The drop down towards Paularo is just…AWESOME!! BLOODY AWESOME!
You want a buzz....you get a
BUZZ!!
Just before Paularo, a tiny road turns back up the hill…the quick “scouting” mission for Ravinis B+B yields no results (apart from more brilliant vistas across the valley and into the craggy mountains).
Can’t find the place, no further signs.
Into Paularo then…and the “strategic” location of shops and buildings around the market square.
Get off the bike in front of one of those typical (and numerous) “bar-café”, the owner looking on curiously. A quick glance around….
THIS is Italy: pure and tourism-undiluted!!
None of the general signs around that denote at least SOME new-age connections….hmmm…better start digging deep into the 3 broken bits of Italian that slumber around the bottom-dregs of my language-repertoire.
“notte” (night )…tre camere (3 rooms)….sei letti (6 beds) ….the humble-stumble goes on.
A wall of Italian comes back, shaking head; flying arms pointing everywhere….my head’s spinning trying to follow those seemingly pointing hands…
A mid-30s version of a mid-60s hippy appears from next door’s hairdressing shop…3 words of English…and between the 3 of us we’re finally getting somewhere.
They’re pointing back the way we came, to another bar/café.
Thanking them profusely, it’s up the road, repeating my dismal Italian….notte/camere/letti….hmmmm….granny behind the bar seems to get the drift of it, but seems to tell me something about “due camere” and “quattro letti”….2 rooms/4 beds…while pointing to the ceiling…
I just grab a beer.
And walk outside.
This ain’t looking good…should’ve perhaps taken the punt and stay up at the top of the Cason di Lanza, eh?
How far’s the next town further south?
Granny comes out, grabs a handful of bike-jacket, dragging me along… 2 keys jingling away in her other hand…pointing up the external staircase that faces the main road.
Inside, another long staircase to the 2.floor…again…then we’re up there, she shows me 2 rooms which aren’t set for any overnight stays…but it’s damn cute up here….a peek around the corner…
make that dead-gorgeous!!
Somehow it comes across that there’s a possibility to organize another couple of beds, 1 for each bedroom.
NOW we’re rockin’ !!
“mangare??” “Si!!” She even offers to cook for us…and breakfast….this is starting to come together!
Couldn’t really leave granny to carry the extra beds, scrounged in the neighbourhood, up those staircases, eh?
Moving in!!
How’s THAT for a room with a view?