Inspections in Piedmont (Italy) for a Wine Tour
In a moment of enthusiasm I decided a biking tour would be a good way to check out this famous wine producing area of Italy not realising just how hilly it was. 
We sweated up hill and cooled off speeding down-hill, but all the exercise did enable us to eat spectacularly well at Michelin starred restaurants soaking up the chunky red wines of Barolo and Barbaresco. Producers were welcoming and the tour is taking shape. Our hotels ranged from the naturally charming Villa Amelia to simple village B&Bs and after ten days of exercise it was time to relax beside the sea. From the pretty car-free village of Camogli, we walked along steep coastal tracks, checked to make sure the Hotel Splendido was still as glamorous as ever and of course shopped in Portofino. A highlight was Genoa, a city that lived up to my expectations with its striking duomo and historic shipping associations.