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Back to Al Cambio
Dear In Italy,
You’ll certainly hear from me again. It just gets worse and worse every year—leaving Italy, that is.
The lodging in Piemonte, Al Cambio, was magnificent—outside and inside, modern in conveniences, traditional in décor. Couldn’t help thinking it’d be just as perfect in summer—even for us northerners who abhor heat. From there we visited Turin and Genoa, both worth far more time than we had to spend. But even in our short time in Genoa, we found the Jesuit church of St. Ambrose (I believe) just as its pastor was locking it up. Unimpressive when compared to the city’s duomo, it still contained, he explained, four Rubenses; and they were far from the best art the church had to offer. Then, walking back to the car, we stumbled on the house Columbus was said to have lived in. The day was so full of wonderful surprises that I almost failed to white-knuckle the dashboard driving back to Castelletto Molina.
Dario G.
Kristin,
Thank you so much for including Al Cambio on your list of Piedmontese hotels. We list our stay there as our favorite two days out of two weeks which included Paris, Nice, Lago Maggiore, and Verona. The staff was extremely welcoming and helpful, and the room (and view!) were perfect for us. They were very helpful in recommending a restaurant in the area, and I would list Ristorante La Schiavia (the restaurant in Acqui Terme they recommended) as a true gem. The proprietor definitely took pride in what he had to offer, and it was served in elegant (yet not intimidating) style, with a great Piedmontese wine list to match! For a great local cheese offfering at this restaurant, the Gorgonzola Croce was excellent. The pool at Al Cambio was a nice feature after a day of driving through the Maritime Alps and the circuitous wine country roads, and once again the staff made us feel as if we had just arrived somewhere we were very much at home. Since your website was so informative, we didn't run into anything we didn't expect. The maps we bought from the site were especially useful.
Thanks again,
Cary B. and Luanne M.
Hi Julie,
Thank you very much for the follow-up! Yes, we did have a fascinating, relaxing and exciting trip. In fact, my husband and I now have a new goal in life: we're trying to figure out how to do THAT all the time, without this silly work thing in between. I'll let you know how it goes :-)
Al Cambio was lovely. Upon arrival, we were taken to our room (the bathrooms are great, by the way), and promptly presented with a bottle of Asti Spumante sparkling wine and a few munchies. It was perfect after a long flight.
There is a new restaurant in a nearby town, Castel Rocchero, called Antica Osteria. Quite good. Very little English spoken, but it was way more fun that way. Truly authentic.
Places to visit near Al Cambio absolutely must include the castle at Grinzane Cavour. Do the tour and the tasting in the enoteca. As well, a must-see place is Barolo. The castle there is fabulous. There was also a wonderful restaurant in Barolo called Ristorante La Cantinetta. It wasn't cheap, but we had probably some of the best food in Italy at our lunch there. We were so full, we skipped dinner.
Piedmont was definitely our favourite region of Italy. When we go back, we must spend a lot more time there!
Thank you very much for all of your help in planning our trip. It went very smoothly and the properties we stayed in were lovely. I've already recommended your services to friends and will definitely use you again for our next trip to Italy. Grazie and arrivaderci!
Patricia and Jeff L.
I just wanted to send a quick note to thank you for your service. Our stay at Al Cambio was great. Beautiful rooms, new, clean and very nicely finished. The nearby town of Aqui Termi is very nice and we loved our day trip to Barolo and Barbaresco.
I hope to stay at one of your inns again soon
Dan and Ashley H.
Dear Cynthia,
We had intended to get in touch with you on our return from our wonderful holiday in Piedmont, but life has been pretty hectic here since our return. After a very successful fund raising concert in Greenwich last weekend we now have a bit more free time on our hands to attend to all the outstanding e-mails, letters etc.
Firstly I must say that we both agree that the "In Italy Online' site is the very best internet holiday site we have encountered. All your information was up to date, accurate, informative and easy to follow.
Al Cambio was a delight. For most of the week we were there we seemed to be the only guests in the hotel part, although I think there was a honeymoon couple in the one of the apartments. Having been married for twenty seven years we are long past the honeymoon stage, but this felt like a second honeymoon. The staff were very pleasant and efficient and in particular the lady who served us our breakfast each morning was very charming. Each day she and I would attempt a small conversation and she was very helpful in enlarging my limited Italian vocabulary. The rooms were extremely comfortable, well appointed and we certainly enjoyed the pool.
The surroundings are simply so beautiful. Al Cambio is set in a bowl of green, with the grape vines like rows of green knitting on the surrounding hills. We were woken each morning to the sound of swallows and church bells and during the day the gentle thumping sound of the little tractors as the vineyard owners puttered along the rows of vines. I would swear that they know each vine individually. The whole place looks as well groomed as a suburban back garden. The small train you mentioned was very unobtrusive and it would take a very light sleeper indeed to be disturbed by it.
