being a European manufacturing hub. While Belgium doesn't strike you as the nicest place to live, it seems to me that Belgians would enjoy a reasonably high standard of living. My perspective may be tainted due to my hosts!
Sarah and Martin gave us some great tours of the city. Finding little knooks and crannies was fun. There is some great architecture among the old buildings. Some of the architecture was designed by the Sarah and Martin's older brother Bruno (there is also Sophie, the second eldest sister). Emma got very excited visiting her old stomping grounds from when she studied in Liege some 10 years ago. On the Monday Emma and I toured together to Antwerp and Oostende. Antwerp is meant to be a global hub for diamond trade, but try as we did, we couldn't find much glamour in Antwerp. Oostende was definitely not what I expected. It was the Gold Coast on the north sea. We were both very tired by then but found a great little surf club in front of Napoleans fortress and enjoyed some beers in the sun before heading home. Martin and Sarah took us to Spa, where their grand parents had a weekend home. The hills behind Liege are really beautiful and well worth a visit. Many of the spring water companies name their filtered tap water the natural springs that are in the area. After another a great picnic of fresh bread, cheese and rillette and some belgian beers, I had a magnificent sleep in the grass under an old oak tree! Magnificent.
On the Wednesday I decided to take Martin's grandfathers 20 year old Peugeot road bike for a little ride! My aim was to see Nick Mitchell's race in a small town between Brussels and Antwerp. The bike rolled along nicely and I got to see the Belgian countryside uninterrupted! After nearly 6 hours of riding I caught the last two laps of Nick's race. The Belgians certainly don't muck around when it comes to local bike racing! All the big Belgian teams were there and it was a grand spectacle. Unfortunately I missed him as he had to rush off. I rode back to Mechelen and caught the train home. I had a little crash on the way to Mechelen so had to get the peddles replaced! Luckily it happened just near a bike shop and the guy loved my accent so much that he refused to charge labour! I enjoyed a lovely meal with Emma and some of her old friends at a little restaurant in the back streets up my return. Le Tour a Tour I think it was called. Needless to say I was stuffed. Riding an old machine with no knicks, no cleats, in a foreign country and on a hot day was bordering on being a little silly! Martin's grandfather was very excited to hear that his bike was still a willing and able adventurer!
Emma and I had been planning to leave on the Thursday and make a road trip down to Mannheim. As it turned out we decided to stay. This meant more time to eat and drink and hang out with the Ledant family. The Belgian is great but pretty repetitive. Fries / Pommes / Chips are will every meal. The waffles are to die for though. They have little sugar balls inside that melt upon heating! Boullet (big meatballs) is also a special dish in Liege. It has a very rich sauce and is served funnily enough with fries! We spent many hours at the restaurant with the long table as well as finding another bakery that served a really rustic and village style breakfast. Not only did we eat food but also made it a priority to drink as many different Belgian beers. There is something pretty cool about going to a pub and never needing to drink the same drink twice. The Pot au Lait was a favourite drinking hole. It was Emma's favourite spot 10 years ago too! Apparently the bar staff hadn't changed at all! Unfortunately Sarah's bag got stolen one night which put a dampener on things...watch your bags!
On the Thursday evening Emma were out exploring the city and found a little pasta place called Gusto. You can really tell when the chef actually wants to be there as the food is just amazing. I ordered a simple looking pasta dish which turned out to be one of the most amazing i've ever eaten. Being a fan of pasta that's a big call. The dish was a fresh pasta doused in truffle oil, cracked pepper and sauteed cherry tomatoes. A bit of parmesan on top with some paprika garnish topped off a magnificent dish. After i'd ordered it I noticed many other people at the restaurant eating. It was clearly a local favourite and I know why!
On Saturday we attended Martin's graduation ceremony at the University of Liege. For what is meant to be a pretty big occaison in ones academic life, this event was pretty disorganised! The dean eveh put up cartoons in his powerpoint to keep everyone interested! Martin also found out his grade that day in the ceremony and did very well. Needless to say he was a happy man and it was fun to experience the day with him.
We celebrated my birthday eating out on the Saturday night before my actualy birthday on the Sunday. We ate Indian. It was a great night hanging with Em and enjoying the back streets of Liege on Saturday night. There is a lot of activity in the old cities when you know where to look. I wish I had such good tour guides in all the cities I have travelled to. On the Sunday morning I cooked for everyone as a thank you! They all wanted pikelets for a Sunday breakfast so I obliged. It was very nice to share it with new friends and Em. They especially like being introduced to squeezed lemon and sugar topping on their pikelets! I normally prefer crepes but that's too normal in Belgium!
It was sad to leave Liege on Sunday afternoon but it was time to head to Mannheim and get this MBA underway! Thanks again to the Ledant's and Em for inviting me!
