D31 Asani to Gavi

After a wonderful piemont sleep listening to owls in the surrounding woodland I started the day with an excellent Two Chi session admiring the calm of the surrounding  mixed beech, ash, chestnut and oak woodland. Not having enough cash to settle the bill my host kindly ran me over to the next villagers we combined her bakery visit with my ATM refill. This have me a chance to Heather story which I was intrigued by. Shamelessly was devoted to running her Agriturismo reminding me at least twice thatshehadbeen cooking since age 5. It turned out her parents ran a farm in the valley and after 10 years of work in commercial office she followed her heart and put together her love of cooking houses and flowers to make her garden and open it to visitors. I complemented her that her commitment and integrity came through. I was then given quite a n insight into the importance of local.integrity to an Italian to the extent that she was clear that to do whY she did you have to come from the place. Interesting!
So for an authentic Piemont experience the Agriturismo Il Fiordaliso can't be too highly recommended. The descent to the river that morning accessed a cycle pathetic took me alongside a railway for 20km in the right direction. Then it was back to rolling wine country trying to stay ahead of the by now regular afternoon thunderstorm. As I journeyed South I was just staying ahead of the weatherline but a protracted lunch stop at a surreal disco lid o in the middle of nowhere had me dithering as to whether to sit out the oncoming storm or go for  it. In the end I pushed on and escaped getting caught - finally pushing South of the unsettled weather of the Alps.

 Contrast light ahead and behind....keep pushing South!

After a pleasant rolling day I arrived in Gavi  the final leg getting burnt off by a 15 year old on a racer whom I asked for directions. He said there were two ways and the one I was looking for was slower! So he told.me to tuck in behind him and commenced to murder me over the next 3 rolling hills climb s. On the fourth with a wave he disappeared satisfied that the foreigner had been out on the right road and comprehensively thrashed!
Gavi turned out to be a delightful town, Genoa's backdoor when it was the principal power in the Mediterranean so dominated by a huge fortress controlling the river gorge where it sits in a highly strategic position. Unfortunately I went out without my phone so I have no pictures of the important Lombard church dedicated At James of Compostella (this was an important stopping point for both pilgrim routes Camina and Francigena! Nor of aperitif hour on the wine bar where Antonio regaled me with stories of his shipping Genovese family who included a Glaswegian aunt who was a byproduct of a ship buying trip to the Clyde! Plus Latin night at Sam's bar where two Chilean sisters allowed me to join them on the dance floor - one English psychiatrists the other local Italian through marriage. Globalisation  whilst not new units mark 2 version is even more extended than previously.