Concierge Blog
During Ferragosto, a young family from Salerno stayed in our hotel. This year the grandfather couldn‘t stay with them due to his work.
The family’s child was home sick and missed his grandfather since they usually spend a lot of time together at home.
During dinner, while eating a strawberry desert, the child, Stefano, opened up a little and told us he would like to go home this very evening. He explains, tomorrow night, the night before ferragosto, him and his grandfather would dine together and eat palatella, the typical bread of that area.
To surprise Stefano, the next day we prepared the dough and gave it enough time to rise to then bake it just in time for dinner.
At dinner, Stefano was served a whole loaf of bread, similar to the one he would have enjoyed with his grandfather.
While we might not have been able to cure Stefano of his home-sickness, we did manage to put a smile on Stefanos face.
Stefano and his family promised us, that next year they’d all be back, but this time, they’d make sure to bring grandpa.
We certainly look forward to that!
Stay tuned!!!!
The church of St. Helena is perhaps one of the most beautifully situated churches in South Tyrol. On a clear summer day like today, one can enjoy a wonderful view of the church along with a magnificent view of the surrounding mountain landscape of Merano.
On our hike to the church, the Concierge takes us through shady woods and past sunny, goat-populated pastures, with the grazing goats completely undisturbed by our presence.
After a short walk we reach the Halsmannhof at 1500 meters above sea level, known for its organic goat cheese dairy. For the moment however, we postpone our visit until the way back.
We reach the church of St. Helena. Our guide tells us that the church was first mentioned in writing around 1300.
After a brief visit to the church, it is time for a break at the Helener Pichl inn. We have a seasonal lunch consisting of a tomato and kohlrabi carpaccio with sunflower and pumpkin seeds, followed by roasted veal in a chanterelle sauce with rice, accompanied by a pinot blanc from the Merano winery, and for dessert: a slice of apricot cake and, as is tradition in the Ulten valley, „Krapfen“, a sweet, deep-fried dough, traditionally filled with apricot jam or poppy seeds.
Quite tired from the delicious lunch, the group continues to head back to the parking lot. But not before stopping by Heidi and Franz form the Halsmann cheese dairy.
With our backpacks a little heavier from the freshly bought goat cheese, we arrive at the car. Instead of returning home however, the concierge suggests that we should drive to the springs of Bad Überwasser, only a few minutes away by car, where there are many historic mineral water springs.
At an inn of the same name, we order water. But this isn‘t your ordinary tap water, no, the water here is freshly drawn from the springs near the inn and is served with virtually no delay. If one wishes to further flavour the mineral rich water, fresh cranberries and lemon slices are served to be added after one's own taste.
A refreshing experience after a hike in the sun.
Stay tuned!!!!
Our destination this time was the Parnaud Alm. A walk through larch forests, surrounded by the Schnalstal glacier.
While the sun was shining in Vilpian, in Karthaus the mountain tops were covered with clouds. The concierge asked a local for directions, who also let him know that the cloudy weather was not ideal for the Pernaud Alm.
Fully motivated, the concierge his entourage began the 2:30h hike. But as soon as the first raindrops started to fall the motivation was gone. Stop. It is time to turn around.
In these mountains, but much further up, the Similaun Man was found, the mummy from the ice, also known as Ötzi. While it takes worse weather to end up as Ötzi, rain in the mountains isn’t to be taken lightly. It was high time for a change in plans. With lunchtime approaching the concierge decided to dine in a local restaurant.
Smoked char, roasted suckling pig with potato salad, tagliatelle with chanterelles, and of course, a good glass of wine.
With a full stomach the concierge visited the former Carthusian monastery of Monte degli angeli, where “strength lies in silence”. Enjoying the peaceful, absolute silence, the concierge found it difficult to return to Vilpian, where his telephone vibrates, and the reception bell rings.
The silence is very relaxing. Almost like a vacation.
The concierge considers himself a very lucky person, living, where other people come for holiday.
Stay tuned!
After the Concierge recently received fresh strawberries from the Willelehof, he promised farmer Paul that he would pay a visit to his farm. Not only out of curiosity and to assure himself that Paul’s cultivation was top of the line, but also as an excuse to get out of the office.
The concierge had already seen all kinds of farms, some with broken tractors in the front, scrap metal and machine parts scattered everywhere, with unsold apples being stored out front and a couple crates of pears rotting in between.
But once he arrived in Glanning, in Jenesien, at first the concierge was convinced he was at the wrong address. There should be a farm here, right? Instead, the concierge finds himself standing in front of a villa that could be straight out of Hollywood, with freshly mowed lawn and every pebble on the road precisely where it belongs. But a raspberry plantation right next to the villa confirms that this is indeed the Willelehof.
