Restaurants in Cortona

Dear Friends,

This blog is about a new restaurant in Cortona that our friend Juan Angel has showed us:

It is called "Trattoria Tacconi", and it serves typical Cortonese cuisine. Very local and small, it only has five tables at street level and is run by a couple.

The very nice woman takes care of the customers orders and also cooks. You can see the kitchen from the tables, and you must pass through it in order to get through the bathroom.

The host told us about what they were serving for the day: A couple types of pastas with three different sauces that turned out to be delicious, and a second plate that was an exquisite steak.

After that we had two or three more small plates and some coffees. They do not serve desserts except for gelato. The food is excellent and definitely worth a try.

The clientele is varied: some businessmen, workers in the area, and plenty of "regulars". Very few tourists ever come here.

The check wasn't exactly cheap, but for two plates of pasta, two steaks, a litre of the house wine, water, the side plates, and the coffees, it came out to €60. Like I said, not exactly cheap, but at many other places the steaks alone would add up to  €40, and the delicious food is well worth it.

If you get a chance to come to Cortona, I highly suggest you try out "Trattoria Tacconi" so you can have your own idea of how good the food is here.

Kind regards,

George

Tuscany Itineraries- A Letter from Cristina

Dear friends, Cristina U. has kindly written me a summary of her travels to Tuscany, and it is the least I can do to thank her for being willing to share her experiences with us.

Hello,

I just returned from a four day trip in Tuscany with friends, and because I followed many of the suggestions from your blog, I thought I could send you a short summary of our trip in hopes that it can help future travellers! Tuscany is stunning, and I can't wait to return one day!

Day 1

From Bolonia, the city that we arrived in and picked up our rental car, we travelled to Lucca, the city of bicycles and gelato, plazas and bell towers. We ate on the terrace of the oval amphitheatre plaza. There are many souvenir shops, and we visited one that was dedicated to Puccini, the composer that was born in Lucca. In one of the churches, they have daily performances at 7 PM of famous arias. We were there for four hours before we travelled to the nearby city of Pisa. We visited the area with the famous tower, dome, and baptistery. We enjoyed the sun on a walk around the beautiful dome. After this, we all ate dinner in town before returning to the hotel to sleep.

Day 2

After eating breakfast, we left for Volterra. I highly suggest bringing a GPS, as ours helped us quite a bit on the journey. We were surprised by how much we liked Volterra. We walked through the city, enjoying the open air and smell of candles that were burning in the churches. Next we visited the beautiful palace plaza, which now serves as the town hall. Alabaster is very typical of the region, and there are many stores that sell stunning figures and decorations. After this we drove to the Roman ruins, which we viewed from a balcony and enjoyed very much. The visit ended in a park with great views of the town.

We next travelled to San Gimignano, a small, medieval village that is full of tourists and souvenir shops. We ate on a terrace, drove through the plazas, visited the towers, and tried some delicious gelato. We were there for three hours, and then we drove to Siena.

I liked Siena more than the first time I visited it. It was dark outside, and we were in the plaza that holds the Palio. Here, there are many shops and restaurants to be enjoyed. Throughout the streets there are many beautiful palaces. We visited the Duomo, but could not enter because it was late. Next we returned to the plaza where we had a nice dinner. We left for our rural accommodation with cameras full of pictures.

Day 3

This day was dedicated entirely to Florence. We left our car in a parking area in the beautiful area close to the Pitti Palace. After we saw the palace, we went to the stunning Ponte Vecchio and the Uffizi Gallery. The Uffizi has two-hour long lines unless you buy tickets online first. After this we went to the Piazza della Signoria, where the beautiful architecture brought tears to my eyes. When it started to rain, we sought shelter  in a café across from the Duomo. There is also a line here, but it does not take long to get in. We visited the shop that is in the catacombs, where there are many interesting books. After this, we stopped at a store and bought some homemade soap. We found a place to eat near the Dante house.

After eating, we returned to the Piazza della Signoria where we relaxed in a café. We went to the Gucci Museum in the same plaza, a very cool place- art books and a café with benches, very modern and welcoming. Next we travelled through the city on bikes for two hours. First we saw the Accademia Gallery in the Santa Croce plaza. There are many great bars in this area that fill with locals and are less popular with the tourist crowd. We heard a great jazz band play some unique covers of popular hits. Next we biked to Santa Maria della Novella, and passed all the very expensive shops along the way. From here we went back to the Pitti Palace, dropped off our bikes, and picked up our car. Lastly, we drove the the Michelangelo Plaza to see the beautiful artwork before we drove to our house to relax for the night.

