Want to drink Italian coffee according to etiquette? Italy magazine tells us these are the rules you need to follow on your next espresso break or when serving to family and friends.

How to stir
Even if you don’t put sugar in your coffee, it is always preferable to stir espresso with a teaspoon so that the aromas are well distributed; according to etiquette, you need to stir in delicate movements, from top to bottom, without ever bumping the cup because making noise would be impolite.

Where to place the teaspoon
After stirring, etiquette says you have to place the teaspoon on the right side of the small plate where the cup rests. Do not put the spoon in your mouth: it is considered bad manners to taste the coffee with the spoon that was used to mix it.

How to hold the coffee cup
According to etiquette, you have to lift the cup using only thumb and index finger without ever raising the little finger. The coffee should be drunk in small sips without blowing on it if it’s too hot; just wait a few minutes before drinking it. The cup should be brought to the mouth and not the other way around; once you’ve finished drinking, the cup should be placed back on the small plate.

Water: before or after coffee?
Water should always be drunk first to cleanse the palate in order to better taste the aromas of coffee.
If you’re serving espresso at home, there are rules to follow too:
    - Coffee should not be served at the table, but in the living room;
    - If the coffee is prepared with the moka machine, the moka should be put on the tray along with cups, 
      sugar bowl and milk;      
    - It’s always best to accompany coffee with a good dessert.

In our travels here at Villas of Italy we always take copious notes about restaurants, new or old, hotels, sights and attractions. We use these when crafting our tours in order to give our guests the best possible tour experience. And, we are always on the lookout for the best restaurants no matter where we go.

Silvia Donati at Italy Magazine shares with us The 41st edition of “Ristoranti e Vini d’Italia” (Restaurants and Wines of Italy), the guide published every year by L’Espresso, one of Italy's foremost weekly newsmagazines, was presented last week in Florence (inaugurating the ‘2019 season’ of the culinary guides, which concludes in November with the release of the most prestigious of all, the Michelin guide).

More than 2,000 dining establishments are featured in the L’Espresso 2019 guide, and not just the fanciest ones, but also trattorie, osterie, pizzerie, street food places, vegetarian and vegan-friendly restaurants, hamburger places, panino (sandwich) places, and more. 

Restaurants in the guide are assigned from one to five hats, with one hat indicating good cuisine
and five hats indicating excellence . . . the best overall.

There are seven restaurants in the guide with five hats;

• Lido 84 in Gardone Riviera (new entry), on Lake Garda
• Casadonna Reale in Castel di Sangro, L’Aquila (Abruzzo)
• Le Calandre in Rubano, Padua (Veneto)
• Osteria Francescana in Modena (Emilia-Romagna)
• Piazza Duomo in Alba, Cuneo (Piedmont)
• Uliassi in Senigallia (Marche)
• St. Hubertus in San Cassiano, Badia valley of South Tyrol (new entry)
  
  

A new category was introduced last year, the ‘Cappello d’Oro’ (Golden Hat), this signals those
restaurants that make the best classics of Italian cuisine;

• Caino in Montemerano, Grosseto (Tuscany)
• Casa Vissani in Baschi, Terni (Umbria)
• Colline Ciociare in Acuto, Frosinone (Lazio)
• Dal Pescatore in Canneto sull’Oglio, Mantua
• Don Alfonso 1890 in Sant’Agata sui Due Golfi (Naples)
• Enoteca Pinchiorri in Florence
• Lorenzo in Forte dei Marmi, Lucca (Tuscany)
• Miramonti l’altro in Concesio, Brescia (Lombardy)
• Romano in Viareggio (Tuscany)
• San Domenico in Imola, Bologna (Emilia-Romagna)
  
  

Much awaited every year is the single prizes category;

Lunch of the year: Osteria Francescana (which this year won first place in the 50 Best World’s
Restaurants guide), Modena. Owner / Chef Massimo Bottura tells us, “our kitchen is not a list of
ingredients or a demonstration of technical abilities. It is a narration of the Italian landscape and our passions.
Cooking is a collision of ideas, techniques and cultures. It is not mathematical. It is emotional.”

Best host service: Palagio at Four Seasons in Florence.

Best new restaurant of the year: there are two in the 2019 guide;

• Gorini in San Piero in Bagno (Forlì-Cesena, Emilia-Romagna) helmed by the young chef Gianluca Gorini.
• Dina in Gussago (Brescia, Lombardy), run by self-taught chef Alberto Gipponi.
  
  

Best Young Chef of the Year: Fabrizio Mellino, Quattro Passi in Nerano (Naples).

Patisserie of the year: the three Michelin-starred St. Hubertus in San Cassiano (Bolzano, South Tyrol), with pastry chef Andrea Tortora.

