What is Tajarin al tartufo? This classic Italian pasta dish is pure indulgence
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This type of pasta, tajarin, has been made in Piedmont since the 1500s, and was originally served with a basic ragu made with cheap cuts of meat: offal, poultry or rabbit. Truffles, meanwhile, are edible fungi that have been around for several hundred million years, and have been consumed by humans since about 2000 BCE when ancient Egyptians developed a taste. Truffles were later consumed by Greeks and Romans, fell out of favour during the Middle Ages, but then regained popularity during the Renaissance. The underground fungi have been cultivated, somewhat successfully, since the early 1800s.
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During white truffle season in northern Italy, make a booking at La Ciau del Tornavento in Treiso, near Alba (laciaudeltornavento.it).
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The Age
07-08-2025
- The Age
Nowhere on Earth feels more connected to the ancient world than here
After a night back in Cairo, it's an hour by plane to Luxor, flying over a blank sheet of desert marked only by the long green squiggle of the Nile River. Egypt's capital for 1500 years, Luxor was the city of Tutankhamun, Ramses II and Nefertiti, and yet this city of 420,000 people feels more like a town grown large. Horse-drawn carriages wheel visitors around its riverside streets, and at dawn the sky fills with hot air balloons – I count 50 hovering overhead one morning. The Nile River is Luxor's defining line. On its east bank, the ancient Egyptians built their colossal temples, and on its west bank they buried their regal dead in tombs that line the suitably barren landscape of the Valley of the Kings like houses on a dusty street. Luxor is claimed as one of the world's oldest continuously inhabited cities, though it's still a 900-year step forward in time from the Giza pyramids when you enter the Valley of the Kings. And lessons had been learned. Pyramids had proved easy targets for tomb raiders, so Luxor's rulers elected to be buried underground in this valley opposite the city. To date, the tombs of 64 royals and nobles have been discovered in the Valley of the Kings, but there are likely to be more hidden within. A new tomb was discovered as recently as 2006 (and other nearby tombs have been unearthed even this year) and tombs for Ramses VIII, Nefertiti and Tutankhamun's wife, Ankhesenamun, have never been found. Entry tickets grant access to any three tombs in the valley, and while the tomb of Tutankhamun, containing the 19-year-old's sarcophagus and, rather ingloriously, his withered mummified body, is the resoundingly popular choice, it's the painted tombs of Ramses III and Ramses IV that are most memorable. As I step inside these tombs, the colourless desert is replaced by brightly painted walls and ceilings – scenes of kings interacting with gods, wartime heroics and ceilings bedazzled with stars. They are 3000-year-old creations, and yet at times it looks almost as if somebody ducked out to the hardware store for paint just a few months ago. I feel as if I'm standing in a Sistine Chapel from antiquity. Back across the river, it's temples rather than tombs that dominate Luxor's cityscape in a scene often described as the world's greatest open-air museum. At one end of the city, Karnak Temple was the world's largest religious complex, sprawling across 5000 square metres. It might also have been the longest construction project: its multitude of structures were built across 2000 years. It's akin to a construction job starting around the time of Christ and finishing up only now. Inside, Karnak is a forest of columns and obelisks, including the tallest obelisk found in Egypt and the incredible Great Hypostyle Hall, with its 134 columns standing as tall as 21 metres. It's a complex so large it somehow makes the city's other great temple, Luxor Temple, look like a chapel in comparison, and yet the latter is also one of the ancient world's grandest buildings. At the end of a 2.5-kilometre-long avenue lined with 1050 sphinxes that connected the two temples, the entrance to Luxor Temple is framed by towering 14-metre statues of a seated Ramses II and a lone obelisk. A matching obelisk, gifted to France in the 19th century, now stands in Paris's Place de la Concorde. Like Karnak, it's the column-lined Great Colonnade Hall that seems to define Luxor Temple, though look at any wall in the complex and there are carvings, hieroglyphics and reliefs telling historic tales, including additions from Alexander the Great's followers and the Romans. 'They're like the National Geographic of the day,' Hassan says, bouncing with enthusiasm as he details the stone stories of gods and kings. 