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Thread: An Italian Vacation

  1. #11
    Join Date: Jan 2013

    Location: Birmingham

    Posts: 6,772
    I'm James.

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    Quote Originally Posted by Marco View Post
    Moved again to where it *actually* should be!

    Great pics, Jim. Looks typically of that region of Italy, which I've only really passed through before. Love the vineyard in particular. Did you sample any of his wine?

    Hope you had a great time.... No foodie pics, though?

    Marco.
    Err my friend has a huge wine cellar so we did try one or two I have foodie pics but they have my friends on them and I want to keep them private.
    As you can imagine we ate some amazing stuff including on our first night a Piedmonte banquet which was cooked by out hosts. He regularly does private dinners with up to 10 courses with accompanying wine in local rented mansions!
    Main system : VPI Scout 1.1 / JMW 9T / 2M Black / Croft 25R+ / Croft 7 / Heco Celan GT 702

    Second System : Goldring Lenco GL75 / AT95EX / Pioneer SX590 / Spendor SP2

  2. #12
    Join Date: Jan 2008

    Location: Wrexham, North Wales, UK

    Posts: 110,012
    I'm AudioAl'sArbiterForPISHANTO.

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    Quote Originally Posted by Jimbo View Post
    Err my friend has a huge wine cellar so we did try one or two I have foodie pics but they have my friends on them and I want to keep them private.
    As you can imagine we ate some amazing stuff including on our first night a Piedmonte banquet which was cooked by out hosts. He regularly does private dinners with up to 10 courses with accompanying wine in local rented mansions!
    No worries, but you could crop them out, and just show the food

    In any case, yes I can imagine the food and wine you had would've been top notch, especially the "Piedmonte banquet"!

    Marco.
    Main System

    Turntable: Heavily-modified Technics SL-1210MK5G [Mike New bearing/ETP platter/Paul Hynes SR7 PSU & reg mods]. Funk Firm APM Achromat/Nagaoka GL-601 Crystal Record Weight/Isonoe feet & boots/Ortofon RS-212D/Denon DL-103GL in Denon PCL-300 headshell with Funk Firm Houdini/Kondo SL-115 pure-silver cartridge leads.

    Paul Hynes MC head amp/SR5 PSU. Also modded Lentek head amp/Denon AU-310 SUT.

    Other Cartridges: Nippon Columbia (NOS 1987) Denon DL-103. USA-made Shure SC35C with NOS stylus. Goldring G820 with NOS stylus. Shure M55E with NOS stylus.

    CD Player: Audiocom-modified Sony X-777ES/DAS-R1 DAC.

    Tape Deck: Tandberg TCD 310, fully restored and recalibrated as new, by RDE, plus upgraded with heads from the TCD-420a. Also with matching TM4 Norway microphones.

    Preamps: Heavily-modified Croft Charisma-X. LDR Stereo Coffee. Power Amps: Tube Distinctions Copper Amp fitted with Tungsol KT-150s. Quad 306.

    Cables & Sundries: Mark Grant HDX1 interconnects and digital coaxial cable, plus Mark Grant 6mm UP-LCOFC Van Damme speaker cable. MCRU 'Ultimate' mains leads. Lehmann clone headphone amp with vintage Koss PRO-4AAA headphones.

    Tube Distinctions digital noise filter. VPI HW16.5 record cleaning machine.

    Speakers: Tannoy 15MGs in Lockwood cabinets with modified crossovers. 1967 Celestion Ditton 15.


    Protect your HUMAN RIGHTS and REFUSE ANY *MANDATORY* VACCINE FOR COVID-19!

    Also **SAY NO** to unjust 'vaccine passports' or certificates, which are totally incompatible with a FREE society!!!


  3. #13
    Join Date: Jan 2013

    Location: Birmingham

    Posts: 6,772
    I'm James.

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    Quote Originally Posted by Marco View Post
    No worries, but you could crop them out, and just show the food

    In any case, yes I can imagine the food and wine you had would've been top notch, especially the "Piedmonte banquet"!