Female chef of the year: Chiara Pavan, from one Michelin-starred restaurant Venissa in Mazzorbo (Venice). Mazzorbo is an island connected to the island of Burano by a foot bridge. This restaurant and chef are a 5-minute boat ride from our villa on the nearby island of Torcello where our guests stay during our Venezia – La Serenissima tour.

So, whether or not you travel with us, use this guide to try the best restaurants in Italy, and let us know what you think . . . we'll add it to our notes.

                                                                                           Buon appetito!

Francine Segan with Italian Magazine shares with us how ancient Romans approached staying healthy. Many of these same 'health tips' exist in Italy to this day. So, what did the ancient Romans do to stay healthy.
​
Drink wine!
The ancient Romans thought that wine was essential to good health because they considered it an aid to digestion. They also thought that drinking wine sparked conversation during dinner. Wine was so important to them that the ancients called a meal without wine a “dog’s dinner.” So do as the ancient Romans—sip, chat, nibble, sip.

Food not pharmacy
The ancient Romans followed the teachings of Hippocrates, the Father of Medicine, who famously wrote, “Let food be thy medicine.” When patients were sick the first thing Hippocrates prescribed was a change in diet. There weren’t drug stores back then so ancient Romans tried to cure their illness by either eating-- or not eating-- certain foods.
​
Marcus Cato, the second-century BC Roman statesman, devotes several pages in his book, On Agriculture, to the “so-called Seven Good Things” about cabbage.  According to him cabbage can treat wounds, reduce swellings, set dislocated bones, and even prevent drunkenness.  The ancients believed the cabbage was sacred, “the prophet among vegetables.”   A common exclamation at the time was, “So help me Cabbage!”  

Dream on
Sigmund Freud wasn’t the only one into dreams. Hippocrates analyzed dreams to help diagnose what ailed his patients. He believed that while we sleep our body tries to communicate to our brain. For Hippocrates, if someone is healthy he dreams, more or less, about normal daily activities. But if a patient is ill, they might have odd dreams, which is the body’s attempt to explain what’s wrong. Hippocrates and ancient Romans thought, for example, that dreams about floods might mean kidney problems, dreams of trees falling might mean a man had reproductive problems and needed the equivalent of ancient blue pill. Interestingly, Hippocrates observed that patients often have frightening nightmares after a too-heavy meal.  The ancient Romans thought figs kept away nightmares. Don’t take any chances; try the Fig Focaccia recipe below.
 
Eat your veggies….raw  
There are many modern health authorities and chefs who advocate a raw-foods-only diet, a notion with its roots in antiquity.  Galen, physician to Emperor Marcus Aurelius, recounts a story of a medical student who “resolved never to light a fire.”  Eating only raw foods, the student “stayed healthy during all these years.”  Galen wrote extensively on healthful eating and recommended raw salads dressed with oil, honey, and vinegar for good digestion.  For an enticing accompaniment for raw veggies try an Olive Puree.

​Don’t dine solo 
Dinner in antiquity was almost always a social affair shared with a few close friends at someone’s home. The ancient Romans actually believed that eating alone could give you indigestion because without fun conversation you might eat too much and too fast.

Exercise  
Exercising in the town gymnasium or public baths was part of everyday Roman life. Hippocrates wrote, “Walking is a natural exercise, much more so than other exercises.” Galen, a first century Roman physician, was such a prolific writer that his complete works have yet to be fully translated.  In one of his books, On Exercise with the Small Ball, he recommended sports as an excellent and economical way to stay fit.

​In antiquity, Roman citizens considered it a virtue to take care of their bodies, believing it demonstrated their self-control and discipline. Look at Hippocratic’s advice for those with sore, over worked muscles, “get drunk once or twice” and have “sexual intercourse after a moderate indulgence in wine.”  

If it’s from the water, eat it 
Ancient Romans, like modern Italians, love fish, not surprising for a country with so much coastline.
The ancient Romans enjoyed a fermented fish sauce called “garum” or “liquamen” which they manufactured and distributed throughout the Mediterranean and northern regions of Europe.  This all-purpose salty condiment topped everything from vegetables to meats, and was used as we might Worcestershire or soy sauce.
Archeologists recently excavated an amphora, or large clay vessel, at the site of one Roman ruin in England.  The outside of the vessel reads, "Seasoned tuna garum, for the pantry, excellent and of high quality.”

