The Lure of Tuscany, Part 2

By August, after months of blood sweat and tears we�d settled on our itinerary and had booked nearly everything. The trip�s length had blossomed from a week initially, to 10 days, to two weeks and finally, to three weeks. It involved a combination of hotels and a villa, a rental car, lots of places to visit from the famous to the obscure and the freedom (or the illusion of freedom) to do whatever.

According to plan, we spent the first ten days of our vacation on a road trip throughout the north of the country, which was, to be honest, exhausting. I was enjoying myself as best I could, but going from hotel to hotel took its toll and one by one, we all wound up getting very sick. My immune system was first to crumble and by the time we hit Venice on the fourth day, the run-down feeling I�d been fighting off had won out. I felt like I�d been run over by a truck. All I wanted to do is crawl back in bed but, of course I didn�t want to waste the opportunity� so I downed some nice drugs and spent the two days we were there weaving through massive crowds and getting lost (very easy to do) while my heart beat as furiously as a panicked rabbit�s (my body doesn�t handle cold medication very well!)

But before it sounds like I�m complaining, I will say that Venice was absolutely lovely and I recommend it to everyone. Basically, I want to juxtapose the frantic pace we�d set for ourselves between driving to Florence, Venice and Ravenna (also lovely and worth a look!) and the stress of hotels with the complete calm of settling into a villa, which is what we did for the latter ten days of the trip. The plan we�d envisioned before we left was to �wagon-wheel� from our Tuscan villa (going out each day to a new, far-flung destination) but we were so sick and tired that we had to somewhat scale back our ambitious plans. Ordinarily this would have been a catastrophe for someone like myself, who likes to go go go (waste not, want not!) when on vacation. However, the more relaxed pace was ultimately the best thing that could have happened, and we enjoyed our stay all the more for it.

I simply cannot recommend more the renting of a villa. Hotels are fine, but nothing compares to waking up each day and, for example, not having to throw on your clothes and venture out in search for a cup of coffee. We like to get up fairly early and being able to sit in a warm kitchen in our jammies with half-lidded eyes, sipping a proper cup of Arabica was priceless. Or sitting up at night playing cards at the same table when a gelato craving hits and in less than two minutes having bowls piled high. Or walking out into a quiet garden in the late afternoon sunshine and just reading with no one around you-- all is silent but for the birds rustling in the trees. Villas offer the chance for peace and quiet, a home away from home, but with the option of going somewhere more �exciting� if you choose.

They are also far more affordable than hotels, especially given the fact that you can cook your own food. And having to cook for yourself means that you get to go grocery shopping, which is both exhilarating and intimidating in a foreign country whose language you can�t speak, let alone read. Fortunately, because a lot Italian food is already familiar to Americans, it�s not a hopeless situation. Spaghetti is still spaghetti, though trying to communicate your needs at the butcher counter can get complicated and requires gesturing while you yourself become the butcher-- of the language, that is. And don�t, whatever you do--whether a fruit stand, produce market or grocery store--touch the fruits and vegetables without putting on the little plastic gloves first! You�ll either get a disapproving frown or be yelled at like I was. Unlike the States, they don�t want everyone�s grimy little paws all over their produce, and you know what? Their fruits and vegetables are generally gorgeous, with little bruising in sight. You know, they might be onto something there�

Our Trip in Tuscany

My family and I have just returned from our tour to Italy. Each of our drivers (in Florence, Rome and Amalfi Coast) was fabulous and with a first rate vehicle. Everything was great. Each driver was knowledgeable, spoke excellent English and was very personable. Each provided us with an outstanding tour, tailored to our specific interests, with just the right blend of �tourist spots� and �getting off the beaten path.� On our two full day tours in Tuscany and along the Amalfi Coast, the drivers each arranged a wonderful lunch for us, and on our half day tour in Rome our driver arranged for a stop for snacks and gelato at a �non-tourist� spot. We can�t say enough about the service and the people provided us with. Also our departure transfer from our hotel in Florence to the Rome Airport was perfect, and especially the driver suggestion to stop in Orvieto for a short sightseeing en route, was great.

