Marla Gulley and husband Fabrizio, both former chefs, are the maestros behind our partner Bella Baita. They offer
walking and northern Italian cooking holidays around the Chisone valley between Turin and France.
“We’ve seen an uptick in people staying for longer since Covid, and more interest in the many activities in this area – climbing and cycling, as well as the cookery courses we offer,” says Marla. “I think there is an appetite to take things easy and not move around too much.”
From this tranquil community immersed in forests of pine and chestnut trees where Fabrizio has lived all his life, the couple have purposefully cultivated an intimate connection with the area, spearheading a drive for sustainable mountain tourism rooted in slow food.
Our traveller Kay Garvey stayed at their
alpine B&B and found that “the most memorable part of the holiday was the feeling of really getting to know, in a personal and down to earth way, about a place with its own distinct culture and traditions”.
“A lot of the time people arrive after a few days of city sightseeing,” says Marla. “It’s the last part of their trip, they want to relax, they want a slower paced experience.”
You’ll slow down to a happy crawl up here in the Italian Alps, where local producers abound. Marla and Fabrizio delight in showing their guests how to create Piedmont specialities from seasonal ingredients plucked from the farmers’ market, or whatever needs using up from their own organic garden.
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