New Year's Eve in Tuscany

Tuscany is a perfect place to enjoy the last night of of 2008. This unique region offers a wide range of options for all tastes and for all ages: for those who are seeking peace and quietness, for those who are wishing dancing all night, for those who dream of beginning the new year tasting the excellent specialities of a traditional Tuscan resturant in a friendly and warm atmosphere...

Therefore Tuscany has a large offer of accommodations, so you can choose to spend your holidays in a exclusive Villa with your family and friends, in a beautiful country house or in a charming hotel. You will find for sure the place that fits perfectly with your accommodation needs.

Some years ago I decided to spend my Christmas holidays with some friends in a wonderful Villa close to Cortona, and all I can say is that it was an unforgettable experience living those days among our Tuscan neighbours learning all about their traditions, the way they live Christmas and tasting the excellent specialities of the Tuscan gastronomy. We had the New Year's Eve dinner in a great and small restaurant south of Siena called "La Visantaia".


As always there will be plenty parties - allnightlong- in cities such as Florence, where you can find good music, the best dj's, and all the best for the last night of the year. In this link you will be able to see some of the options for that night: http://www.capodannofirenze.it/new_year_eve_florence/new_year_eve_florence_saschall.html

Also Woody Allen will be in Tuscany for the coming weeks, he will be in concert in Florence on December 22, so if you are thinking of being there that day I might suggest you don't miss the chance!

I hope this advices to be useful for all of you, and I wish you the best in Christmas and in 2009!


Alicia

Rent or Buy a Cell Phone

A cellphone is one of these things, for the very simple reason that the majority of the times if you have no way to communicate at cheap rates, whenever you want, you will have to be rely on others to put you through with the right person and complete the call successfully.

Let's take a restaurant reservation while you are in Siena or in Florence, for example. Do you know which one is best? Do you know where to look up the number?

Thanks to the yellowpages service (pagine gialle), you will have all the info necessary to chose your restaurant, to localize it, and to reserve it.

There are so many companies that will sell you a phone for as little as 50 euros with 10 euros of outgoing traffic included, voicemail, international SMS and MMS capabilities already included, and totally free incoming calls, from wherever in the world. The companies in Italy are TIM, Vodafone, Wind, Insim, Fastweb, PosteMobile, 3...you name it! Moreover all cellphones in Italy are unlocked, so when you go back home you can use it with your own sim card! All Mhz bands are usually included nowadays, so the phone will work wherever in the world.

THE LEGEND OF THE REVERSED BALCONY

Florence, like all the medieval towns have a lot of legends about curious and strange events that have occurred in the past times.
Florence, like all the historical towns, has many charming and unknown little corners.
Sometimes those little corners are the subject of the ancient legends, like in the case of the legend of The Reversed Balcony, that show the irriverent character of the Florentines and the Tuscany people in general.
In the centre of Florence in via Borgo Ognissanti number 12 there is a balcony, at the first floor, that was built with all the classical elements, the supporting corbels, the volutes and the balustrades ... that are assembled all counter wise.
The building with this balcony is dated to the 16th century, and seems to have been built in that curious way on a request of the stable's builder, for a revenge with the Duke Alessandro De' Medici. Seems, in fact, that the Duke at the moment of the project proposal, rejected the project cause of the prominents of the balcony, at the time there was a law that forbade the contruction of balconies all over the city. It is said that the builder presented the project more times with only few things modified between one time to another, leaving the balcony almost unchanged, and it is said that at least the Duke wrote on one of his responses: "yes on the contrary". The builder, it is said, applying the answer of the Duke, ordered to his architect to build the balcony upside down. Finally when the Duke saw the balcony, it is said, would liked to punish the constructor .... but as Florentine .... probably .... apprecciated and approved his presence of mind ....

Travelling while you are in Tuscany: Sightseeing Florenc

The best way to visit the city with a Florence car rental.

Florence


This itinerary will take you around Florence's hills. We will start from Piazzale Michelangelo, the most famous panoramic sight of the town and a visit to the wonderful Church of San Miniato al Monte, a jewel of the Romanesque style. We will then head north to Villa Pietraia, a tipical Tuscany Villa, one of the Medici Family's most remarkable summer residence.

Disover this land underground: Caverns and Grottos in Tuscany

Depending on what part of Tuscany you are visiting, there are several spots for you.

The Apuane Alps, in the Lucca and Carrara region, offer the Antro del Corchia (info at: www.antrocorchia.it), the Grotta dell'Onda free to all (info at: www.comune.camaiore.lu.it), the Grotta del Vento (info at: www.grottadelvento.com), the Grotta di Bagni di Lucca (info at: www.termebagnidilucca.it), and the Parco Naturale delle Grotte di Equi (info at: www.comunefivizzano.it).


