Name of Your Italy Blog
Bella Baita View
Your Blog URL
What do you write about in your blog?
Food, fun and what ever else comes along. I try to showcase our Val Chisone of the Turin/Torino province and what it has to offer, not being a well known part of Italy or even the Piedmont, for that matter. This mountainous region is rich in natural beauty and history. My husband and I are former chefs and run a small inn, and very focused on the food and culture of our region. I love to share my discoveries about the food, wine and the people that produce them in my posts. We also offer cooking classes and I feature a lot of recipes on my blog as well using our local market finds and specialties for inspiration.
Why Did You Start Your Blog?
To bring this "off the beaten path" area more recognition. We had so many inquiries leading up to the 2006 Winter Olympics and I found myself writing so much about this area to help familiarize people where they were coming, that I figured that I would continue on. I also thought it would be a way for my friends and family to keep up with what we are up to. I never realized that I would "meet" so many people because of it. Then I realized it was also a way for us to market our B&B, cooking classes and mini culinary tours to potential guests more importantly while showcasing our areas many charms to a greater audience. It keeps evolving as we grow along.
Advice
- Relax and soak up the natural beauty of our area.
- Try and adjust to the Italian culture of getting up early to get to a local market or a bit of sightseeing and plan on a long lunch in a local trattoria or picnic with local specialties because most things shut religiously from 12:30 to 3 daily before opening back up 3 till 7 pm.
- Don't plan on eating your evening meal before 7:30 like most Italians.
- Monday is a good travel day or walking day as most museums and stores are closed on Mondays.
- Try to keep an open mind and go with the flow.
