By Robert T. Carlton
If you are looking to travel to a unique and beautiful destination in Europe, the wonderful Tuscany, Italy, is an excellent choice of holiday destination. The rich culture, fascinating lifestyle, and breathtaking beauty of this destination means that a vacation here will truly be a vacation to remember. When it comes to finding accommodations in the area, you will enjoy a range of choices one of which is a farm holiday in Tuscany, where you can enjoy the delights of your own farm accommodation throughout your stay, enabling you to really get a feel for the lifestyle and culture in the area. You will find holiday villas in Tuscany are dotted all around the region, and with Tuscany vacation rentals you and your family can enjoy the luxury of your own accommodation with all the space and privacy you need. You can get a variety of different types of Tuscany villa, from a country style villa to a luxury villa in Tuscany. A farm accommodation is just one type of holiday home in Tuscany, and is a very popular choice amongst those that visit this area.
Enjoy the charm of a farm holiday in Tuscany
When you opt for farm accommodation on your visit to Tuscany you will enjoy the charm and beauty of these traditional buildings coupled with modern amenities and facilities to make your stay here just perfect. Whether you are visiting Tuscany on a family vacation or a romantic break for two, these farm accommodations will prove ideal, boasting real style and traditional Tuscan beauty. You will find farm accommodations in various areas of Tuscany, and you will find that you are never far from a host of attractions and sights as well as fabulous scenery and incredible surroundings. You will find that with a farm holiday in Tuscany you get to stay in a wonderful place with bags of character and charm, all of which will help to add to your vacation experience as well as the wonderful memories you take home of your stay in this region.
Explore the beautiful region from your luxury farm accommodation
Your farm accommodation will provide you with the perfect base from which to explore the splendour and beauty of Tuscany. You can enjoy relaxing in your own gardens, where you can take leisurely breakfasts or lunches. You will enjoy being within easy reach of attractions and facilities such as vineyards and wineries, pubs, restaurants, shops, churches, sights, monuments, and more. Yet, at the same time you will enjoy having the privacy and space you need with your own beautiful farm accommodation in a fabulous setting. There is no better way to enjoy all that Tuscany and its unique and breathtaking areas has to offer, and you can be certain that the whole family will be thrilled with the comfort and amenities as well as the traditional charm and character that comes with this type of accommodation when you opt for a farm holiday in Tuscany.
Being especially passionate about travel and Tuscany vacations, Robert Carlton has been editing plenty of articles on the matter. Writing for writings on farm holiday in Tuscany he established his experience on the topic.
Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Robert_T._Carlton
Sunday, December 03, 2006
Monday, November 27, 2006
What You Need to Know Before You Visit Tuscany Italy
By Robert Carlton
Tuscany, Italy is the place that movies are filmed and fantasies run wild. Perhaps it is the cities of Florence, Pisa, or Livorno that invoke feelings of culture, art, or arouse the senses to the smells and taste of the Chianti region. The fact is that Tuscany is home to some of the most famous tourist destinations in Italy. It is here that budding artists come to learn from the masters. It is here that the world of fashion takes it cues. And it is in Tuscany that romantics rekindle the flame and celebrate their love.
The Cities of Tuscany
Florence is perhaps one of the most famous cities in the area known as Tuscany. The Uffizi museum after all is home to such masterpieces as “The Birth of Venus.” Originally built to house the Tuscan administrative offices, the top floor now houses masterpieces by Botticelli, Michelangelo, and Caravaggio. Each visitor to Florence must also stop in and gaze at Michelangelo’s “David,” on display at the oldest art academy, the Galleria dell’Accademia. The Ponte Vecchio is a landmark that literally translated means “old bridge.” It was built in the 1300s and has withstood floods and wars in order to continue to hawk some of the world’s most wonderful 18 and 24k gold products and leather goods.
Chianti is known for its wines which are famous around the world. Tourists to Tuscany can enjoy the world’s finest wines while enjoying the picturesque countryside.
Siena, also located in the Chianti region houses a gothic cathedral and paintings by medieval masters, Duccio and Simone Martini. The Renaissance and Etruscan history are evident in each landmark of the region.
Piza is best known for the Leaning Tower whose construction began in the 12th century, but starting sinking into the ground after only 3 stories were completed. It stood this way for 90 years and was finally completed by the son of Andreo Pisano, Tommano Simone and Giovanni de Simone almost 200 years after it was started.
Hillsides and Waysides
Part of the beauty and mystique of Tuscany is its countryside. The rolling hills that slope down to the coast are dotted with vineyards and villas. There are working farms and vacation villas suitable for the most adventurous tourists or those who demand first class accommodations. Tuscany car rentals allow tourists to explore each tiny village at their own pace and on their own schedule.
The Heart of Commerce
Emerging as a real business centre, Tuscany is home to thriving businesses in the furniture, leather, fashion, and manufacturing industries. These businesses keep the region in the 21st century while the people and culture keep one foot in the past.
If romance, tradition and culture are your idea of an ideal vacation, then Tuscany is for you. On the other hand if shopping and the face pace of a thriving city are your style then you will also find it in the Tuscany region of Italy.
Concentrating on latest developments in tuscany tours, the reviewer writes articles predominantly for http://www.tuscany-italy-guide.com . You can find his writings on Tuscany italy over at http://www.tuscany-italy-guide.com and other sources for Tuscany italy tips.
Tuscany, Italy is the place that movies are filmed and fantasies run wild. Perhaps it is the cities of Florence, Pisa, or Livorno that invoke feelings of culture, art, or arouse the senses to the smells and taste of the Chianti region. The fact is that Tuscany is home to some of the most famous tourist destinations in Italy. It is here that budding artists come to learn from the masters. It is here that the world of fashion takes it cues. And it is in Tuscany that romantics rekindle the flame and celebrate their love.
