Barga We visited Barga last year with only enough time for a couple of hours of exploration but that was enough to ensure our return. There is something about this little walled village sitting on a hill looking out over the Serchio Valley that wants you to slow down, breath and stay a while. The […]
Driving Through A Painting
Pecorino Amongst the European countries that produce wonderful cheese, Italy definitely ranks near the top. Some of the cheeses we have enjoyed this trip include squaquerone, stracciatella, buffalo mozzarella, asiago, formaggio di fossa, robiola and of course the great Parmigiano Reggiano but by far the most prevalent cheese across Tuscany is my favourite, Pecorino. Pecorino comes […]
European Markets Part One – CREAMED CHANTERELLES ON TOAST
Eating at restaurants If you’re travelling for any length of time, eating at restaurants gets a little tedious and expensive. If you want to save a few dollars and aren’t interested in eating fast food or street food every day, you can save some cash by renting a room with a kitchenette. You can often […]
Cooking For Italians
Foodie International We headed up to Elyse’s place (from Foodie International) for a welcome glass of wine and to see her recently renovated 200 year old stone house. Perched a couple of hundred feet up from the agriturismo her amazing Italian home has even more stunning views than our sweet accommodations below. A quick tour of […]
Life At Pascianella Agriturismo
Pascianella Agriturismo Arriving in Southern Tuscany we checked into the most modern of our accommodations so far at Pascianella Agriturismo. Just outside the tiny hill town of Castelmuzio this family-run farm, with three generations living together, looks out across the valley toward Montisi offering up the most stunning sunset views. Greeted by Giacomo We were […]
Dario Cecchini, The Dante Quoting Butcher
Dario Cecchini Panzano is a tiny village in the middle of the rolling hills of central Tuscany. There’s nothing too exciting here except for one very unique butcher shop and its accompanying restaurants.Cecchini is run by the now infamous Dante quoting butcher Dario Cecchini, a giant of a man with hands like baseball gloves and […]
Twilight in Volterra – FARRO FOCACCIA
A short drive from Castellina lies the medieval town of Volterra made famous most recently as one of the locations for the movie series Twilight. One of the larger walled towns that we have visited, Volterra has a number of beautiful streets, museums and attractions that are steeped in history, including the ruins of a […]
An Epic Adventure: a visit to Casamonti Estate
Leaving San Marino If you miss a turn in Italy it can be the best thing to happen or the worst. Leaving San Marino we did just that and managed to turn a 2 1/2 hour drive into an epic adventure. It was a beautiful sunny day and we ended up on a small provincial […]
