Loving Italy

Italian Alps: silence! Nature speaks.

2010-07-03T08:29:00.000-07:00

We just came back from a great vacation in the Alps and we got so excited with this place that I decided to propose a tour there on our website.
The name of the place is Madonna di Campiglio and it is is a ski resort in winter time, and a wonderful spot for a summer vacation, with lots of things to see and do, and great local food and wines.
Campiglio is perfect for lovers of sport as it offers many hiking trails in the woods and by high
waterfalls with breathtaking views over the Alps.
Biking trails, river rafting, horse riding, golf and tennis are some other sports one can practice there.
It is also perfect for lovers of Nature because Campiglio is located in the center of a Natural Park (Adamello-Brenta mountain range park) where park guides show people the typical plants and the local wild life.

We stayed in the cutest hotel: managed by a local family of which we appreciated professionalism, courtesy
and a friendly sober attitude. Very nice helpful staff.
This is their website:
www.hotelgianna.it
Check it to see how elegant and cozy at the same time this hotel is (and at excellent prices too!).
They have a very nice and well equipped spa at their guests' disposal, with swimming pool, sauna, steaming room, aroma-therapy shower, personalized massage therapies and an highly professional beauty center.

Hard to believe (because usually hotel have something good and something a little weak): their cuisine is just exquisite:
we have never eaten so well before!!! Great wines and local grappas. The hotel chef Giuseppe is such a nice, creative guy

I think that this trip would be perfect for people who have already been in Italy and want to see something new (after visiting Rome, Florence, Venice etc..)
It can be also interesting for those who want to combine art, sightseeing and relaxation.
Or it would be the best place for hikers and bikers, and all who love sport.
But one element would link all these visitors: the accomplishment of one of the major needs of our modern life:
to enjoy the silence of man and listen to the peaceful, harmonious voices of Mother Nature.
Visit Madonna di Campiglio and the Dolomites, UNESCO World Heritage Site!

july is here

2009-06-30T11:09:00.000-07:00

HTML Ipsum Presents

Pellentesque habitant morbi tristique senectus et netus et malesuada fames ac turpis egestas. Vestibulum tortor quam, feugiat vitae, ultricies eget, tempor sit amet, ante. Donec eu libero sit amet quam egestas semper. Aenean ultricies mi vitae est. Mauris placerat eleifend leo. Quisque sit amet est et sapien ullamcorper pharetra. Vestibulum erat wisi, condimentum sed, commodo vitae, ornare sit amet, wisi. Aenean fermentum, elit eget tincidunt condimentum, eros ipsum rutrum orci, sagittis tempus lacus enim ac dui. Donec non enim in turpis pulvinar facilisis. Ut felis.

Header Level 2

Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetuer adipiscing elit.

Aliquam tincidunt mauris eu risus.

Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit. Vivamus magna. Cras in mi at felis aliquet congue. Ut a est eget ligula molestie gravida. Curabitur massa. Donec eleifend, libero at sagittis mollis, tellus est malesuada tellus, at luctus turpis elit sit amet quam. Vivamus pretium ornare est.

Header Level 3

Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetuer adipiscing elit.

Aliquam tincidunt mauris eu risus.


#header h1 a {
   display: block;
   width: 300px;
   height: 80px;
}

2009-04-01T11:38:00.000-07:00

PESCE D'APRILE

Ma di tutti gli animali, perchè proprio il pesce??

Sembra che l'usanza di mettere un foglio di carta col disegno di un pesce sulla schiena della vittima dello scherzo abbia origini antichissime e pagane...

Il Primo Aprile in diversi paesi c'è la particolare usanza del Pesce d'aprile. In questo giorno vengono fatti scherzi (detti appunto pesci d'aprile) anche piuttosto sofisticati con lo scopo di mettere le persone in imbarazzo.

Le origini di questa ricorrenza sono sconosciute: attorno alla sua nascita si sono sviluppate infatti diverse teorie.

Una delle ipotesi più accreditate si rifà alla riforma gregoriana del calendario. Fino al 1582, il Capodanno veniva festeggiato tra il 25 marzo e il primo aprile. A seguito della riforma da parte di Gregorio XIII, il capodanno fu spostato al primo gennaio. Non tutti però si abituarono subito al cambiamento e vennero quindi additati come gli “sciocchi d'aprile”. Da qui la matrice burlesca del primo d'aprile.