Sweets in moderation 
Ancient philosophers wrote often about healthful eating.  Plato, for example, noted that sugar should be avoided by all athletes saying, “something which all men in training understand—that if one is to keep his body in good condition he must abstain from such things all together.”  However, even Plato would have approved of these Bay Leaf Cookies adapted from On Agriculture, a book by the Roman Statesman Cato the Elder.  The original recipe is for “Must Cakes” -reduced grape syrup- like Italy’s modern-day saba, plus spices and cheese baked on bay leaves.

Recipes

Fig Focaccia
Serves 8

10 1/2 ounces, about 2 cups, all-purpose flour
1 packet, 1/4 ounce, fast acting yeast
2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil, plus more as needed
2 tablespoons granulated sugar
1/2 teaspoon salt
18 very small figs
3 tablespoons honey, plus more as needed
Juice of 1/2 lemon
Fresh rosemary

Sift the flour onto a clean work surface or into a large bowl. Make a well in the center and fill with 1/2 cup of warm water (keep another 1/4 cup of water handy to add later). Sprinkle the yeast on the water, and let the yeast bubble, about 2 minutes. Add the oil, sugar and salt, and slowly begin to incorporate the flour into the center hollow, combining with each addition, until dough forms. Knead the dough until smooth and rest it in a lightly oiled bowl until it doubles, about 1 hour.

Preheat the oven to 350 F and oil a flat cookie sheet or baking pan, at least 12 inches wide.

Roll out the dough into a circle about 10 to 12 inches in diameter. Place on the prepared pan. Pierce the dough throughout with a fork. Carefully cut a cross on top of one of the figs, halfway down, so the figs opens like a flower. Press it into the center of the dough. 

Remove the stems from the 17 remaining figs, slice them in half, and arrange them around the focaccia, cut side up, pressing them into the dough as far as possible. 

Put the honey into a small bowl and heat for a few seconds in the microwave or over boiling water. Stir in the lemon juice. Drizzle the mixture over the top of the figs and foccaccia dough. Sprinkle with rosemary. Bake for about 30 minutes, until golden and cooked through.  Remove from the oven and drizzle with more honey. 

Olive Puree with Raw Veggies
Serves 10

From: The Philosopher’s Kitchen, by Francine Segan (Random House)

1/2 cup pitted whole oil-cured black olives
1/2 cup pitted whole brine-cured green olives     
1/4 cup chopped onion
1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
1 garlic clove, minced
1 teaspoon fennel seed
1/4 cup minced fresh parsley, mint, and basil
Zest of 1 lemon
Assorted raw veggies   

Combine the olives, onion, olive oil, garlic and fennel seed in a food processor and puree until smooth.  Place in a serving bowl, top with the minced herbs and the lemon zest. Serve with raw vegetables.

Bay Leaf Cookies
Yield: 2-1/2 dozen cookies

From: The Philosopher’s Kitchen, by Francine Segan (Random House)

1/2 cup lard or butter, room temperature
1/4 cup sugar, plus 1 tablespoon, divided
1 egg
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 cup saba, grape must reduction 
1 teaspoon anise seed
1 teaspoon ground cumin
2 1/2 cups all purpose whole wheat flour
1/2 cup ricotta
3 bay leaves, finely crumbled and coated with olive oil

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Beat the lard or butter and sugar in a large bowl using an electric mixer until creamy.  Add the egg, salt, baking soda, grape juice concentrate, anise seeds, and cumin and continue beating.  Slowly add in the flour until combined.

In a small bowl mix the ricotta and remaining tablespoon of sugar until smooth.

Drop the dough by rounded teaspoonfuls onto a greased non-stick cookie sheet and make an indent in the center with a teaspoon.  Place half a teaspoonful of the sweet ricotta mixture into the center.  Top with a sprinkle of crumbled bay leaves. 

​Bake in the center rack until the bottoms are golden brown, 15 to 18 minutes.

​Enjoy!

Ciao from Tuscany! It is now autumn here and thoughts turn to the vineyards as the region prepares for one of its favorite traditions, the vendemmia (wine harvest). Those of you who have been here with us at the villa on tour (and some of you were here during the harvest of the vineyards next to the villa), remember it was a difficult harvest last year as the years rainfall was much less than normal, so the harvest produced anywhere from 25-50% less grape. But as many of you experienced Italians do not complain, they spoke about looking forward to learning (and tasting) how that years vintage would turn out.

So, this year after a plentiful rainy season, careful tending, trimming and tasting, Tuscan grapes are ready to be transformed into what is music to every Tuscan’s ear, vino nuovo (new wine). Of course, you don’t have to own a vineyard to partake in the season’s festivities. There are plenty of fantastic wine festivals in the coming months that celebrate the harvest and the traditional dishes that are prepared alongside it, giving you the perfect excuse to raise a glass with the locals. Just don’t forget to say “Salute” or ‘Cin Cin’.

