Kilometres walked : Saturday 7.5km, Sunday 10.6 km

Flights Climbed : Sunday – 122.

Sunday 14th May, 2023.

Gastronomic Artichoke Festival. Mmm that does sound delicious. Looking out across the valley from Uncle & Aunties balcony to a small village on the hill called Perinaldo, we decided to work up an appetite by walking to the artichoke festival. Setting off through the beautiful valley below and across a fairy tale stone bridge we then began the long ascent winding our way up an old mule track through a very pretty forest up to Perinaldo.

Perinaldo is known for its production of an Artichoke variety that was imported from Provence during the Napolionic era. The French violet variety is tender and has no spines or choke. It is grown at about 400 – 600 metres above sea level usually along dry stone walls for good drainage. The second Sunday in May see’s the village celebrate the local artichoke with a small festival. Well I can assure you the food was divine. We had a lovely artichoke dish with broad beans, peas, carrots and the local olive oil. Simple but beautiful. And a nice slice of strawberry tart to finish off. Luckily the sky cleared up in time and it turned into a warm sunny afternoon.

Perinaldo is also the birth place Gian Domenico Cassini, a seventeenth century astronomer. Using the telescope he discovered the split between Saturn’s rings now named after him. There is an astronomical observatory in the village in his honer and there are many beautiful paintings throughout the village depicting his findings.

Another fabulous walk to another beautiful village. And a well deserved pizza for dinner to finish off🍕🍷