Photos are at: http://picasaweb.google.com/ajoest/Belgium#
Liege was one of the first places in the world to develop a coal market way back when. Thus Liege is still an industrial area. In fact Belgium relies heavily on being a European manufacturing hub. While Belgium doesn't strike you as the nicest place to live, it seems to me that Belgians would enjoy a reasonably high standard of living. My perspective may be tainted due to my hosts!
Sarah and Martin gave us some great tours of the city. Finding little knooks and crannies was fun. There is some great architecture among the old buildings. Some of the architecture was designed by the Sarah and Martin's older brother Bruno (there is also Sophie, the second eldest sister). Emma got very excited visiting her old stomping grounds from when she studied in Liege some 10 years ago. On the Monday Emma and I toured together to Antwerp and Oostende. Antwerp is meant to be a global hub for diamond trade, but try as we did, we couldn't find much glamour in Antwerp. Oostende was definitely not what I expected. It was the Gold Coast on the north sea. We were both very tired by then but found a great little surf club in front of Napoleans fortress and enjoyed some beers in the sun before heading home. Martin and Sarah took us to Spa, where their grand parents had a weekend home. The hills behind Liege are really beautiful and well worth a visit. Many of the spring water companies name their filtered tap water the natural springs that are in the area. After another a great picnic of fresh bread, cheese and rillette and some belgian beers, I had a magnificent sleep in the grass under an old oak tree! Magnificent.
On the Wednesday I decided to take Martin's grandfathers 20 year old Peugeot road bike for a little ride! My aim was to see Nick Mitchell's race in a small town between Brussels and Antwerp. The bike rolled along nicely and I got to see the Belgian countryside uninterrupted! After nearly 6 hours of riding I caught the last two laps of Nick's race. The Belgians certainly don't muck around when it comes to local bike racing! All the big Belgian teams were there and it was a grand spectacle. Unfortunately I missed him as he had to rush off. I rode back to Mechelen and caught the train home. I had a little crash on the way to Mechelen so had to get the peddles replaced! Luckily it happened just near a bike shop and the guy loved my accent so much that he refused to charge labour! I enjoyed a lovely meal with Emma and some of her old friends at a little restaurant in the back streets up my return. Le Tour a Tour I think it was called. Needless to say I was stuffed. Riding an old machine with no knicks, no cleats, in a foreign country and on a hot day was bordering on being a little silly! Martin's grandfather was very excited to hear that his bike was still a willing and able adventurer!
Emma and I had been planning to leave on the Thursday and make a road trip down to Mannheim. As it turned out we decided to stay. This meant more time to eat and drink and hang out with the Ledant family. The Belgian is great but pretty repetitive. Fries / Pommes / Chips are will every meal. The waffles are to die for though. They have little sugar balls inside that melt upon heating! Boullet (big meatballs) is also a special dish in Liege. It has a very rich sauce and is served funnily enough with fries! We spent many hours at the restaurant with the long table as well as finding another bakery that served a really rustic and village style breakfast. Not only did we eat food but also made it a priority to drink as many different Belgian beers. There is something pretty cool about going to a pub and never needing to drink the same drink twice. The Pot au Lait was a favourite drinking hole. It was Emma's favourite spot 10 years ago too! Apparently the bar staff hadn't changed at all! Unfortunately Sarah's bag got stolen one night which put a dampener on things...watch your bags!
On the Thursday evening Emma were out exploring the city and found a little pasta place called Gusto. You can really tell when the chef actually wants to be there as the food is just amazing. I ordered a simple looking pasta dish which turned out to be one of the most amazing i've ever eaten. Being a fan of pasta that's a big call. The dish was a fresh pasta doused in truffle oil, cracked pepper and sauteed cherry tomatoes. A bit of parmesan on top with some paprika garnish topped off a magnificent dish. After i'd ordered it I noticed many other people at the restaurant eating. It was clearly a local favourite and I know why!
On Saturday we attended Martin's graduation ceremony at the University of Liege. For what is meant to be a pretty big occaison in ones academic life, this event was pretty disorganised! The dean eveh put up cartoons in his powerpoint to keep everyone interested! Martin also found out his grade that day in the ceremony and did very well. Needless to say he was a happy man and it was fun to experience the day with him.
We celebrated my birthday eating out on the Saturday night before my actualy birthday on the Sunday. We ate Indian. It was a great night hanging with Em and enjoying the back streets of Liege on Saturday night. There is a lot of activity in the old cities when you know where to look. I wish I had such good tour guides in all the cities I have travelled to. On the Sunday morning I cooked for everyone as a thank you! They all wanted pikelets for a Sunday breakfast so I obliged. It was very nice to share it with new friends and Em. They especially like being introduced to squeezed lemon and sugar topping on their pikelets! I normally prefer crepes but that's too normal in Belgium!