The weather was perfect, between 23 and 25 degrees centigrade every day with sunshine, a mild breeze and no rain. There were beautiful flowers everywhere - the acacias in bloom on the hills and roses and irises in every garden. We enjoyed visiting some of the 'cantinas sociales' and tasting the famous Barbera and Barolo wines. There was more English spoken than we expected, although everyone was very happy to let us try our tentative Italian.
I would suggest to your readers that they simply must try the local speciality - a fresh goat cheese called 'Robiola Formagetta'. We were given a whole one for breakfast each morning and it is superb with honey and fresh fruit. We even visited the little village Roccaverano where it is made, although all the goats must have been indoors the day we were there and we didn't see them.
There is a small local street market in Acqui Terme on Friday mornings - well worth a visit although it did mean that parking wasn't quite as easy as it had been every other day. Acqui Terme is such a pleasant little city - very convenient for walking around and we ate there nearly every night. Each little restaurant was very pleasant, but the one that stands out and I would highly recommend is called Osteria Curia and specialises in serving traditional food. I do hope they manage to hang onto their chef as he is a real artist. We tried several courses and each was better than the last. Tripe and stockfish are local specialities. Don't be put off by the thought of offal - the way it is served here is superb. Our waiter took us in hand and arranged tastes of various local cheeses for us in a clockwise fashion on the plate and gave us a short lecture on each one and in what order we should eat them. The whole dining experience was a delight and made a fitting finale for our last night at Al Cambio.
My only comment would be to try and take the original documents if at all possible, when you are driving. We were stopped by the Carabinieri. They were having a safety campaign that week and checking licences. We had our local licences and also an International licence, but they wanted the original documents from the car hire company as well. Naturally the car companies do not give you the originals and after a few tense and anxious minutes they relented and sent us on our way. If this happens to any other visitors I would say to them "Keep your cool. Remain calm and polite and the Carabinieri will treat you accordingly. You are after all visitors in their country, so do not try and bluster". We had two very nice young men doing a boring job and they were very helpful. We certainly hope to be able to use your services again on our next trip to Italy.
Keep up the good work.
With kind regards,
Suzanne & Rod S.
Dear In Italy,
Hello! Thanks for the welcome home e-mail. We had a great time in Italy and really loved our stay at Al Cambio. Our room was beautiful, large and had a sizeable bathroom with massage shower. We'd be remiss if we didn't mention Aldo. I know you state in your material that the owners of Al Cambio don't speak much English, which is true. That is why Aldo was such a treasure. I don't know how long he's been with them, but he speaks very good English and gave us attention you would only find at some of the best hotels in the U.S.! He was at the door to greet us whenever we returned back to the hotel and he was always sincerely interested in how our day of touring went. He offered us dinner suggestions, maps, touring information and much more! Needless to say, if anyone is interested in visiting Piedmont, especially the countryside and wineries, Al Cambio is a great place to stay!
We also found a restaurant that was not in your material that your other clients may like to try. Similar to Gener Neuv, I Caffi is a bit expensive, but outstanding. The restaurant is in Caffi which is just past Cassinasco (not far from Al Cambio). They have a website which is www.icaffi.it. You can order a la carte or try the various tasting menus which were excellent!
I hope all of this helps your other clients and we will certainly consider using your services again the next time we visit Italy.
Kevin & Lu Ellen S.
Dear In Italy,
Al Cambio was great. Nancy and I would highly recommend it to all who are looking for a little peace and quiet in Italy. We ended up our stay in lago D'orta. It was wonderful. I have visited all the italian lakes now and it is by far the most ecclectic yet off the beaten path. We stayed at Villa Crespi. Thanks again for your help
Jay C.
Dear In Italy,
Our stay at Al Cambio was lovely. The hotel is beautiful and the staff helpful and accommodating. It is in a wonderful countryside village and other than the trains, which are a bit louder than barely audible, extremely peaceful. Well worth the money.
Richard B.
Dear Julie,
We had a wonderful stay at Al Cambio! The staff was super friendly (especially Aldo) and great with the kids. Our most memorable experience was our visit to Ezio's "casa" (owner of Al Cambio) and wine tasting in his "cantina". The kids enjoyed our dinners in Acqui Terme and the gelato-chocolato!
Thanks for all your help, we hope to visit again next year.
Ciao,
Ed P.
Dear In Italy,
Our stay at Al Cambio was superb! The rooms and baths were immaculately clean. The pool was beautiful....though the temperature was cool. The people at the office were able to understand enough English to help answer our questions. They even suggested the restaurant La Curia in Acqui Terme and made a dinner reservation for us. Our meal was extraordinary! Al Cambio is conveniently located in the wine country that many tourists have not discovered yet.
Nancy and Chuck A.
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