After I recieved an invation for a "girls trip to Italy" from my high school best friend Louise, I packed my bags I flew into Milan in October.  From Milan we rented a car and drive to Alba Italy where her friend Melissa has a vacation home.  We were in Alba for the "truffle festival."  We had a great time eating fabulous food and drinking great wine.  At the truffle fest we met a lovely retired couple who moved from California to Italy to work in the wine industry.  They said they were sick of their  friends who just sat around and complaining about their health conditions, they wanted to get out and live.