It was sad to leave Liege on Sunday afternoon but it was time to head to Mannheim and get this MBA underway! Thanks again to the Ledant's and Em for inviting me!
Photos of past month
I'm a little behind still on my travel notes but i've put up plenty of photos tonight. Find them at:
http://picasaweb.google.com.au/home
Will write up more tomorrow.
http://picasaweb.google.com.au/home
Will write up more tomorrow.
Paris...
After a couple of days in Mannheim between Torino and Paris, I left on a gloomy rainy morning on the ICE. Emma wasn't expecting me at the airport but I got out to CDG and met her there. She was clearly a little jet-lagged and dazed as she forgot to pick up her bags on the way out of the terminal! We headed into the city via the train. It was a little surreal to be sitting face-to-face finally after nearly three months and plenty of emails and skype time. Once at the hotel (after a having to wait hence some beers around the corner) we completed a picnic I had prepared by complementing it with a ice cold bottle of Bollinger and a few baguette sticks. We found a nice spot along the Seine which overlooked the Notre Dame. Pretty amazing even through the weather was typically European - grey skys and cold. The picnic included italian delights = Lardo, Olives, Cheeses and meats. Washed down with Bollinger, I was a pretty happy man!
Upon the advice of Hay and Ali, we headed towards the Eiffel tower and to the Musee de l’Architecture where we found the Cafe they suggested. It had an amazing view of the tower and for some strange reason wasn't flooded with tourists or hecklers. The Cafe Gourmand was lovely! We stayed well into the evening enjoying the view, laughing at the sheep-tourists and drinking coffee! The tower was lit up with a dark sky background by the time we left.
Friday morning was the start of our first and only full day in Paris. We really could spend months there. It was a wandering style day! We covered the Notre Dame island, Louvre, Gardens, Champs Elysees and made it up to the Sacre Coeur. There were many stops for interesting food and dodging the rain! Emma had booked dinner at the Chez Julien. We had covered some serious ground before dinner so needed a little nap!! Dinner was as good as I could ever hope a dinner to be. The food was delicious but not over done, the service was fun and appropriate, the restaurant was cosy and 'french' making the night forever memorable. Adding to this drinks aferwards, it was a late long day.
On Saturday morning I plucked up the energy to head out for a run. The rationale was that it would be my last time to see Paris for a little while and Hay and Hannam told me how good their run was when they did it earlier this year! It ran pretty much the same loop as we walked on the Friday but went a little further along the Champs Elysees and saw a little more of the city. The run meant i'd covered a few more little streets and sights that I may never see again. The run ended up going a little longer than planned! Oops, but after a quick shower and being told off the by the hotel cleaner for staying too long, Em and I were off for breaky and hunting down the Markets. We achieve all these things before hopping on the Thalys to Brussels and then onto Liege. It was sad to leave Paris but I couldn't have asked for a better way to see it that with Em and our itinerary. Superb...
Upon the advice of Hay and Ali, we headed towards the Eiffel tower and to the Musee de l’Architecture where we found the Cafe they suggested. It had an amazing view of the tower and for some strange reason wasn't flooded with tourists or hecklers. The Cafe Gourmand was lovely! We stayed well into the evening enjoying the view, laughing at the sheep-tourists and drinking coffee! The tower was lit up with a dark sky background by the time we left.
Friday morning was the start of our first and only full day in Paris. We really could spend months there. It was a wandering style day! We covered the Notre Dame island, Louvre, Gardens, Champs Elysees and made it up to the Sacre Coeur. There were many stops for interesting food and dodging the rain! Emma had booked dinner at the Chez Julien. We had covered some serious ground before dinner so needed a little nap!! Dinner was as good as I could ever hope a dinner to be. The food was delicious but not over done, the service was fun and appropriate, the restaurant was cosy and 'french' making the night forever memorable. Adding to this drinks aferwards, it was a late long day.
On Saturday morning I plucked up the energy to head out for a run. The rationale was that it would be my last time to see Paris for a little while and Hay and Hannam told me how good their run was when they did it earlier this year! It ran pretty much the same loop as we walked on the Friday but went a little further along the Champs Elysees and saw a little more of the city. The run meant i'd covered a few more little streets and sights that I may never see again. The run ended up going a little longer than planned! Oops, but after a quick shower and being told off the by the hotel cleaner for staying too long, Em and I were off for breaky and hunting down the Markets. We achieve all these things before hopping on the Thalys to Brussels and then onto Liege. It was sad to leave Paris but I couldn't have asked for a better way to see it that with Em and our itinerary. Superb...