C'è poi un'altra teoria molto più antica, che ricollega l'origine della festa del pesce d'aprile a un periodo anteriore al 154 a. C. A fare da trait d'union è sempre il Capodanno: all'epoca, infatti, il primo di aprile segnava l'inizio dell'anno. E la stessa cosa avveniva nel calendario giuliano (introdotto da Giulio Cesare nel 46 ac) dove il primo di aprile indicava l'inizio del solstizio di primavera.

Per festeggiare la fine dell'inverno i pagani usavano propiziare gli dei con doni e sacrifici in loro onore. La festa era anche occasione per esprimersi in massima libertà con lazzi, burle, buffonerie. Quando la chiesa soppresse la festa stabilendo l'inizio dell'anno il primo di gennaio, la vecchia tradizione continuò comunque a sopravvivere tra i pagani, che per questo venivano derisi e scherniti.

Ciò che è certo è che In Europa, i festeggiamenti del primo d'aprile diventano usanza intorno alla fine del 1500: sono la Francia di re Carlo IX e la Germania degli Asburgo a dare il via. Da questi due paesi, la tradizione si diffonde poi in Inghilterra (nel XVIII secolo) e negli altri stati europei.

In Italia l'usanza del primo d'aprile è relativamente recente: risale al 1860-1880. la prima città ad essere contagiata dalle usanze d'Oltralpe fu Genova, importante porto commerciale. La tradizione si sviluppò prima tra i ceti medio-alti, poi prese piede anche tra il resto della popolazione.

Ma il primo d'aprile, non è una festa solo italiana. È una tradizione che, con sfumature e nomi diversi, vive in gran parte del mondo.

In Francia è poisson d'avril e richiama l'immagine del sole che, alla fine di marzo, lascia il segno dei Pesci per entrare in Ariete.

In Inghilterra e negli USA invece, si usa l'espressione april's fool day (il giorno dello sciocco d'aprile), dove il termine fool si rifà al folletto delle corti medioevali per sottolineare la connotazione scherzosa della festa.

In Scozia, invece, il pesce d'aprile dura due giorni: il secondo giorno, chiamato taily day (giorno delle natiche), gli scozzesi si divertono attaccando sul fondoschiena del gawk, lo sciocco, un cartello con la scritta kick me (prendimi a calci).

Anche nel Sud-Est Asiatico ci sono tracce di questa manifestazione: la data però è diversa. In India per esempio, le danze iniziano il mese prima, il 31 marzo, durante una festa secolare chiamata huli dove è prassi prendersi gioco dei conoscenti facendo compiere loro peripezie inutili.

Dall'altro capo del mondo, invece, bisogna aspettare la fine dell'anno. Il 28 dicembre, in Messico, si festeggia il dia de los innocentes che nonostante ricordi la strage degli innocenti compiuta da Erode è il contraltare del nostro primo aprile

Interstices Part 2 - same bus stop, different day

2009-03-28T11:15:00.001-07:00

interstices
Originally uploaded by lovingitaly2009

Tuscany highlights

2009-03-28T09:22:00.000-07:00

San Gimignano: towers wine and saffron

The Etruscan origins of San Gimignano (originally named "Silva") explain its hilly location, at about 1000 feet above sea level, overlooking one of the most enchanting valleys in Tuscany.

In the early Middle Ages, thanks to its position along the main European pilgrimage route, the Francigena, the village became an important agricultural market.
Its subsequent growing economical power made it an ambitious center for the wealthiest and most powerful families from Florence and Siena. These families built watch-towers to protect themselves from the enemies. These constructions also symbolized the power of their owners.
Originally used with military purposes, the more than 70 towers of the 13 hundreds were lately transformed into private houses (not the most comfortable of a kind of house!)

After the numerous battles and wars which destroyed most of them during the centuries, nowadays the remaining towers are about 15; it is even possible to climb one of them: the Torre Grossa - that is the tower attached to the Public Palace of the town in Piazza Duomo.

Arriving in San Gimignano it is St. John's Gate (1261) to welcome the visitor. Already at the first sight, one feels like being catapulted back in time.
Walking along the main street, lined with shops displaying the great local manufact, one can admire the colorful ceramics, the alabaster goods, the various kitchen tools made of olive wood, the hand-made cutlery and knives and the knitted goods, among many other products.

