Arona

On Sunday Niccolo Brambilli came to get me on the moutain.  It was pouring and I was not prepared for an afternoon tempest hike.  But I did want to visit Andrea Ripamonti, affineur in the Luigi Guffanti caves in Arona, Italy and Niccolo just happens to be from Arona, on his way to visit family.  I met both Andrea and Niccolo at the MonS caves nearly a year ago and they helped me find Gaia and Matteo Chindemi.

Toward the end of our hike down, the streams that were nearly dry in past Julys were swollen and instead of wavering on slippery rocks to cross, we started traipsing through the water.  "My feet can't get any wetter," he smiled, and I followed him across.  In the next few days I discovered the contentment of talking about cheese and goats with another person as obsessed as I, with a similar history of internships and a similar farm and cheese plan.  While Niccolo and I watched and chatted with a Gorgonzola-maker - one of the remaining few Gorgonzola artisans - I smiled to myself thinking that I had found an Italian partner in crime.

At the caves, like Niccolo, Andrea is a jovial man who probably works harder than anyone at Guffanti.  Previously in the restaurant business (affineurs seem to share this track record), he has a special place in his heart for all things French.  Andrea lent me one of the Guffanti apartments for the three nights I spent in Arona, and we toured the caves and tasted a selection of cheeses.  I didn't handle any cheeses in the caves, but I also didn't insist.  It took me a full three days to recover from the intense farm schedule I have here at Chindemi.  Instead, I strolled the lake, visited Niccolo's bees, as well as the Gorgonzola producer and an intensive goat farmer with 80 Saanen.

Pictures to follow...