Languages
So as I head into another country, I find myself not being able to communicate fully again but what was so interesting about this train journey was not so much that I was worrying that I won't be able to speak french but that the passengers next to me on the train were speaking another language altogether. They were signing the whole way from Mannheim to Paris. Pretty cool to watch their hands dance around with all three understanding each other perfectly. So while I thought it was hard to communicate but it goes to show i've still got it easier than others still. I was super impressed with them.
Gloomy Train Ride
As I hopped on the train in Mannheim, the sun had not yet risen. I was Paris bound and very excited about this part of the adventure. The only thing that worried me was that it had started drizzling as we crossed the Rhine France-ward. For the first hour it was raining heavily outside. While most others slept on the ICE I was reading the Financial Times (in German!) and the New York Times. I was reading to take my eyes away from the dreary conditions outside. As we crossed into Saarbrucken the rain cleared. This is where all those on the train were treated to a spectacular light display as the rays of sunshine broke through the clouds and decorated the countryside with golden highlighting. The first and only thing I have seen of France to date is the the Cot d' Azur and parts of the provence. Here further north the land is greener and more agricultural. The sun highlighted the beauty of organised agriculture magnificantly. Moreover whenever a small village or farm house came into site the lovely french countryside really came to life contrasted against the grey background. It was very inspiring morning and subsequently wants me to spend more time here when possible.
Torino - Martino Express - Time to leave
I had a couple of gorgeous short rides into the the mountains behind the Gran Madre to Pacetto but other than the weekend was consumed preparing for the return of Travis and Emily and helping with Fausto's surprise party. Luckily the apartment on Via Monferrato wasn't in too much of a mess so I did some shopping to get the fridge stocked again. I wanted to buy more italian wine but realised having to drag my bags back Germany was going to be hard enough as it was!
The surprise party was called the 'The Martino Express' (after Fausto Martino www.faustomartino.com). I did some food deliveries to Lisa with items that had been stored in our fridge. Once Travis and Emily had arrived home it was our job to distract Fausto to give Catherine space to organise the party. She had to bake a pavlova afterall! Fausto is a stubborn person who, when pushed, becomes more stubborn. This didn't help Travis and my task. We had suggested we head out for some 'boys time' and go to Eataly (a gourmet food expo / foodhall www.eataly.it) where they were hosting a beer tasting. Little did we know that Fausto doesn't go out of his way for beer and "loves to hate" Eataly. With all of us pushing, including Catherine, he soon worked out he wasn't allowed at home for the afternoon and had to do as he was told. Travis and I were enjoying a few regional italian beers (some were ok, but we found more often than not the boutique beers were just too much - you could probably only have one or two in a sitting) while poor Fausto simply had to sit it out! He was very coy about the whole thing knowing full well something was up but he wasn't sure what just yet. We dropped him home around 6pm. We were to pick him up at 7:50 for 'dinner'. While Travis, Emily and I had dressed for the occaison, in protest Fausto dressed as casually as possible in a springboks rugby jersey and shorts. Stubborn! He still wasn't sure what was going on but once we said we were going to Piazza Carlina (?) I think the cogs started to tick as he knew that's where the party-tram always starts. As we turned the corner into the piazza he mentioned the tram and as we walked towards it he finally saw Catherine hop out and had worked out what going on. He was surprised and after being so stubborn about his birthday and not being allowed home for the afternoon he got into the swing of things. The tram was great fun. It was always hilarious to see everyone jolt around each time the tram started off again. We did two laps of Turin drinking sangria, champagne and eating aperitivo's. It was at dessert time when things started getting a little silly. Roberto and Lisa were making Mojitos well into the evening. Roberto's trick of covering a balloon in cream and bursting it meant everyone left covered in cream but at least with big smiles! I was very sad to leave Torino.
Thanks to everyone who made it such a great time. Your generosity was amazing and most enjoyable.
The surprise party was called the 'The Martino Express' (after Fausto Martino www.faustomartino.com). I did some food deliveries to Lisa with items that had been stored in our fridge. Once Travis and Emily had arrived home it was our job to distract Fausto to give Catherine space to organise the party. She had to bake a pavlova afterall! Fausto is a stubborn person who, when pushed, becomes more stubborn. This didn't help Travis and my task. We had suggested we head out for some 'boys time' and go to Eataly (a gourmet food expo / foodhall www.eataly.it) where they were hosting a beer tasting. Little did we know that Fausto doesn't go out of his way for beer and "loves to hate" Eataly. With all of us pushing, including Catherine, he soon worked out he wasn't allowed at home for the afternoon and had to do as he was told. Travis and I were enjoying a few regional italian beers (some were ok, but we found more often than not the boutique beers were just too much - you could probably only have one or two in a sitting) while poor Fausto simply had to sit it out! He was very coy about the whole thing knowing full well something was up but he wasn't sure what just yet. We dropped him home around 6pm. We were to pick him up at 7:50 for 'dinner'. While Travis, Emily and I had dressed for the occaison, in protest Fausto dressed as casually as possible in a springboks rugby jersey and shorts. Stubborn! He still wasn't sure what was going on but once we said we were going to Piazza Carlina (?) I think the cogs started to tick as he knew that's where the party-tram always starts. As we turned the corner into the piazza he mentioned the tram and as we walked towards it he finally saw Catherine hop out and had worked out what going on. He was surprised and after being so stubborn about his birthday and not being allowed home for the afternoon he got into the swing of things. The tram was great fun. It was always hilarious to see everyone jolt around each time the tram started off again. We did two laps of Turin drinking sangria, champagne and eating aperitivo's. It was at dessert time when things started getting a little silly. Roberto and Lisa were making Mojitos well into the evening. Roberto's trick of covering a balloon in cream and bursting it meant everyone left covered in cream but at least with big smiles! I was very sad to leave Torino.
