Things to Do in Tuscany

I would like to mention a new service that's available now, which I think would help a lot of you visiting Tuscany.

This new service is a web page where you�ll find some of the most diverse and interesting things that one can do during their trip toTuscany.

What interested me the most about this new service is that it has collected almost all of the activities that one can do in Tuscany on just one page.

You�ll find everything there, from wine tours, hot air balloon rides, cooking classes, and art classes, to horse rides, ATV excursions and many other interesting activities.

What I like the most about this site is the information it gives you about the tour guides, which from my point of view is something that is essential in order to really enjoy the vast cultural history that Tuscany has to offer.

As always, I wish that this information has been useful for you.

Kind regards,

George

The "Unknown" Val d'Orcia

Dear Friends,

In the previous blog entry, I talked about the villages in the Val d�Orcia that are well-known, so in this entry I would like to tell you all about some of the lesser-known towns which are in this beautiful valley.

Let�s start with my favorite town in this valley, La Foce, which is easily reached via a white road from Montepulciano. This town is definitely one of the most magical places in the valley. In fact, in La Foce is where you�ll find one of the most famous images of Tuscany, which you can see here in this entry. The image is of the marvelous mansion of the Origo family, who helped shelter many children seeking refuge from the war and the bombing of cities in Italy during the Second World War.

For the garden lovers reading my blog, I would recommend visiting this splendid villa which opens its garden to tourists every Wednesday afternoon (all year long) and every first weekend of the month (in September, October and November) for a few hours.

Another magical and unknown town of the valley is, without a doubt, Radicofani. This town is famous as the refuge of the infamous bandit, Ghino di Tacco, who, in the Middle Ages, managed to kidnap an abbot and convince the Pope to pardon him. This town is located on top of an immense hill and overlooks the valley from its walls. A visit to the tower of Radicofani will literally leave you breathless once you�ve reached the top of it, where you�ll enjoy a breathtaking panoramic view.

Another town which conserves its beautiful medieval heritage is undoubtedly Castiglion d�Orcia, where a stroll through its streets will return you to the Middle Ages. You will definitely love visiting this town.

A drive through these three places, whether in a car or on a motorcycle, in the winter, spring, summer or autumn, with rain or shine, will not leave you listless. Throughout all the seasons, this valley maintains a beautiful energy which is impossible not to catch while passing through these three towns which are not as well known as the others, but just as beautiful.

As always, I hope that all this information has helped you plan, in the best way possible, your vacation in Tuscany.

Kind regards,

George

The Val d'Orcia

Dear Friends,

Today, I would like to talk to you all again about this beautiful valley in the south of Tuscany, called the Val d'Orcia, a place that, in my opinion, everyone should visit on their trip to Tuscany.

This valley, which is a UNESCO World Heritage Site, is located between Monte Amiata and the Trinoro Valley, and the rolling hills of Pienza and Montichiello, and offers various sites of interest which one should not miss if they're doing a route through Tuscany.

The most distinguished town in the Val d'Orcia is, without a doubt, its "imaginary capital", Pienza, which overlooks the whole valley with its towering walls. Pienza is located in a place so beautiful that even the Pope fell in love with the area and spent a significant number of Church funds in order to create a project for the �Perfect Renaissance City�. If you would like to learn more about this wonderful place, I would recommend that you check out: Pienza

The second famous town in this valley is, without a doubt, San Quirico d�Orcia. Before talking about this place, it�s important to point out that the road that connects these two towns passes through a landscape of immense and incomparable beauty and which cannot be missed. The scenery that you�ll witness passing through here has been used as a setting for such blockbuster movies as Gladiator, the English Patient, and Twilight, among others.

San Quirico, like Pienza, has a number of sites of cultural, artistic and religious interest that you could visit. For more information, check out: San Quirico d'Orcia

Once you have visited Pienza and San Quirico d�Orcia, the route through this part of Tuscany continues towards Bagno Vignoni, an ancient village famous for its thermal waters. The road between San Quirico and Bagno Vignoni passes through some of the most magnificent scenery that is still beautiful at any time of the year, and I would recommend that you drive slowly and carefully because I�m sure that you will find tourists who have stopped alongside the road in order to immortalize this beautiful landscape with their cameras.