​Tuscany has some great wine festivals. As old as the act of making wine itself , this is your chance to taste the region’s reds and whites as the locals intended (and very different from our tasting experiences in the US; away from fussy cellars, tasting rooms and stark wine shops), rather in Italy accompanied by plenty of great food and by locals in period costume, and music.   

Those of you who have been with us on tour remember the town Greve in Chiani where one of these festivals, Expo del Chianti Classico just occurred. Expo del Chianti Classico is the event for the serious Tuscan wine buff. Hundreds of stands were set up in the gorgeous main piazza, representing the best of local Florentine and Sienese producers. Throughout the festival, there was ample time to taste and buy from the winemakers as well as plenty of free lectures on the history and cultural significance of Chianti, guided tours through the town, live and DJ music and … the annual highlight, super bingo! 

The last Sunday in September is the Festa dell’Uva in Impruneta, a small town just outside of Florence. The grand dame of Tuscan wine festivals, Impruneta’s Festa dell’Uva is a celebration of ‘vino’ in Italy. It’s a celebration of the grape growers and wine makers that define their cultura Contadina (farming heritage). Sure, there’s plenty of wine to taste – here the locals are partial to the Toscano I.G.T - but there’s also an action-packed cart race between the four town districts, which battle it out for a hand-painted cup and a year’s worth of bragging rights.
  
Tuscany’s wine festivals aren’t just about enjoying a glass or two with some great food, they’re also a chance to taste the best established and up-and-coming vintages. 

Sangiovese is Italy’s numero uno grape. The name means ‘Blood of Jove’, aka Jupiter, the Father of the Roman Gods. Sangiovese is at the core of Chianti, which was once considered as simply a red table wine.
 Chianti is now the feature wine at all of Northern Tuscany’s wine festivals. Chianti has sour cherry notes with hints of tomato and tea leaves, violets, herbs, earth, licorice and leather.

Southern Tuscany’s quickly becoming favorite wine is also packed with plenty of Sangiovese. The Morellino di Scansano is Tuscany’s youngest DOCG wine. Its name stems from the word ‘morello’, either the dark red morello cherry found in the area or a local nickname for the brown color of its horses. The Morellino di Scansano is rough around the edges, full-bodied, fresh and fruity with ripe notes of plum and other dark fruits.
 
Tuscany isn’t really famous for its whites, but is known for the Tuscan wine Vernaccia most notably Vernacci di San Gimignano. Those of you who have joined us at the villa, had much of this wine. Vernaccia di San Gimignano is the most well known variety of Vernaccia and produces crisp wine with good acidity and citrus fruit, and is sometimes blended with the local Trebbiano grape. But, if you’re partial to something lighter, you can try the wine from nearby Elba, Elba Ansonica, named after the region’s favorite white wine grape, the Ansonica has an intense aroma and a flavor that drifts from dry to sweet.
 
Consider joining us on our all-inclusive Tuscan Adventure, August 18-28, 2019 to experience all that is Tuscany. We only have 3 couples spots (6 people double occupancy) remaining for this tour (6 couples max.). If you have family or friends who you would like to share what will be ‘lifetime memories’ please contact us for further tour details. Early booking discounts of up to $1000 per couple are still available.
​A small $500 deposit per person will hold your spot.  And, please read our informative blogs at Villas of Italy. We are looking forward to sharing the real Italy with you in 2019.
 
We travel not to escape life, but for life not to escape us.
 
Ciao . . . a presto!

The magazine, L’Italo-Americano the #1 source of all things Italian since 1908, shares with us about eating and living with Italian gusto . . . which is what we at ​Villas of Italy create for our guests while on tour. Not only during our meals at the villa with Chef Mauro, but also while on tour with Giacomo and our city guides . . . we share the life, culture, cuisine, and art of the Italian people who always - no matter what they do – live life with gusto.

​Eating in Italy mirrors life: it speaks of family, friends and love, of history and local heritage, of a past that shapes the future, something of which we are still profoundly and undeniably proud.  This is what we share with our guests on every tour. 

Italians are pleasure lovers! And food is one of the pleasures we love the most. What does Italy’s affair with fresh, organic ingredients in the creation of unbelievably delicious food tell us about life?

Well, I think it’s simple: it is an invitation to enjoy the earthy pleasures of everyday living with an open heart because life is too short to be perennially on a diet or to postpone that trip we’ve always wanted to take. 

At Villas of Italy we strive to share with our guests that eating the Italian way also teaches us a thing or two about how to live a better life, how to live life filled with friendship, with love, with serenity. 