    Marco.
    The slices of salami with specs of black truffle were mind-blowing!
    Main system : VPI Scout 1.1 / JMW 9T / 2M Black / Croft 25R+ / Croft 7 / Heco Celan GT 702

    Second System : Goldring Lenco GL75 / AT95EX / Pioneer SX590 / Spendor SP2

  4. #14
    Join Date: Dec 2008

    Location: East Riding of Yorkshire these days

    Posts: 4,779
    I'm Shaun.

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    Stunning place ! The closest I have been to mainland Italy is Sardinia, still a beautiful place though. I would love to go at some point.

  5. #15
    Join Date: Jan 2013

    Location: Birmingham

    Posts: 6,772
    I'm James.

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    The town I was near ( Santo Stefano Belbo) was beautiful but so were many of the other places I visited including Canelli, Nizza Monferrato and Alba. Alba is a gourmet mecca and has some amazing restaurants and food shops specialising on local food. On the street was a vendor with a glass box containing 20 black truffles the size of a satsuma. I could smell them 100 yards away down the street!
    Main system : VPI Scout 1.1 / JMW 9T / 2M Black / Croft 25R+ / Croft 7 / Heco Celan GT 702

    Second System : Goldring Lenco GL75 / AT95EX / Pioneer SX590 / Spendor SP2

  6. #16
    Join Date: Jan 2008

    Location: Wrexham, North Wales, UK

    Posts: 110,012
    I'm AudioAl'sArbiterForPISHANTO.

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    Nice one, Jim. Sounds like Alba is somewhere I have to visit! Indeed, the whole of that area sounds like it's worth exploring... Easy too, as it's much closer to get to (for me by car) than Tuscany - about 5 hours!

    Next time you go though mate, take some close-up pics of the grub you've eaten (minus folk), as with all the foodies here, including me, it would make these threads even more interesting for us

    Marco.
    Main System

    Turntable: Heavily-modified Technics SL-1210MK5G [Mike New bearing/ETP platter/Paul Hynes SR7 PSU & reg mods]. Funk Firm APM Achromat/Nagaoka GL-601 Crystal Record Weight/Isonoe feet & boots/Ortofon RS-212D/Denon DL-103GL in Denon PCL-300 headshell with Funk Firm Houdini/Kondo SL-115 pure-silver cartridge leads.

    Paul Hynes MC head amp/SR5 PSU. Also modded Lentek head amp/Denon AU-310 SUT.

    Other Cartridges: Nippon Columbia (NOS 1987) Denon DL-103. USA-made Shure SC35C with NOS stylus. Goldring G820 with NOS stylus. Shure M55E with NOS stylus.

    CD Player: Audiocom-modified Sony X-777ES/DAS-R1 DAC.

    Tape Deck: Tandberg TCD 310, fully restored and recalibrated as new, by RDE, plus upgraded with heads from the TCD-420a. Also with matching TM4 Norway microphones.

    Preamps: Heavily-modified Croft Charisma-X. LDR Stereo Coffee. Power Amps: Tube Distinctions Copper Amp fitted with Tungsol KT-150s. Quad 306.

    Cables & Sundries: Mark Grant HDX1 interconnects and digital coaxial cable, plus Mark Grant 6mm UP-LCOFC Van Damme speaker cable. MCRU 'Ultimate' mains leads. Lehmann clone headphone amp with vintage Koss PRO-4AAA headphones.

    Tube Distinctions digital noise filter. VPI HW16.5 record cleaning machine.

    Speakers: Tannoy 15MGs in Lockwood cabinets with modified crossovers. 1967 Celestion Ditton 15.


    Protect your HUMAN RIGHTS and REFUSE ANY *MANDATORY* VACCINE FOR COVID-19!

    Also **SAY NO** to unjust 'vaccine passports' or certificates, which are totally incompatible with a FREE society!!!


  7. #17
    Join Date: Feb 2013

    Location: W Lothian

    Posts: 99,005
    I'm Grant.

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    when i was younger the wife and i were intending going to the Piedmont region of Italy. Alas she took unwell and that was that. Looks a great place.
    Regards,
    Grant .... ؠ ......Don't be such a big girl's blouse

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  8. #18
    Join Date: Jan 2013

    Location: Birmingham

    Posts: 6,772
    I'm James.

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    Quote Originally Posted by Marco View Post
    Nice one, Jim. Sounds like Alba is somewhere I have to visit! Indeed, the whole of that area sounds like it's worth exploring... Easy too, as it's much closer to get to (for me by car) than Tuscany - about 5 hours!

