Le Querciole

Last weekend, fed up with finding an apartment in Piacenza, I took a break and found a great deal at an agriturismo in the Apennines, just outside of a tiny town called Borgo Val di Taro.  Le Querciole (I believe this translates as "the young oaks" in English) is a lovely B&B up in the hills, surrounded by forest and pasture. This area is famous for its porcini mushrooms, and has the distinction of having the only IGP (anywhere!) for porcinis. For those interested in mushroom foraging, the season starts in April and goes through to November, so there is lots of time still to go for productive hikes in the woods!

There are loads of agriturismi all over Italy.  Check out http://www.agriturismo.it/en - you just need to input where you want to go, and a whole list will pop up.  You can choose if you want to go to a place by the sea, in the country, in the mountains... And there are many that are vineyards are wineries as well.  So you can filter based on interest!!






Le Querciole : 

The People:  
Paolo and his wife Mirella own and run the agriturismo along with their son.  All were very nice, kind, and very generous with their time and space.  Paolo picked me up and the train station, and his son dropped me off - above and beyond!!






The Place:

Situated in the Apennine mountains, near the tiny town of Borgo Val di Taro, this agriturismo is quiet, calm, and lets you get back to nature.  In addition to porcini mushrooms, there are also loads of juniper bushes, so if you like to cook with juniper berries you can find them here!  There are also many chestnut trees growing all over the property.  There are several horses here, and they are very sweet, curious, and friendly. The views alone are well worth the trip.  To the left, you see mountains in Tuscany, and to the right, in Liguria!

The Food:
Exceptional!  Mirella is a fabulous cook.  The food, whenever possible, was produced locally - if not on site, then close by.  There was a very nice house red, a natural wine made from Barbera and Cabernet Sauvignon.  Highlights of my two dinners there were the porcini risotto, the wonderful savoury tart made from a local, rare squash, rice, and I believe eggs.  It was super delicious!  The panna cotta was so good, and the after-dinner liqueur that Paolo served, made from Corniolo fruit, was amazing!

The Room:
The room I stayed in was very nice, clean, and well-appointed.  There was a comfy Queen bed, and a large bathroom.  The view was stunning, looking out into the valley below.

I would highly recommend staying here!!  The prices were really good, and it is a lovely place to escape to.