The Cities of Tuscany
Florence is perhaps one of the most famous cities in the area known as Tuscany. The Uffizi museum after all is home to such masterpieces as “The Birth of Venus.” Originally built to house the Tuscan administrative offices, the top floor now houses masterpieces by Botticelli, Michelangelo, and Caravaggio. Each visitor to Florence must also stop in and gaze at Michelangelo’s “David,” on display at the oldest art academy, the Galleria dell’Accademia. The Ponte Vecchio is a landmark that literally translated means “old bridge.” It was built in the 1300s and has withstood floods and wars in order to continue to hawk some of the world’s most wonderful 18 and 24k gold products and leather goods.
Chianti is known for its wines which are famous around the world. Tourists to Tuscany can enjoy the world’s finest wines while enjoying the picturesque countryside.
Siena, also located in the Chianti region houses a gothic cathedral and paintings by medieval masters, Duccio and Simone Martini. The Renaissance and Etruscan history are evident in each landmark of the region.
Piza is best known for the Leaning Tower whose construction began in the 12th century, but starting sinking into the ground after only 3 stories were completed. It stood this way for 90 years and was finally completed by the son of Andreo Pisano, Tommano Simone and Giovanni de Simone almost 200 years after it was started.
Hillsides and Waysides
Part of the beauty and mystique of Tuscany is its countryside. The rolling hills that slope down to the coast are dotted with vineyards and villas. There are working farms and vacation villas suitable for the most adventurous tourists or those who demand first class accommodations. Tuscany car rentals allow tourists to explore each tiny village at their own pace and on their own schedule.
The Heart of Commerce
Emerging as a real business centre, Tuscany is home to thriving businesses in the furniture, leather, fashion, and manufacturing industries. These businesses keep the region in the 21st century while the people and culture keep one foot in the past.
If romance, tradition and culture are your idea of an ideal vacation, then Tuscany is for you. On the other hand if shopping and the face pace of a thriving city are your style then you will also find it in the Tuscany region of Italy.
Concentrating on latest developments in tuscany tours, the reviewer writes articles predominantly for http://www.tuscany-italy-guide.com . You can find his writings on Tuscany italy over at http://www.tuscany-italy-guide.com and other sources for Tuscany italy tips.
Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Robert_Carlton
Thursday, November 23, 2006
I Love Italian Wine and Food - The Tuscany Region
By Levi Reiss
If you are looking for fine Italian wine and food, consider the Tuscany region of central Italy. You may find a bargain, and I hope that you’ll have fun on the fact-filled wine education tour.
Tuscany is located on the central western part of Italy on the Tyrrhenian Sea. It gets its name from an Etruscan tribe that settled the area about three thousand years ago. It has belonged to the Romans, the Lombards, and the Franks. More than four hundred years ago under the Medicis, Tuscany became a major European center. It is undoubtedly one of Italy’s top tourist destinations as well as an ideal place for your villa when you hit it big, really big. According to one Seinfeld episode there are no villas to rent in Tuscany, but that was several years ago. On the other hand, time in Tuscany as elsewhere in Italy is measured in centuries. Tuscany’s total population is about 3.5 million.
Florence is the birthplace of the Italian Renaissance and the administrative center of Tuscany. It is one of Italy’s top tourist destinations, whose sites of interest are too numerous to list here. Siena and Pisa are two other major tourist destinations.
Tuscany is a center of industrial production, in particular metallurgy, chemicals, and textiles. Given the region’s importance as an international art center for centuries, don’t be surprised that it is an excellent place to appreciate and purchase fashion, jewelry, leather goods, marble, and other items of beauty. Florence is the home of the house of Gucci.
Tuscany produces a wide variety of cereal, olives, vegetables, and fruit. But not only vegetarians eat well. It is home to cattle, horses, pigs, and poultry. One local specialty is wild boar. On the coast, seafood is abundant.
Tuscany devotes over one hundred fifty thousand acres to grapevines, it ranks 4th among the 20 Italian regions. Its total annual wine production is about 58 million gallons, giving it an 8th place. About 70% of the wine production is red or rosé, leaving 30% for white. The region produces 44 DOC wines. DOC stands for Denominazione di Origine Controllata, which may be translated as Denomination of Controlled Origin, presumably a high-quality wine and 7 DOCG white wine. The G in DOCG stands for Garantita, but there is in fact no guarantee that such wines are truly superior. The region produces 9 DOC wines. Tuscany also produces Super Tuscan wines, wines that may not have a prestigious classification but that are known to be outstanding. These wines are arguably the main reason that Italy was forced to revise its wine classification system. Fully 55% of Tuscan wine carries the DOC or DOCG designation. And remember, many of Tuscany’s best wines carry neither designation. Tuscany is home to more than three dozen major and secondary grape varieties, about half white and half red.
Widely grown international white grape varieties include Trebbiano, Malvasia, and Sauvignon Blanc. The best-known strictly Italian white varieties are Vermentino and Vernaccia.
Widely grown international red grape varieties include Merlot and Cabernet Sauvignon. The best-known Italian red variety is Sangiovese, which is grown elsewhere, including California. A strictly Italian variety is Canaiolo.
Before reviewing the Tuscan wine and cheese that we were lucky enough to purchase at a local wine store and a local Italian food store, here are a few suggestions of what to eat with indigenous wines when touring this beautiful region. Start with Panzanella, Bread and Tomato Salad. For a second course, eat or share a Bistecca alla Fiorentina, (Texas-sized) Beef Steak. If you have room, indulge in a Torta Rustica, Cornmeal Cake with Cream.
