The melody of silence in the Langhe: a farm-stay holiday in Cessole, part two

We too set off along the winding road that climbs into the hills, crossing the hamlet where the Sanctuary of the Madonna della Neve stands, but unlike the gold-coin seekers who came before us, we know exactly where to find the treasures. Of course, we have no interest in the products of the old clandestine mint, but rather in something even harder to find these days: calm, peace, authentic flavours, a way of life in perfect balance with nature. We find all these treasures at the Agriturismo Zabaldano, set in the hamlet of the same name at the top of the hill. A hill that in places looks more like a mountain, but is in fact simply the Langa, which, according to the locals, is a geographical category of its own.

We leave the car in the handy car park next to the horse boxes and only a few steps take us to the stone house, finely restored in a style that enhances the rusticity of the place while at the same time offering every comfort. We set off from the grey winter of the city to arrive in the Langhe spring, splendidly heralded by the first almond trees in blossom we see this year. Among the garden grass the first little flowers smile at us, and our gaze can wander from the lawn full of daffodils to the distant heights, passing through the valleys that embrace the hill. In the distance, despite the light haze, the charming old town of Cessole stands out clearly too, with the unmistakable building of the parish church. The blue mountains stand out against the pale blue sky, forming a backdrop to a pretty bird feeder whose chirping makes melodious the silence that reigns around us.

Welcoming us with great kindness are Mrs Claudia and Mr Riccardo, the owners who run the farm and the guesthouse with inexhaustible enthusiasm and love. 'We work the vineyard, the hay, and we keep bees too. Our guests, many of them foreigners, often want to join in the work, especially at harvest time, which is also a festive moment,' they tell us as we sip a coffee in the characterful kitchen. 'We bought this old farmhouse in 1996 and it took us about five years to restore it before opening the guesthouse in 2001. The vineyards were still worked, but the rest was abandoned. Here, where the kitchen is today, there were once the stables, while part of the house had collapsed.

We were among the first to restore the stone facade, stripping off the old plaster.' The closeness of the woods can be felt in the fact that our apartment is called Capriolo (Roe Deer), while the other two are named after the fox and the badger: all animals that can occasionally be spotted around the farmhouse. On the ground floor there is an apartment equipped for wheelchair users, and all the lodgings have a bathroom with shower and a comfortable living room-kitchen, as well as the double bedroom. The little kitchen is enclosed in an original kitchen-cabinet complete with everything, from the sink to the fridge, but whose doors, once you have finished cooking or washing up, can be closed again so that the unit looks like a real wardrobe fitting perfectly among the antique furniture.

Contact with the surrounding nature continues in the bedroom too, thanks to the wonderful view of the mountains that opens from the windows.

When you arrive here, you enter a deeply relaxing and regenerating dimension, where the pace cannot be the frantic one you are often used to. While on the first day everyone is still glued to their phones, as the days go by, attention to nature gradually takes over. That is exactly why the ideal is to spend several days here, at least a week, to give our mind and soul time to calm down and breathe in tune with nature. You can do this by following in the footsteps of the famous herbalist of Cessole, Teodoro Negro, the inventor of the Toccasana of the same name, but besides the plants and herbs it is also very interesting to get to know the animals.

At the nearby Bric dei Galli farm, run by the son and daughter-in-law of the owners of the Agriturismo Zabaldano, that is by Roberto, an agricultural technician, and Corinna, a veterinary nurse and riding guide, who will one day be helped by little Pietro too, you can visit a real farm and taste its products. A flock of about seventy native Langa sheep, raised semi-wild, guarantees the production of fabulous artisan cheeses and fine meat, while the gentle cow Carolina provides delicious fresh milk.

Tuning in to the rhythms of nature also means relaxing and spending stress-free days, starting with the absence of an alarm clock: we very much appreciate the fact that here everyone gets up whenever they like and finds in the kitchen everything needed to make breakfast: bread, biscuits, eggs, jams made at home with the fruit of the farmhouse and the exquisite honey of the bees, the little queens of the guesthouse. In the warm season the day can continue with a lovely dip in the Jacuzzi mini-pool, from which you enjoy a wonderful view of the surrounding landscape. Our week's stay passes among outings by car, mountain bike and on foot along the characterful Langa roads nearby, discovering ancient villages and endless glimpses of still unspoilt nature.

We even manage a quick trip to the sea, going and returning comfortably in a day, and we do not give up visiting the nearby spa and art town of Acqui Terme either. We don't struggle when it comes to eating either: as well as tasting the farmhouse products, from cheeses to honey and wines, we make a habit of dining at the nearby Ristorante Madonna della Neve, where our romantic treasure hunt is completed also thanks to the gastronomic specialities of the area. On one wall of the farmhouse we noticed the painting of a foreign painter, a devoted guest of the guesthouse which she has skilfully captured with the warm colours of nature. Other guests send beautiful photo albums of their holidays from faraway countries, sometimes with poems and dedications. After this week of harmonious relaxation we are sure we will do the same and return soon to this oasis of peace.

In the meantime we will keep in our hearts the watercolour that holds the memory of the colours, the scents, the flavours and the silence of this wonderful place.

Francesca Bertha

FOR INFORMATION:

Agriturismo Zabaldano Regione Zabaldano, 1 Tel.: 014480275