'Each one is a chapter.' It's late afternoon as we wander through the temple, watching the columns and architraves turn to gold in the day's last light. We're staying this night on a Nile river cruiser docked immediately across the road, and at dawn I return to the temple, somehow compelled to view it one more time, as if to affirm that something this magnificent is real. From feluccas to fancy liners The romance of long felucca journeys on the Nile might have been almost consigned to history, but the world's longest river is still the highway of choice between Luxor and Aswan. Today, three-level ships with comfortable cabins, buffet restaurants, rooftop bars and swimming pools make the voyage, travelling almost in convoy up and down the river. As we set sail, the sky is hazy under the 40-degree heat, with Luxor soon fading into the smudge like a Turner watercolour. Buffaloes and donkeys graze the riverbanks, and villagers wrangle fishing nets from dugout-style boats, as Egypt morphs from a swirl of tourism to rural simplicity. Only 240 kilometres separates Luxor from Aswan, a distance that could easily be covered in a couple of days, but sailings stretch over four days, with boats rising and falling through locks and pausing to visit Egypt's second-largest temple in Edfu and a temple to the crocodile god Sobek in Kom Ombo, where about 300 mummified crocodiles have been found. Most fascinating is the moment, on the approach to Kom Ombo, when the boat squeezes through Gebel Silsila, a 350-metre-wide gorge that forms the Nile's narrowest point in Egypt. Desert dunes roll back from the edges of its low cliffs, stretching for thousands of kilometres across north Africa, and it feels like an origin story: the gorge's sandstone was quarried to build the temples in Luxor, Edfu and beyond. Thousands of years on, that work is still visible. The cliffs are shaped into blocks, resembling something built from Lego bricks. 'Luxor is about monuments; Aswan is about the Nile,' Hassan says as we sail into Egypt's most southerly city. At dusk, motorless feluccas drift about the river in such numbers as to resemble the start of a Sydney-Hobart yacht race, and the hotel in which Agatha Christie penned Death on the Nile famously sits atop riverside cliffs. For all that, Aswan is still a city dominated by a distant temple and its remarkable survival story. When the Aswan High Dam was built in the 1960s to create Lake Nasser, the world's sixth-largest artificial lake, more than 100,000 people were displaced and resettled, but even more challenging was the threat the dam posed to one of Egypt's greatest temples. With its iconic 20-metre-high rock reliefs of the seated Ramses II, Abu Simbel was the original Mount Rushmore. Unlike Egypt's other temples, built from stone, Abu Simbel's two temples were carved into the slopes of a mountain. When the dam was built, the temples were doomed to flood, until the world banded together to raise them to higher ground. As Lake Nasser filled, thousands of engineers and workers cut the main temple into 807 blocks, each weighing about six or seven tonnes, piecing them back together 65 vertical metres higher up the slopes and reconstructing their interiors with their walls and ceilings filled with painted tales of Ramses II's war exploits. Dozens of buses now leave Aswan before dawn each day for the three-hour drive to Abu Simbel, and to reach this ancient wonder, you pass more new wonders. Close to Aswan, one of the world's largest solar-power plants, visible from space, opened in 2019, while the road to Abu Simbel cuts through a band of desert greenery – a vast and ever-growing area of circular, pivot-irrigated crops planted to secure Egypt's food security in response to the war in Ukraine. See it from the air and the desert looks pixellated. Back where we began In the imagination, Egypt's pyramids often start and end in Giza, but there are more than 115 pyramids across the country, including 14 alone near Sakkara and Dahshur, 20 kilometres beyond Giza. On arriving back in Cairo, our final day in Egypt is a glimpse beyond the Great Pyramid to this cluster of pyramids, which have their own distinct stories and characteristics. The six-tier Djoser Step Pyramid is the world's oldest pyramid, built a century before the Great Pyramid, while the strangely lopsided Bent Pyramid seems to fold in on itself as it rises. As structures, they're overshadowed by Giza's pyramids, but that somehow only enhances their effect. 'This is my favourite pyramid,' Hassan says of the Bent Pyramid, a view that resonates across the travel group as we wander among these stepped, bent and coloured pyramids. For me, the culminating moment comes at the Red Pyramid, two kilometres across the sands from the Bent Pyramid. In their attempt to foil tomb raiders, the pyramid's makers built its entrance 28 metres above the ground. Climbing to the entrance is like ascending an unnatural mountain, with the desert falling away beneath me and other more distant pyramids rising into view. The pyramid is entered through a low, sloping corridor, its ceiling polished smooth by hats and heads to reveal the red colour in the rock. In the corridor, I make a crouching descent, almost crawling to emerge into a trio of chambers 30 metres below the Earth's surface. With their high, church-like ceilings, each chamber is like a pyramid within a pyramid. Tiers stripe the ceilings in almost mesmerising patterns that could easily be architectural features from a modern design home, and yet they were crafted 4500 years ago. If this is history, I'm a convert. Know before you go: Five dos and don'ts for Egypt Cover up There is no lack of midriffs and other body bits on display among visitors to Egypt's monuments, but this is a conservative country, so all genders, please cover up