Tag: holiday

boutique bed and breakfast

Beach and sea.

Verdmont Acqui Terme

We are not far form the sea here, and many ask the best places, there are so many and it really varies the level of business and bustle at each place. I am not a fan of super military Italian style beaches involving tickets queuing and hiring lounge chairs and umbrellas , mostly because I rarely sit still. But we did head for the coast and find a very cute spot for having a nice lunch and admiring the sea from steps away, There was even a little beach there were you could hire chairs if so inclined!

It is around 1 hour and 15 minutes and it worth it for the drive alone, you take the road south (all winding roads not highway) down through Sassello which is a very cute town to stop and stroll. You pass through lovely mountains and come down to the ocean front.T

he place was outside Varazze and a bit tucked away but in the age of google not that hard to find.

The menu was sea food but there were a few vegetarian options all of which were delicious I can say.

The beach was right under the rail
Delicious veg options
The walk down was very steep but worth the hike.

The place is called Cala Torchida and it was a very special nook, a breezy tasty lunch under those arches so it was shady and cool.

boutique bed and breakfast

Jazz

Verdmont Acqui Terme

As is tradition each summer Acqui picks a great location to host it’s FREE for anyone who wants to listen and drop by, Jazz Festival. This time if was in the Teatro Romano which is the roman remains of a theatre close to the main Bollente Piazza. The acoustics were great and the Jazz was cool.

Acqui is a small town but people generally turn up for concerts so the venue was packed and the atmosphere was lively. In general there are a number of bars in and around Acqui that have live music but tonight the Jazz was the main event. What could be better than Jazz wafting through the ancient streets on a sultry summer night?

Pre concert wine
Local artist gallery
Jazz at the Roman Theatre
Piazza Bollente on a hot summer night

There are a few more concerts on through the summer and other interesting events like the free guided tours of secret courtyards. You can book the secret tour at the tourism office and the dates available are 18/08 and 23/09 at 6pm.

boutique bed and breakfast

Yoga for well being

Verdmont Acqui Terme

Today we are happy to announce a new activity at Verdmont. We now offer Yoga lessons, with our Yogi Valentina. This adds to our suite of well being including massage therapy and biking .

The yoga class takes place in our huge open green space which is very relaxing or we have also an innovative water yoga (dependent on pool temperature). It is open to all from beginners to experienced Yogis, the lesson will be tailored to your abilities, needs and limitations.

Open air Yoga
Tibetan Bells
Relax with water Yoga

The sessions last an hour and are designed to go through deep stretching while connecting your mind & body: the session ends with a beautiful guided meditation accompanied by Tibetan bells. You will enter into a feeling of peace and tranquility. There is nothing better than taking the time for yourself during your vacation to really focus on inner mindfulness.

The bells used in water provide a pleasant vibration that helps you relax and immerse yourself in the water but also deep tranquillity. The grounds around Verdmont are quiet and peaceful so you can really let go and enjoy the sensation of peace. and nature.

So we look forward to seeing you on the Yoga mat!

boutique bed and breakfast

Electrifying news

Verdmont Acqui Terme

We are really quite passionate or should I say obsessed with electrification. This is a global goal that we took very personally over the last few years.

We have thrown out our gas boiler and stove, we stopped burning wood, we ditched the car back in 2019 for an electric one. All of which were brilliant and pure upgrades not a single regret save maybe why we did not do it sooner!

More recently we have turned our attention to smaller but no less important items. As very often things like weed trimmers and chainsaws are small but often strapped to you personally and I was quite tired of breathing in the stench of petrol which permeates everything. Not to mention its carcinogenic so spending a few hours a week fumigating oneself is not smart.

So our latest upgrade, and before I go on just know that every time we switch to electric I assure you it does a FAR superior job than its predecessor.

Going electric is an upgrade in every sense. Here are some things we no longer have to deal with storing jerry cans and oil cans, meaning the whole shed smells. Trying to fill up petroleum and bring it home in the car without spills, gross. Standing in a petrol station filling up anything, you know they have those health warnings up for a reason right?

Teamwork or His and hers

Other things that never happen include overheating (chainsaws regularly do this) or back firing (lawn mowers do this), to being easy peasy to start no rip cords and priming just plug n play. Plus efficient, quiet and a pleasure to use.

Needless to saw we are super happy with these upgrades. The Saw shares the same battery as the weed trimmer and leaf blower so no need to store multiple batteries, recharging is super fast.

So if you need to upgrade garden tools, ditch the horrible fossil ones and go for electric neither you nor your lungs will regret it.

We are not paid to advertise but I will mention we use Ego just because we like the tools! https://egopowerplus.it/prodotti

The smaller chainsaw is ryobi. link here they sell all over Europe and UK https://uk.ryobitools.eu

We worked for a few hours and use just half the battery so I estimate from full to empty is a full days work.

So after all is said and done electrify everything. Neither you nor your lungs will regret it!

boutique bed and breakfast

Barbera and our neighbourood

Verdmont Acqui Terme

It can seem overwhelming sometimes. Italy really has so much to offer in terms of wine food and culture. Here we are narrowing down on Barbera a signature red grape that produces excellent wine that ages well while being beautifuly drinkable now.

We live in Barbera country. Of course there is white wine (next post) but Red takes centre stage here. Recently Rose and. rose Brut have been making waves.

While harvested around Italy, barbera flourishes in Piedmont – particularly in Asti where it’s believed to have been grown as far back as the 13th century. “The barbera grape achieves a unique versatility in Asti and the Monferrato region, both in terms of terroir and production styles,” says Andrea Dani, a sommelier who collaborates with the Consorzio Barbera d’Asti e Vini del Monferrato. “It could give a deep, powerful and plush wine, but also express a dynamic, subtle and sincere, straight, no-frills, extremely easy drinkability.”

The terroir Dani is referencing is comprised of steep slopes coated with two types of soil: the marine sedimentary sand of Asti and the marly, calcareous white earth of Alessandria, Canelli and Casale. The territory, combined with the hot summers and cold winters, creates conditions in which barbera thrives.

Read more below or just book a trip and start tasting!!

https://www.10best.com/interests/drinks/what-is-barbera-dasti-wine-quick-guide/