But the king of the local specialties is a white wine - the only white variety which had DOC appellation in Chianti (a land of red wines): the Vernaccia.
Excellent when cool (2° is the perfect temperature), it matches fish and fresh cheeses; or it is a perfect aperitive in the heat of the Summer.
One can see the vineyards of Vernaccia a couple of kilometres before reaching the town, to the right.
Vernaccia is also produced in Sardinia, but becouse of the action of the wind and sea the flavour is totally different.

One last "little" local product worths a mention, a superb spice here produced since ancient times: the saffron! In the best gelato place (gelateria di piazza) of San Gimignano they make a saffron taste which is really the top of the tower for the palate!!

Mussolini and the "Wedding Cake"

2009-03-27T10:46:00.001-07:00

rome-tour-piazza-venezia
Originally uploaded by lovingitaly2009

Here's a favorite from early on in Rome. This series is called "Interstices" because so many interesting things intersect at Rome's busstops (did I spell that right?). It was taken at Piazza Venezia in Rome, right underneath the famous balcony of the building where Mussolini gave his thundering speeches. The monument is the Vittoriano or "Wedding Cake" that celebrates Italian unification. Just today I came across a brochure that the city tourist board put out back in the '80s and there is a great photograph of the bronze statue (in the distance -- between the bus sign and the Italian flag) of king Vittorio Emmanuele II. What was fun about the photo is that it shows just how big the statue is: the workers -- 19 of them(!) are sitting around a table and eating lunch INSIDE the belly of the horse!

Antinori at Badia a Passignano

2009-03-26T11:30:00.000-07:00

BADIA A PASSIGNANO: holy and profane

The origins of this site are uncertain. Probably in 1049 (but some historians talk about a foundation dating back to 890 or even to the 4th century) San Giovanni Gualberto, founder of the Vallombrosian order (a branch of the Benedictines),
on his way to Florence stopped in the site of Passignano and founded a monastery.

The monks planted vines and trees, working a land which extended for more than 540 acres in the heart of Chianti.

The monastery became an important cultural center which promoted scientific research and viticulture. Moreover the monks - at the time more than 100 - produced about 6000 volumes and documents, some written in Hebrew and Greek.

Even Galileo Galilei taught mat here in 1587!

The history of the monastery is really intense and full of ups and downs, until Napoleon in the 17 hundreds suspended the monastic activity.
The monks, who could come back to Passignano only in 1818, could remain until 1866 when the Italian Government, after the Unification of Italy, dispossessed the monastery from its land, its numerous farmhouses, and eventually sold it.

The renown Antinori family from Florence acquired the vineyards around the monastery in 1987; they also use the fabulous cellars situated underneath the monastery: with their thick walls and vaulted ceiling, they perfectly preserve the temperature and humidity for the 2000 French barriques stored there.

The best wine produced at their estate is Badia a Passignano Riserva Chianti Classico.

A Super Tuscan which deserves a go is also their Tignanello (100% Sangiovese grape). Guado al Tasso, another excellent wine, even if produced on the coast of upper Maremma (in Bolgheri DOC zone) is sold at the Bottega, as well as with many other excellent wines produced by the Antinori.

Here we are with some clients on a recent day excursion from Florence: what a nice meal we had! Truffle sauce with tagliolini (noodles) and sheep cheese with pears with Antinori wine, of course!

At the estate it is possible to arrange a wine tasting with an expert and it can be followed by lunch.

Thought of the day: if wine is the drink of God, Badia A Passignano is where God had some of his best workers!

SASSICAIA - a poem of wine!

2009-03-12T10:01:00.001-07:00

The story of Italian wine was deeply influenced, - taking a leap into the highest ranks of prestige and renown,- in the late 1970’s when Huge Johnson, one of the most influential names who have ever written about wine, placed an unknown product named Sassicaia into a blind tasting of the world’s greatest Cabernets.

Its success and the subsequent world-wide fame that was created were a vindication of the vision, of the genius of Mario Incisa della Rocchetta, heir of a distinguished name in Italian viticulture, and the prophet who had realized that his estate in Bolgheri (Tuscany) where he bred world-class race horses, could produce wines at the same distinguished level.