We hope we will see you at the villa soon to experience the life, culture, cuisine, and art of the Italian people who always - no matter what they do – live life with gusto.

Our Tuscan Adventure, August 18-28, 2019 (6 couples Max.) has 3 couples spots (double occupancy) remaining. Contact us for special early booking pricing saving up to $1000 per couple. A small $500pp deposit will hold your space. 

​We travel not to escape life, but for life not to escape us.

Yesterday we had the great pleasure of having lunch with a good buddy from college and his wife (he was in my wedding and I was in his) who are joining us on our Tuscan Adventure next year August 18-28, 2019. We had a wonderful time catching up but our conversation eventually turned to the trip. One of the questions was how far in advance to purchase airfare? Those of you who will be joining us in Venice for our Venezia - La Serenissima tour in June (sold out) or our Tuscan Adventure (3 couples spots left) you will be receiving many emails with all kinds of great travel tips and what to consider when traveling. You can also read our blogs and FAQ's here on our website that will give you a ton of information. And, if you still have questions you can always email us and we'll get back to you with answers to your questions, and probably answers to questions you haven't thought of yet!?

The question of how far in advance to purchase your airfare . . . we usually recommend the best time to purchase airfare to Europe is 3-5 months out from your trip. If you purchase farther out than 5 months out you could be paying too much, and if you wait to purchase closer than 3 months to your trip you'll likely pay more as well. 

We always recommend using fare trackers to watch for preferential pricing like Kayak, airfarewatchdog, skyscanner, tripsavvy, orbitz, etc. that will alert you when the fares drop or into the pricing range you've set. 

This coming year however we are suggesting  waiting closer to the 3 month mark as 2019 is the year airfares may drop for a few of reasons. With the US economy growing stronger and showing signs of not slowing down anytime soon, the currency exchange rate is moving into more favorable territory for the dollar which will increase your buying power, and there are BIG changes coming in the airline industry which may generate fare wars. 

For the last many, many years us Americans rarely flew on an unfamiliar air carrier; it’s been decades since U.S. travelers saw a new airline emerge. The Big Three (American, Delta, and United) have had little competition since Southwest and JetBlue came onto the scene in the 60s and 90s, respectively. But that may finally change. With a new low-cost American carrier taking off and European start-up airlines expanding to the States, so many more cheap flights across the globe could be on the horizon. Here are the new airlines to keep tabs on.
 
Moxy
Faithful JetBlue flyers will be happy to know that the buzz about a new airline by the low-cost carrier’s founder, David Neeleman, looks to be coming to fruition. Neeleman recently annouced the tentative purchase of 60 Airbus A220-300 jets for the venture, which he’s referred to as “Moxy.” The new airline’s name is likely to change, but what’s clear is that Neeleman wants to stay true to JetBlue’s low-cost, high-comfort ethos, this time for secondary airports located outside of urban air hubs. “The A220 will enable us to serve thinner routes in comfort without compromising cost, especially on longer-range missions,” Neeleman told investors. But not so fast: Moxy isn’t likely to fly until 2021.
 
Air Italy
Backed by Qatar Airways and born of a small Italian carrier formerly called Meridiana, Air Italy is looking to capitalize on the shortcomings of financially troubled Alitalia, Italy’s national carrier. Air Italy’s flights to Italy and beyond (including Brazil, Spain, and Israel) began from New York’s JFK airport, Miami, and the airline’s Milan hub in early 2018. Those routes seem to be just the beginning: The new airline is expected to more than double its fleet by 2022.

French Bee
A new airline concept out of France, French bee is billing itself as the first low-cost, long-haul-only airline. The focus is connecting France to far-off cities like San Francisco, which is the only American route for now. You'll start seeing French bee’s blue planes at more airports, and you should check out some low-cost long-haul options that’ll take you further for less.
 
Level
Owned by IAG (British Airways, Iberia, Aer Lingus) and based in Barcelona, budget carrier LEVEL began operations in 2017. It’s so far succeeding with its routes to Martinique, Punta Cana, Buenos Aires, Montreal, and Paris through Boston, New York, Los Angeles, and Oakland. However, its recent airport meltdown, which stranded travelers in Montreal, indicates that management still needs to work out some details. LEVEL’s newest mission is to expand offerings from its Vienna hub, beginning with short-haul European flights that could eventually extend to the States.
 
Primera Air
Yet another new airline that’s low-cost and based in Europe, Primera Air began its transatlantic routes to the U.S. in 2017. Patterned on Norwegian Air (our latest personal favorite nonstop Oakland-Rome), Primera’s U.S. options include flights from New York, Boston, and Washington, D.C. to London and Paris. 
 