Day 4

Our last day was dedicated to the south of Tuscany. First we went to Pienza, a small and beautiful town. This area is famous for the wine and cheese, and for this reason there are many gourmet food shops that sell Chianti and Noble wine, and delicious pecorino cheeses. It was Easter Sunday, and there were many people out celebrating. From there we went to Montepulciano, which was also very beautiful. We walked up a street that was lined with shops selling local products. We had a delicious meal at Trattoria di Cagnano and then drove to some of the small villages in the area to take pictures of the beautiful Tuscan countryside. Hot springs and spas are very typical of this area. After this, we visited Cortona and then went home. There is always something to see and do in Tuscany, and I can't wait for my next trip when I can visit some of the places I didn't see and revisit some of my favorites!

Kind regards,
Cris

In Tuscany with Your Dog, the Friend that Will Never Abandon You!

Dear friends, vacation time is drawing near, and many of you are starting to plan your trip to Tuscany.

For those of you like me that love animals and have a dog, it is important for me to inform you of certain things.

First of all, you must know that whether you visit the art cities, towns, or islands of Tuscany, you and your four-legged friends can have a great time together.

Tuscany offers so many options for you and your dog that there is no need for you to leave your best friend at home. Whether you stay in an apartment or a rural house, your friend with have room to play in the garden, and most accommodations accept pets.

Also, Italian law protects our pets, allowing them entrance into places like restaurants, bars, and shops.

It is important to know that no merchant can impede entrance as long as your dog is always on a leash.

For my last piece of advice, if you visit Tuscany in the summer, you will probably have to protect yourself and your four-legged friend from mosquitoes. For this reason, it is very important that your dog does not sleep outside and wears a Scalibor collar for protection.

So my friends, if you are thinking of visiting Tuscany this spring or summer with your dog or cat, you can rest assured knowing that you and your friend will be well received.

Kind regards,

George

Tuscany with Children

Tuscany offers many great cultural and gastronomic experiences, and it also offers some very fun possibilities for groups that are travelling with children. Apart from walks or bike rides through the beautiful hills, there are other places where children can have fun, like in the parks of Tuscany.

For this reason I have decided to prepare a list, that you will find below, of parks that deserve a visit if you are going to be taking a trip to Tuscany with children.

1- Parco Avventura Fosdinovo (northwest of Tuscany, near Lucca)

2- Parco Avventura di Alberovivo (close to Florence and Grosseto)

3- Monkeys Park Adventure (close to Tirrenia)

4- Salta Albero Parco Avventura (close to Rapolano Terme, Siena)

5- Selva del Buffardello (in the north of Tuscany, close to Lucca)

6- Il Giardino Sospeso (close to Livorno)

7- Acqua Village- waterpark, ideal for summer (close to Livorno)

Tuscany also offers many paths and roads where you can go horseback riding, especially in the Maremma and coastal areas.

In closing friends, I hope that your vacations to Tuscany are with your kids so that you can take advantage of some of the beautiful parks mentioned.

Kind Regards,

George

Discover Tuscany's Movie Sets

Tuscany, with its beautiful, artistic landscapes, has always been one of the favorite settings for various movie and commercial directors.

One of the first great directors who used Tuscany as a movie set was the world renowned Federico Fellini, who chose the towns of Chianciano Terme and Bagno Vignoni for his award-winning film 8 ½ and who described Tuscany as the ideal set for his movies.

However, Tuscany’s most famous movie set is, without a doubt, the city of Florence, which has been used as the setting in countless films, since its palaces and streets are capable of creating unique settings. Just think of A Room with a View or the film Hannibal, which starred Anthony Hopkins. Other important actors such as Marcello Mastroianni and Vittorio Gassman have also strolled through Florence in various movies, as well as film director Brian de Palma.

Another very important actor/director who has chosen Tuscany for his movies was Robert Beningni, who chose Arezzo and Cortona to film his masterpiece, Life is Beautiful, which won various Oscars. Most recently, the town of Cortona was used as the setting for another famous movie, Under the Tuscan Sun.  

The director Franco Zeffirelli has also chosen Tuscany for various movies, including Tea with Mussolini.

