For four years with each visit to Il Borgo, I have glanced across the vineyard-lined valley to the hilltop Castle of Poppiano in the distance and said to myself, “Someday I am going to walk to the castle”. And the day finally came. The early ...
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Tucked away in the far end of the peninsula which is home to such grand seaside destinations such as Portofino, Santa Margherita and Rapallo, lies a grand 13th century Monastery and Tower next to a 10th century church, with a fabulous beach ...
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Often clients ask me if they should stop in Pisa for a quick visit so they can see the Leaning Tower and take a few photos. Either they are on the way out of the airport or on a day trip from Florence. I mean, this is quintessential Italy, right? The ...
Read moreThis is our year 2010 in Roman Numerals. When read, it looks like a yummy sound followed by a kiss. So, may this year be full of delicious dishes and many kisses. Happy 2010…
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OK, I have at least ten favorites. But I was quite impressed with my first visit to Certaldo. The typical way to arrive at the top is by taking the funicular from the main town square. But instead, we drove up along the steep, narrow road which followed the ...
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The soul of La Foce blossomed under the caring guidance of Iris and Antonio Origo. Iris Cutting Origo (an accomplished author) was born in 1902 from an American-Irish father and Italian mother and raised in Florence. In 1923, she became engaged to Antonio ...
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This morning we roamed the valley to take in the marvelous views surrounding us. I found the hay bales particularly interesting – and so did our students! Then we headed to the cellars! These are very cool (literally and figuratively) cantinas. ...
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Ok – this was not on the original itinerary however, for me it was a long over due trip. So I was quite happy when a few in our group asked about visiting the designer outlet stores outside of Florence. Plus, I soon realized I was in the company of ...
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It is no wonder May attracts the photographers and artists to the Val d’Orcia. Color is exploding all around us. You cannot look in any direction without seeing bursts of red, yellow, and several shades of purple. This morning I took a walk ...
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The first few days of the workshop have been amazing and FULL – first of course, with a fabulous dinner. First – For you Foodies out there: Day of Arrival: Our arrival dinner at our hotel was squisito! Our first course (antipasto) was a ...
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