Tuscan holidays with Children

Visiting the spectacular Cities of Florence, Pisa and Siena are high on the list of parents choice of things to do, but don't always rate highly with the children.  Tuscany is a magical place full of Castles, History and Culture.  Whilst this often gains the attention of adults, children the world over can be heard saying “I don't want to go to a stuffy museum”. 

Here at To Tuscany we have come up with some ideas and tips for those of you that are venturing to Tuscany with your family in tow in the hope that you can survive some cultural and historical visits with everyone happy at the end.  It goes without saying that you will still have to provide lots of Italian ice cream and pizzas but you may just get to see some of the things that you want to see without too many complaints!

Our comprehensive free guide book includes a dedicated page to entertaining children in Tuscany, for when they have finished playing in the pool.

My children's favourite was the ice cream making and tasting in Castellina, one of the 5 main Chianti towns, make sure you book with Simone though!

 http://www.to-tuscany.com/local-tuscany/tuscany-for-children/foodylicious-fun/

Personal knowledge of villas in Tuscany   http://www.to-tuscany.com/

Picture sent by To Tuscany client staying in Hamlet Pretaccione which has added advantage of tennis court on site.

Lisa Leggate To Tuscany Ltd


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Villas Worldwide reports an upsurge in demand for the Italian island of Sicily

Villa holiday specialist Villas Worldwide reports increased demand and interest for villa holidays in Sicily this year as well as Italy as a whole. With 2011 bookings for Italy up by over 100% compared to the same time last year Italy is proving one of the major success stories.

Sicily can be easily reached by its many airports access using some of the budget airlines.  It has a diverse appeal from gorgeous sandy beaches, stunning scenery, beautiful coastal drives, important archeological sites, crystal clear warm sea as well as historic Italian villages and towns with their cobbled streets and elegant shops.  This collectively with the delicious Sicilian food and wine makes for the perfect holiday throughout the year.  As Sicily is one of the most southern mediterranean destinations, it has a mild year round climate although the Summer can be extremely hot.

Villas Worldwide has a selection of over 100 villas in Italy, mainly in the regions of Tuscany, Umbria, Lazio and Sicily. Around one third are located in Sicily, many with private pools, some that share and many close to the beautiful beaches. Pices begin from £600 per week per villa in low season.

Follow the highlighted links to view our fabulous range of villas in Italy and our selection of Sicily villas.

Villas Worldwide celebrated five years of trading this year, is independently owned and all holidays are fully bonded.


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Pre and Post Easter holidays tips from soloSicily

Visit the town of San Biagio Platani in Agrigento and admire the amazing Archi di Pasqua (Easter Arches). Made with reeds, asparagus, laurel, rosemary, cereal and bread, these spectacular arches decorate the town's main street and will remain visible even after Easter for a few weeks.

Where to stay? soloSicily has the finest collection of villas in Agrigento.
http://www.solosicily.com/9_villas-in-sicily-near-by-agrigento.aspx

soloSicily - Sicily Villas & Sicily Holidays
website: www.solosicily.com
Tel UK: 0044 (0)20 7193 0158
Tel DE: 0049 (0)69 5960 3981
Tel IT: 0039 091 687 0639

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Sicilian wine, an age-old tradition from ThinkSicily

According to legend, Dionysus (aka Bacchus) was the God who brought pleasure to mankind, and wine to Sicily.

Legend aside, it is certain that wine has been made in Sicily for millennia. There is evidence that Mycenaean traders cultivated grapes in the Aeolian Islands as early at 1,500 BC and when the Greeks began to settle in Sicily in the 8th century BC, they too were unable forgo their favourite libation, "oinos", and introduced several varieties of vines.

The next important date in Sicilian wine history is 1773, the year John Woodhouse started producing what was to become one of the island's most famous products: Marsala.

Woodhouse understood immediately that the decent local wine could be transformed, using in perpetuum techniques (similar to the solera system used to make sherry), which, through the addition of alcohol, would not only fortify the wine but also help it survive the sea journey back to England in tact. It was an instant success with the British, and other entrepreneurs, such as Ingham and Whitaker, soon hurried out to exploit the wine's popularity.