The company that organized our trip was Prestige Rent.

By Micky Chicago October 2006

How to make Tuscan Ravioli Nudi (or Gnoochi gnudi)

Ravioli Nudi (or Gnoochi gnudi)
Perhaps one of the more classical and antique dishes in all of Italy, first mentioned in a cookbook from the 1300's written in the old Tuscan language. These small shaped dumplings are traditionally from cheese and flour and have changed over the years to include potatoes or as in this case spinach and ricotta cheese.

Ingredients:

Weights are approximate, you can vary according to the density of the final mix. This will make enough as a pasta dish for about 3-4 persons.

approx. 2 cups - Spinach and Swiss chard, boiled and pressed so that no excess water remains, they should be finely chopped and mixed well together.
approx. 1 cup - soft and creamy - but not to liquid - ricotta cheese
1/2 cup finely grated parmesan cheese
1 egg
flour (enough to thicken the mix but not more than 3/4 of a cup)
salt, pepper, nutmeg (to taste)
Mix all ingredients together thoroughly. You will find that the final consistency should be firm not mushy.

Use a soup spoon to divide out little pieces of the mix to make small meatball shape gnoochi. Roll the balls lightly in flour so that it is not too sticky. Don't make the balls too large, it you will have a greater chance of them coming apart.

Normally the balls are placed in boiling water until they float to the top and served with your favorite sauce. Meat sauce is a classic however in Italy many like to use simple butter and sage so that the true flavour of the "pasta" comes out.

For those of you who are having problems keeping the pasta together - or if the consistensy just doesn't look promising, many Italians will spoon the gnoochi into a baking dish, a little bit like cookie dough. Then they lightly cover the balls with a besciamela sauce (either white or with meat sauce) and sprinkle parmesan cheese on top - 30 minutes in the oven at about 300�F and you have a great dish--with a little less work.

Where to eat in Pienza

Pienza is a lovely town in the south of Tuscany where art and nature live in perfect harmony. If you have the chance to visit this wonderful place I would like to suggest same places that you should not miss at all. The first one is the The Restaurant Il Chiostro an incredible place inside an old convent just in the center of the little Village. You can acces to the restaurant from an incredible garden overviewing the Orcia Vally. You should go to this restaurant in summer or spring because the best of the restaurant is the terrace from where it is possible to enjoy a superb landscape of Tuscany countryside. The food is also good and Maurizio the owner will do the rest to make your dinner or lunch unforgotable. Anonther place that you should not miss at all is "Latte di Luna" a very nice restaurant just at the end of the village. This place is famouse for serving the best "maialino di latte" (pork) in the area. More information about Pienza can be found at the officialweb site of Pienza

The Lure of Tuscany, Part One

Part One:
Italy is the only country I have ever traveled to where I�ve said to myself, �You know, I think I could actually live here.� And that�s saying a lot. I�m as American as they come: I love cheeseburgers off the grill, fly a flag on the Fourth of July, and believe that football is a game where oversized men in padded jerseys crush one another executing intricately devised plays. All this being said, however, the friendliness of the Italian people, the beauty of the countryside (especially Tuscany), and the food (naturally!) made me wonder how hard it would be to pack up all my Earthly belongings, quit my job, and just settle there. Seeing �Under the Tuscan Sun� shortly before going didn�t help, I suppose. Either way, it wasn't at all surprising to learn that Italy is the most visited and re-visited country in the world.

Mind you, how I ended up there, imagining an alternate life among the olive groves, cobbled, medieval streets and vibrant hillsides is not the stuff of romantic adventure and it�s not going to be made into a movie any time soon. But that�s ok. That�s just the way I like it.

