A couple decades ago, when I was just out of college, I moved to Italy to work as an au pair. Unlike most travelers, I did not end up in a city like Florence or Rome but rather a small town in the region of Piedmont where no one spoke English. I knew nothing about wine at the time but everyday day I would meet my new Italian friends at the local bar for aperitivi and they would do the ordering. And, each day a glass would be placed in front of me filled with a red wine that was slightly sweet and slightly sparkling and very delicious.  It was Brachetto d’Acqui. A recent trip took me back to Piedmont, to the heart of where Brachetto is from, Acqui Terme. This ancient Roman town, an 1 ½ hour southeast from Milan, became my home base for three days.   We settled in at the Grand Hotel Nuove Terme which overlooks the town square and began the tour of eating and drinking and eating and drinking some more.        
21 March, 2014
While Acqui Terme is in the heart of Piemont, Italy, surrounded by some of the most famous vineyards, Acqui Terme is also known for its hot sulpher springs.  After all, the name "Acqui Terme" means "Thermal Waters."  The hot sulpher springs, which bubble up at 167°F, date back to the Roman town Aquae Statiellae.  You can head into the center of town where the little pavilion known as La Bollente ("the boiling source"), designed by Giovanni Ceruti  in 1870, is a central attraction to locals and visitors alike.     The natural thermal waters rise up from underground in two places in Acqui Terme - The Bollente, which feeds the spa at the Grand Hotel, and on the other side of the Bormida River at the Lago delle Sorgenti (Lake of Hot Springs).
14 March, 2014
While visiting Spain, I found myself with two extra days between my visit to Ribera del Duero in the north and Sevilla in the south.  There were so many places that I wanted to go as I hadn't been to Spain in many many years. Looking at the map, Granada seemed like the perfect place to go for a couple days and it was the best decision I made. From the moment I got into a taxi at the train station, I began to fall in love with Granada.  It was 10pm at night and the city was alive. People were walking along the streets and the lights were lit up (afterall, it was early December so the holiday season was in full swing).
07 March, 2014
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