With the help of enologist Giacomo Tachis, the Sassicaia in 20 years has become a legend on five continents!

Founded in 1940 the Estate “Tenuta San Guido”is now under the direction of Nicolò Incisa della Rocchetta (Mario’s son) and the vineyard (125 acres) is in the middle of an enchanting countryside by the Tuscan coast.

Not far from the port city of Livorno (about half hour drive southward) the place where the estate is located has also a poetic fame.

It was here, in fact, that the poet Giosuè Carducci spent his childhood, by the end of 1840’s.

Enthusiastic believer of the strength of the people, Carducci has always celebrated their longing for freedom, their wild but sincere feelings, their moral uprightness and their heroism.

Cherishing a free and rebel childhood, and a passionate fiery youth, Carducci wrote his most touching lyrics when, become teacher of Italian Literature at the University of Bologna, longed for his beautiful Maremma (the area south-west coast in Tuscany): an endless, wild landscape “where horses wander around” (dove… i cavalli errando van…), where the noble severe cypresses line the ancient country roads, and the sea diffuses its generous scent in a magic light.

Carducci wrote “Davanti San Guido” (passing by train in front of San Guido, coming back to his childhood places after a long absence).

The opening lines of the poem go: “ I cipressi che a Bolgheri alti e schietti van da San Guido in duplice filar, quasi in corsa giganti giovinetti mi balzarono incontro e mi guarder. Mi riconobbero, e – Ben torni ormai – bisbigliaron ver me col capo chino - …”

When you will take a day trip to Bolgheri, you will not only have the chance to taste some of the best Italian wine, but you will also experience an ancient world of feelings, so unique and memorable!

Flavours of Florence

2009-02-22T07:12:00.000-08:00

As a tour guide of Florence, I started giving suggestions about good restaurants in Florence on Trip Advisor. I love great food and I want to help you find it too. Sometimes when you follow the guide books, you find yourself disappointed because the listing is inaccurate: they are too old or just written by someone who doesn't live in the city and therefore is not updated.

In fact it is not rare to read about an "extraordinary" restaurant and then find out it has been closed or has changed ownership and the food is not that good any more!

Well, said that, from now onward I will start giving suggestions which I will be constantly updating. Of course, if you ask questions, I can be more specific and give you more personalized racommendations.

The first couple of cozy places where good prices combine with excellent food and service are:

- Buca Mario in piazza Ottaviani ( best traditional dishes and a familiar welcoming atmosphere)

- Tredici Gobbi in via del Porcellana (a nice casual trattoria, warm atmosphere, good service, typical Tuscan cuisine)

- Paoli in via Tavolini (near Piazza Signoria, right in front of the church of Orsanmichele, a strangely shaped building in the form of an high cube).
Here, besides the unique environment (the location is in fact an old watch tower), the salads are terrific:
fresh and rich, the waiter prepares them right in front of you, from the trolley. Also the deserts are very good. All the typical dishes (their ribollita, that is the vegetable soup, is the best in Florence) are of high quality.

And then, to get "the cherry on top of the cake" as we use to say (la ciliegina sulla torta), in front of Paoli, at the gelateria Perchè no you can taste the best gelato in Florence: hand made gelato, whatever flavour you pick you can taste the real fruit and the milk which makes it so creamy; and it is not even too sweet (like a more popular gelateria downtown...!)

2009-02-03T03:51:00.000-08:00

AMALFI COAST

Stretching along the southern side of Italy's Sorrentine Peninsula, the Amalfi coast dazzles with its mysterious grottos, craggy cliffs and shimmering bays. Grab a seat on the sea side of a regional bus to soak up views on the fabled route from artsy Positano to Amalfi. Also because the locals are the best drivers along a winding, narrow coastline, otherwise scary for most of other drivers...

Amalfi: the town which gives the name to the coastline from Vietri to Positano, boasts a glorious past as one of the four Maritime Republics which in the11 hundreds dominated commercially and militarily the Mediterranean Sea.

Artistically speaking, the highest expression of the numerous influences conveyed here is the majestic Duomo, a ninth century construction in which Byzantine, Arab, Norman, gothic and baroque elements blend in an incredible harmonious unified style.