The plantation is in perfect condition and Pauls strawberries follow suit. He grows to types of strawberries, one in raised beds and one on the ground.
On the well-kept lawn stands Paul’s son, who is taking care of the tractor. Scrap metal and broken parts nowhere to be found.
Paul goes into detail about the strawberry market. His farm isn’t the only thing that impresses us, the taste of his strawberries does as well.
Out of nowhere we notice something strange! As we look across the strawberry fields we discover a hemp plantation in the middle of his fields!
Paul! Not for smoking, is it?
Paul assures us that his hemp is not suitable for smoking. This hemp is grown when changing fruit crops.
Yeah, right…
The Willelehof is in impeccable condition. After the visit we enjoy the landscape of Jenesien on a walk to the Jöchl-Almhütte, from where we continue to the Möltner-Kas, where we enjoy a light lunch.
Cabbage salad with roasted Speck and typical Vinschgerle bread.
Are we sure our appetite didn’t come from Paul’s hemp?
Stay timed!!!
Above Bozen, at an altitude of 1200 meters, Paul and his wife have been running the Willelehof in Jenesien since 1996.
From June to September, strawberry season begins at the Willelehof. Paul and his family also produce raspberries and cherries on an area of one hectare each, which ripen from mid-July to the end of September.
We mostly serve the fresh Willelehof strawberries with ice cream. On weekends we use them to make "tartellettes aux fraises", pastries with strawberries and patisserie cream. Our homemade strawberry jam is also made from Paul's strawberries.
We can’t wait for him to harvest the first raspberries and cherries. What treats will we use them for?
Stay tuned!!!
Tuesday is the perfect day to look for new and exciting excursions and hikes that the concierge can then recommend to his esteemed guests. This time he dives into the mountains of Merano, which we can see simply by looking out the window, but rarely have the time to actually visit.
Starting form St. Walburg in the Ulten valley we are accompanied by mountain guide and expert in botany, “Aunt Resi”.
We hike towards Malghetto di cloz at 1894 meters above sea level. Before us towers Monte Luco. Usually we only get to see this mountain from the other side.
We are on the Proveis nature trail and admire the mountain pastures. Here in South Tyrol most pastures are high mountain pastures, which means they lie high beyond the treeline and therefore most of the soil is very acidic. On such soil the vegetation isn’t very varied. However, mostly young cattle graze on alpine pastures which are less demanding then adults.
We continue our hike through the mountains and enjoy the beautiful views. But from time to time we ask ourselves if there could be a bear nearby, this is after all the area of the Life-ursus project, where the Brenta brown bear population lives and is protected after nearly dying out a few years back. The chances of meeting a bear however are very slim and the mountains are too beautiful to spend all hike unnecessarily worrying.
Once arriving at Malga cloz, the concierge enjoys lunch, huts like this are known for their cheese, alpine cheese as used in our Schlutzkrapfen. One table over, the ladies enjoy the guitar playing of the alpine dairyman.
One wonders what they are admiring more, the mountains, or the dairyman?
The concierge is of course only slightly jealous. Next time a group of ladies ask for advice on where to hike to, he’ll send them to the dairyman and his alpine pasture.
Well, we harvest the chives, wash, and chop them and add browned sunflower seeds. Then we add a clove of garlic, a little grated Parmesan cheese and a pinch of salt. Fill into jars and seal with seed oil.
Et voilà. Chives-pesto, perfect for pasta.
Stay tuned!
A sunny day, clear skies.
At the Sparerhof the weather is always nice. If you work in tourism like the concierge, the weather is "always nice", even when it rains.
But today it was actually nice. So what to do with such splendid weather?
How about we pay our colleague Anton Dalvai a visit.
Where to then? Onwards to Montan, south of Bozen. From Montan we go on to Gschnon where the Dorfner restaurant is situated.
Anton, owner and chef, has been working behind the stove since he was a boy.
For him cooking means: "Think global, act regional, for us, that’s a thousand meters above sea level."
This is one of Anton's core beliefs; next to his hotel and restaurant is the family-run farm, which is a source of inspiration and success for Anton.
Mere meters form the restaurant, they grow many of the ingredients they use in their dishes themselves. The concierge is visiting for the second time and the food still tastes excellent, each dish carefully and masterfully prepared.
Great attention to details is put into everything. Even the porcelain and cutlery, right down to the glasses in which Baron Longo's "Solaris" wine is tasted, have been carefully selected.
It might be best not to order a second glass of wine though, as the pathway back is narrow and steep.
Next time it would be best to come prepared. Sturdy shoes, a comfortable backpack. It might even be best to dine and then stay the night. Ah well, next time…
stay tuned!!!