OUR WINE REVIEW POLICY While we have communicated with well over a thousand Italian wine producers and merchants to help prepare these articles, our policy is clear. All wines that we taste and review are purchased at the full retail price.
Wine Reviewed Badia a Coltibuono Chianti Classico 2004 12.8% alcohol about $21
I’ll start by quoting the marketing materials. “…A wine that would complement a veal chop or game birds, expect aromas of cranberry and cherry. On the palate, it should be round and ripe with enough tannin for balance.” As a point of interest, the label included the warning “contains sulphites” in ten languages.
I first tasted this wine with slow-cooked boneless beef ribs and potatoes accompanied by a spicy commercial Turkish salad. The wine was thick, loaded with plum and cherry flavors, and some tobacco. The tannins were moderate. Dessert was a cocoa cake whose label said strudel. The wine went well, its fruit really came out.
I next tasted the Chianti Classico with slow-cooked meat balls, cauliflower and chickpeas in a tomato sauce, and potato wedges. The wine was plumy and powerful, with very pleasant tannins, a little tobacco and a little earth. Just so you know, I’m not usually partial to tannins. The wine was so round that I enjoyed finishing the glass when the food was gone. No dessert this time.
I decided to follow the distributor’s suggestion and grilled a veal chop with a mixture of spices (minced onion, cayenne, and a bit of curry powder), accompanied by grilled eggplant slices with the same spices, and a commercially prepared Turkish salad, based on red pepper and tomato. The wine bounced nicely off the delicious somewhat fat, somewhat rare meat. It didn’t add flavors of its own, but accompanied the food’s flavors excellently. It was powerful, but not overpowering.
As its name indicates, Pecorino Toscano cheese comes from Tuscany, where it has been made from sheep’s milk for thousands of years. The cheese is moderately strong smelling and has a complex nutty flavor. The wine was smooth and round and had a pleasant tinge of tobacco. Just for the record I am not a smoker. In the presence of Asiago cheese from the Trentino-Alto Adige region of northern Italy, the wine became more robust.
I remember when Chianti came in straw-covered bottles. In fact, I remember the bottles more than the wine itself. But times have changed. This Chianti Classico was excellent, quite deserving of its top-of-the-line DOCG classification and well worth the price.
Levi Reiss has authored or co-authored ten books on computers and the Internet, but to be honest, he would rather just drink fine Italian or other wine, accompanied by the right foods. He teaches classes in computers at an Ontario French-language community college. His wine website is http://www.theworldwidewine.com/ .
Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Levi_Reiss
If you are looking for fine Italian wine and food, consider the Tuscany region of central Italy. You may find a bargain, and I hope that you’ll have fun on the fact-filled wine education tour.
Tuscany is located on the central western part of Italy on the Tyrrhenian Sea. It gets its name from an Etruscan tribe that settled the area about three thousand years ago. It has belonged to the Romans, the Lombards, and the Franks. More than four hundred years ago under the Medicis, Tuscany became a major European center. It is undoubtedly one of Italy’s top tourist destinations as well as an ideal place for your villa when you hit it big, really big. According to one Seinfeld episode there are no villas to rent in Tuscany, but that was several years ago. On the other hand, time in Tuscany as elsewhere in Italy is measured in centuries. Tuscany’s total population is about 3.5 million.
Florence is the birthplace of the Italian Renaissance and the administrative center of Tuscany. It is one of Italy’s top tourist destinations, whose sites of interest are too numerous to list here. Siena and Pisa are two other major tourist destinations.
Tuscany is a center of industrial production, in particular metallurgy, chemicals, and textiles. Given the region’s importance as an international art center for centuries, don’t be surprised that it is an excellent place to appreciate and purchase fashion, jewelry, leather goods, marble, and other items of beauty. Florence is the home of the house of Gucci.
Tuscany produces a wide variety of cereal, olives, vegetables, and fruit. But not only vegetarians eat well. It is home to cattle, horses, pigs, and poultry. One local specialty is wild boar. On the coast, seafood is abundant.
Tuscany devotes over one hundred fifty thousand acres to grapevines, it ranks 4th among the 20 Italian regions. Its total annual wine production is about 58 million gallons, giving it an 8th place. About 70% of the wine production is red or rosé, leaving 30% for white. The region produces 44 DOC wines. DOC stands for Denominazione di Origine Controllata, which may be translated as Denomination of Controlled Origin, presumably a high-quality wine and 7 DOCG white wine. The G in DOCG stands for Garantita, but there is in fact no guarantee that such wines are truly superior. The region produces 9 DOC wines. Tuscany also produces Super Tuscan wines, wines that may not have a prestigious classification but that are known to be outstanding. These wines are arguably the main reason that Italy was forced to revise its wine classification system. Fully 55% of Tuscan wine carries the DOC or DOCG designation. And remember, many of Tuscany’s best wines carry neither designation. Tuscany is home to more than three dozen major and secondary grape varieties, about half white and half red.
Widely grown international white grape varieties include Trebbiano, Malvasia, and Sauvignon Blanc. The best-known strictly Italian white varieties are Vermentino and Vernaccia.
Widely grown international red grape varieties include Merlot and Cabernet Sauvignon. The best-known Italian red variety is Sangiovese, which is grown elsewhere, including California. A strictly Italian variety is Canaiolo.