Beside the Crucifix Chapel, the oldest and best preserved part of the Duomo, the crypt is of a special interest being the burial place of St.Andrew the fisherman, one of Jesus Christ's apostle. Also the artistic works of major value are preserved here: the statues by Pietro Bernini and the altar by Domenico Fontana.

But Amalfi' s treasure is not only made up of art; its hand made paper; the colorful hand made ceramics; the excellent food - a must of the local cuisine is an hand made pasta called "scialatielli" served with fresh sea food "allo scoglio"(try them at the restaurant Lido Azzurro-; the famous huge lemons which grow on the terraced land all around, lemons used to make the exquisite "limoncello"; and the natural beauties as the grottoes along the shores of a crystal blue sea, the luxurious variegated vegetation which seems to explode with its yellows, greens, clear blue, fuchsia, and bright white; the furrows of the little fishermen village of Furore; the imposing mountains whose protecting slopes slide down to the sea.

Even the sunsets and the dawns are a kind of magic if seen from a terrace of one of the many cozy hotels along the Amalfi Coast (like the Hotel Tramonto D'Oro in Praiano).
The most beautiful and renowned though are Hotel San Pietro di Positano and Hotel Santa Caterina in Amalfi. Make a stop there, even just for a drink they are worth a visit...

Leaving the coastal drive, you reach Ravello, the most important town perched on a hill, not far from Amalfi. If you are brave enough to drive up there yourself, you'll be repaid by its breathtaking views. (otherwise you can either take a taxi or catch a bus in Amalfi, with regular rides all day long).
Ravello offers some respite from the crowds, plus the stunning Villa Cimbrone, which overlooks the Bay of Salerno, and Villa Rufolo (built in 1280) with gardens hanging over the sea, whose beauty inspired Richard Wagner who lived there for a while. His presence in Ravello is today recalled by the summer music concerts taking place in the Villa.
For a tasty, enjoyable lunch try the Restaurant with a view "Villa Maria"

Positano: the "vertical town" known for its fashion, hand made shoes and its typical "scalinatelle", hundreds of steps used every day by the locals to walk up and down from the coastline part of the town to the little bay and beach below dominated by the main church.
Like all of the local churches, also the one in Positano is topped by a cupola made of ceramic, as this is a typical handiwork.
The restaurant Kambusa is one of those places not to be missed for the excellent and fresh sea food, and the warm kindness of the staff.

The historic section of Sorrento has winding streets filled with craftspeople. Enjoy a walk along its main street where the best gelato place is. You will know it is the best as soon as you see pictures of VIP and movie stars.

In Sorrento, a good lunch break is down by the harbour; the restaurant Zì 'Ntonio a Mare has a terrace on the sea, excellent food, a wide selection of wines and....musicians entertaining you!

Capri is only a hydrofoil or ferry ride, about 20 minutes away from Sorrento.

Molise "in tavola"

2009-01-07T02:55:00.000-08:00

A truly fine pasta!

"Dimmi che pasta mangi e ti dirò di che pasta sei!"
( "Tell me what pasta you eat and I'll tell you what stuff you are made of!")
Photo: my mother and I making tortellini on Christmas Eve.

This is a common saying in Italy that can be easily referred to the people of Campobasso, main city in Molise (one of the smallest Italian regions).

Pasta making in fact, is here an ancient tradition based on the use of special tools- like the so called "chitarra". An instrument also common in

Abruzzo (the bordering region by the Adriatic coast) and still used by many women in their houses. They make the "tagliolini", very thin noodles which give their best flavor when seasoned with butter and parmesan cheese; or with the home made "ragù".

The "taccozzelle" are rectangles of plain water and flour, thick enough to keep your jaws busy for a while but also smooth and deliciously tasty if accompanied with white beans and tomato sauce (the most common sauce is made with lamb though).
Along with the taccozzelle is the polenta (a thick maize of porridge), served quite soft and accompanied by sausage sauce.

But the king of the local cuisine is the exquisite and precious truffle. Despite being native to Molise, these tubers are a very recent discovery. In the past, when they could have become an integral part of the territory's cuisine, they had no appeal. Now they risk being sprinkled like Molise gold leaf on imported foods.