World Airways
A rare U.S. startup aiming to launch a big new airline, a tentative venture called World Airways resurfaced in 2017 when new investors bought out the “intellectual property” of a small carrier of the same name that went under in 2014. World Airways has been somewhat vague about its plans. Some statements seem to indicate a focus on long-haul routes with 787s, while others seem to say the line will copy Norwegian with transatlantic flights from New York’s Stewart International Airport. 

So, a lot of reasons to watch and wait to purchase your airfare to Europe for 2019 but resist the temptation to wait to see if airfares will continue to drop within the 3 month window prior to the trip. 
If you see a great price I would recommend buying it.

In a coming blog we'll give you more tips on 'how' to look for airfare - what to consider - perhaps not just flying from Point A to Point B, i.e.,  not just searching for airfare and typing in San Francisco  to Florence, or Oakland to Venice. 

And, if you are considering joining us for our next Tuscan Adventure, August 18-28, 2019, we have 3 couples spots left and we're still giving 'early booking' discounts off our listed tour price as an incentive to book now. Email us for details and our Tuscan Adventure daily itinerary. 

Ciao . . . a presto! 

Delays: Among the major U.S. airports, New York’s JFK, Newark, Chicago’s O’Hare, and San Francisco generally fare the worst in delay tabulations, which make them bad for an airport connection. Dallas-Fort Worth and Houston suffer more delays than you’d expect, given their benign weather locations. Conversely, snowy Salt Lake City and rainy Seattle generally do pretty well.
Connecting abroad? In Europe, Paris’s Charles De Gaulle, Frankfurt, and London’s Heathrow tend to top most delay lists. Most frequent travelers suggest connecting in Munich or Zurich when possible.

Airport Layout: The best hubs for an airport connection consist of large, single terminals, with all gates accessible through a single security point and inside-security (airside) for access between any two gates. Connecting is usually relatively easy this way, in that you need not go out of security and back in through another security checkpoint; your only worry is about getting from one gate to another. Among North American hubs, Atlanta, Denver, Miami, Portland, Salt Lake City, Toronto, and Vancouver are built this way. Overseas single-big-terminal hubs include Amsterdam, Frankfurt, Milan, Munich and Zurich.
Other big hubs, however, consist of separated terminal buildings you might need to navigate, including Chicago’s O’Hare, Dallas-Fort Worth, Houston’s Bush, Los Angeles, New York’s JFK, Newark, and San Francisco, plus London’s Heathrow and Paris’ De Gaulle overseas. You might be OK if your connecting flights are on the same airline, or otherwise use the same terminal. But if you have to change
terminals—and there’s no airside interterminal transport—you may have to exit security at your
incoming terminal, schlep to your outgoing terminal, and go through security again.
Try to avoid connections that require changing terminals.

Transit Areas: Most big connecting airports outside the U.S. allow you to remain in “transit” status, airside, on any connection. You still have to have your passport stamped, but you don’t have to do the double security thing. The U.S., however, does not offer transit status. Even if you’re connecting on the same airline in the same terminal, you could have to exit the secure zone to get your baggage, go through the immigration and customs rigmarole, and re-enter security.
But connecting at a foreign airport isn’t as easy as it once was, either: At many airports the U.S. now requires secondary screening for travelers heading here, even for in-transit passengers. Still, if you have a choice, it’s generally better to connect at a foreign rather than a U.S. airport.


At Villas of Italy while we don’t include air for our tours, we regularly help our guests in finding the best and most direct flights for the least possible cost when traveling to meet us for one of our tours.
 
Speaking of tours, we still have a few 'couples' spots (double occupancy) available for our 
Tuscan Adventure next August 18-28, 2019.

Once at the villa EVERYTHING is included; lodging in our Tuscan villa in a private double bedroom with a private bath, a beautiful pool overlooking vineyards, olive groves and nearby hill towns, unlimited beverages at the villa, all meals; gourmet meals while at the villa prepared by our villa chef, meals away from the villa at slow food movement restaurants, cooking classes at the villa by Chef Mauro of the Montese Cooking Experience, all tours, all wine, cheese and salumi tastings; EVERYTHING!
 
And, we will extend our special pricing for up to $1000 off per couple. Email us for a daily itinerary to see all the exciting things we will be doing over the 10-day adventure.

        We travel not to escape life, but for life not escape us

​The year was 2000, it was a warm summer and I was sitting outside enjoying un bicchiere di vino in Piazza Cisterna in San Gimignano in Tuscany watching the big tour busses unload 40-65 people each. 

​The peoples faces contained a variety of expressions, from awe to frustration. As the throng of people formed the passing parade, I thought of how important this trip was to them. Each person who vacations
in Italy will leave with their own impression of the cities they visited, and for some,
it may be their one and only time in Italia.