If you are in Siena or the Val di Chiana Area you have the Parco Archeologico Naturalistico di Belverde (info at: www.comune.cetona.siena.it), the Bottini di Siena (info at: www.comune.siena.it/diana), and the Labirinto di Porsenna (Tel. 0578 227667).

The Valdarno area near Florence offers the Grotta Giusti (info at: www.grottagiustispa.com), and the Grotta Maona (info at: www.grottamaona.it).


The coast and the southern part of Tuscany include the Miniera del Siele (info at: www.abiesealba.com), the Museo delle Miniere di Montecatini Val di Cecina (info at: www.viaggioantico.com), the Museo Minerario di Abbadia San Salvatore (info at: www.terreditoscana.it), the Parco Archeominerario di Montieri (info at: www.parcocollinemetallifere.it), the Parco Archeominerario di San Silvestro (info at: www.parchivaldicornia.it), the Parco Minerario dell'Isola d'Elba (info at: www.parcominelba.it), the Parco Minerario Naturalistico di Gavorrano (info at: www.parcominerario.it), and the Galleria delle Fonti dell'Abbondanza (info at: www.coopcollinemetallifere.it/musei)

So now you have plenty to explore, discover and relax in Tuscany...even underground!!

Summer 2008 The opera Festival , Opera and Theatre season

Florence � at Giardino dei Boboli (what a wonderful location!!!)

Shows start at 9,15 PM

June 11-12-13-14
CATS

June 25 and July 10-30
IL BARBIERE DI SIVIGLIA

July 3-17-29
LA BOHEME

July 8-23
LA TRAVIATA

July 11
SIGUR ROS

July 14-15
THE BEST OF MOMIX 2008

July 22
FIORELLA MANNOIA � Italian Pop Concert

July 24
CARMINA BURANA
BOLERO

July 28
FILM MUSIC � Camera Orchestra

August 5
O.R.T.-ORCHESTRA DELLA TOSCANA � PUCCINI E VERDI A PARIGI

Chiusdino (Siena) � at Abbazia di San Galgano (just magic..google it for pictures!!)

Shows start at 9.00pm

June 13 � July 26
CARMINA BURANA
BOLERO

June 18-21-28 and July 4
IL FLAUTO MAGICO

July 24
SULLE TRACCE DI DIAGHILEV

Barberino di Mugello � at Villa Medicea di Cafaggiolo

Shows start at 9.00pm

July 11
LE STAGIONI


July 6
FAVOLE with Paolo Poli

July 13 at Chiostro Cennaio
LE STAGIONI

July 16 at Chiostro Cennaio
LAUDARIO DI CORTONA

July 20
LA BOHEME

July 27
CARMINA BURANA
BOLERO

Take advantage of the Tuscan land with Coocking Classes

Tuscan traditions are strongly bound to the roots of Tuscan cooking, its flavors and the cuisine.
A famous travel agency in Siena, the Cor Magis, offers to its customers the opportunity to take part to tailored cooking classes.

The spirit of this cooking school is based on the Tuscan tradition, therefore the ingredients used during all classes are those that throughout the centuries have come to be part of the Tuscan tradition.
The recipes are of course the most traditional ones. Here you will learn how to cook the true and simple Tuscan way, without all the frills and compromising spices and foreign tastes that you encounter at most restaurants outside Italy and Tuscany.


Each class is designed around you and your group, so you will learn to love what you do and have lots of fun, whether your dish is a success or a "fiasco"!

Some examples of what you will be able to learn are from the very basic bruschetta (pronounced brusketta), or the many appetizing sauces to create "crostini" (bread tarts), to the simple yet elaborated preparation of handmade pici.

What is more fun than learning such a pleasurable thing such as Tuscan cooking? A healthy and tasty way of life without messing up your kitchen.


The course of Cor Magis includes:

-Transfer from your accommodation to the cooking school (and return to your accommodation, of course!)
-A professional chef that speaks several languages, so you will have all the instructions crystal clear.
-A professional kitchen able to accommodate your group that will allow you to learn comfortably.
-The final dinner, where you will enjoy the dishes you have prepared.

A taste of Porcini

When you visit Tuscany you can pick up these wild mushrooms. But do pick up the young small ones as the older porcini mushrooms may have maggots and do not taste as good. The best place to find these mushrooms is under an oak or chestnut tree in the wild forests in the Hills of Tuscany on a warm day after a fresh spell of rain.

