Take the kids to an organic farm in Tuscany
So. I had an 11 year old and a 13 year old from California with me for five days, and
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Relaxing in Untouched Elba
Frankly, before my now-husband took me to Maremma 10 years ago, I’d never thought of Italy as having beaches. I
Miriam’s Market in Metals
This is the story of how Miriam’s study abroad experience inspired her to create a series of necklaces based on
Beaches of Tuscany info and directions (Viareggio, Maremma, Follonica, Cinque Terre)
Italian beaches are a very civilized affair. Most of central italy’s beaches are sectioned up into “Stabilimenti balneari”, or bathing
Pienza: Pope Pius II and Pecorino
Pope Pius II Piccolomini visited his hometown of Corsignano in 1459 and found out that he’d grown up in a
How to make pecorino cheese
With warm thanks to Betty and Salvatore at the Azienda Agricola La Torraccia (Regello, FI). And to Toni Lydecker for
San Biagio in Montepulciano – High Renaissance perfection
The pilgrimage church of The Madonna of San Biagio lies just outside of the town of Montepulciano. Its symmetrical greek-cross
Tips for Sustainable Tourism
How often do you associate eco-tourism or sustainable travel with the great art cities of Italy? Perhaps not as often
Il Poggiolo: luxury rental accomodation in the heart of Tuscany
My friends own a recently restored holiday rental accomodation in Tuscany that I highly recommend for its peaceful atmosphere and
Made in Cortona: Arturo in Letto, “Ciao Marco” video
The hot new American pop star Arturo in Letto [sic!], aka A.J. (Douglas) Weiss, has chosen Cortona, Italy as the
The Ghirarium: How Etruscans stored and ate dormice
Here is a common kitchen appliance from Etruscan and Roman times that has gone the way of the dodo bird…
Cortona’s historical flag throwers right on time!
On February 14th 2009, Cortona’s sbandieratori, or historical flagthrowers, put on a great show for a chilly crowd (it was
Pisa Camposanto Triumph of Death and Last Judgement
Many people visit Pisa to see the famous Leaning Tower. They stay for the Duomo, maybe the Baptistry. But whatever
Lucca’s kebab controversy caught on film
The city of Lucca has made international headlines by banning new ethnic and fast food restaurants within the city walls
Outlet stores near Florence
The following is a list of outlet stores in or around Florence. As shopping in the city has gotten more
Lucca’s 100 churches (I only saw three of them today)
Today we were privileged to have the best kind of guide to the city of Lucca: a local. Or,
Piero Pilgrimage: a Piero della Francesca itinerary in Tuscany
A true piece of heaven for art lovers in Tuscany is the route one of my old and wonderful professors,
Cortona photos
I have been spending a fair amount of time in Cortona recently. Not enough to write much about its history,
The Medici villa of Poggio a Caiano
The Medici villa of Poggio a Caiano was commissioned by Lorenzo dei Medici (“The Magnificent”) from the architect Giuliano Sangallo.
Mugello day trip: cows, a pieve, a convent, tortelli, and an outlet mall
Itinerary On the spur of the moment we headed out one strangely cool August day to take in some of