Towards the end of the 19th century, the English dominion in Marsala-making was brought to an end by the arrival of Vincenzo Florio, one of Italy's first tycoons, who bought up much of the land around Marsala. Cantine Florio, though in different hands today, remains one of the best producers of Marsala and a visit of their enormous barrel-filled winery is recommended.

For most of the 20th century, Sicily continued to produce enormous quantities of grapes, most of which, however, were exported to be added to wine made elsewhere in Italy.

The last 20 years have seen enormous changes to the island's wine culture and, as the many international prizes won by Sicilian producers confirm, some of Italy’s finest wines are now being made in Sicily. A new generation of Sicilian producers are realising the full potential of the island’s enviable climate, its autochthonous grape varieties and its fertile soil.

Sicily is a wine-lover's paradise, such is the variety, complexity and abundance of Bacchus' unique gift!

Find out more at the ThinkSicily blog http://goo.gl/J1NRE

Octopus Carpaccio - from SoloSicily's monthly newsletter

Octopus (Purpu in Sicilian jargon) is prepared in most Sicilian restaurants and served as a starter, presented as a whole octopus on a colourful plate or sliced into thick chucks.
Celebrity Chef Ed Baines chose a fragrant Sicilian dressing for his delicious Octopus carpaccio.

soloSicily advices to pair this starter with exquisite Planeta Chardonnay, an amazing wine produced between Menfi and Sambuca. With its delicate aromas of peach, apple, white figs, vanilla and meringue, it is suitable to pair any seafood starter.
Buon Appetito!


To read the recipe visit the Solosicily April newsletter


http://www.solosicily.com/sicily-holidays/food-and-wine/sicilian-recipes.aspx

Welcome to LunaRosa weddings - new ABTOI member

A romantic start to the week with a post about one of our new members LunaRosa, planners of bespoke weddings and honeymoons in Italy. LunaRosa founder Emma Wood is on hand, along with Aimee & Glyn to take care of every tiny detail.....to find out more about LunaRosa you can visit their site http://www.lunarosa.co.uk/about-us/about-us, they are also quite like tweeting so you can also follow them at https://twitter.com/#!/LunaRosaEvents

ROUND OF GOLF with George Clooney in Italy?

Italians are way ahead when it comes to most things including food, fashion and art. But when it comes to sport, they are way ahead passion wise and its hard to rival.

They go mad for football, Formula 1, skiing, cycling and even back in the days, chariot racing. Strangely, when it comes to golf, they have a blind spot.

This manifests itself in the country's courses. Take Menaggio, a little gem by Lake Como in the northern region of Lombardy. It's elegant and stunning and has regular visits by George Clooney who has a villa nearby http://www.menaggio.it/

And how you rate in playing terms is expressed physically in the changing rooms, where three urinals are labelled for handicaps 0-9, 10-24, and 25-zappatori, the last being Italian for agricultural labourer.

The Menaggio clubhouse has more to offer than a great restaurant and view of Lake Como. It also houses a golf library with more than 1,200 volumes.

Unbelievably, this gorgeous course is just Euro 65 on weekdays and Euro 85 at weekends. Here you can also witness Italy's new golfing hero, Matteo Manassero, the youngest player, at 16, to grace the US Masters.

Sr Manassero has his name on the honours board at Golf Club Milano, a quietly plush club outside the city. (Viale Mulini San Girogio 7 Parco di Monza, http://www.golfclubmilano.it/). It welcomes visitors, but doesn't go out of its way to entice them in.

Which is a shame, because it is handsome course, winding through trees which means you play in virtual isolation.

The only indication of the outside world is from the famous Monza racetrack, and when I say indication, I mean screaming banshee madness at 100 decibels as superbikes streak past.

Other than that, it's peaceful – the silence broken only by groans of golfers as another putt slides by on the fast, tricky greens.