To end with one of the most recent movie sagas, one of the films in the famous Twilight Saga was filmed in Montepulciano.

Finally, my friends, Tuscany is Tuscany, a unique and marvelous landscape which certainly makes everyone dream…

 

Kind regards,

George

Enjoying Tuscany’s Thermal Spas and Springs (Northeast Tuscany - Pisa and Lucca)

On a trip to Tuscany, you can’t miss enjoying a good bath in a natural environment, especially if it’s in one of the 39 thermal spas and hot springs that Tuscany has to offer.

Apart from exploring Tuscany’s art, culture, history and gastronomy during your trip, you can also enjoy some of the world’s best thermal spas and springs. In fact, there are so many of these spas and springs in such a small area that I’m sure that every one of you would be satisfied. Tuscany has much to offer, from luxurious five-star thermal spa resorts such as Adeler Thermae to thermal springs which are more popular but just as spectacular, such as those in Saturnia, which you can see in the image above.

Throughout the next few blog posts, I’ll talk about some of these thermal spas and springs which I think are worth visiting in order to help you prepare for your trip to Tuscany.

Terme Bagni di Lucca

The rainwater which filters through the rocks is accumulated throughout the passing of the years until it is released towards the surface by a strong pressure. These thermal waters are rich in mineral salts and are some of the few odorless and completely crystal-clear thermal springs. It is told that, in antiquity, these thermal springs would open in the spring, since during this period the phases of the moon would balance the heat of the earth with water, creating some of the best therapeutic effects.

It is also told that, during the 19^th century, many hedonistic aristocrats would enjoy these thermal springs, found in some of the most beautiful villages of Lucca.

If you decide to visit these thermal springs, you could also bathe in two natural steam caves where the temperature varies between 40 °C and 47 °C. These caves are two perfectly conserved natural enclaves where you can enjoy some of the most modern treatments. This center is open all year round.

Bagni di Pisa

Located in the same area of Tuscany, I would recommend that you also visit this thermal spa. Bagni di Pisa is famous for being one of the most elegant places of the past centuries. Here, famous figures such as King 

Gustav III of Sweden, King Christian VII of Denmark, various kings of England, Paolina Bonaparte, Percy and Mary Shelley, Vittorio Alfieri and Carlo Goldoni would enjoy this thermal spa and also play in its casino.

Therefore, if you do decide to visit this spa, apart from enjoying this marvelous architectural enclave which was built in the 1700s, you can also enjoy two thermal pools at 38 °C, a Turkish bath and many other thermal pleasures such as saunas, spas and massages.

Bagni di Pisa, from my point of view, is really spectacular. If you manage to visit it, you should also visit the various lobbies and rooms of the hotel which, to this day, still conserve the glamour and noble spirit of this fantastic place.

As always, I hope that this post has helped satisfy your curiosity regarding some of the unique aspects that this beautiful land known as Tuscany has to offer.

Kind regards,

George

Tuscany's Parks and Nature Reserves

Are you ready to discover new places that you won’t find inside your travel guide? Are you prepared to leave behind Tuscany’s artistic cities, its wine and its villages in an instant?

There exists another Tuscany, one that is authentic and beautiful, where trips are enjoyed and photographed. These are Tuscany’s parks and nature reserves – oases in the middle of nature where you’ll find rare plants and various species of animals. These parks, many of which have access and facilities for disabled people, are definitely some of the places which nature lovers should not miss.

Shown below is a map of the various parks and nature reserves in Tuscany. If you click on one of the butterflies, you’ll be given more information about that park:

View La Natura selvaggia in Toscana in a larger map

As always, I hope that this has been useful for you.

Kind regards,

George

Follow Us on Facebook!

Hey there, friends, we’ve just finished publishing on our Facebook page a collection of the best photos of Tuscany which our fans have shared on our Facebook page.

Below you can see one of the photos…

If you want to see more photos and learn more about Tuscany, follow our Facebook page by clicking the “Like” button in the following link: Tuscany Blog

Kind regards,

George

Contemporary Artists from Tuscany

Dear Friends,

Today, I would like to talk to you about a metal sculptor who lives in Montepulciano and who, for a few years already, has been creating some beautiful sculptures which I think are worth talking about in my blog about Tuscany.

Giulio Pellegrini, as the artist is called, has raised the art of sculpting to a new level, creating beautiful works of art derived from Italian comics and, by playing with light and shadows, he makes these sculptures come alive.