accordingly as a simple gesture of respect. The hustle Whether at monuments or in markets, you will be pestered to buy trinkets. Be polite in your refusal and try to enjoy the interaction. … but then again One of my most memorable encounters was with a felucca skipper in Luxor who followed me along the riverbank trying to entice me into a sailing, but who soon settled into a chat about our homes and families. Hands off I lost count of the number of people touching and leaning against the walls or columns of Egypt's temples and tombs. Sure, they're stone and solid, but human touch is still corrosive, and it'd be nice to think these monuments will survive tourism to still be around in another 3000 years. Mind your manners When eating in Egypt, it's considered a compliment (to the sheer abundance of food in this country) for the guest to leave a small portion on his or her plate, while it's also a compliment to accept a second serve. The details Tour a-based Egypt specialist Bunnik Tours runs a 16-day Egyptian Discovery escorted journey with a maximum group size of 20. The itinerary includes visits to Cairo, Alexandria, El Alamein, Luxor and Aswan, staying in four to five-star hotels, with four nights aboard a luxury Nile river ship. Tours start at $12,295 a person twin share, with airfares included as well as gratuities. See Enter Tourist visas for a visit of 30 days can be obtained online, but it's also a simple task to organise on arrival at Cairo airport. See Fly Emirates operates direct daily flights from Sydney, Melbourne, Brisbane, Perth and Adelaide to Dubai, with connections to Cairo, a four-hour flight from Dubai. See
The Advertiser
02-08-2025
- The Advertiser
Explore this ancient city of wonder as part of a luxury cruise
Why go? Ancient Egyptians knew Esna as Latopolis, named after the largest perch species that swam in the Nile's sacred waters. Its ancient past lives on in the colourful street market overflowing with fabrics, carpets, brassware, mother-of-pearl keepsakes and more.
Sydney Morning Herald
19-07-2025
- Sydney Morning Herald
Beyond Rome and Venice: 15 of Italy's most underrated destinations
Where Italy's second-smallest region (after Valle d'Aosta), located between Rome and Naples (although to the east), with a mountainous interior and short coastline on the Adriatic Sea. It has no major towns or cities. With fewer than 500,000 visitors a year, it's the least-visited Italian region. Why we love it Seemingly always hunkered beyond outside influence and history, Molise won't wow you with big sights, but feels like an Italy of times gone by, and has haunting landscapes. The region produces good seafood and fish, wine, olive oil and cheese, lamb, cured meats and sausages. Don't miss Termoli is a dishevelled but attractive fishing town with a walled medieval core on the Adriatic coast. Inland, the ruins of a small Roman trading town at Saepinum are well-preserved and yet virtually unvisited. Guglionesi has a historic centre cluttered with churches. Essentials Spring and autumn are best; avoid winter, which can be rainy. Bellavista B&B di Charme in Macchiagodena has a country setting with mountain views, restaurant and infinity pool, and makes a good exploration base. See NORTHWEST SICILY Where Sicily is far from unknown, but most visitors stick to the eastern half. The island's north-west runs from Trapani southwards to coastal cities Marsala and Mazara, and includes rugged inland hill towns and the Egadi Islands. Why we love it Greeks, Romans, Normans and Spaniards have influenced Sicilian culture, but in the north-west its medieval Islamic heritage is best felt: flat-roofed, whitewashed towns, old forts and use of eggplant, lemons, rice, almonds and raisins in the cuisine. Don't miss Trapani has a fortified peninsula setting and baroque old town. Fishing port Mazara and wine-producer Marsala have a distinctly North African feel. Inland, Caltagirone is famed for the quality of its ceramics, while hilltop Erice has a brooding medieval atmosphere and Sicily's best marzipan. The Egadi islands offer archaeological sites, whitewashed villages fronting pretty harbours, sea caves and diving on a Roman shipwreck. VENETO Where This north-east region that includes Venice shouldn't make this list, except that Venice's visitor millions largely ignore the Veneto's lovely countryside and high mountains, whose snow you can spot from atop Venice's campaniles. Why we love it There's so much landscape and cultural variety condensed into this small region that you could spend weeks exploring it. Historic towns, although well visited, retain a local atmosphere and have plenty of good museums, cathedrals and other sights. Don't miss Barge down Brenta Canal from Venice and admire the summer palazzi of the Venetian aristocracy before arriving in culture-dense university and pilgrimage town Padua. Vincenza and Verona are two other worthy historical towns. Further north are the vineyards where prosecco is produced, and further north still the superb Dolomites and chic ski resort Cortina d'Ampezzo. Essentials Summer is hot, rainy and crowded, and winter chilly, though great if you ski. Al Fagiano Art Hotel in Padua is modestly priced but offers decorative, colourful and slightly risque flair, and has a little courtyard garden. See BASILICATA Where