Tuscany is not just a place of peaceful landscapes, rolling hills, and winding roads; it’s also a region full of mysteries, macabre legends and ghostly presences. Are you scared yet? No? Keep reading then.
Urban trekking is an excellent way to discover the lesser-known parts of the most beautiful cities in Italy. It is a way to slow down and experience the local life and one of the most sustainable forms of tourism. Here is the program of the National Urban Trekking Day in Tuscany (October 31, 2009).
Celebrated on November 1st and 2nd, Ognissanti and Il Giorno dei Morti are quite different from Halloween. There are nevertheless some interesting similarities. Here is what All Saints’ Day and All Souls’ Day are celebrated in Tuscany.
The fall is probably my favourite season. In Tuscany there is a wealth of delicious seasonal products: chestnuts, porcini mushrooms, white truffles, the new olive oil, and vino novello (the new wine).
There is a distinctive peculiarity to Italian people I believe: we dress according to the calendar. The global warming is changing our culture… and making us look pretty silly too!
I feel lazy tonight, so I have decided to share two recipes I have recently tried and liked: cipolle ripiene (stuffed onions) and biscottini al vinsanto (vinsanto flavoured biscuits). Enjoy!
My family has made its own wine for decades. I have many dear memories of the “vendemmia”, the grape harvest. For those who have no idea how the “non professional” grape harvest works, here is what happens in my family every year.
Ferragosto, August 15th, is a very popular holiday in Italy. It is a religious holiday celebrating the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary and the most popular day for a “gita fuori porta”, a daytrip to the beach or to the mountains.
The night of San Lorenzo, August 10th, is the night of the shooting stars, a magical midsummer night when all dreams come true.
Pisa is said to be a “closed city” for the many walled gardens scattered throughout the center. Walking around, one cannot but notice trees and beautiful flowers suddenly peeping out from behind high walls in the tiny alleys of the oldest part of town.
This blog is written by a born and bred Tuscan who wishes to share her love for this region with as many people as possible. It's about living here, but also about travelling, learning, experiencing, and enjoying life in Tuscany.
It's about feeling at home in Tuscany.
A wonderful opportunity for the independent traveller seeking privacy and a pleasant atmosphere