My wish was then, and is now, that travelers have their eyes and hearts opened to the beauty that is Italy, that they appreciate the Italian people and culture, that they experience the real Italy . . . my Italy. This experience led me to envision a different way, a better way, for travelers to experience Italy. This was the beginning of what would become, Villas of Italy.

The ‘Big Tour” things I wanted to guarantee wouldn’t happen:

1. FOLLOW AN UMBRELLA — If your entire vacation is spent frantically trying to follow the person with the umbrella, you will miss the beauty of Italy. Trying to glimpse a view of a famous painting, or being herded through a church with a throng of other people, won’t allow any time to savor it. The narrow, winding streets and local ristoranti can’t unfold their charms when you travel en masse.
At Villas of Italy we travel with groups of 12. And, we travel in custom, air conditioned vans with the ability to go places and see things those big tour busses can’t. When with our tour guides, you are provided with your own 'whispers'  for your ear so no matter where the tour guide may turn their head you hear them as if they were 'whispering' in your ear so you won't miss any detail. 

2. AMERICANIZE YOUR EATING — Italians will tell you they have the best cuisine in the world, and
that’s hard to argue. The big tours work with hotels and restaurants to create dishes that cater to Americans, but aren’t ‘real’ Italian dishes. We ensure you're ‘eating adventure’ is 'really' Italian, Italian recipes of authentic, and often decades old, recipes prepared by chefs who are proud to share
their cuisine and culture . . . their 'authentic' Italy.  Meals are expected to take time,
​savoring not only the food, but the wine and conversation.
At Villas of Italy whether at the villa, or out on tour our meals our relaxed affairs
allowing us to experience and enjoy our meals as Italians. 

3. ARRIVE WITHOUT A CLUE — You needn’t be a scholar to appreciate the art, architecture and culture in Italy, but a little studying before you arrive is going to enhance what you see. At Villas of Italy we have written blogs of some of the cities, sights and cuisine we’ll encounter. Our tours away from the villa are balanced itineraries and our local, private, professional tour guides know the history of their towns and are extremely proud to share it with us.

4. CRAM TOO MUCH IN A DAY — Realize the fact that, generally, if you are spending limited time in the major cities, and often with the bigger tour companies you spend limited time and typically won’t get to see all the major sites. At Villas of Italy we prioritize and add a variety of experiences to each day. Working with our private, professional guides we have maximized the number of sights we see, but still in a relaxed fashion and even stopping for a gelato or espresso every so often to soak in the local culture. And, we have 2 days of leisure at the villa so you can either relax by the pool, take a cooking class from our villa chef Mauro, or take the train to a local town to spend more time, on your own, exploring. 

5. BE UNPREPARED TO WALK — Nothing zaps the fun out of a vacation faster than aching feet. Big tours keep you moving fast, like cattle, to cram in as much as they can before they load you onto the big bus to move on to the next city. They don’t even warn you that breaking in new shoes on tour isn’t a good idea,
or 'preparing' to walk for 4-5 miles a day is a good thing. Many cities, such as Florence, are mostly
pedestrian only, and that means it’s your two feet that are going to get you around. We plan our daily itineraries with our private, professional guides to move in a logical progression from one sight to
another so while we do walk for several miles we’re not retracing our walks back to sights we missed
like tourists on unguided tours do, or some of the bigger tours often do. We believe your eyes and mind will only absorb and appreciate what your feet allow!?

6. NOT BOOKING IN ADVANCE — During the high season, all major attractions require long waits if you haven’t purchased tickets in advance. Our guides and tours are planned for and we make reservations,
so there’s never a wait.

7. CRITICIZE WHAT’S DIFFERENT — Italy is not the United States. As obvious as that sounds, it’s important to remember that you are visiting a foreign country, and a foreign culture. While those bigger tours move you fast through towns, museum’s and historical sights to cram in as much as they can, you often don’t get a chance to experience, or feel the culture, or the people. At Villas of Italy we plan our
days so you can embrace the experience, the people, the food, art, architecture and ‘tempo’ of life.
Things will be done differently, which is, why Villas of Italy was created and hopefully one of
the reasons you wanted to visit!

 Welcome to a new kind of tour – Villas of Italy - The kind that gets you closer to the authentic and unforgettable Italian experience you travel to find in the first place. Tours carefully crafted to local organic, biodynamic wineries and farms, visits to the major Tuscan cities and hilltop towns led by professional tour guides who actually live in the towns, all to deepen and enhance your tour experience with a local perspective. And, no unpacking and repacking every few days to move to another location . . .
yet another hotel.
At Villas of Italy you live at your country villa for 10 days in your private double bedroom with private bathroom with a beautiful pool overlooking the vineyards and olive groves. Everything is arranged for you; all meals, wines, tours, cooking classes . . . everything!
 