Mushroom hunting is like a national past time in Autumn in many parts of Tuscany. Many locals and tourists enjoy exploring the forests to pick up these brown, ochre or rust coloured specialties. Chocolate brown coloured ones are the most highly prized mushrooms.

Many traditional Tuscan dishes are made using these mushrooms as one of the main ingredients. You can also use it to make a porcini mushroom sauce, for soups, in salads, in pasta dishes, stuffed porcini mushrooms or you can even grill it or fry it and lightly season it with olive oil and a hint of garlic.

Coniglio con Miele e Verdure - Rabbit with Honey and Vegetables

In some countries rabbits are considered pets just as cats and dogs, however in countries like France, Spain, Italy and there fore in Tuscany, the rabbit is not considered a pet but live food stock. Some may be express some concerns about this, but if you visit Tuscany and end up in a restaurant where rabbit is among the entrees you may want to give it a try, or at least consider that you may end up eating a close relative of the rabbit, the hare. Very common are the Pappardelle with hare sauce, indeed!

To those who do not have problems with eating a rabbit or have changed their minds over this, I would like to propose the recipe of rabbit with honey and vegetables, for 4 people.

Ingredients:
1 whole rabbit
80 grams of butter
4 carrots
4 turnips
100 grams of peas
100 grams of green beans
Half a glass of vinegar
1 table spoon of honey
Tarragon, Salt and Pepper

Chop it up:



In a medium size pan warm up the butter with the honey with the chopped up rabbit until the latter is lightly cooked on the outside.
Just as the rabbit pieces start to golden, add salt and pepper and remove from the pan keeping them in a warm place (a preheat oven at 50 Celsius is fine).
Lower the heat under the pan and pour the vinegar in. Let it evaporate slowly.
Meanwhile, boil the vegetables on the side for 5 minutes. If you steam them add some extra minutes. As soon as the vegetables are done put the rabbit pieces back into the pan and add the vegetables and minced tarragon.

Florence and the Hystoric soccer: The "King of Sports" is Born

Costumed Football was originally played during the military campaigns in ancient Greece, both as entertainment and training for soldiers. They had fun and in the meantime they exercised their muscles before the battle. The game arrived later to the Italic Peninsula, specifically to Florence in 59 b.c, and became immediately popular among the Roman Soldiers that dominated the city. They followed the same rules as the Greek game, just changing the Greek name from �Episciro� into the Latin name �Haspastum�

During the Renaissance the game greatly entertains the Florentine aristocrats, still playing with the same rules from the ancient Greeks. Initially the playing field is a giant sand pit of 80 x 50 meters. Piazza Santa Croce was the football field, covered with sand, where the two teams composed of athletic young men used to play the game. The players, �calc�anti,� were 27 per team, so there were 54 men playing a match using both their hands and feet in a sort of greco-roman fight that later on would become what nowadays we know as football and rugby.


In 1580 the Florentine count Giovanni Bardi published the official rules of calcio, in order to give proper form to that game that was absolutely integrated in Florentine�s life. By then, matches were 50 minutes long, and as it happens today the winner team was the one able to score more �caccie� (goals) during the game time.

The last match of �calcio fiorentino� was celebrated in 1739, ceasing the tradition until 1898. In 1898 when English football begins to succeed , the city of Florence decided to revive the traditional �calcio storico� , and they kept the tradition until the present days. Some centuries later we are able to see the recreation of those shows, mixing game and sports competition, so loved by the Renaissance Florentines aristocrats. Both the aesthetics and rules of the game didn't change through time, and in the XXI Century there are four teams playing each match, representing the historical quarters of the city (San Giovanni, Santa Croce, Santa Maria Novella, Santo Spirito)



Enjoying one of this matches in Piazza Santa Croce is a fascinating event that you shouldn�t miss, if you are so lucky of being in Florence next June. The most important matches are played the 24th. The colorful parade with characters dressed as the nobles players of the XVI Century also characterizes this tradition. The meeting point is at 04.00 p.m in Piazza Santa Maria Novella where the parade begins in direction to Piazza Santa Croce surrounded by fanfares and drumbeats.

For more information about it i would like also to post a link of a good travel guide for Italy and Tuscany Italy Travel Guide

Spigola Cipolle Pomodori - Sea Bass with Tomato and Onions

A very common fish that you will be able to get with your fishing rod (or buy at the fishmonger!), is the sea bass.