In order to describe what he does, I’ll translate a section of his site for you:

“Chinediferro (the name of his store) began in Montepulciano, a town that has had a central role in the project and which has been the ideal setting for this tryst between metal and ink. The project began in the Palazzo Rizzi during a comic book exhibition showing the works of the comic book artist Danijel Zezelj. During a performance, which merged live music performed by a group of avant-jazz musicians, known as the Jessica Lurie Ensemble, and live painting done by Danijel, I thought about pulling a character out from the pages of his comics and bringing it to life. I’m a blacksmith by trade, and so there was nothing more natural than to use iron, a noble and everyday material, just like how pen and paper are for the comic book artist who created these drawings. The result was a silhouette of human dimensions which cast a giant shadow on the wall…

…to be a blacksmith in Montepulciano does not only mean that you are an artisan, but also that you are in one of the most beautiful places in Tuscany where, for a variety of circumstances, art, music, and comics intersect. This means that I’ve had the pleasure of meeting some of the greatest artists of Italian comic books, such as Andrea Pazienza, and even Danijel Zezelj…

…All of this allows me to change my profession without actually leaving it, and thus giving it a new lease on life, where iron and ink are mixed to create new works of art… ”

Well, friends, that’s the end of my post on this unique artist known as Giulio, and whom, if you ever go to Montepulciano, you could meet personally by visiting his shop or perhaps even finding him enjoying a glass of wine late at night with his friend, Oste, at the Acquacheta di Montepulciano, a lively restaurant known for its delicious steaks.

I hope that you found this interesting!

Kind regards,

George

Sausages of Tuscany

Dear Friends,

During a trip to Tuscany, you cannot forget to try our food- especially our ham and sausage, considered to be some of the best in the world.

The king of all sausages in Tuscany is, without a doubt, ham. There are many different cuts of Tuscan ham of all prices; in my opinion, all are good, including those of a lower price. If you would like to try one of the fancier cuts, my recommendation is the famous "Prosciutto di Cinta Senese".

                                                                                                            

This type of ham, comparable by price and flavor to the ham of the acorn-fed Spanish pigs, is considered the best ham in all of Italy. It comes from a special type of pig (that of the picture) that follows a special diet.

The second type of sausage I recommend you try is "Finocchiona". This type of sausage is cured with fennel and black pepper and comes from the loin.

Another delicious sausage is the Salcicce(butifarras). Salcicce can be cut from pig, boar, or deer; however, I prefer Salcicce from pig and cured with salt and pepper. 

One last type of sausage I recommend is called "Soppressata". These sausages are made from the poor parts of the pig and are quite a bit cheaper, but they are also deicious and you can make a great dinner out of these and different types of cheese.

I will talk about the different types of cheese in my next article.

I hope all of this is of help to you on your visit to Tuscany! 

Kind regards,

George

Books about Tuscany

Dear Friends,

Today, I would like to tell you all about some of the most famous books about Tuscany, which I’m sure that after reading them, you’ll have a more pleasant view of our region and which would also be of great help to you in preparing your trip.

The first book which I would like to recommend is Frances Mayes’ Under the Tuscan Sun.

This book tells the story of an American writer who, after a divorce, suffers from a creative block. Immersed in a profound existential crisis, she decides to visit a friend who lives in Tuscany. Once there, the writer falls in love with a house called “Villa Bramasole” (which literally means “the house which longs for the sun”) and she decides to buy it. However, the villa needs a lot of renovation in order for her to be able to live inside it, but then again, what better place to start a new life than in the region which gave birth to the Renaissance? And thus, the writer begins a new life…

I won’t spoil the rest for you. This novel is a best-seller throughout the world and is a light and easy read.

The second book which I’d like to recommend is A Thousand Days in Tuscany by Marlena de Blasi.

This book is a brief tale about the beauty and greatness of Tuscany. There is even a section with regional recipes. This book is perfect for food-lovers.

Another book, which came out not too long ago, is A Vineyard in Tuscany by Ferenc Máté.

This book tells the story of an American couple who decide to move to Tuscany, buy a vineyard, and produce their own wine. The narrative shows us the beautiful land of Tuscany, the kindness of the locals and the beauty of a life in contact with nature.

If you like this book and would like to read more about Tuscany, you could also buy his second book called The Wisdom of Tuscany.

Well, friends, happy reading!

Kind regards, from Tuscany under the snow,

George