Road Trip to Prosecco, Italy: Part Two

5/20/14
Day 1: My friends Orienna, Brooke, and I started our drive to Sacile, Italy at 11:00 pm from Vilseck, Germany.  The drive was truly amazing and I saw my first really big castle when we were getting close to crossing over to Austria.

Unfortunately I am not sure what the name of this castle is and I took this picture from inside the car so it isn't as clear as I would like it to be.

By the time we got to Munich, we were getting really hungry so we stopped by a Thai restaurant named Manam Thai Food & Sweet.

It may be some of the best Thai food I've ever had.  The kitchen was in the same room as the tables...there aren't many of those either but so worth waiting for!  The #10 which had chicken, garlic, and Thai red peppers, was unbelievable.

After lunch we continued on and saw some of the most breath-taking scenery I've seen yet in Austria.

Again, it was out of a car window so there is also that lovely window glare!

Somehow we added a ton of hours but aren't sure how or where and ended up in Sacile, Italy around 9 pm.  We had a wonky GPS that I think just needed it's maps updated so it kept taking us off the highway and onto some little back roads which cost us time I think. 

Our amazing hostess, Emily, made us Hugo's when we arrived.  Hugo's are Prosecco wine, Elderberry syrup, soda water, and fresh mint.  So delicious and it helped us settle down and sleep!

5/21/14

Day 2: We woke up and got ready to go to our Prosecco Vineyard Tour on the Prosecco Road, the Italians call it Strada Del Prosecco e Vini Dei Colli Conegliano Valdobbiadene.  We took the train from Sacile to Conegliano.

At the Conegliano station, we met up with our tour guide, Chiara Lapucci from Prosecco di Marca Day Tours.

We had a quick little tour through Conegliano...

After our tour of Conegliano, we go into Chiara's super cute Mini Cooper and drove to L'Antica Quercia Vineyards.  On our way, we were wooed by Italy's charm!

The L'Antica Quercia was probably one of the most amazing parts of our tour, in my opinion.  The grape fields were lush and green and the pictures can not do them justice.

Their crest for their company is L'Antica Quercia, or literally translated, the ancient oak.  They actually have their ancient oak at the top of a hill, overlooking the vineyard.  It is centuries old and is pretty magnificent.

What sets this vineyard apart from others is that it is all organic wine.  No chemicals are used to protect these grapes from disease or pestilence.  They have also implemented essential oils into their soil to help aid against disease and pestilence.  It was fascinating and I will be forever grateful for this opportunity.

I also saw my first olive tree!  They press their own olives to make extra virgin olive, so of course I had to buy some of that so I could share with Captain Jack & Keenan!  Oh the things I endure for love! :)

After some really wonderful plates of salami, prosciutto, cheeses, and breads, we moved on to a beautiful water mill called Molinetto della Croda.  The story of the water mill is this: 

"The windlass Croda is an ancient water mill located in the scenic area of emphasis of the province of Treviso, in the valley of Lierza, along the road that connects the town of Refrontolo (common to the monument belongs to) that of Rolle.  The mill was built in the seventeenth century, with the addition of a little later for a holiday for the family guardian, a barn. Lierza exploited the waters of the river, the main tributary of Soligo, at the foot of a waterfall of 12 meters; it was decommissioned in 1953.

In the second half of the twentieth century, after spending years of decay, the mill was purchased by the town of Refrontolo, which has carried out a thorough restoration and made ​​it a museum of milling, as well as a seat of exhibitions, including in 2009, a major retrospective of the painter Angelo Lorenzon and, in winter, the annual international exhibition of nativity scenes."

Still feeling fuzzy and warm, we headed to Borgo Col Vineyards.  They have a small B&B as well as a family owned restaurant that is open every Saturday and Sunday filled with meats from their own pig farm.  We went on a Wednesday so we did not get a chance to eat there but we did get a fantastic tour of their processing buildings and a lovely wine tasting...which lead to way more purchasing of course.  Our host at Borgo Col was a very attractive man, Daniel, who owned the vineyards.  He has won tons of awards for his spectacular Prosecco wines!

After our Borgo Col tour, our lovely guide, Chiara, drove us home since we were too loaded down with cases of Prosecco!  We went home and had delicious pizza, which Emily's super considerate husband, Brian, had gotten for us.  He also picked up their sweet little baby girl, Charlotte from the sitter!  What a great husband!

5/22/14
Day 3: After having a nice breakfast of yummy yogurt, bananas, and french press coffee, we headed out to Nove, Italy!!!  I had admired Orienna's serving trays days earlier the previous week and she told me that she had gotten them on her previous visit with Emily.  I never thought I would be able to get some of my own!!

Nove Ceramics Factory

Brooke trying to figure out what to get.

My favorite collection was the Merletto.  I will save up for October to be sure!

Here is a little info on the Merletto Collection: "Arte Italica Merletto Antique.   The Merletto collection is crafted using a delicate glaze over rich, black clay.  The pattern is inspired by handmade, antique Italian lace that is molded into the ceramic prior to the application of the glaze.  The beautiful, vintage design, elegant colors and intricate details all combine to create a unique and charming table setting.  Handmade in Nove, Italy.  Microwave and dishwasher safe."

On our way home, we saw beautiful poppy fields.  Again, the picture can't seem to show the grandeur we saw...

Anyway, after our shopping marathon, we stopped by the grocery store and got meats, cheeses, and bread for our own impromptu lunch.  With an ample portion of Prosecco and Hugo's of course!

After we inhailed it, we gave the rest of the plate to Brian!  We are sooooo generous!

After all that shopping, eating, and much needed naps, we headed out and walked into town for a wonderful little dinner in Sacile.  This was such a beautiful little town and I can see how people can be so content living here!

We got to meet some of Emily's friends at dinner.  What lovely people!  I sure feel blessed.

5/23/14
Day 4: After our wonderful trip to Italy, we had to head back.  Although I am in love with Germany, I wouldn't have minded a couple more days in Italy.  Hopefully Emily will let us return her generous gift of staying with her and come visit us soon.

We did see more castles on our way home.  Ones that we missed on our way there.  This was Hohenwerfen Castle in Salzburg, Austria.  I am hoping to go back and take a tour of this castle this summer.  Once again, we had issues with our GPS and ended up getting home in 11 hours instead of 6.5.  I have a feeling it was due to construction going on in Germany though.

We all got a little sick on our way home.  I think since baby Charlotte and Chiara were both ill, it was bound to happen.  With a little vitamin C and lots of fluids, we will be tip top in no time!  :)  Next week, I will be going to Malaga, Spain!

I forgot to mention again that we stayed with a friend in Sacile so we did not have the expense of a hotel or food for the most part due to her generosity!