Designed in the 1920s by English architects Peter Gannon and Cecil Blandford, the course now has 27 holes. A weekday ticket costs between Euro 72 and 84 and lunch in the clubhouse restaurant probably the same.

Heading north towards Como, you hit another venerable course, Villa D'este, built in 1926. Circolo Golf Villa D'Este, Via per Cantu 13, 22030 Montorfano. http://www.golfvilladeste.com/

A par 69 (5,727m) overlooking Lake Montorfano, Villa D'Este has hosted several Italian Opens.

The front nine may seem short, but it opens up and the 18th is a fitting end. The food is pretty good too. Green fees on weekdays are Euro 100 with weekends at Euro 120.

Also recommended is Golf Club Bergamo, which costs Euro 55 for weekdays and Euro 77  for weekends. Golf Club Bergamo L'Albenza, Via Longoni 12, 24030 Almenno S.Bartolomeo, http://www.golfbergamo.it/

For more information on golf holidays in Italy and for operators who can organise your golfing holiday: http://www.loveitaly.co.uk/golf.asp 

Welcome to Tuscan Tennis Holidays

A warm welcome to our new member Tuscan Tennis Holidays. Founded by Ian Campbell, a leading Tennis coach in Scotland, TTH combine a great tennis holiday in great locations. With 75% of customers being repeat bookers they certainly seem to have found a winning formulae!
http://www.tuscanytennis.com/

“The Baroque Train” taking you deep inside Noto Valley

Enjoy an extensive tour of amazing Sicily Baroque cities and reserve a seat on The Baroque Train, a beautiful picturesque locomotive taking tourists on a tour of Sicily Baroque cities.

Leaving from Siracusa, this picturesque train stops in Ragusa, passing by Scicli, Noto, Modica and crosses the striking Noto Valley (currently the largest world UNESCO site). The Baroque Train is a thrilling initiative promoted by Trenitalia which assembled a special locomotive with two wagons for passengers along with an exhibition wagon to admire architecture beauties and breathtaking sceneries.

The train operates all Sundays from March 27 until October 23 2011.

In connection with the train departure, every Sunday all museums and architectural sites spread along the itinerary will be open as well. The train will stop in Noto, Scicli and Modica allowing travelers to visit the Baroque historical centers.

Where to stay? soloSicily has the finest collection of luxury villas in Syracuse, click here   

soloSicily - Sicily Villas to rent
website: www.solosicily.com
Tel UK: 0044 (0)20 7193 0158
Tel DE: 0049 (0)69 5960 3981
Tel IT: 0039 091 687 0639

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The Slow Fish Festival - a GASTRONOMIC thrill!

Gorgeous Liguria, Italy, gets even better when it hosts the 5th Slow Fish Festival from 27 – 30 May in Genoa, capital to this thin region that sits along the top of the Italian boot looking out to sea. Otherwise know as the ‘Italian Riviera', its where you will find many celebrities and the largest yachts you will ever have seen in your life.

And Genoa is one of those cities that you don't know is fabulous until you walk around its lovely cobbled streets down to the Marina and Harbour whilst discovering some amazing historic facts.  Apparently the very first cheque was written in Genoa!

The Slow Food network is vast and spans members from 150 countries.  The Slow Fish festival features events and activities along side its huge market of fish in every shape and form where you can taste and buy products from around the world.

And whilst you are ogling the 20 international top cooks preparing mouth watering dishes for you to try, don't forget to visit the Slow Fish Enoteca which is the space dedicated to good quality wine so that you can try from more than 800 bottles.

BA fly from London Gatwick, prices start from £49pp including all taxes and charges in April and May.  http://www.ba.com/

Ryanair offers flight out of Standsted to Genoa from £31pp including all taxes and charges in April and May.  http://www.ryanair.com/

For short breaks tour operators, http://www.loveitaly.co.uk/regions.php?id=9&r=Liguria

For more info on Liguria, http://www.turismoinliguria.it/

For more info on Slow Fish, http://www.slowfish.it/