The ingredients for 4 people are:
1 sea bass (2 pounds)
3 tomatoes
2 onions
2 lemons
I glass of dry white wine
Thyme
Bay leaves
Parsley
Olive oil, salt and pepper

Wash the sea bass and set it in an oven pan on a bed of freshly sliced onions. Slice the tomatoes removing the seeds and set them around the sea bass. Slice the lemons thinly and cover up the sea bass with the slices. Add salt and pepper according to your taste.
Pour a tablespoon of olive oil on top of the lemons, adding the glass of white dry wineand add one whole bay leave on top.
Set the sea bass in the pre heated oven at 200 Celsius or 392 Fahrenheit for 20 minutes.

Enjoy the wine in the country of Tuscany: Montalcino tour and wine

Born in Chicago, USA, in 1966, my family brought me to Florence when I was four years old, and that is where I grew up.
My passion for wine started when I was 19, studying at the University, and working part-time in the p.r. office of the Consorzio del Vino Chianti Classico Gallo Nero.
After a couple of months, I decided to leave my studies and dedicate myself completely to this, my first real job.
When I had a chance, I would go in the laboratory, where the inspectors tasted wines that had to be approved before giving them the pink DOCG label, and I would take this opportunity to taste as well.
I will never forget the day when I realized that a wine I really liked had a very high score on a magazine. A voice inside of me said: "hey, maybe I do understand something�"
I'm not really sure, though, when and how I fell in love with wine. It was very gradual. The first time I felt this way, it happened by chance. I didn't decide anything. Then, slowly I realized that I never wanted to leave the wine world; I can still feel that part of myself growing. I'll never forget when I met one very famous French wine producer: I had to take him to visit a vineyard, but it had unfortunately started to rain while I was on my way to pick him up. I apologized to him, saying, "too bad it's raining." He answered, "perfect; then I can see the drainage." Touch�.

It was also very lucky that I was even accepted in the wine world at that time. It was not easy twenty years ago in a totally male dominated industry, in a country like Italy! Even though I was the youngest in the office, after a year and a half, I found that I had outgrown the working atmosphere I had so loved. It felt claustrophobic: I needed to be more outside, and I wanted to learn more�I wanted to be working on a farm.

At the age of 21, I left a "sure" job for a 3 month position in an estate in Montalcino at Altesino Winery, where I met my husband. The 3 months ended up becoming 2 years! Then came along our 3 children, but that is another story.
At Altesino I was taking care of the wine tastings and of the many visitors.

After Altesino, and a couple of children, I went to work in another estate, Costanti, owned by a dear friend of Claudio and I. I worked there for about 6 years, it was a perfect job since it was part time but rich in responsibilities.

Eventually I left Costanti, because I started to give wine tours, working for a friend who has a very good agency, and I needed to have more flexibility in my schedule.
Taking people on wine tours has a very specific meaning for me: every time something must be different. It is like traveling, sharing my passion, transmitting what this land has to offer, and meeting people ensuring that there is always something interesting for me to learn as well.
All of this goes above and beyond the fact that, while working in the industry, I had the opportunity to taste the majority of the wines produced in this area and to get to know the owners of the wineries themselves.
In a way, visitors that come here are already a "selective bunch" (please excuse the pun!): he who enjoys wine, usually enjoys food, and for sure enjoys life! For this reason I feel very lucky, since I always take away from my clients a healthy dose of enthusiasm.
Since 2004 I take care of the clients at Borgo Finocchieto (www.borgofinocchieto.com) for all of their wine tour needs and began a new adventure last year: it is now also my responsibility to select the wines for the Borgo's growing cellar. A wonderful job.

My husband and I decided that our lives were not busy enough, so we went ahead and planted a vineyard here at home. For a couple of years now I produce my own wine, Martin del Nero, as well as extra virgin olive oil, and in 2007 I was asked to be consigliera for the Consortium of Doc Orcia producers. These things bring me great joy, and it seems that I have finally come full circle to where I feel I naturally belong.
Bottles, glasses, now roots and leaves. Scents, shades. So many wines to taste, all of them so different. Which wood to use, for how long. Decisions. As a producer I now have a new personality to deal with every year, different characteristics, different needs, new challenges. Just the way I like it.

Anna Lisa Tempestini

You can contact Anna Lisa at her email: annalisa@fattoriaresta.it

Hystorical backgrounds of the town of Arezzo

The acropolis of San Cornelio, one of the hills of Arezzo, was fortified by the Etruscans. Etruscan walls, the Poggio del Sole necropolis, and the "Minerva" and the "Chimera of Arezzo", now in Florence, testify the Etruscan past of Arezzo. Trades with Greece allowed for fine Greek pottery, finer than the Etruscan, to be imported.
A piece of pottery from Roman-times Arezzo was found in India at Arikamedu. This is evidence that Arezzo vested an important exporting role during Roman times with was then called Persia.