Thanks to everyone who made it such a great time. Your generosity was amazing and most enjoyable.
Sorry
I'll get up to date on things in the coming week. I've been distracted by Paris, Belgium and Emma.
Uni starts on Monday...Very excited.
Uni starts on Monday...Very excited.
Parco Nazionale del Gran Paradiso
I was invited around to lunch on Thursday by Fausto. It was his birthday not that this meant any fanfare only a bowl of fresh pasta mixed with some walnut pesto (yum). They were meant to be heading off to the mountains the night before but didn't quite get there. Both Fausto and Catherine are tired, although both won't admit it!
It was suggested that I might like to see some more of the mountains and because they were leaving later that afternoon, maybe i'd like to join them.
Instead of going with them in the car, I headed off pretty quickly and rode up towards the Parco Nazionale. After 2600m of serious serious climbing I made it. The stars were closer because I was so high, the air thin and the fact that this is a big lie means I can't write much more about it....in fact I put my bike in the car and we took off up into the mountains. I had no idea what to expect really.
http://tinyurl.com/mrqtfk is the route. Photos are here: http://picasaweb.google.com.au/ajoest/TheMountains#
It was relatively late in the afternoon so if I did want to ride back, which was plan A, I only had a hour to look around before needing to head off. After seeing the Refugio (the alpine hut) and the surrounds I thought it crazy not to stay and see a little more notwithstanding the novelty of waking up in the mountains and do some hiking. So I decided to stay the night. It's not cheap but a nights stay includes dinner and breakfast. They work on a strict time regime in the Refugio Chivasso. It got a bit out of control but i'll write about that later. Dinner was at 7:15 so I had an hour to wander off and check out some of the area. I took lots of great little photos of the flowers. Unfortunately I tried taking large landscape panoramas but with a little camera none really represent the expanse of the place at all. I came across another Refugio and also a shephard watching over his cattle. I was inspired by the place that I built a little stone statue in the middle of the valley alongside a creek as my gift to the mountains gods. Before long it was time to head back for dinner. It was also getting cold and considering I only brought a light jumper I was worried that might have been a little foolish.
Dinner was a three course extravaganza. Buonissimo!!! A hearty minestrone soup to start, a plate of polenta, potatoes and chicken and for dessert - wow....a buonet (?) a mousse made with chocolate, coffee, amaretto...seriously amazing!
After playing cards for a little, Fausto asked whether we could have a ......(i'll track down the word for it later)...coffee liquer type thing. This caused a bit of a stir because the Refugio manager didn't want to break tradition and serve this drink out of season. Fausto reasoned with him saying that I was all the way from Australia and that it would be a nice gesture. We got the drink with a lot of grumbling. The ......came in a friendship mug. A large wooden bowl with four drinking points. Needless to say, it was worth the haggling as it was a great end to the evening. Lights out at 10pm.
I woke up this morning to a knocking on the door. We had overslept out 7:30am curfew. Our breakfast had been put on the table already deliberately so it would be cold by the time we got out of bed. I slept pretty badly for some reason but Catherine didn't sleep at all so she was not impressed with their 'tradizione'...I was just going with the flow and didn't mind other than the bread was stale and the coffee was worse than International Roast.
Catherine and Fausto were aiming for the Refugio Rossetti (I think) so I joined them for the first section up to Lago Rossett. I was a gorgeous still blue-sky day and so walking into the mountains was an absolute joy. We saw many marmots, birds and insects. The flowers at that alitude (over 2600m) are very vibrant and fun to photograph. The lakes are crystal clear and each has a different hue. Lago Rossett is of an emerald hue while the others darker again. I turned around at Lago Rossett and headed back to the Refugio. Fausto and Catherine headed onwards and upwards. They had to tackle a mountain pass around 3200m high before heading back down into another valley.
