Christmas in Florence

Dear Friends,

Spending Christmas in Florence is quite possibly the best way to experience Tuscany and its capital during this magical and special time. All of the towns in Tuscany, especially Florence, have this certain enchanting and captivating glow during Christmas.

The Florentines tend to celebrate this festive period with various open-air markets, which the Italians call "Mercatini di Natale", or "Christmas Markets", where artisans from all over Italy come to sell their products, and in particular, delicacies.

In Florence, these "Mercatini di Natale" can usually be found in Piazza di Santa Croce, and you'll meet artisans from the north of Italy, as well as from Germany and other Northern European countries, selling various artisanal products and food.

For those of you who love shopping, I would recommend visiting the famous Via Tornabuoni, where you will find the most exclusive Italian fashion shops and international labels. Of course, during Christmas, all these shops are all the more elegant than usual because of their luxurious and lavish Christmas decorations.

Another place where you'll find shops worth visiting is Florence's permanent market, located in Piazzale San Lorenzo, near the Duomo. This market is open all year long and is the ideal place to shop for the finest leather, which Florence is famous for.

During Christmas, enjoying a stroll across the beautiful Ponte Vecchio is a must, the oldest and most famous bridge in Florence, where all the Italian Jewish jewelers sell their jewelry and collection pieces.

During Christmas in Florence, I also recommend visiting the many churches and cathedrals of the city, being that Italy is a Catholic country, it's interesting to enjoy the various Christmas preparations at the sites of worship.

Finally, my friends, I hope that you'll find a lot of useful information in this post, and that it'll help you discover Tuscany and Florence during Christmas.


Kind Regards,

George

Umbria, the unknown beauty

Dear friends,

Today we are going to talk about Umbria, an extremely beautiful region bordering Tuscany.

Umbria is a much more affordable and very interesting region for all those who already know Tuscany or have enough time to explore both regions during their holiday.

Umbria, as its name suggests, "Ombra", that is, �Shadow" is an extremely mountainous region.

Its mountains and rivers (perfect for rafting) are beautiful as are the gentle rolling hills. Among its beauties, Umbria also has one of the biggest lakes in Italy, Lake Trasimeno, where there are some islands that can be visited by boat. This is a real nature spot for admiring the flora and fauna and eating outdoors 

For those who don�t have much time to visit this beautiful region I want to recommend some important spots that, from my point of view, are the best of the region:

1- The first spot to visit  is no doubt Lake Trasimeno, about which we have already talked in previous posts.

If you want to eat in the area you should go to Fischio del Merlo (Passignano sul Trasimeno) where you can enjoy excellent dishes of seafood and freshwater fish for approx 35-40 euros.

2- The second place to explore is the incredible Assisi, religious capital of the region and Italy as a whole,  Assisi is a must  for its architectural beauty and for the mystical air that it emanates. A visit to the cloisters in the forest where Saint Francis used to pray makes for an interesting outing.

3- Montefalco and Bevagna. Montefalco for its wines and Bevagna for the beauty of its architecture, for its Roman theatre and its churches. These two little towns are certainly some of the most beautiful in Umbria. From Montefalco particulary visitors are blessed with excellent views of the area, the hills and the mountains.

For gastronomy lovers "La Vecchia Cucina" lies in the little village of Colle Secco (10 min from Montefalco). It is, (in my humble opinion!), the best restaurant in terms of quality and price.
This family-run restaurant serves a real variety from typical Umbrian dishes: pasta, farm chicken and first class sausages! It also has excellent beer.

4 - Spoleto. Entering this beautiful region one arrives in Spoleto, a beautiful place with a ravishing cathedral.

 famous worldwide for its beauty. A trip to the fortress and the bridge from where excellent vistas of the whole valley can be seen are recommended too.

5 - Orvieto. It is one of the most beautiful Etruscan towns in Umbria and one of the best kept. Orvieto enjoys an interesting historical centre, and another magnificent cathedral that resembles the famous cathedral of Siena.

Best regards, 

Pictures of Umbria

Dear Friend,

I want to publish today some picture of Umbria, a very beautiful region that border to Tuscany.

Enjoy:






More information on Umbria here: Umbria Travel Guide

Il Bacco Felice and its incredible Oste (Foligno, Umbria)

Dear Readers,

Today I am going to tell you about another place that you cannot leave out at all in a visit to Umbria (region situated next to Tuscany). What I have in mind is the osteria �Il Bacco Felice� in the enchanting town of Foligno , a few kilometres from the capital, Perugia.

Salvatore, the owner, soul and heart of this restaurant, is quite a character who passionately devotes himself to his work and prepares by hand most of the dishes that can be eaten in his spectacular eatery. As in all best restaurants Salvatore has no fixed menu but he keeps changing it daily depending on the seasonal products he has managed to get. What is a certain in his cuisine, and you have to savour inevitably, is the exquisite ham made from pork that Salvatore breeds in his farm.

Salvatore is also a wine worshipper and you will always see him walking around his restaurant with a glass of wine in his hand. I think Salvatore easily drinks a bottle of wine a night.

Besides Salvatore is a really singular character, of great charisma and personality, that will certainly come to your table to chat...but watch out!! do not refuse to try any of his dishes, otherwise Il Bacco Felice will stop smiling at you.

Il Bacco Felice is a small Osteria, therefore I recommend that you book, especially if you want to dine in this place full of happiness and good food at the weekend.

Besides this osteria, Foligno is an enchanting town deserving a visit where it is also possible to go shopping as there are loads of clothes shops.

Dear friends for more information about this restaurant you should not leave out in a trip to Umbria and Tuscany, visit Salvatore�s web, which is as colourful as he is: www.ilbaccofelice.it


Best regards,

Giovanni