In fact, the whole thing started with my stepmother, who had never been to Europe and it can be said with no amount of exaggeration, hates to spend money. My father, on the other hand, was born with a wanderlust that knows no bounds and had been moping around for years longing for an adventure. After sharing my photos from a recent trip to England, she got to wistfully talking about the places she's like to visit before she died. Of course we knew she would talk until she turned blue, but if left to her own devices, it would never happen. She mentioned Italy a few times and so my dad and I pounced. After with some clever cajoling and plenty of reminders that we only live once, we managed to convince her that taking a trip could be good for the soul. Of course, at the time this could have been an indulgent gesture on her part to shut us up!

That night we hopped around online looking at villas (knowing absolutely nothing, I might add!) as my dad reminisced about meeting my own mother there and the time he spent with her in Florence. Though I had no plans of joining them, I took notes and helped them weigh their options. Did they want to go the next fall (it was March at the time) or the following spring? Did they want to fly into Rome or Florence? Did they want to train it or rent a car? Did they want a villa only or stay at some hotels, too? My stepmother, still a tad non-committal, promised to go to the library and check out some books or videos, while I volunteered to research more into villas on the internet the next day. When I left that night, my father was smiling broadly. His engines had been started.

Initially, the only thing they could agree on was when they wanted to go: October, harvest season. But over the following months, and after viewing several videos, reading many books, and visiting countless websites, they managed to solidify a plan. To save money (at least that�s what I think!) they also invited me along. Sure, I�d rather be there with someone I was madly in love with, but with such an adventure dangling in front of me, how could I resist? ;)

We decided that while we wanted to see Rome and Venice, from the outset we wanted to spend the bulk of our time in the Tuscany region. Our decision was made mostly because it has long been popular with Americans and many of the things it offered were already familiar to us: its history, museums, wine, quaint hill towns, rolling countryside and cypress-lined roads. For myself, I wanted to visit Florence because I�d read �A Room with a View� in high school and had spent my childhood thumbing through the art books my mother had gotten there. I also read a newspaper article about Siena a few years ago and the race it holds in the town square. I remember thinking at the time, �These people are mad! Sign me up!� It just felt like the right place.

Needless to say, it was the right choice for us. Because it has become such a popular destination, there is a wide array of agriturismos to choose from, and I found that the infrastructure for finding the right one on the internet was surprisingly robust. And the number of Tuscan villas available is just staggering. Searching for just the right one can be time-consuming and eye-strain inducing, but for me, the hunt is half the fun!

More later...

Wedding in Tuscany

Getting Married in Tuscany can be a pleasant, memorable and relaxing experience�just like drinking a glass of Chianti red wine.

The a brief checklist for getting married in Tuscany:

1) Decide on the location. Many people are not sure how many people will actually make the long haul�and sometimes the numbers grow as soon as you have a location and send out the invites. Be prepared to select a place which will contain the main group and provides lots of extra alternative possibilities nearby in the form of hotels, bed and breakfasts and other rental villas and apartments. Another important thing to look at when selecting the accommodations � if you are planning on having the reception at the accommodations be sure they have indoor area for the entire group or room enough to put up a tent. Think about possible bad weather options now and save yourself any possible hassle later!!

It�s important that you decide in advance what you will be responsible for economically � and let the agency know in advance so that we can work with you. We strongly suggest that you have one person handle the main accommodations and then for the surrounding or additional accommodations, let your friends and family contact the agency directly identifying themselves as participants of the event. Don�t try to be in charge of everyone�s accommodations � just concentrate on the main core! The agency is there to assist � you will have enough other things to take care of without adding extra burdens to organize.

2) Decide the type of wedding you wish to have. Civil or Religious?

Civil is by far the easiest organization for both the wedding itself and the paperwork. Even though Italy is dominated by the Catholic church you still need special permission to get married in a Catholic church, starting with at least one of you NEEDS to be Catholic.

Consult your local priest for all the paperwork there, and contact us for the name of the local priest and parish closest to your selected accommodations.

Send this info out ASAP, so that they can get the slow wheels of bureaucracy moving.