Then there is the mozzarella from Bojano, made from cow's milk that is by no means second to buffalo mozzarella or the types from Campania or Puglia.
And there is also the caciocavallo: a semi-seasoned cheese made in oval shape (like a balloon)which can be eaten fresh or cooked in a terracotta chafing dish with tomato sauce.

A very typical dish is the "ventricina", a pork delicacy produced in the area from the coastal town of Ururi, inhabited by Albanians since the times of the great exodus, to the hills of Montenero di Bisaccia. To define the ventricina as a mortadella with chili pepper is both an exaggeration and an understatement.
An understatement because unlike the cooked delicacy from Bologna, here the meat is raw. An exaggeration because the words chili pepper evoke a burning sensation, while the redness that tinges the circles of lard of ventricina- making it similar to mortadella - is as intense as a sunset, not as strong as the midday sun!
It does not intend to provoke but to arouse memories, so its spiciness is there to jog the memory.

If you wish to visit Molise, I would suggest to choose the "Holy week". It is, in fact, not only rich in traditional rites and evocative celebrations, but also in typical dishes. A representative recipe is the "m'pigna": this is the home made version of the more popular "panettone" from Milan. Stuffed with candied fruit, its intense and rich flavour reveals the joyful atmosphere of Easter, on which day it is made to celebrate.
Enjoy! Rina

The Year In Photos

2008-12-03T03:00:00.000-08:00

Here's a fun slideshow we put together from photos our past guests sent us. It shows some of the places we went; there's a bit of everything -- wine and cooking, Tuscany, Rome and the Vatican, dinners, swimming, golf. Thank you to all of them for a great year!

Tuscan cuisine

2008-12-01T15:54:00.000-08:00

Tuscany signs the true border between the North and the South of Italy, both geographically and culturally speaking.
Here man lives in complete harmony with Nature: respectful of it, he interacts with Nature without violence, with a light hand.
On the other side, Nature here is particularly generous: with its incomparable beauty and its abundant fruits.
The Tuscan cuisine was born from this union and so, more than in many other regions, it can be described as a "farmer" cuisine, simple and refined at the same time.
Florence actually signs the first step into the southern traditions: while all over the North until Bologna the fat used for cooking is butter, once past the Appennines olive oil becomes "king of the kitchen".
It is from the country that the bitterish taste of the oil comes. Let's take, for instance, the "Ribollita" (reboiled vegetable soup): maybe a feminine invention featuring the semplicity and the long times typical of the earth's produce. Stale bread and vegetables, leftovers from previous days's poor meals: that's what ribollita consists of. But it is made exquisite and precious by the addition of fresh extravirgin olive oil. Bread and leftovers are blessing of God, they cannot be thrown away.
And what about the delicate white beans - fagioli all'uccelletto - gently and slowly cooked in terracotta pots in the fireplace where the ashes of olive branches give the dish its special taste?
Only a scent of sage, a pinch of salt and the extravirgin olive oil give this simple side dish an intense and light flavour.
Well, every region then has its "ham"! In Tuscany the prosciutto has a particular subtle yet strong taste due to the fact that pigs graze in the grass of the hills.
But let's say a couple of words about the renowned crostini: the toasted slices of bread in Tuscany are typically topped with chicken liver patè (or game liver soaked in broth): the sour-sweet taste so appreciated in the Middle Ages; a taste that became popular in France when Catherine dè Medici, marrying Francis I exported some traditions and customs from Florence to the French Court.
Impossible then not to mention the Florentine t-bone steak ("bistecca alla Fiorentina") topped with porcini mushrooms and accompanied by the most famous wine produced in the region: the Brunello (but also a good Chianti Riserva, - the aged version of the regular Chianti- wouldn't disappoint the finest palate!).
As for the "pasta" dishes, from the pappardelle to the pici - both kinds of homemade pasta - what makes them typically Tuscan recipes is the sauce: hare, wild boar or ragù sauce are the best ones to get a perfect match with the larger (pappardelle) and the thicker (pici) versions of the noodles.
One mention goes to some dishes which do not meet everybody's tastes: trippa (tripe), lampredotto and a variety of delicatessen (as the "soprassata") are recipes featuring intestines herbs and spices...if you have guts to eat that!!
The last, but not the least: fried food. Porcini mushrooms, artichokes, onions, chicken, zucchini flowers, eggplants, green tomatoes: the fresh, genuine vegetables gently and lightly fried in the excellent local oil, are pure delight!
In general, the Tuscan cuisine is not rich or varied, but genuine, simple and tasty. Farmers have learned, in centuries of hard working on the land, that nature is generous but can also let down their expectations; so they learned a lesson of parsimony and thriftyness in the preparation of the dishes. They are never greasy, and the portions are never too big. The Tuscans are more gourmets than eaters. They do not like to eat just for eating sake, but enjoy staying at the table with their fellow guests.
Buon appetito! Rina