A rugged, remote region in the arch of Italy's boot between Calabria (the toe) and Apulia (the heel), notable for short coastlines on both the Tyrrhenian and Ionian seas. It has a population of just 530,000 and ranks 19th out of 20 Italian regions for visitor numbers. Why we love it This is another, almost otherworldly Italy imprinted with ancient cultures but seemingly bypassed by the Renaissance. Depopulated villages slumber amid ragged but gorgeous landscapes and coastlines. Don't miss Matera, World Heritage-listed for its cave houses and baroque topping, has recently become tourist-famous, but few visitors stray beyond it. Craco is an eerily abandoned town, medieval Melfi has a fine hilltop setting topped by a ruined castle, Metaponto sits on a lovely coastline and has Greek ruins. Pollino National Park has lush forest and ancient villages. Essentials April-June is the best option, since it combines warm weather with wildflowers. For something unusual, check into a cave hotel in Matera, whether at top-end Aquatio Cave Luxury Hotel & Spa or mid-range Caveoso Hotel. See CALABRIA Where In Italy's toe, with long coasts on the nation's east and west sides. Historically one of Italy's poorest regions, Calabria has none of the key towns or big sights that draw international tourists, giving it modest tourist numbers. Loading Why we love it This isn't the elegant, sophisticated Italy of movies and romantic novels. Calabria is rough at the edges, provincial and poor, and yet offers the real deal: lovely towns not yet turned to kitsch, friendly locals not yet jaded by tourists, and a culture not homogenised by Italy, let alone Europe. Don't miss Two coastlines, three national parks, medieval villages, Greek ruins, festival outbursts, endless street life: Calabria is the appealing sum of many small parts. Coastal Tropea is the loveliest city. Badolato, Civita, Gerace and Scilla are striking villages. Essentials April and October are sweet spots weather wise, and you can also take in many festivals related to Easter or food harvests. Piccolo Grand Hotel in Pizzo is a simple, unpretentious hotel from yesteryear with cheerful colourful rooms overlooking the sea. See VALLE D'AOSTA Where This north-west region sits in the Alps, with better-known destinations Chamonix (France) and Zermatt (Switzerland) just over the border. It's the country's smallest and least-populated region but has outsized scenery. Why we love it Superb alpine landscapes, castles clinging to crags, cheerful villages, great hiking trails, interesting French influences. Most visitors come in winter for guaranteed great snow, with resorts that connect across the border offering extravagant – but more modestly priced – skiing. Don't miss Aosta has Roman and medieval remains and a snow-capped setting. Rock-perched Forte di Bard combines fortifications, an alpine museum and terrific panoramas. Get into Gran Paradiso National Park for scenic hiking and ibex-spotting. The ski season is busy, with Cervinia offering the most ski runs, but Courmayeur the most upmarket. Essentials Because of the high altitudes and glaciers, the ski season runs from late November to early May. Cervinia has no shortage of luxury and family-run boutique hotels and ski chalets, among them the cool and contemporary Principe delle Nevi, which is ski-in ski-out. See FIVE OVERLOOKED CITIES IN ITALY Turin The former capital of Savoy in the north-west is one of Italy's most attractive big cities, with French-influenced architecture, fine piazzas and boulevards, great cafes and Alps on the horizon. The home of Fiat and other industries also has the wealth for good museums and restaurants, a lively classical music scene, and sophisticated shopping. Don't miss one of the world's best ancient Egyptian collections, a whopping baroque royal palace, and the National Automobile Museum. See Loading Mantua Ruled for four centuries by the influential Gonzaga family, Mantova in north-central Italy, just south of Verona, is UNESCO-listed for its Renaissance old town, arcaded streets, several fine piazzas and sumptuous palaces, set on the shores of an artificial lake. The massive Palazzo Ducale is draped in luscious frescoes, tapestries and first-class artworks, while Palazzo Te has more magnificent frescoes. Anywhere else and queues would be out the door. See Cremona If Cremona is known at all it is for its violin making, with many luthiers still carrying on the tradition that reached its height under Antonio Stradivari. The Museo del Violino has its interest, but you'll be delighted by the charming town, which has one of Italy's loveliest central piazzas, its tallest campanile, and a pink 12th-century cathedral. The city 80 kilometres southeast of Milan is also noted for nougat and mustard production. See Trento This north-east city and former independent bishopric is well-kept, cobbled, castle-dominated, and sits on a river surrounded by the Alps. It also has historical chops, an Italian-Germanic fusion culture and a busy summer festival season. Highlights are the Castello del Buonconsiglio and Muse, an interactive science museum that highlights the alpine environment inside a jagged, eye-catching Renzo Piano-designed building. Ride the cable car to Sardagna above the valley to appreciate Trento's glorious location. See
