Foodies everywhere should flock to the International White Truffle Fair in Alba, Italy. Now in its 84th year, the event this year stretches from 12 October to the 17 November, on Saturdays and Sundays only, and is a must-see (or perhaps, must-taste) experience for everyone who loves good food. Although the truffle is the king of the fairs, there are also street markets, sporting events, music and medieval re-enactments so there is fun for all the family. Not everyone has ever tasted a white truffle – they are more difficult to source than the black kind and so appear on menus less often – but once tasted, never forgotten. Most dishes only need a sliver, but it is an experience everyone should have at least once! (Photo "Alba Italy" by Cloud7)How To Get There
Alba is only a forty minute drive from Turin Airport (Citta di Torino) and because Turin is such a busy city, not just for tourism but also for business travellers, flights are frequent from UK airports and are year round. The flight is only around 2 hours, you can check on travel operators like First Choice or Thomas Cook for any inclusive holiday packages. Turin airport itself is very handy for many other destinations other than Alba, with good links by road and rail. Other ways of getting to Turin are coach and train. Coaches across Europe are usually cheaper than flying and if speed is not an issue they are a good way to get about. Many routes are direct (using the Channel Tunnel) and if you hate the whole baggage drop/carousel issue then the coach is probably something you should consider because once it is stowed you don’t have to worry about it and you can’t get separated from it – by definition where you go, it goes. Train can be a little more fiddly if you have a lot of bags, but by traveling light you can also get some good bargains and whilst of course there is no way that road and rail can beat flying for time, both methods can be less fuss in the long run.
What to Do
Like most Italian cities there are many churches to look around in Alba and the cathedral is lovely, with some beautiful frescoes, unexpected when you look at the very plain exterior. For a fun day, you can hire Segways to get about and although there is a knack to riding them, once you have it they are easier to maneuver around town than a bike and much easier on the feet than walking would be. Of course, there are many restaurants and even foodies attending the White Truffle Festival will find many places to eat where the food is nothing short of amazing. For novices where ‘proper’ Italian food is concerned, there are many surprises in store – not all food in Italy is smothered in parmesan and tomato sauce. For some proper, home-style cooking, you can't beat the eating places in Alba, but there are also many fast food equivalents, serving the usual pasta and pizza, so there is never any need to be even a tiny bit hungry in this lovely town. (Photo "Truffle" by marketiq)