You arrive as guests, but leave as famiglia. Join us at the villa on our next
Villas of Italy:Tuscan Adventure tour, August 18-28, 2019. If you’re picturing yourself in the Italian countryside, now’s the time to get a trip on the calendar. Contact us for a detailed daily itinerary. 
 
We travel not to escape life, but for life not to escape us

For many centuries Tuscany was the best kept secret in the Mediterranean Sea, and still today we think it’s the best location to live and enjoy life every day of the year but what really makes Tuscany so special?

Tuscany is located in the very center of the Mediterranean, in the heart of Italy. It’s strikingly hilly landscape never ceases to impress, with backdrops littered with olive trees, vineyards, cypresses, and umbrella pine trees (or Stone pines) used by the Romans to provide shade. Tuscany continuously torments painters and photographers with its ever-changing colors.
 
But does Tuscany live up to the hype?   Under the Tuscan Sun, Seinfeld (no villas in Tuscany) and an endless stream of iconic photos of the countryside can suggest that it has in fact been ‘done-to-death’.  How can a region that is the size of New Hampshire be THAT great??? 

Well, Tuscany IS that great.  Why you should never turn your nose up at the possibility of a trip to Tuscany!

1. The coolest towns you’ve never heard of – of course we go to Florence and Siena but what about Pienza, Montalcino, San Gimignano, Volterra, Castellina, Greve. These idyllic towns are quintessentially Tuscan and will have you longing to return to the region over and over again.

2.  Wine – Some of Italy’s best wines come from Tuscany and the wine culture is an integral part of the region.  If you are at all into wine, Tuscany is the place for you; from Tuscan white wines; Trebbiano, Malvasia, Vermentino and Vernaccia, to the Tuscan reds; Super Tuscans, Chianti Classico, Brunello di Montalcino, Carmignano, Bolgheri, Vino Nobile di Montepulciano, Tignanello, Sassicaia and the sweet Vin Santo. There is something for everyone and no shortage of wine at the villa. These, paired with the delicious local cuisine make for a divine culinary experience.

3.  Cheese – I would return to Tuscany just to taste the Pecorino – in ravioli, on an arugula (rocket) salad or melted with pear on crostini. Pecorino from Specific Zones, Pecorino Toscano DOP Fresco, Pecorino Toscano DOP Stagionati, DOP products meaning that production is government protected and regulated, and if you have never tried fresh pecorino (as opposed to the more commonly found aged pecorino) you are missing out. But, this is not the only delicious Tuscan cheese; Abbucciato, Pecorino a latte crudo, Caciotta, Il Grande Vecchio di Montefollonico, and Marzolino. And, the flavors differ significantly from sheep to goat varieties. 

4.  You can ride on top of city walls – we make our way to Lucca, one of my favorite cities in the world. This city in the northwestern part of the region has a charming historic center, wonderful people, a piazza that retains the form of the amphitheater that stood there in the Roman age and a walking/bike path that was created on top of the medieval walls.  Great to walk on, bike ride on, or as my good friend Joe was able to do while participating in the Mille Miglia this year – drive on it (you won’t be able to do this!?).

5.  Tuscan Hospitality – Some of my most exceptional experiences from a hospitality standpoint have been in Tuscany.  Especially when you get out of the larger cities of the region, the people are genuine, simple, generous and interesting. The Tuscan attitude is contagious, there is a warmth and relaxed attitude toward life in the Tuscan countryside that makes it a place that one immediately wants to call home.

6.  Traditional meets Modern – a number of my favorite vineyards have incorporated magnificent modern architecture among centuries old vines.  The contrast is striking and impressive and I think it shows that these winemakers are in touch with the modern world while preserving the ancient winemaking traditions.

​Join us for our Tuscan Adventure where we do all this and MORE! We still have a few couples spots (double occupancy) available for our Tuscan Adventure next August 18-28, 2019. We are extending our special pricing for up to $1000 off per couple. Email us for the details. Once at the villa EVERYTHING is included; lodging in our Tuscan villa in a private double bedroom with a private bath, a beautiful pool overlooking vineyards, olive groves and nearby hill towns, unlimited beverages at the villa, all meals; gourmet meals while at the villa prepared by our villa chef, meals away from the villa at slow food movement restaurants, cooking classes at the villa by Chef Mauro of the Montese Cooking Experience, all tours, all wine, cheese and salumi tastings. EVERYTHING!

​Tuscany – “Believe the Hype”