Before reviewing the Tuscan wine and cheese that we were lucky enough to purchase at a local wine store and a local Italian food store, here are a few suggestions of what to eat with indigenous wines when touring this beautiful region. Start with Panzanella, Bread and Tomato Salad. For a second course, eat or share a Bistecca alla Fiorentina, (Texas-sized) Beef Steak. If you have room, indulge in a Torta Rustica, Cornmeal Cake with Cream.
OUR WINE REVIEW POLICY While we have communicated with well over a thousand Italian wine producers and merchants to help prepare these articles, our policy is clear. All wines that we taste and review are purchased at the full retail price.
Wine Reviewed Badia a Coltibuono Chianti Classico 2004 12.8% alcohol about $21
I’ll start by quoting the marketing materials. “…A wine that would complement a veal chop or game birds, expect aromas of cranberry and cherry. On the palate, it should be round and ripe with enough tannin for balance.” As a point of interest, the label included the warning “contains sulphites” in ten languages.
I first tasted this wine with slow-cooked boneless beef ribs and potatoes accompanied by a spicy commercial Turkish salad. The wine was thick, loaded with plum and cherry flavors, and some tobacco. The tannins were moderate. Dessert was a cocoa cake whose label said strudel. The wine went well, its fruit really came out.
I next tasted the Chianti Classico with slow-cooked meat balls, cauliflower and chickpeas in a tomato sauce, and potato wedges. The wine was plumy and powerful, with very pleasant tannins, a little tobacco and a little earth. Just so you know, I’m not usually partial to tannins. The wine was so round that I enjoyed finishing the glass when the food was gone. No dessert this time.
I decided to follow the distributor’s suggestion and grilled a veal chop with a mixture of spices (minced onion, cayenne, and a bit of curry powder), accompanied by grilled eggplant slices with the same spices, and a commercially prepared Turkish salad, based on red pepper and tomato. The wine bounced nicely off the delicious somewhat fat, somewhat rare meat. It didn’t add flavors of its own, but accompanied the food’s flavors excellently. It was powerful, but not overpowering.
As its name indicates, Pecorino Toscano cheese comes from Tuscany, where it has been made from sheep’s milk for thousands of years. The cheese is moderately strong smelling and has a complex nutty flavor. The wine was smooth and round and had a pleasant tinge of tobacco. Just for the record I am not a smoker. In the presence of Asiago cheese from the Trentino-Alto Adige region of northern Italy, the wine became more robust.
I remember when Chianti came in straw-covered bottles. In fact, I remember the bottles more than the wine itself. But times have changed. This Chianti Classico was excellent, quite deserving of its top-of-the-line DOCG classification and well worth the price.
Levi Reiss has authored or co-authored ten books on computers and the Internet, but to be honest, he would rather just drink fine Italian or other wine, accompanied by the right foods. He teaches classes in computers at an Ontario French-language community college. His wine website is http://www.theworldwidewine.com/ .
Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Levi_Reiss
Tuesday, November 21, 2006
Tuscany Vacation Rentals You Must See
By Peter J. Wilson
Imagine staying right in the heart of Italy’s most exotic and exciting tourist attractions. Or perhaps your ideal Tuscany vacation includes the seclusion of a distant farm or village. Renting the right accommodations in Italy is easy. There is so much variety and choice. From villa to farmhouse, where you stay can be as much an adventure as what you see.
A Tuscany Villa
The typical villa in Tuscany, whether located at the beach or in the country will consist of the same charming features. These quaint homes away from home all have a rich history as castles or estates for the nobility of days gone by. Beautifully furnished, you will find all the comforts of home. The sleeping quarters and living quarters are separate as in a traditional home, so long stays are comfortable. The space even allows for easy entertaining of the new friends you will make during your visit. The size and layout of a villa make it a good choice for family gatherings. Extended families will have both the closeness and privacy needed for a successful reunion.
Luxury villas are not uncommon in Tuscany since so much of the area was home to the rich and elite of Europe. These types of luxury accommodations were once palaces. They were carefully situated for the most breathtaking views of the cities or seas that surround them. The hilly landscape of the area makes it so most villas have at least one spectacular observation area from within. Property owners will show pictures of both the exterior and interior along with the views so you can make an informed decision about what type of villa is right for you.
A Farm Holiday in Tuscany
To an American tourist the idea of vacationing on a farm may not be all that appealing. That is only because their image of a farm is nothing like what they would experience on a farm holiday in Tuscany. To the Italians, the farm experience does not mean milking cows or waking to a pre-dawn rooster’s crow. In Italy the farms are almost resort like in their setting and amenities. For tourists, the farms of Tuscany are quiet retreats set apart for the hustle and bustle of the city. Yet they are an easy drive into the heart of the regions night life and shopping.
For extended stays in Tuscany a farm house can provide a home base to the region. It is an affordable way to prepare your own meals, shopping in the villages for the essentials, and relaxing like no other vacation can provide. All of the linens, utensils and tools needed to say for weeks or months at a time make it as comfortable as home.
In selecting a Tuscany vacation rental, property owners will designate the number of people the villa or farmhouse can accommodate. There are farm area apartments specifically for two or houses that will be occupied only by your group and can sleep up to 16 or 20 guests in several bedrooms. Such a large palace turned villa is perfect for uniting family and friends from several continents for the vacation of a lifetime.
Peter J. Wilson frequently publishes newsletters on areas associated to travel. Sharing his passion in documents such as http://www.tuscany-italy-guide.com/tuscany-villas-rental.html, the writer confirmed his experience on topics corresponding to tuscany vacation rentals and travel.
Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Peter_J._Wilson
Imagine staying right in the heart of Italy’s most exotic and exciting tourist attractions. Or perhaps your ideal Tuscany vacation includes the seclusion of a distant farm or village. Renting the right accommodations in Italy is easy. There is so much variety and choice. From villa to farmhouse, where you stay can be as much an adventure as what you see.
A Tuscany Villa
The typical villa in Tuscany, whether located at the beach or in the country will consist of the same charming features. These quaint homes away from home all have a rich history as castles or estates for the nobility of days gone by. Beautifully furnished, you will find all the comforts of home. The sleeping quarters and living quarters are separate as in a traditional home, so long stays are comfortable. The space even allows for easy entertaining of the new friends you will make during your visit. The size and layout of a villa make it a good choice for family gatherings. Extended families will have both the closeness and privacy needed for a successful reunion.
Luxury villas are not uncommon in Tuscany since so much of the area was home to the rich and elite of Europe. These types of luxury accommodations were once palaces. They were carefully situated for the most breathtaking views of the cities or seas that surround them. The hilly landscape of the area makes it so most villas have at least one spectacular observation area from within. Property owners will show pictures of both the exterior and interior along with the views so you can make an informed decision about what type of villa is right for you.
A Farm Holiday in Tuscany
To an American tourist the idea of vacationing on a farm may not be all that appealing. That is only because their image of a farm is nothing like what they would experience on a farm holiday in Tuscany. To the Italians, the farm experience does not mean milking cows or waking to a pre-dawn rooster’s crow. In Italy the farms are almost resort like in their setting and amenities. For tourists, the farms of Tuscany are quiet retreats set apart for the hustle and bustle of the city. Yet they are an easy drive into the heart of the regions night life and shopping.
For extended stays in Tuscany a farm house can provide a home base to the region. It is an affordable way to prepare your own meals, shopping in the villages for the essentials, and relaxing like no other vacation can provide. All of the linens, utensils and tools needed to say for weeks or months at a time make it as comfortable as home.
In selecting a Tuscany vacation rental, property owners will designate the number of people the villa or farmhouse can accommodate. There are farm area apartments specifically for two or houses that will be occupied only by your group and can sleep up to 16 or 20 guests in several bedrooms. Such a large palace turned villa is perfect for uniting family and friends from several continents for the vacation of a lifetime.
Peter J. Wilson frequently publishes newsletters on areas associated to travel. Sharing his passion in documents such as http://www.tuscany-italy-guide.com/tuscany-villas-rental.html, the writer confirmed his experience on topics corresponding to tuscany vacation rentals and travel.
Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Peter_J._Wilson
Tuesday, November 14, 2006
Vacations in Tuscany Italy
Tuscany, Italy is a popular destination for holiday travel. The region offers many choices in accommodations, including hotels, apartment rentals, farmhouses and luxury villas in Tuscany. Large city hotels or a rural Tuscany villa offer two completely different styles to fit every personality. Several large websites offer information including pictures and descriptions of various rentals in the region. Reviews can help you chose the best accommodations for your vacation needs.
Farmhouse Vacations in Tuscany Italy
Farm holidays in Tuscany are a very popular way to travel, especially if you prefer the countryside away from the hustle and bustle of city life. You get to relax in tranquillity in one of these Tuscany vacation rentals. Farmhouses are often large, with six bedrooms and several bathrooms. They are large enough to accommodate a few couples or two families with children. Rent one with another family and split the cost of the rental.
The typical farmhouse in Tuscany has thick walls, terra cotta floors and raftered ceilings. Most are furnished in older furniture that is about the same age as the house, which adds to the authentic feeling of a farm holiday in Tuscany. The décor will often contain older paintings and photographs on the walls.
Most have been modernized enough to be comfortable, without losing the traditional feeling. The kitchen will most likely have a wood burning hearth. You will be able to cook your meals here, or enjoy some at the many restaurants scattered throughout the region. The plumbing may not be totally modernized in many farmhouses. In addition, there tends to be low water pressure.
Spas in Tuscany Italy
Tuscany, Italy is well known for its thermal baths. These are hot waters supplied by deep springs in the ground. They have been valued since ancient times for their healing properties and are great for back pain, stress relief and some skin disorders. Each has different minerals in the water, such as carbon dioxide or sulphur and is thought to help heal a variety of ailments. Mineral mud baths are another popular attraction. Some smaller baths are open seasonally. Other, larger baths are open year round. An admission fee is charged to bathe in the waters.
A variety of large and small spas have been built around these baths. Some smaller ones are day spas. A few nearby resorts and hotels allow you to stay in the resort and enjoy the spa atmosphere. These vacations are great for relaxation and relieving stress.
Best Times to Visit Tuscany Italy
Summer is a popular time to visit this area, as it is throughout Europe. If you are planning to visit at this time, you will want to book your trip at least a year in advance. August is vacation season for residents of the area. Many shops and restaurants close for the month.
Holidays are also busy times in Italy. Easter is busy for holiday vacation rentals in Tuscany. There are a wide variety of celebrations and festivals scheduled throughout Easter week. December holidays include Christmas and the day after, which is the Feast of Santo Stefano. The Feast of the Immaculate Conception on December 8th is another popular holiday. Most shops are closed on these days and some restaurants as well.
Peter J. Wilson's detailed articles can be discovered on several web publications with information about holiday and travel.Working on his reports on holiday and Tuscany italy the columnist affirmed his knowledge in the field.
Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Peter_J._Wilson
Sunday, November 12, 2006
Go Slow in Tuscany
By Shilpa Baliga
I was interested (and I must admit, a little surprised) to read recently that Italy is the European leader in organic farming. Living here in Tuscany, it’s clear that there is definitely a growing culture of farming and eating more organic food, but I somehow expected wealthier, seemingly more “progressive” countries (such as Germany) to rank more highly. Well, with more than one million hectares of land under organic management, and just under 45,000 organic farms in operation, Italy comes top of the list, followed by Germany and Spain (www.organic-europe.net). Tuscany alone has over 2,300 organic farms which produce mainly olive oil, but also top-notch wines, cheeses, cereals, pulses and meat. Some of these farms, known as “agriturismi”, rent out rooms , so you can enjoy a quiet stay and see how things are grown. Many let their guests pick fruit from their orchards, so you may be able to taste varieties of pear and apple that you’d never find in local Italian supermarkets, let alone in the UK. For the more adventurous, WWOOF (Willing Workers on Organic Farms) offers people the chance to stay and work on organic and biodynamic farms. In general, for half a day’s work per day, you get bed and board and you can imagine how delicious the food is! Thick cannellini bean soups with parmesan shavings, schiacciata: a flat-bread pizza baked without toppings other than salt, rosemary and green olive oil, castagnaccio: a smoky chestnut flour cake, best enjoyed with fresh sheep’s milk ricotta and honey. Yum.
Many Italian Mammas still go to the market daily and cook fresh healthy tasty meals from scratch for their families. But in the last few decades, families where both members of a couple work outside the home have become the norm, so ready-to-use bottled pasta sauces, pre-cooked rice and frozen pizzas have become readily available in supermarkets. The Slow Food movement was founded in Italy in 1986, as a response to this rapidly expanding fast food (and “fast life”) culture. It is now an international movement involving 80,000 people all over the world. It promotes the “right to pleasure”, especially but not only, the pleasures of the table. With its events, publications, special projects and fairs, it defends local traditions of food and drink and makes them more widely known, celebrating local specialities, promoting artisans who produce tasty, real foods and fighting against mass-produced blandness of all kinds. The Slow Food movement defends biodiversity, and it is in this spirit that farmers, particularly organic farmers, have begun to breed the Cinta Senese pig once more. This is a local Tuscan breed which was shunned a few decades ago in favour of the pink pig (which is easier and quicker to fatten up). There are now incredible Cinta Senese hams and salamis being produced on organic farms around Tuscany.
The ubiquitous but charming Jamie Oliver is a great champion for both organic food and for Italy. “I should have been Italian”, he says in his sixth book “Jamie’s Italy”, in which he explores regional Italian cooking, often adding his own twists, while frequently using and promoting organic ingredients. He is right that Italians treat all aspects of food with the love and attention it deserves. Italy boasts a wealth of distinctive regional cuisines, all with their traditional recipes and local ingredients, such as “cavolo nero” (black cabbage, much nicer than it sounds!) and the tasty, nutty “farro” (spelt) both from Tuscany. Some ingredients are so local that they only have names in dialect and are not even known in the neighbouring regions, such as “stridoli” (a delicious spinach/rocket -like vegetable) used in Romagna, north of Tuscany. And thanks in part to Slow Food movement campaigns, local varieties such as the Rocchetta pumpkin from Liguria are brought back into smallholdings and into the marketplace and will not be lost forever.
Friends (in both the UK and here in Italy) have said to me that they would definitely buy more organic food if it were cheaper. I was pleasantly surprised to find out that here in Tuscany, buying local organic produce in farm shops is in many cases works out cheaper than buying the equivalent conventionally grown food from the supermarket. Everyone who lives in the less affluent countries of the Euro zone will tell you that the cost of living has gone up considerably since the Euro was introduced. Many formerly inexpensive items have doubled in price. Rising prices have been aggravated by a domino effect of everyone in the production chain adding a little bit extra on to compensate for the extra they have had to pay for raw materials etc. Talking to organic and biodynamic growers, whose prices seem to have remained relatively stable, I concluded that since many of these farms are pretty much self-sufficient, they have not seen their costs go up greatly, and as a consequence, have not had to put up their prices so much. This is of course only true if you buy produce directly from the producer - as soon as it is transported, packaged and distributed by someone else, the cost inevitably goes up. So, once again, the moral is - whether you are in Tuscany or in Tyne and Wear, take time to go slow, buy locally-grown food and savour what you cook and eat.
Shilpa Baliga runs Organic Tuscany, which organises week-long “farm to table” organic cooking holidays in Tuscany, visiting organic farms and using their fresh seasonal produce to make traditional Tuscan dishes.
Shilpa's first experience of Italian cuisine was that of working and learning to cook at Casa Nostra, a family-run gourmet Italian restaurant in Henley-on-Thames, England. After obtaining a degree in French and Italian language, literature and culture at the University of Cambridge, and living in both Florence and Rome, she moved to Barcelona, Spain, where she worked as a chef at Sesamo, an Italian-owned vegetarian organic restaurant, and then set up her own successful restaurant, Mosquito. After the birth of their daughter Luisa, she and her husband moved back to Italy to start Organic Tuscany a cooking school offering week-long "farm to table" organic food vacations in the Tuscan hills.
Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Shilpa_Baliga
I was interested (and I must admit, a little surprised) to read recently that Italy is the European leader in organic farming. Living here in Tuscany, it’s clear that there is definitely a growing culture of farming and eating more organic food, but I somehow expected wealthier, seemingly more “progressive” countries (such as Germany) to rank more highly. Well, with more than one million hectares of land under organic management, and just under 45,000 organic farms in operation, Italy comes top of the list, followed by Germany and Spain (www.organic-europe.net). Tuscany alone has over 2,300 organic farms which produce mainly olive oil, but also top-notch wines, cheeses, cereals, pulses and meat. Some of these farms, known as “agriturismi”, rent out rooms , so you can enjoy a quiet stay and see how things are grown. Many let their guests pick fruit from their orchards, so you may be able to taste varieties of pear and apple that you’d never find in local Italian supermarkets, let alone in the UK. For the more adventurous, WWOOF (Willing Workers on Organic Farms) offers people the chance to stay and work on organic and biodynamic farms. In general, for half a day’s work per day, you get bed and board and you can imagine how delicious the food is! Thick cannellini bean soups with parmesan shavings, schiacciata: a flat-bread pizza baked without toppings other than salt, rosemary and green olive oil, castagnaccio: a smoky chestnut flour cake, best enjoyed with fresh sheep’s milk ricotta and honey. Yum.
Many Italian Mammas still go to the market daily and cook fresh healthy tasty meals from scratch for their families. But in the last few decades, families where both members of a couple work outside the home have become the norm, so ready-to-use bottled pasta sauces, pre-cooked rice and frozen pizzas have become readily available in supermarkets. The Slow Food movement was founded in Italy in 1986, as a response to this rapidly expanding fast food (and “fast life”) culture. It is now an international movement involving 80,000 people all over the world. It promotes the “right to pleasure”, especially but not only, the pleasures of the table. With its events, publications, special projects and fairs, it defends local traditions of food and drink and makes them more widely known, celebrating local specialities, promoting artisans who produce tasty, real foods and fighting against mass-produced blandness of all kinds. The Slow Food movement defends biodiversity, and it is in this spirit that farmers, particularly organic farmers, have begun to breed the Cinta Senese pig once more. This is a local Tuscan breed which was shunned a few decades ago in favour of the pink pig (which is easier and quicker to fatten up). There are now incredible Cinta Senese hams and salamis being produced on organic farms around Tuscany.
The ubiquitous but charming Jamie Oliver is a great champion for both organic food and for Italy. “I should have been Italian”, he says in his sixth book “Jamie’s Italy”, in which he explores regional Italian cooking, often adding his own twists, while frequently using and promoting organic ingredients. He is right that Italians treat all aspects of food with the love and attention it deserves. Italy boasts a wealth of distinctive regional cuisines, all with their traditional recipes and local ingredients, such as “cavolo nero” (black cabbage, much nicer than it sounds!) and the tasty, nutty “farro” (spelt) both from Tuscany. Some ingredients are so local that they only have names in dialect and are not even known in the neighbouring regions, such as “stridoli” (a delicious spinach/rocket -like vegetable) used in Romagna, north of Tuscany. And thanks in part to Slow Food movement campaigns, local varieties such as the Rocchetta pumpkin from Liguria are brought back into smallholdings and into the marketplace and will not be lost forever.
Friends (in both the UK and here in Italy) have said to me that they would definitely buy more organic food if it were cheaper. I was pleasantly surprised to find out that here in Tuscany, buying local organic produce in farm shops is in many cases works out cheaper than buying the equivalent conventionally grown food from the supermarket. Everyone who lives in the less affluent countries of the Euro zone will tell you that the cost of living has gone up considerably since the Euro was introduced. Many formerly inexpensive items have doubled in price. Rising prices have been aggravated by a domino effect of everyone in the production chain adding a little bit extra on to compensate for the extra they have had to pay for raw materials etc. Talking to organic and biodynamic growers, whose prices seem to have remained relatively stable, I concluded that since many of these farms are pretty much self-sufficient, they have not seen their costs go up greatly, and as a consequence, have not had to put up their prices so much. This is of course only true if you buy produce directly from the producer - as soon as it is transported, packaged and distributed by someone else, the cost inevitably goes up. So, once again, the moral is - whether you are in Tuscany or in Tyne and Wear, take time to go slow, buy locally-grown food and savour what you cook and eat.
Shilpa Baliga runs Organic Tuscany, which organises week-long “farm to table” organic cooking holidays in Tuscany, visiting organic farms and using their fresh seasonal produce to make traditional Tuscan dishes.
Shilpa's first experience of Italian cuisine was that of working and learning to cook at Casa Nostra, a family-run gourmet Italian restaurant in Henley-on-Thames, England. After obtaining a degree in French and Italian language, literature and culture at the University of Cambridge, and living in both Florence and Rome, she moved to Barcelona, Spain, where she worked as a chef at Sesamo, an Italian-owned vegetarian organic restaurant, and then set up her own successful restaurant, Mosquito. After the birth of their daughter Luisa, she and her husband moved back to Italy to start Organic Tuscany a cooking school offering week-long "farm to table" organic food vacations in the Tuscan hills.
Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Shilpa_Baliga
Wednesday, November 08, 2006
Tuscan Style Decorating - Three Essential
By Michael Holland
If Under the Tuscan Sun left you breathlessly and hopelessly in love with tuscan style decorating you’re certainly not alone. The rolling hills and the call of the earth itself seem to have imparted their presence into the psyche of those who either read the book or saw the movie.
This growing trend in tuscan style decorating is similar to the which-came-first theory of the chicken or the egg.
Whichever the answer, the results are genuinely inspirational. Images of our direct connection to the earth itself are born and spark a craving for the proximity of familiar faces.
In tuscan style decorating we are able to reflect our passion for that connection to the earth and to what is real.
All that which is old and forgotten becomes new and significant again.
Elements of tuscan style decorating incorporate the outdoors within the inside confines of where we live. You don’t have to be outside to commune with nature. It instead communes in harmony with the life inside our homes.