Amazing Guy Draws Detailed Sketch of Rome From Memory

2008-11-23T04:11:00.000-08:00

Spotlight: Italy

2008-11-23T03:54:00.001-08:00

More than food in beautiful Tuscany, Italy - BBC

2008-11-23T02:22:00.001-08:00

2007 - Brunello di Montalcino - Wine - Florence

2008-11-21T05:05:00.001-08:00

Ferruccio Biondi Santi invented Brunello -- Chianti's "Big Boy". Their estate is one of the most beautiful in Tuscany, and sometimes we are lucky enough to get our guests a private visit that gives an inside look at their famous wines. If you are a Brunello fan then you won't want to miss these pieces:

1. A great New York Times article on the patriarch of the family

2. A nice short history of Brunello of Montalcino

See you in Tuscany! Scot and Rina

2008-11-20T08:07:00.000-08:00

Two cities, two cultures, two worlds which find their identity in the sharing of a same love and passion for life: Rina was born in Camobasso, in the little Molise region, central Italy; Scot grew up in Cleveland, a city in -as Scot calls it - "the north coast of Ohio". Two far realities, and it took them 40 years before meeting, but it was worth the wait!!

Abruzzo cuisine

2008-11-20T06:58:00.000-08:00

A few kilometers from L'Aquila, there is a plateau named Navelli which can be considered the European capital of crocus sativus, the flower from which saffron is made, because of its first-rate quality, which makes it sought after by chefs throughout the world.

That being said, these are some of the typical gastronomic temptations to be found in the area: the "cannarozzetti" (hand made pasta) with ricotta and safron; the maccheroni alla chitarra (hand made egg pasta cut with the aid of an indispensable utensi lalways to be found in Abruzzo kitchens: the "chitarra"; it produces thin spaghetti with a square section).

Other typical dishes are: the chicken galantine with safron, the lamb casserole, and the crespelle (a kind of crepes).

All of these classical specialties are to be found in a historic restaurant "Le Tre Marie" (via Tre Marie, 9 L'Aquila), named so after a glass mosaic reminiscent of an ancient holy painting hosted in a church nearby.

Another excellent restaurant is Elodia (in Camarda, along the Strada Statale 17 bis del Gran Sasso). Sheep feature largely in the local cuisine which also includes a dish called agnello cacio e uova- "lamb with cheese and eggs" - in which the meat is sauteed with white wine and then with beaten eggs and grated local cheese.

A third name i would reccommend is: Antiche Mura (via XXV Aprile, 2 in L'Aquila). Here excellent are the "ventricina di Crognaleto" (a salami spread) and "salame schiacciato aquilano, together with the pecorino di Farindola, which testifies of the local sheep farming tradition.

As for desserts, try the torrone aquilano (nougat from Aquila), the ferratelle (wafers) and corone alla frutta.

GRAND OPENING!

2008-11-20T06:02:00.000-08:00

Welcome to our blog, everybody!

We just put online our website:
Loving-Italy.com

Our website is the result of a cooperation between an Italian tour guide who is deeply in love with her Country, and an American expert in art and archeology who has worked in Rome for a few years, working as city guide.

We both put an incredible passion in what we do and we also agree on getting the best out of a trip we plan and carry out for our clients, as our main goal.

Actually our philosophy is that of "enjoying" every little detail filling our lives, and trying to make everyone we happen to cross paths with, feel that way.

In the next months we will be developing this blog with stories of our tours, pictures, film clips, comments from clients, funny anecdotes and opinions of friends and visitors.

We want to see it become a mini forum for lovers of Italy and travels. We would like to discover, with your help, new places and fun things to do and see...