From the Spa Town to the Farm for a Return to Peace: A Weekend in Acqui Terme - II

After this fine tour through the history of Acqui, we arrive at our home for the weekend, the Agriturismo Cascina Aurora, easily reachable along the Strada della Maggiora, about four kilometres from the town. The first thing that strikes us is the breathtaking panorama: before us a wonderfully beautiful and wide view opens over the mountain ranges of the Acqui Monferrato, and this landscape accompanies us even into our apartment, a two-room flat with four beds equipped with services and a kitchenette, as well as a balcony from which we can admire the beauty of the woods, vineyards and surrounding hills. Our friends, on the other hand, occupy the other two spacious independent rooms of the property, also equipped with every comfort and furnished with simple, rustic and elegant taste.

Welcoming us with great kindness are Mr Sabino and his wife Giacinta, who created this wonderful corner of peace a few years ago, after long working and human experiences that had led the owner to even found a socio-humanitarian work in Nigeria. A life rich in trials, emotions and humanity thanks to which the couple, aware of the most authentic values of life, decided to create here in Monferrato a holiday place where it is possible not only to relax in a pleasant environment, but also to find oneself again by listening to the silence or the sounds of nature. "Today we are bombarded by the most varied noises and we live in a frenzy without having time for ourselves. Those who come to us can switch off and spend time in close contact with nature.

It is regenerating even just to sit by the edge of our sport-fishing lake for a few hours and watch the little ripples and the fish darting, as well as listening to the bleating of the sheep or the crowing of the rooster. To immerse oneself in sounds that are not artificial, or to let our reflections on ourselves and on the world flow freely without fearing silence. It is silence that matures people, not confusion," Mr Sabino confides as we take a tour of the farm. After admiring the lake, populated by freshwater fish such as trout, char, perch, catfish and even a few sturgeon, we cross a cool park and follow a curving little road lined with beautiful fruit trees to reach, to the delight of the children but also of the adults, the animal stables: hens, geese, white or chamois-coloured goats and sheep.

"Today many farm stays are specialised in one particular thing, such as making wine or cereals, offering catering or accommodation. We, on the other hand, wanted to recreate here a true educational farm, a peasant farmhouse in the sense it was understood in the past, in our grandparents' time. Ours is one of the very rare complete farm stays, where you can find practically everything, from the vegetable garden produce to the orchards, from the animals that give us milk to the rooms to rest in, the pool, the lake to fish in and even the kitchen, based on tradition but above all on zero-kilometre products, grown directly on the farm," the owner continues.

Confirmation of his words comes when, at a certain point, we notice the goats and sheep grazing freely in the meadows, and they not only are not frightened by our arrival but even, at our call: "Beeee!", come closer and look at us curiously, not even refusing to pose for our inevitable photographs. One very sweet little goat goes even further: it finds the point where it can pass under the fence and decides it wants to accompany us around the farm, heedless both of its companions and of the owners' invitations to come home. "Our animals look after themselves," Mr Sabino explains with a smile.

"When it is hot, they stay quietly in the cool of the stables, then at a certain time in the late afternoon they decide when, and go out to graze outside." One of the attractions of the farm that we find fantastic and irresistible is the pool, able to offer refreshment to body and soul: as we splash in the crystal-clear water, we can admire the breathtaking panorama over the mountain ranges. After the afternoon spent between the pool and relaxing walks, an equally pleasant evening awaits us thanks to a succulent dinner based on the farm's products, prepared with wisdom and imagination by Mr Sabino. Among the many specialities we have the pleasure of tasting, we particularly like the stuffed aubergines, prepared with the aubergine flesh chopped with the addition of eggs, breadcrumbs, parmesan, tomatoes and capers, and for those who like it, anchovies too.

The same dish can also be offered with meat. Among the starters we also taste omelettes with chopped courgettes or spinach, onions, grated cheese and a veil of tomato. We also find the eggs "incappucciate" with cheese enchanting, while among the first courses we taste a very good baked timbale: lasagne or coarse pasta with abundant tomato sauce and exquisite little meatballs made with minced hen or turkey, all arranged in layers with both raw and cooked ham and grated or very thinly sliced cheese. We cannot even resist the asparagus risotto, which starts from a soffritto and, once flavoured, the asparagus is added to the rice, later enriched with milk and grated cheese. We also very much like the spinach risotto, prepared in a similar way to the asparagus one. Next, we taste thick slices of ham cooked on the grill: a real delight.

After dinner, we fall asleep to the song of the crickets and the next day we wake to the cock-a-doodle-doo of the rooster. Our day begins in the pretty breakfast room, tasting delicious jams, preserves, little goat cheeses and other genuine products both from the farm and from other selected local producers. After an abundant and high-quality breakfast, we have no difficulty tackling the local trails that allow us to reach ancient villages and hilly views of unique beauty. After these outings it is a great pleasure to return to the farm and devote ourselves to relaxation, reading a good book in the shade, watching the animals or waiting by the lake for a fish to bite. Here time expands, stress evaporates and the soul rejoices in a new dimension of serenity.

When our holiday draws to a close, we leave stocking up on the farm's products and leave behind this place of peace with the certainty that we will soon return.

Francesca Bertha

FOR INFORMATION:

Agriturismo Fattoria didattica Cascina Aurora con ristorazione, pesca sportiva e posti letto Strada della Maggiora, 126 Acqui Terme (AL) Tel.: 0144/322707