10.4 The mountains, a true passion

Let's come to the topic “sport”. It cannot be said that Luciano had any particular preferences. He was not a fan of any team, but – if it happened to him – he would gladly watch a football match on television or even better the stages of the Giro d’Italia, especially those commented on by Beppe Conti, a dear family friend. And then he was a huge fan of his brother Luca, an amateur cyclist, but of great depth. And let's not forget the pallone elastico, the territorial sport of which he was passionate.
“My husband has never been a practicing sportsman. – observes Mariuccia –. In his day, there was no way to do sport. You just worked. However, he had a particular attention for Formula One. When the season started, he gladly spent Sundays in the living room watching the Grand Prix on television. He would even have liked to fly to Singapore to attend the night Grand Prix live. But as we know, in a company there was always something to do”.
Rather, he was a great mountain enthusiast. When he was young and work commitments were fewer, with his other brother, Bruno, and his cousin Gianfranco they loved to leave with backpack and ice axe and climb Monviso, in particular. What satisfaction for those beautiful walks on the mountain paths and then discovering new tracks, admiring breathtaking panoramas, breathing the fresh air and freedom. Naturally, everything was always in proportion to his abilities. Even in this case, he didn't like to overdo it. When he was in the mountains, he also dedicated some time to fishing, but not sport fishing, just as a pastime, always in the company of Bruno, Gianfranco, Roberto Vezza and Andrea, his right-hand man in the cellar.
“Between mountains and sea as a place of relaxation – specifies Mariuccia – he had no doubts. Preferring the mountains by far. On the other hand, what can you expect from a person who had grandparents from Dronero, a town at the entrance to the Valle Maira, in the province of Cuneo? The mountains were truly his favorite habitat. And it was also the dimension where every year, on August 15th, he went to the Ferragosto Concert, where the classical music of the Bruni orchestra of Cuneo provided a beautiful opportunity for culture and recreation among the Cuneo mountains. And Luciano never wanted to give it up”.
Classical music and opera were the two genres he was passionate about. His favorite singer was Luciano Pavarotti. He never missed a concert, especially when they were broadcast on television. But he also loved attending the Arena di Verona. Speaking of Pavarotti, he loved to say “When he starts singing, I feel a shiver that catches me from head to toe. A unique emotion!”. Who knows if it also depended on the fact that they had the same first name...
In his life, Luciano never had many friendships. Even as a child, he had bonded with few peers. In Barolo he had two childhood friends, the Moscone brothers (Giancarlo and Mario) who had moved to Turin when they were young. With them Luciano went to graze the few animals that were in the stable, especially the goats. Together they always went to the same place and, in the wettest season, they enjoyed making loaves of mud.
“Luciano told me – it's Mariuccia speaking – that they got so caught up in that fun that at a certain point the goats got bored and went back home alone. Irony of fate: those two brothers, having moved to Turin, went to work in a bakery with pastry shop and they really made loaves, but with bread dough”.
In Turin, Mario Moscone had made his fortune and had bought the shop-laboratory where he worked. Even today the Moscone family is the owner of the Pasticceria Racca in Via Onorato Vigliani. With that family – in particular with Mario – Luciano always maintained an excellent relationship. They talked from time to time, had long chats and thought back to past times.