I got back to the Refugio and was greeted by the hut manager. He was trying to be nice but in the end gave me a massive lecture on how I had to respect the tradizione of the mountains and that it was not a place to be commercialised. All I had done was lock my bike up. This inferred to him that I didn't trust the mountain people; it wasn't like the city he pointed out. Unfortunately I really couldn't communicate with him, as I would have really like to point out that he moved my bag earlier that morning because he didn't want it to get stolen! This guy was a real grump. He had commercialised his hut as it was the most expensive of all of them and they served lunches for extra cash. It really put me off. I admit I didn't turn up in full hiking gear and wasn't there to hike specifically however it was annoying to leave feeling somewhat unwelcome.
With all of that behind me, I was back in my knicks and punching downhill, deep into the Ceresole Valley. The switch backs were pretty intense with plenty of traffic coming up hill on very narrow roads. Looking down at Lake Surra is equally as spectacular as looking back up to where I had come from. It was 600m of altitude between the coll and Lago Serru (although the road was switching back on itself for all those people who had already started trying to calculate the angle!). People were climbing it by bike but it would have been seriously hard going grinding away.
I was happy going the other way sitting in the 54:11 (gear ratio front: rear!) smashing out some fast speeds particularly through the 3.5km tunnel. It reminded me of the morning we rode through the Heysen tunnels last Christmas with Amber shouting with joy at the top of her lungs in the tunnel. I did the same! It was exhilarating!
The temperature difference was very noticable when I got back to the low-lands. It was cool up the top. I needed a light jumper even in the sun. At the bottom it was low thirties. Suffice to say, I sweated it for the remaining 70kms home once I had reached the valley floor.
Once home it was time for some refuelling. I hadn't eaten since the stale bread and grumpy hut-manager breakfast and was starving by the time I was back just after 4pm. I sit here writing this blog and posting photos very grateful for Fausto and Catherine to take me with them. It is accessible and yet few people venture up the windy roads.
I hope I will continue to get inspired to head up the windy roads and experience more of the open spaces and beautiful scenery in the very near future.
It was suggested that I might like to see some more of the mountains and because they were leaving later that afternoon, maybe i'd like to join them.
Instead of going with them in the car, I headed off pretty quickly and rode up towards the Parco Nazionale. After 2600m of serious serious climbing I made it. The stars were closer because I was so high, the air thin and the fact that this is a big lie means I can't write much more about it....in fact I put my bike in the car and we took off up into the mountains. I had no idea what to expect really.
http://tinyurl.com/mrqtfk is the route. Photos are here: http://picasaweb.google.com.au/ajoest/TheMountains#
It was relatively late in the afternoon so if I did want to ride back, which was plan A, I only had a hour to look around before needing to head off. After seeing the Refugio (the alpine hut) and the surrounds I thought it crazy not to stay and see a little more notwithstanding the novelty of waking up in the mountains and do some hiking. So I decided to stay the night. It's not cheap but a nights stay includes dinner and breakfast. They work on a strict time regime in the Refugio Chivasso. It got a bit out of control but i'll write about that later. Dinner was at 7:15 so I had an hour to wander off and check out some of the area. I took lots of great little photos of the flowers. Unfortunately I tried taking large landscape panoramas but with a little camera none really represent the expanse of the place at all. I came across another Refugio and also a shephard watching over his cattle. I was inspired by the place that I built a little stone statue in the middle of the valley alongside a creek as my gift to the mountains gods. Before long it was time to head back for dinner. It was also getting cold and considering I only brought a light jumper I was worried that might have been a little foolish.
Dinner was a three course extravaganza. Buonissimo!!! A hearty minestrone soup to start, a plate of polenta, potatoes and chicken and for dessert - wow....a buonet (?) a mousse made with chocolate, coffee, amaretto...seriously amazing!
After playing cards for a little, Fausto asked whether we could have a ......(i'll track down the word for it later)...coffee liquer type thing. This caused a bit of a stir because the Refugio manager didn't want to break tradition and serve this drink out of season. Fausto reasoned with him saying that I was all the way from Australia and that it would be a nice gesture. We got the drink with a lot of grumbling. The ......came in a friendship mug. A large wooden bowl with four drinking points. Needless to say, it was worth the haggling as it was a great end to the evening. Lights out at 10pm.
I woke up this morning to a knocking on the door. We had overslept out 7:30am curfew. Our breakfast had been put on the table already deliberately so it would be cold by the time we got out of bed. I slept pretty badly for some reason but Catherine didn't sleep at all so she was not impressed with their 'tradizione'...I was just going with the flow and didn't mind other than the bread was stale and the coffee was worse than International Roast.
