Alpine Adventures at Albergo Miramonti
Last week we had the pleasure of welcoming our friends from allbranded here at Albergo Miramonti - showing them all that Corteno Golgi has to offer. We had a weekend jam-packed with activities, from a day trip to Aprica Ski Resort to an exciting hike through the valleys - and of course, tucking into some traditional Italian cuisine along the way. We pulled out all the stops, to ensure our friends had an unforgettable weekend in the Italian Alps.
Friday
The allbranded team arrived at our boutique hotel late Friday evening. We thought we’d give them a taste of what’s to come and open the trip with a hearty meal in our hotel restaurant. Starters included a delicious white wine and sausage risotto or the famous dish that is pasta alla norma. For their second course, they had the chance to try ‘Bollito Misto Carne’ - a hearty stew with a selection of meats. Or ‘Pollo alla Cacciatora’, which you may know as ‘Hunters’ chicken. Each traditional Northern Italian dishes, cooked by our amazing chefs. After a long day of travelling, it was safe to say our guests were pretty tired and in need of rest. So, we retreated to our cosy cigar lounge for a good smoke before heading to bed - we all had an early start to come.
Views from the Magnolta Slope.
Saturday
We were out and about first thing Saturday morning - as it was time to hit the ski slopes. We gave the allbranded team a chance to learn the basics with a ski or snowboarding lesson in the morning before heading up to the Magnolta Ski Resort of Aprica! It’s safe to say there were a few wobbles, but everyone got the hang of it in the end - before jumping in the lift to hit the big slopes. Whilst we were up the mountain, we had a bite to eat and a few drinks at Agriturismo Malga Magnolta - allbranded gave some of our all-time favourite dishes a try: sciatt (cheese fritters) and pizzocherri (buckwheat pasta covered in butter and cheese). It was back to the slopes we went afterwards, giving allbranded the chance to up their skiing game for the last time.
After an exciting day up in the mountains, everyone returned to the hotel for some much-needed chill-time before our dinner. Starters included either ‘Tortellini Panna e Proscuitto’ or ‘Risotto al Radicchio’. Then for mains, there was a choice of a meaty meal of braised beef and polenta or the classic chicken Milanese with french fries. After dinner, we hit the town of Aprica for a few drinks.
Sunday
As Sunday came, the trip was drawing to a close (or so we thought). We couldn’t let the allbranded team leave without taking them on a hike to a special hidden gem near our hotel: the natural reserve of Sant’ Antonio. The hike took an unexpected turn, as the paths to the reserve were completely covered in ice - so we had to take an interesting alternative route, it certainly proved challenging for some of us! However, the views that we discovered at the end of the hike were amazing, it’s safe to say our guests were breath-taken, with the snow-covered area and the views of the mountains over-looking the reserve.
At the end of the adventure, we regenerated with a hearty meal at the Rifugio Val Brandet - a quaint cabin found in Val Brandet. Only open for special occasions, we were lucky enough to enjoy a lovely meal to get us ready for the returning journey. To start we could either have porcini mushroom risotto or wild boar tagliatelle and for our mains either polenta with cheese or beef cheeks in a red wine reduction. We tucked into the meal before heading back to the hotel, just in time for our friends to head back to the airport.
Then, news hit! With Storm Ciara causing chaos over in the UK, all flights were cancelled. Meaning we had the pleasure of hosting for another 2 nights. We thought we’d change up for the evening and take them to one of our favourite pizza spots: Pizzeria da Ciccio. They were certainly impressed with the endless list of choices on the menu! With the day being full of adventure and surprises, it was safe to say everyone was pretty exhausted as we headed back to the hotel. It was straight to bed when we got back.
Following a busy day of work on Monday, in our makeshift office - allbranded headed home Tuesday morning. We were sad to wave our friends goodbye after a weekend of fun, good food and good company. It was our pleasure to give them a true taste of the Italian alps!
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