In the Augustan period Arretium continued to flourish as Arretium Vetus (The Old Arezzo) and was the third largest city in Italy. This period saw Arezzo getting famous for its pottery manufactures, the well-known red, and black Bucchero clay vases and pottery.

The 3rd and 4th centuries saw Arezzo became throned by the Roman church bishops. These bishops used to be feudal lords of the city during the Middle Ages.
Unfortunately the Roman Arretium was demolished during the barbaric invasions and parly by the people of the city itself to reuse the stones to fortify the city. The only construction that still stands is the Amphitheater.

Between 1098 until 1384 Arezzo kept its status of independent city-state. The affiliation with Siena's Ghibelline made Arezzo an opposer of Guelph Florence. The year 1252 saw the university of Arezzo, the Studium, being founded. In 1289 the fortunes of the city started to decrease as in 1384 the city became a Guelph city, making of the city an appendix of Florence, inheriting its politics, history and culture with a consequent loss of identity. The Medicean family ruled over Arezzo. However, it was during this period of Medicean art patronage that Piero della Francesca created his beautiful frescoes in the church of San Francesco di Arezzo. The frescoes have been recently restored and represent Arezzo's most representative works; soon afterwards Arezzo began a cultural and economical decline, which somehow helped preserving the medieval center of the city.

Explore the Tusany countryside and its apartments farmhouses and mansions

You can choose a place to stay in Tuscany�s countryside from a wide selection of farmhouses, country homes and apartments available on this site. The site also gives an explanation of the booming business of farm holidays in Tuscany. The site�s search engine helps you to choose an accommodation by providing information such as descriptions, prices, facilities, contact numbers and photos. Don�t forget to check out the weather forecast in Tuscany, available on this site, if you are planning a trip to this beautiful region. If you work in the farm holiday business, you can also request to insert your farmhouse in their database.
Just click on the title of this post to be redirected to the official Tuscan Region website.

Some simple traveller's advice

I invited my aunt Mary to Florence, where I was spending several days as part of my seminary on rare plants in Italy. The seminary was part of the University of Florence joined project with Constantin University in Texas, where I have taught for several years. Anyway...My aunt is surprisingly young (there is a lot of difference between her and my mother) she is only 54 and she loves to travel. However up to this last time she had only traveled through the United States and Canada. It seems like the impact with the Old Continent made her feel just how good she has when she is at home.

I have always had a wonderful relationship with my aunt (I call her Squeeny from Squeezable Jenny, her first name...well Jennifer in reality) but Squeeny did not like my trip planning and the places, and the food and the people and so many things I planned for her that I was sure she would have enjoyed.

As soon as she got to Florence at the airport she had to complain why the airplane was so small and why she had to land in Rome and then get to Florence afterwards..I told her..well The airport in Florence is just getting bigger, plus, getting from Rome with the train to Florence is not bad at all, as the train takes you from Fiumicino airport with just two changes in two hours total!

Well, the roads were not large enough for her, as the traffic was too slow during rush hour..I told her that Florence is an old city and that the wider the roads the more the cars in it, so wider roads would have not sped up things. I suggested her to enjoy the cab ride from the very central airport to our hotel right by the Duomo of Florence square where the Campanile of Giotto is.

My aunt was surprisingly grumpy and critical of everything! I mean, this was Italy! and not only that, it was Florence! Well, may be she was just having a bad day or the jet lag got into her.

Next day I told her I had planned a nice stroll along the Rossi street in Florence and the Tornabuoni street, two of the most glamorous streets in Florence. She was not particularly in love with the idea, and did not change much the fact that at the end I was going to take her for a gelato in Piazza della Signoria...alright, a little cliche, but this was he FIRST time in Italy! A little cliche is good!

Wonderful food in Tuscany

All the products that you can at "Hosteria Vecchia Rota" are very good because the Oste only take the best products that he can find changing them depending on the season of the year. If you have the opportunity to be in Marciano in Tuscany in July or in August I would strongly suggest to ask for "Pici all Ocio". Ocio is a big withe duck that you can eat almost only in summer and it is really one of the best meat in the world!

Hosteria Vecchia rota has not got any website so unfortunately I can not put the link for you but if you wish to go I just put below the telephone number and the address.

Hosteria Vecchia Rota
Via XX Settembre 4
Marciano della Chiana

tel: 0575 845362
cell: 335 5912812

If you wish to go I would strongly suggest to call them and to ask for a reservation as it is a very popular Osteria and many locals go every day.

My best regards for all of you!

Simon