Bagno Vignoni, unlike the other towns, does not have a historic center, but it does have two incredible thermal baths (one of which is only open to the public in the summer) which are worth visiting, in order to enjoy a 35 degree bath surrounded by gorgeous scenery. To learn a bit more about this town, you can read this: Bagno Vignoni

If you wish to see more photos of the towns mentioned in this post, I would recommend that you visit our Facebook page: Tuscany Blog. There you�ll find a lot of photos from these beautiful places. Also, if you become a fan of our page, you can become a part of our group and be able to use our forum to ask questions, advice or comment about your own experiences in Tuscany.

In the next post, we will talk about the �unknown� Val d�Orcia and its less touristy towns which only we Tuscans know about.

Kind regards,

George

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

Osterie di Toscana: Acquacheta

Dear Friends,

Today, I would like to talk to you all about a new restaurant in Tuscany, which you should visit without a doubt, if you ever find yourself in the area of Montepulciano and Cortona.

There are several friends of this blog who have mentioned this restaurant before, but I think that it's worth it to revisit the topic once again, so that those of you visiting the area can experience this lovely restaurant.

Giulio, the owner, has two distinguished virtues: the first of which is his friendliness, which makes this Osteria the liveliest and most cheerful place in the area. The second is the fact that he's been able to maintain the quality of this place for such a long time, always keeping the menu simple and not too expensive based on seasonal products. This year, the Osteria has kicked off the season with a new incentive: "Bring your own wine".

For more information about this unique restaurant, I would recommend that you visit the following link:  Osteria Aquacheta Montepulciano

Now I must bid you all farewell by showing you this charming series of photos and a video of the Osteria.


Kind Regards,

George Toscano

Travel from Pisa Airport

Dear Friends,

Due to various emails I�ve received asking for advice on transport posssibilites from Pisa airport I�m going to try and clarify things with an article on the subject.

Pisa airport is definitely the best place to fly to in Tuscany, one the one hand because Ryan Air and other Low Cost airlines that don�t fly to Florence fly here but on the other hand because is also the best connected airport in Tuscany.

If you plan to travel by train, the airport is excellently connected since trains actually come in and out of the airport itself. For more information on timetables you can visit the website Trenitalia. 

Another option is to travel by bus. If, for example, your final destination is Siena, this is a much better option tan the train since there�s no direct train line from Pisa to Siena. For more information on bus timetables from Pisa to Siena or to any other places you can visit the Pisa Airport website

Finally, if you want to rent a car in Pisa you�ll find all the main Italian and local car rental companies within the airport. 

Hope this helps, and as always, if anyone has any further questions or thoughts then please feel free to leave a comment at the bottom of the page.

Black Truffles in Tuscany

Dear Friends,

Winter has arrived in Tuscany and with it the fruits of this season, among which I want to particularly highlight black truffles since they are one of the products that you simply must try on a trip to Tuscany.

The Truffles are truly delicious, difficult to find and extremely expensive, this being said, owing to the little gastronomic culture that exists around the product it�s important that you have some information to be able to distinguish them.

In fact one must be careful when ordering a dish with truffles because, as is the case with mushrooms, there are many different varieties that make them more or less expensive depending on the quality and quantity available in the market.

 

We�ll start with the �Tuber aestivum Vittad.�This is the most typical type of truffle, in Italian it is known as the �Scrozone nero� or �tartufo d�estate.�  

As the Italian name indicates, it is a truffle which can also be found in the summer. The period between the 15^thof June and the 30^th of November is that during which it is usually found and it is the truffle that most restaurants will offer since it is the most abundant but also the least fragrant. It is easily distinguished from the other two varieties I�m going to talk about due to its brown colour once open.

Much better than the first and stronger in flavour is the �Tuber melanosporum Vittad" known by the Italians as "tartufo nero pregiato," �Precious� black truffle.

 This variety is found from the beginning of November up until the end of March and is one of the best black truffles out there. In fact, this truffle needs cold and dry weather to reach its peak.

 The third and final type of truffle that you can find at this time of year is the
"Tuber macrosporum Vittad," �tartufo nero liscio� or �smooth� black truffle.

 This one has a short season from the beginning of October until the end of December. It also has an excellent aroma and is perfect for giving flavour to pasta or fried eggs.

All this considered I recommend you ask what type of truffles are being served and certainly to try dishes using the second and third varieties which are much tastier.

Hopefully this information will be useful on your next trip to Tuscany!