This week we travel to Piemonte, another northern region of Italy. It has only been since the 1970s that even the rest of Italy has discovered the beauties and the bounties of Piedmont. Now it is a mecca for gourmands from every corner of the universe. They come to sip its wines, nibble on its cheeses, savor its stupendous meat dishes (in a country where fresh meat is rarely a mainstay), and last but far from least, they come to pay whatever price they must to taste its truffles. In the autumn, every small town in the region has a truffle, wild mushroom and/or wine festival, and here you will see the happy travelers devouring free samples, mingling in the piazza with the sweet and friendly but often rather bewildered locals, who are flattered but still not quite accustomed to all the attention.
We don't want you to think all you can do in Piedmont is eat and drink! Far from it. Spend a few romantic days on Lake Maggiore or teensy Lake Orta. Visit a Sacro Monte, a very unique local invention that offers you the chance to stroll among a dozen or so miniature chapels in an idyllic setting. Tour an authentic medieval castle - the region has some of the country's most dramatic fortresses. And do try to schedule a couple of days in the capital, Turin. This stately 19th-century city is virtually free of tourists, except for the aficionados who come to see Europe's best Egyptian Museum, the Automotive Museum or the Savoys' Royal Palace.
It is also home to the Auto Manufacturer Fiat and the great Juventus soccer team, winner of multiple European and Italian championships.
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