Catherine and Fausto were aiming for the Refugio Rossetti (I think) so I joined them for the first section up to Lago Rossett. I was a gorgeous still blue-sky day and so walking into the mountains was an absolute joy. We saw many marmots, birds and insects. The flowers at that alitude (over 2600m) are very vibrant and fun to photograph. The lakes are crystal clear and each has a different hue. Lago Rossett is of an emerald hue while the others darker again. I turned around at Lago Rossett and headed back to the Refugio. Fausto and Catherine headed onwards and upwards. They had to tackle a mountain pass around 3200m high before heading back down into another valley.
I got back to the Refugio and was greeted by the hut manager. He was trying to be nice but in the end gave me a massive lecture on how I had to respect the tradizione of the mountains and that it was not a place to be commercialised. All I had done was lock my bike up. This inferred to him that I didn't trust the mountain people; it wasn't like the city he pointed out. Unfortunately I really couldn't communicate with him, as I would have really like to point out that he moved my bag earlier that morning because he didn't want it to get stolen! This guy was a real grump. He had commercialised his hut as it was the most expensive of all of them and they served lunches for extra cash. It really put me off. I admit I didn't turn up in full hiking gear and wasn't there to hike specifically however it was annoying to leave feeling somewhat unwelcome.
With all of that behind me, I was back in my knicks and punching downhill, deep into the Ceresole Valley. The switch backs were pretty intense with plenty of traffic coming up hill on very narrow roads. Looking down at Lake Surra is equally as spectacular as looking back up to where I had come from. It was 600m of altitude between the coll and Lago Serru (although the road was switching back on itself for all those people who had already started trying to calculate the angle!). People were climbing it by bike but it would have been seriously hard going grinding away.
I was happy going the other way sitting in the 54:11 (gear ratio front: rear!) smashing out some fast speeds particularly through the 3.5km tunnel. It reminded me of the morning we rode through the Heysen tunnels last Christmas with Amber shouting with joy at the top of her lungs in the tunnel. I did the same! It was exhilarating!
The temperature difference was very noticable when I got back to the low-lands. It was cool up the top. I needed a light jumper even in the sun. At the bottom it was low thirties. Suffice to say, I sweated it for the remaining 70kms home once I had reached the valley floor.
Once home it was time for some refuelling. I hadn't eaten since the stale bread and grumpy hut-manager breakfast and was starving by the time I was back just after 4pm. I sit here writing this blog and posting photos very grateful for Fausto and Catherine to take me with them. It is accessible and yet few people venture up the windy roads.
I hope I will continue to get inspired to head up the windy roads and experience more of the open spaces and beautiful scenery in the very near future.
The BBQ
I mentioned 'BBQ' in conversation at dinner on Sunday night and within an instant it was requested that I put on an authentic BBQ on Tuesday night. In fact they all knew that there was a BBQ where I am staying and more the question was: "Do you know how to use it" as though it was some sort of high tech machine.
Travis and Emily have imported a BBQ from Melbourne, that is they brought it with them. Although Europeans go silly over the idea of BBQ very few have a gas-BBQ. Many use disposable 'grillers' that are fired by coals. On the weekends you will see in Germany and Italy (i'm sure all over Eastern Europe) people sitting in the parks grilling sausages basically on a big tin foil BBQ with some coals glowing in the bottom. So they gas BBQ is a bit of a novelty notwithstanding they have a fantastic balcony / terrace from which to host said cooking events.
The pressure was really on. I mean Italians are famous for their food and considering the places i've eaten with those who were coming I felt under the pump to produce a suitable meal of a suitable quality all under the mandate of a Authentic Australian BBQ.
With the help from Catherine, I bought most of the ingredients at the markets save the meat. Italian butchers make fantastic sausages usually is a big roll. The concept of tasteless, fatty, homogenous, synthetic skinned Coles Beef BBQ sausages are a little foreign to butchers and supermarkets here. So I settled for good quality sausages, mince to make some patties and some chicken breasts to marinate. Similarly, white square bread of any decent quality doesn't exist here. It's either 'toast' tiny pale coloured rock hard almost super sized croutons or very flakey white bread loaves. The later I bought but only to find that wrapping a sausage in one slice would inevitably end in tears as the bread would tear. I mean the Italians make fantastic bread but nothing that resembles Tip Top Wonder White, suitable for a BBQ.
Dodging the finer issues of preparing for a BBQ, I had five guests turn up, James a Sydney-ite who has been living in Torino since the start of the year, Catherine, Fausto and Carla and Roberto (the later four, Em and Trav's friends that I somehow inherited as part of House-sitting duties).
After arrival and drinks were served, I offered around some breads. I offered around some ciabatta that I had bought earlier today as well as some ciabatta I had baked earlier that day. I asked who liked what and they all preferred the second one. No one believed me that I had baked it until I showed photos of the dough. Proud as punch!