    Next time you go though mate, take some close-up pics of the grub you've eaten (minus folk), as with all the foodies here, including me, it would make these threads even more interesting for us

    Marco.
    I will ask my friend to send me some pictures of his Piedmontese cooking he does for his clients. He sells wine by the way so if your after something special he will have something. I just bought 3 bottles of some very nice Italian wine which I will post up for you when I have a chance.

    Alba is the heart of the fabulous Hazelnut growing area hence Nutella business situated there but it also a Mecca for truffles. Honestly the Pasta and local produce speciality shops are something else in Alba. I bought some of the truffle salami in a local butcher / deli and bought to back home. The vacuum packed Hazelnuts were sublime. And of course the wine of that region is some of the best in Italy, Barolo is from that area.

    I flew to Milan and drove 2 hours west to get to the region. We saw so much superb Italian life out there. People watching was entertaining especially the local and national police all turning up at their favourite cafe for a swift Macchiato or expresso. The uniforms are way more stylish compared to UK Plod. A lady officer in long black shiny leather boots and peaked hat with long black hair was like someone off a film set!
    Main system : VPI Scout 1.1 / JMW 9T / 2M Black / Croft 25R+ / Croft 7 / Heco Celan GT 702

    Second System : Goldring Lenco GL75 / AT95EX / Pioneer SX590 / Spendor SP2

  9. #19
    Join Date: Aug 2009

    Location: Staffordshire, England

    Posts: 37,770
    I'm Martin.

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    Quote Originally Posted by Jimbo View Post

    Alba is the heart of the fabulous Hazelnut growing area hence Nutella business situated there but it also a Mecca for truffles.

    !
    Shame about their hi fi kit though.
    Current Lash Up:

    TEAC VRDS 701T > Sony TAE1000ESD > Krell KSA50S > JM Labs Focal Electra 926.

  10. #20
    Join Date: Jan 2008

    Location: Wrexham, North Wales, UK

    Posts: 110,012
    I'm AudioAl'sArbiterForPISHANTO.

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    Some of it is good, but tends to be a bit coloured sounding. Looks-wise though, the speakers especially are stunning! They do anything with wood really well.

    Marco.
    Main System

    Turntable: Heavily-modified Technics SL-1210MK5G [Mike New bearing/ETP platter/Paul Hynes SR7 PSU & reg mods]. Funk Firm APM Achromat/Nagaoka GL-601 Crystal Record Weight/Isonoe feet & boots/Ortofon RS-212D/Denon DL-103GL in Denon PCL-300 headshell with Funk Firm Houdini/Kondo SL-115 pure-silver cartridge leads.

    Paul Hynes MC head amp/SR5 PSU. Also modded Lentek head amp/Denon AU-310 SUT.

    Other Cartridges: Nippon Columbia (NOS 1987) Denon DL-103. USA-made Shure SC35C with NOS stylus. Goldring G820 with NOS stylus. Shure M55E with NOS stylus.

    CD Player: Audiocom-modified Sony X-777ES/DAS-R1 DAC.

    Tape Deck: Tandberg TCD 310, fully restored and recalibrated as new, by RDE, plus upgraded with heads from the TCD-420a. Also with matching TM4 Norway microphones.

    Preamps: Heavily-modified Croft Charisma-X. LDR Stereo Coffee. Power Amps: Tube Distinctions Copper Amp fitted with Tungsol KT-150s. Quad 306.

    Cables & Sundries: Mark Grant HDX1 interconnects and digital coaxial cable, plus Mark Grant 6mm UP-LCOFC Van Damme speaker cable. MCRU 'Ultimate' mains leads. Lehmann clone headphone amp with vintage Koss PRO-4AAA headphones.

    Tube Distinctions digital noise filter. VPI HW16.5 record cleaning machine.

    Speakers: Tannoy 15MGs in Lockwood cabinets with modified crossovers. 1967 Celestion Ditton 15.


    Protect your HUMAN RIGHTS and REFUSE ANY *MANDATORY* VACCINE FOR COVID-19!

    Also **SAY NO** to unjust 'vaccine passports' or certificates, which are totally incompatible with a FREE society!!!


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