Toscana Sun Festival

The Toscana Sun Festival 2011 takes place from July 30 through August 7 in the town of Cortona.
Enjoy a week of music, fine arts and culinary delights in this delightful medieval town. For more information or to obtain tickets visit http://www.tuscansunfestival.com/.

Ciao e a presto,

Vacanza

Siamo in vacanza. Torna presto!

My Italian Hideaway

Cyling In Italy

Spring and Autumn are perfect times of the year for cycling around Italy. The best biking routes will take you from the sea going through delightful small villages of Tuscany, Umbria, and Marche. A number of organized groups and cycle tour companies offer excellent deluxe touring packages that include a night's stay in a villa and a home cooked gourmet dinner. Here are two touring companies that come highly recommended http://tuscanybiking.com/ and http://www.cycleitalia.com/. Biking regulations can be found at http://www.bike-eu.com/facts-figures/eu-regulations/3078/the-european-cen-standard-for-bicycles-updated-for-2009.html

Ciao e a presto,

Siena Estate For Sale

To Play the video, click on the left side button

Located within the Montagnola Senese, just a few kilometers from the center of Siena, lies a 12- acre estate and resort comprised of a XVI Century Villa, Restaurant, Golf Course, Tennis Court, Pool, and Soccer Field. The estate is surrounded by lovely gardens, chestnuts trees, and olive groves with views toward the coastal hills of Tuscany. The buildings on the estate include a medieval building, Chapel, and stone cottages, and are fully equipped with a professional commercial kitchen which can accommodate weddings, concerts, cooking courses. A perfect retreat setting for artists, and an outstanding location for future development of a health and spiritual spa. Serious minded inquiries can be sent to aioltd@yahoo.com

Ciao e a presto,

Italy's National Parks

Italy's Parco Nazionale del Gran Paradiso was the first of all parks to be established in Italy. Located in the Aosta Valley of Piedmont, the park has over 70,000 hectares with an elevation of 800 meters to 4,061 meters. There you will find an abundance of fauna and flora and be dazzled by the grassland and aquatic environments of the park. Other outstanding national parks to visit are Vesuvius in Campania; Maddalena in Sardinia; Casentinesi Forest in Emilia-Romagna, and Sila National Park in Calabria. Learn more about Italy's National Parks by visiting http://www.parks.it

Scroll over the title bar to watch a very cool and quick video on Vesuvius National Park.

Ciao e a presto,

The Decision

After eleven years of travelling between the US and Italy, I came to the realization that it was time for me to pursue my passion for All Things Italian which led to my launching When In Italy LLC in the fall of 2005.

When In Italy LLC offers like-minded Italophiles a chance to fulfill their dream of owning and living in Italy through a fractional share ownership program.

Picture yourself celebrating life's special moments, like your hard earned law degree, or 25 years of marriage, surrounded by family and new friends in the privacy of your own home overlooking the Tuscany valley.

Fractional share ownership is an affordable and practical way to live overseas where you can truly savor and immerse yourself in the culture and lifestyle Italy has to offer. To read more about fractional share ownership, visit my website at http://www.myitalianhideaway.com/

There's more to follow in the days ahead about Italian real estate, wine, food, festivals, hideaways and All Things Italian.

Ciao and a presto,

The Potato Croquette

The end of a two-week business trip is coming to a close and my italian team and I will need to make some decisions on which properties best meets the high standards for U.S. fractional share offering by My Italian Hideaway. We covered over 160 kilometeres of driving and inspected over 15 villas, apartments, and townhomes immediately eliminating 5 properties.We have met with the geometra (surveryor) poured over technical floor plans for hours.

Now I take the day off and am getting an early start because I am going to have lunch with my friend Claudia and it's my turn to bring pranzo. I love the drive to Asciano as it takes me through the Le Crete Senese rolling hills of limestone and clay, a landscape too surreal for Toscana. The surrounding hill towns of Montecontieri, Val d'Asso, and Trequanda shimmer in the light of early morning.

Just beyond the hills, I see flocks of sheep sway their heads to the music of the morning sun. I am determined to get to the fresco mercato in Rapolano Terme ensuring my arrival for just after the vendors place the finishing touches to their meticulous and mouth watering stands of fresh fruits, flowers, herbs and vegetables.

Parking can be tough because the market, my italian hideaway market, is set in a tiny parking lot outside the tabaccheria (smoke shop where you buy bus tickets, phone cards) and by 8:00 a.m. the locals have scooped up the perfectly shaped deep purple carciofi (artichokes), roasted chickens, fresh fish. - so by 9:00 a.m. it may be too late!

Fresh outdoor local markets usually open by 7:00 and close by 1:00 p.m. and can be found in nearly very town, village, and neighborhood on a given day.What makes this market so special is, well, ok, I'll tell you. The Potato Croquette. Nonna's Potato Croquettes. Not just any potato croquette, but Nonna's potato croquette made with sheep's milk!!

Parking is easy so I begin my morning stroll up and down each isle selecting a few pieces of fruita, un po di pecorino, and a large loaf of Toscana bread (which is made with no salt). I head to Stefano's for chicken. Per piacere (polite for please) un pollo. I order one roasted chicken.

Si, signora, ritorna in un ore. Come back in an hour. Now I peak down the isle and see that Nonna has started to prepare the croquettes with her tiny but strong hands. It's too early, she won't be ready to fry them for at least an hour.

Time to get an espresso and see Eva. We spent some time chatting, laughing, and catching up on properties for sale when I check my watch and an hour has gone by. O dio mio I must get back to check on my pollo.

Stefano sees me approaching and grabs my plump beautiful golden skinned chicken, I pay and head to Nonna. Perfect timinig. She has started the frying. The line is long and I think I will faint from the smell of the potatoes . Now its my turn.

Dica! Tell me! Nonna, io vuolo (I want or take) cinque patate (potatotes). Cinque? (5). Si, cinque (5). She asks if I am sure that I want only 5 croquettes. Si, yes, certo (certainly).

I am taking pranzo to my friend and I need 5 patate croquettes. Nonna takes her hands and the croquettes and gently places them into the beautiful golden olive oil . Within minutes they are golden and bagged for me.

I've got everything I need. Claudia will have the table set, wine glasses in place next to her beautiful torta. It's not long before I steer my Opal thru the gates crazily beeping my horn. Now it is time to have some fun with Claudia. Ciao, Claudia, sono qui! Hi Claudia, I am here. I have goodies just like you asked.

Do you have the bread? Si, Claudia, I have the bread. What about the cheese? Did you get cheese? Yes, Claudia I have the cheese. How is the chicken? Just like you asked. A beautiful plump farm raised golden roasted pollo - look Claudio how fresh and juicy. Ok, I hope you didn't forget the croqettes! No, Claudia, no. I got 4 just like you asked.

To Be Continued Monday - The Decision