Soon after showing off, I fired up the BBQ. Roberto was having a close look at how things were playing out. I offered him the tongs but he insisted I continue. Food from the BBQ was onions, sausages, patties and chicken marinated in an Indian herb and spice mix. From the kitchen we had sliced potatoes with salt and herbs from the provence roasted as well as a big salad (an italian one!).
Conversation varied from topics of Torino to the differences between the way Maoris are treated in NZ compared to the way Aboriginals are treated in Australia. So needless to say, there were many touchy subjects covered and much explaining to poor Carla whose english wasn't at the level required to manage the finer points of the conversation.
Because we had so much bread left over, I whipped up a bread and butter pudding. With a coffee to finish it all off everyone was happy. The moral of that situation is that although it's hard to go past Italian food, when it's new, it's a novelty and hence it can compete!
Travis and Emily have imported a BBQ from Melbourne, that is they brought it with them. Although Europeans go silly over the idea of BBQ very few have a gas-BBQ. Many use disposable 'grillers' that are fired by coals. On the weekends you will see in Germany and Italy (i'm sure all over Eastern Europe) people sitting in the parks grilling sausages basically on a big tin foil BBQ with some coals glowing in the bottom. So they gas BBQ is a bit of a novelty notwithstanding they have a fantastic balcony / terrace from which to host said cooking events.
The pressure was really on. I mean Italians are famous for their food and considering the places i've eaten with those who were coming I felt under the pump to produce a suitable meal of a suitable quality all under the mandate of a Authentic Australian BBQ.
With the help from Catherine, I bought most of the ingredients at the markets save the meat. Italian butchers make fantastic sausages usually is a big roll. The concept of tasteless, fatty, homogenous, synthetic skinned Coles Beef BBQ sausages are a little foreign to butchers and supermarkets here. So I settled for good quality sausages, mince to make some patties and some chicken breasts to marinate. Similarly, white square bread of any decent quality doesn't exist here. It's either 'toast' tiny pale coloured rock hard almost super sized croutons or very flakey white bread loaves. The later I bought but only to find that wrapping a sausage in one slice would inevitably end in tears as the bread would tear. I mean the Italians make fantastic bread but nothing that resembles Tip Top Wonder White, suitable for a BBQ.
Dodging the finer issues of preparing for a BBQ, I had five guests turn up, James a Sydney-ite who has been living in Torino since the start of the year, Catherine, Fausto and Carla and Roberto (the later four, Em and Trav's friends that I somehow inherited as part of House-sitting duties).
After arrival and drinks were served, I offered around some breads. I offered around some ciabatta that I had bought earlier today as well as some ciabatta I had baked earlier that day. I asked who liked what and they all preferred the second one. No one believed me that I had baked it until I showed photos of the dough. Proud as punch!
Soon after showing off, I fired up the BBQ. Roberto was having a close look at how things were playing out. I offered him the tongs but he insisted I continue. Food from the BBQ was onions, sausages, patties and chicken marinated in an Indian herb and spice mix. From the kitchen we had sliced potatoes with salt and herbs from the provence roasted as well as a big salad (an italian one!).
Conversation varied from topics of Torino to the differences between the way Maoris are treated in NZ compared to the way Aboriginals are treated in Australia. So needless to say, there were many touchy subjects covered and much explaining to poor Carla whose english wasn't at the level required to manage the finer points of the conversation.
Because we had so much bread left over, I whipped up a bread and butter pudding. With a coffee to finish it all off everyone was happy. The moral of that situation is that although it's hard to go past Italian food, when it's new, it's a novelty and hence it can compete!
The Aperitivo
One thing the Italians do particularly well is the concept of the Aperitivo. Unlike Australia's eating and drinking culture where you always make a big night of it, here in Italy the Aperitivo is a relatively small, low key approach to meeting up with friends, having a small nibble of a variety of buffet presented foods and a drink or two. Most bars offer the aperitivo such that after buying a drink, the food comes 'free'. The drink usually includes an extra amount to cover the food. Sometimes a lot!
Food includes salads (pasta, rice, cous cous based), meats, small pizzas, roasted vege, fruits (sliced apple with cinnamon was my favourite), small rolls, you know all the stuff you might find at a stand up cocktail party. Some cafes or bars have good aperitivo's others not so. It's a great idea and is probably a bit better than sucking down 400 pints, not eating and having a massive night mid-week after work to catch up with your mates.
Food includes salads (pasta, rice, cous cous based), meats, small pizzas, roasted vege, fruits (sliced apple with cinnamon was my favourite), small rolls, you know all the stuff you might find at a stand up cocktail party. Some cafes or bars have good aperitivo's others not so. It's a great idea and is probably a bit better than sucking down 400 pints, not eating and having a massive night mid-week after work to catch up with your mates.
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