Other religions are do-able, there are a Protestant priests in Florence who will perform weddings, however they normally will need to perform these services together with the civil service or you will need to go to Florence. Many people even bring there our religious authority with them, saves having to worry about translations. If you are going civil please note that the Italian government does not authorize weddings outside of certain areas. There are �roaming� religious persons who have special authority to marry outside of designated areas, and their prices is an expression of the demand�rather high. Commonly civil weddings are held in the local government building (which is normally a historical building) or in designated local historical monument � like a castle.

3) Start your paperwork. Your paperwork needs to be started in your country of origin. Please check with the local embassy for all details.

Once they have given you the necessary documents you will need to bring them to the consulate or embassy in Florence for the translation and official seals. Please be prepared to do this before the wedding!!!




Normally since most rentals are from Sat to Sat � we suggest that the wedding couple come in a few days in advance. The first stop is Florence and the second stop is the local government where you will be getting married�.there can be no wedding if the paperwork is not in order and acceptable. And there is no way around this!

Check with us in regards to the local governments, they are normally all on the same rules, but every once and awhile there is a special requirement. Best to know in advance.

4) Plan the wedding. Here is where agency experience starts to kick in, there are many agencies that have been here for years and know their way around wheeling and dealing with the Tuscans. You will find that the Italians are particularly flexible and helpful in planning this event, they love the idea that foreigners want to celebrate such an important event in their home. First you should decide the style you wish to have � formal, informal, elegant, country style, etc. etc. Then with this information they can assist you in selecting suppliers for all of your needs from caterers, flowers, photographers, music, dry cleaners, and just about anything else that comes to mind. Just a small reminder: you are probably choosing to come to Tuscany because you want to incorporate this beautiful land with its age old traditions into your wedding plans, therefore let the suppliers indicate the most traditional things�you will almost always find these solutions to be the most economical and the accessible. BUT don�t be afraid of wishing a personal touch to the events � anything is possible here�.

5) Plan a few events around the wedding.

Sure people are coming to see you two tie the knot but they also are here in Italy hoping to experience just a little bit of the local culture.

Try and plan some events which will bring the group together and at the same time satisfy their desire to explore the real Tuscany.

Some easy things that you can do which can be organized easily

* include bus guided tours to the historical sites,
* cheese and wine tasting, dinners with cooking lessons incorporated,
* rehearsal dinners
* and �. bachelor and bachelorette parties.


These events should be organized in advance � clearly state the cost of the events to your guest and have them commit before the arrival date. (you can always add names to the list at the last minute�.but is much more stressful for you to set something up at the last minute and have it come off fun!).

6) Now all that is left is your arrival, getting married and most of all enjoying Tuscany! Normally a wedding couple who comes one day or two before can get all of the necessary things out of the way so that on Saturday when their guests start to arrive, they can sit back, just relax and really enjoy having family and friends together in this great area. Give you suppliers 100% attention the days before and then leave it in their hands and the hands of a competent organizer.

Tuscan wines

Tuscany produces six of Italy's DOCG wines: Brunello di montalicino, Carmignano, Chianti, Chianti Classico, Vino Nobile di Montepulciano and Vernaccia di San Gimignano (the only white made only from Chardonnay grapes).

It also boasts more than 30 DOC Wines. The best of the Tuscan wines, Chianti Classico, comes from seven zones in many different guises. The backbone of the Chianti reds is the Sangiovese grape, although other grape types are mixed in a varyingly modest quatities to produce different styles of wines.
Generally Chianti is full-bodyed and dry, although aging requirements differ from area to area and even across vineyards.

Choice does not stop in the Chianti region. Among Italy's most esteemed and priciest drops in the Brunello di Montalcino. This grand old red is produced by only 140 vineyards. Like the Chianti the Sangiovese grape is at the heart of the Brunello. It is aged in casks for four years and then for two others years in bottles.

Tuscany is largely, but not exclusively, about reds.
Easily, the best known withe is the Vernaccia of San Gimignano which was a favourite of artists since the Renaissance.

If you are interested in the world of wines, once in Tuscany you will be able to find many agencies that offer wine tours across the Tuscan region, like http://www.tuscan-wine-tours.com.

Discovering the world of wine is one of the experiences that you cannot miss once in Tuscany.