Ingredients for a weekend in Oltrepo' di Pavese

View from Agriturismo Mondo Antico, Oltrepo Pavese.

We combined these ingredients for a relaxing autumn weekend in the wine growing region of the Oltrepo' Pavese.

Image from HERE

One large scoop of local knowledge.
"Explore the hills and countryside below Pavia for some great local wines," said the lady from the Vigevano tourist office.  That was the plan.

Add a Fiat 500
Although we like to catch trains, sometimes hiring a car is necessary.  Our car of choice is the Italian favourite, the Cinque-Cento.  This one was an automatic, a rare thing in Italy.  Stefano was surprised to discover that it wasn't bad at all, even on the hills.

Add a portion of famous churches or monasteries.
We added both.
Certosa is a tiny town with a big reputation located just outside Pavia.  It is famous for one thing, an incredibly ornate Gothic/Renaissance style church which has a monastery attached.  The Cistercian order of monks still live in the monastery and conduct tours of their 'home'.  Every half an hour one of the monks gathers the crowd of visitors waiting patiently at the gates inside the church.  There are rare tours in English, but we chose to practice our Italian listening comprehension skills. Always up for a challenge to add a little spice to the recipe.

Once again we learned about the famous Visconti family who were the original owners of the Certosa complex.  The interior and exterior of the church are equally ornate and fascinating, but even more interesting was the tour of the lovely gardens and the monks' cells built around a huge courtyard for contemplation and prayer.  While we didn't catch all the monk's jokes, we understood that life must have been relatively comfortable as each 'cell' was comprised of a couple of rooms with its own courtyard, where the monks grew food, in addition to working the common land and spending much of their time in solitary prayer.

Lastly add the essential ingredient - A great agriturismo.

Agriturismi are definitely our preferred form of accommodation in Italy.

 In our experience, these uniquely Italian 'farm stays' offer lovely rooms, great fresh food usually grown on the farm, delicious wine, again usually produced on site, and charming hosts.  

Guilianna and Lucrezia our hosts at Mondo Antico

We stayed for just one night at Agriturismo Mondo Antico about 30 minutes drive from the lovely university town of Pavia.  Like many agriturismos, Mondo Antico has its own restaurant, perfect for dining in after a day of driving and sightseeing.  

Guilianna was our friendly hostess and her daughter, Lucrezia assisted her mother in the dining room.  The highlight of dinner was Guilianna's risotto. Simply made with just cream, butter, rice and parmesan but it was cooked to perfection.  Delicious. 

Stefano filled the boot of our little car with a box, or two, of the family's wine after Lucrezia took us on a tour of their vineyard. Wine making is her father's passion. 

Finish with the secret ingredient. 

We woke to a cool misty morning. The area is famous for fog and mist during winter and autumn. To us it added the flourishing touch of atmosphere to our autumn weekend. However, Lucrezia reminded us that the mist isn't quite as exotic when it settles in for weeks at a time, especially not when she is commuting to university in Pavia.

Grazie mille Guilianna e Lucrezia per la tua generosita. Speriamo tornare nella primavera per un altre fine settimana. 

Prossima volta a Grossio e Bormio con mia sorella. Ci vediamo. 

Certosa can easily be reached by train.  CLICK HERE for more details.
For more information about Mondo Antico Agriturismo CLICK HERE and for reviews of this lovely agriturismo CLICK HERE.

Third time lucky

Last Sunday after three attempts, Stefano finally made it to Pavia for lunch.

In November last year one of Stefano's colleagues recommended a day trip to Pavia, a university town known not only for its beautiful architecture, but also for its fabulous regional cuisine. Back then, when he was super busy at work, I did a quick search on Trip Advisor for a restaurant in Pavia specialising in local food and wine.  Caffe Percivate, a restaurant specialising in beer, but with an emphasis on regional produce was given a top 3 ranking. So Stefano made an email booking and looked forward to lunching on delicious cuisine from the Lombardy region, washed down with some amber ale rather than his usual vino rosso.

But Stefano's first attempt to visit Pavia was thwarted as deadlines at work intruded into his weekend.  I was disappointed for him of course, but happy that I could join him for a rescheduled Sunday lunch in Pavia when I arrived in December.

So on a very cold Sunday we set out for Pavia. At the train station we were unconcerned as we read 'treni cancellati' against most departure destinations, but not Pavia.  We waited expectantly on the platform enviously admiring others wearing thicker, warmer coats but consoling ourselves that soon we would be dining in Pavia's third best restaurant. After several freezing hours stomping our boots and rubbing our gloved hands together, we were dismayed to see that the words, 'treni cancellati' had moved like a cancer down the departure board till they reached Pavia. Stefano's lunch plans had been thwarted again but this time by striking Trenitalia workers. 

What a difference six months makes.

After a short train journey, less than an hour from Milan central, we finally strolled around Pavia to work up an appetite. First across the famous Ponte Coperto, a covered bridge which is often compared to the beautiful Ponte Vecchio in Florence, but the Pavia version is much less crowded. Then on through the quiet pedestrian streets where the only vehicles allowed are buses and bicycles. Past the impressive Basilica San Michele Maggiore, through the gardens of Castello Visconteo and around the buildings of the university which are dotted through the town.

Till there was only one thing left to do in Pavia...

We were not disappointed!
At Café Percivate Stefano was warmly greeted, almost like a long lost friend after his multiple emails booking and rebooking Sunday lunch. The food was delicious, particularly a local pancake made from chickpea flour then sprinkled with parmesan cheese and lightly grilled.
Stefano sampled several beers but thought he'd leave one in the fridge to try with company on our next visit.  Yes, we have already planned to return to Pavia during the university term. So, if you're visiting Milan in September or October be warned. You will be asked to join Stephano as he samples the next beer lined up on his tasting list...

ciao. vediamo la prossima settimana.