Colors in tuscan style decorating
Warmth and intensity ... just as in fine Italian coffee fills the vivid color palette of this style. The earth’s hues in ranges from blistering yellow like the sun itself to the concentrated gold’s like those she hides in her furthermost crevices are used throughout this theme. Intense shades of russet and chocolate are likewise incorporated abundantly with prominent amounts of terra cotta.
Other earth tones are likewise blended in tuscan style decorating harmony. Include expressions of coal black, deep pool or lake blue, and olive with hints of sea green in combination with generous amounts of rusty reds for added spice.
Stone in tuscan style decorating
When it comes to home décor, this style is literally the salt of the earth. Natural stones and rocks from the earth itself bear this evidence. Even bricks, which are made by man, begin with clay and other elements of the earth.
Stone is used in tuscan style decorating very effectively in kitchens and in bathrooms. Other places where it makes a powerful statement are in fireplace surrounds and hearts as well as in foyers and other entrances. Creating a faux stone wall adds an immediate tuscan air to any room.
Before choosing stone for your tuscan style decorating project, know the physical qualities of any stone you’re considering. Before you decide which stone to use where to use it, you need to know its limitations. The three most commonly used stones are granite, limestone and marble.
Granite - strong, long-lasting and heat-resistant. This stone creates a stunning tuscan style decorating focal point, but is expensive.
Limestone - natural in appearance, but very absorbent and stains easily. It is typically used in flooring and for shower interiors but is not recommended for areas that receive frequent traffic.
Marble - soft and porous, unsuitable for kitchen countertops, recommended for bathrooms and floors. Use unpolished to best compliment this theme.
Metal in tuscan style decorating
True to the concept existing in harmony with the earth, the idea in tuscan style decorating is to appreciate the natural. Instead of using highly polished metals that have a shiny appearance, you’ll be incorporating metals from the past.
Select basic tin pieces to create a feeling of genuineness. If you’re creative, you may even want to try your hand at making your own tin tuscan style decorating accessories. You can go as basic or bold as you like from doing a simple picture frame to a tin insert for an antique cabinet.
Mix in other unpolished metals like copper, iron and pewter as well for dramatic effects.
About The Author
Michael Holland is the creator of http://www.kids-rooms-and-crafts.com and http://www.home-decorating-made-easy.com. His web sites offers lots of FREE decorating tips and ideas for decorating your home. Copyright ImagineQuest Information Products Inc.
support@home-decorating-made-easy.com
Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Michael_Holland
If Under the Tuscan Sun left you breathlessly and hopelessly in love with tuscan style decorating you’re certainly not alone. The rolling hills and the call of the earth itself seem to have imparted their presence into the psyche of those who either read the book or saw the movie.
This growing trend in tuscan style decorating is similar to the which-came-first theory of the chicken or the egg.
Whichever the answer, the results are genuinely inspirational. Images of our direct connection to the earth itself are born and spark a craving for the proximity of familiar faces.
In tuscan style decorating we are able to reflect our passion for that connection to the earth and to what is real.
All that which is old and forgotten becomes new and significant again.
Elements of tuscan style decorating incorporate the outdoors within the inside confines of where we live. You don’t have to be outside to commune with nature. It instead communes in harmony with the life inside our homes.
Colors in tuscan style decorating
Warmth and intensity ... just as in fine Italian coffee fills the vivid color palette of this style. The earth’s hues in ranges from blistering yellow like the sun itself to the concentrated gold’s like those she hides in her furthermost crevices are used throughout this theme. Intense shades of russet and chocolate are likewise incorporated abundantly with prominent amounts of terra cotta.
Other earth tones are likewise blended in tuscan style decorating harmony. Include expressions of coal black, deep pool or lake blue, and olive with hints of sea green in combination with generous amounts of rusty reds for added spice.
Stone in tuscan style decorating
When it comes to home décor, this style is literally the salt of the earth. Natural stones and rocks from the earth itself bear this evidence. Even bricks, which are made by man, begin with clay and other elements of the earth.
Stone is used in tuscan style decorating very effectively in kitchens and in bathrooms. Other places where it makes a powerful statement are in fireplace surrounds and hearts as well as in foyers and other entrances. Creating a faux stone wall adds an immediate tuscan air to any room.
Before choosing stone for your tuscan style decorating project, know the physical qualities of any stone you’re considering. Before you decide which stone to use where to use it, you need to know its limitations. The three most commonly used stones are granite, limestone and marble.
Granite - strong, long-lasting and heat-resistant. This stone creates a stunning tuscan style decorating focal point, but is expensive.
Limestone - natural in appearance, but very absorbent and stains easily. It is typically used in flooring and for shower interiors but is not recommended for areas that receive frequent traffic.
Marble - soft and porous, unsuitable for kitchen countertops, recommended for bathrooms and floors. Use unpolished to best compliment this theme.
Metal in tuscan style decorating
True to the concept existing in harmony with the earth, the idea in tuscan style decorating is to appreciate the natural. Instead of using highly polished metals that have a shiny appearance, you’ll be incorporating metals from the past.
Select basic tin pieces to create a feeling of genuineness. If you’re creative, you may even want to try your hand at making your own tin tuscan style decorating accessories. You can go as basic or bold as you like from doing a simple picture frame to a tin insert for an antique cabinet.
Mix in other unpolished metals like copper, iron and pewter as well for dramatic effects.
About The Author
Michael Holland is the creator of http://www.kids-rooms-and-crafts.com and http://www.home-decorating-made-easy.com. His web sites offers lots of FREE decorating tips and ideas for decorating your home. Copyright ImagineQuest Information Products Inc.
support@home-decorating-made-easy.com
Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Michael_Holland
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