Tuscany Calling

Today, Ripon our chauffeur at Ialungo texted me to tell me about a winery we are going to visit en route to the villa. Very nontraditional, while you are tasting the wine they are pairing food to enjoy with the tastings.
What a breath of fresh air, it lasts 2 hours and you sample 6 wines bottled right there at the estate. Additionally, they have a wonderful restaurant right on the premise where the wine is sampled at long wooden tables, giving you the option to talk to the locals or other visitors sampling the libations. More on this find later.
BTW the cinghale was wonderful with the papparedrelle.
They time is getting closer to departure, I have had several inquiries about the 4 remaining spaces so keep your fingers crossed.

Gotta run, heading to the pool to dream about being Under the Tuscan Sun.

Italian Wild Boar at 5;30 a.m. CDT Dallas

5:00 o'clock wake up today! Time to get the wild boar ready for tonight's dinner.
Typical Tuscan dish has been in the slow cooker all night, I am anticipating a hectic day here in Dallas as last minute preparations are made for the final bookings.
This week has been good, 6 new inquiries for the September trip and hopefully 2-4 will commit.
Two are dear friends of mine here in Dallas who want to explore Europe with a small group and still want the freedom to be left alone for a few hours (they are mid-40's and very much in love) really cute couple :-)
Lucky for them I have reserved the upstairs suite in the villa for them to use.

So, back to this wild boar or as it in known in Tuscany "Cinghiale", I am making a ragu to spread over some homemade pasta for tonight's meal YUM YUM

We learned this last year with Arianna and Friends at our local Tuscan cooking school.
This year will be something different and we cannot wait!!!!!!!

Stay tuned, did you ever figure out what the village is off the A1 outside of Rome and on the way to Umbria? Here is a hint, they make white wine as one of the specialities.......

Ciao for now!

The Countdown Continues

It is a somewhat overcast day here in Dallas this Sunday but the sheer thought of being in Tuscany in less then three months keep me going!
It looks like a warm day in Sienna, mid 80's and sunny. One of the reasons I love this area, summers are a tad warm but the weather in mid-September is perfect for travel and relaxation.
This season is shaping up as a perfect 10 this September.
Arianna has told me the grapes on the vine are beautiful and will be ready for picking come 16th of September when we arrive at the farm.
The chef at our villa is preparing a sumptuous welcome dinner and she is looking forward to our next visit.
I asked her if she wanted to talk about the final dinner at the villa and she said "no, it makes me sad to think of you leaving Tuscany" :-( She is so sweet.
Check out her menu for the arrival dinner:
Solaria menu:
-  aperitif - fried vegetables, and canapés
- starter - saussages rollé with salad
- home made pasta with tomatoes thyme and nuts
- roasted pork loin with aubergine flan and roasted potatoes
- dessert (Tiramisu)

OK, gotta run, the day is calling to get ready for church this morning :-)

90 DAYS!!!!! and Counting

Can you believe it only 3 short months and we land in Rome! I am almost beside myself.
Ripon our chauffeur has just sent me an email telling me of a wonderful village he wants to take us to on the way to the villa. He says it will be a great spot for lunch!
He refused to tell me where it was but I am sure Google can tell me with all the hints he gave.
1.5 hours north of Rome on the A1
Can only get there by tram from the bottom of the hill.......

The villa in Vagliagli - Castelnuovo Berardenga is booked and ready to go. We are about 15km northeast of Sienna and within walking distance of the little village about .75km

It has been a hard Friday here at work and so now it is time to kick back and relax awhile, dream of Tuscany and enjoy some wonderful summer rose.
Ciao for now!

92 Days and yes still counting! 4 places available for this trip $2500 for 10 Days (Ground Package)

Tuscany is getting closer every day. I can smell the earth now as we are picking grapes on the agriturismo farm near Pisa. The fresh bread baking in the kitchen beckoning all the workers from the vineyard  to come partake of the sumptuous meal being prepared. Fresh pasta and sauce, farm fresh mozzarella with tomatoes and olive oil, all grown right there. The local wine from the past harvest being consumed while the group practices their Italian language skills with the locals who in turn respond in English.

I wake up and I am still in my office here in Dallas and realize bummer! Oh well, tomorrow brings us one day closer to our exploration of Rome.


REMINDER: There are four places left for this wonderful trip September 13-23, 2013. $2500
Ciao

93 Days and Counting

Wow, it has only been 2 days and we had lots of traffic to the blog! Sweet.
Talked to the hotel in Rome today, the Ambasciatori Palace, right on Via Veneto.
It is close to so much for our few nights in Rome.
We can walk to my favorite restaurant Vladimiro on via Aurora where we gather for our first night. The food is amazing, the atmosphere truly hospitable Roman. Check it out, http://www.ristorantevladimiro.com/

We have 4 spaces left to complete the trip, so if anyone out there is interested drop us a line at bestofitalytravels.com

Ciao for now, talk soon,