Olive oil is one of the main products of Tuscany, especially of Southern Tuscany. The major producers are all located in the provinces of Grosseto, Siena and Florence. Extra virgin olive oil has traditionally been the main product in my village. For centuries, the local economy has revolved around the activity of the many olive…
Yesterday, the exciting results of the latest research on Holy Roman Emperor Henry VII’s mysterious death were presented in Pisa. Most people associate the name of Emperor Henry VII with Dante’s Divine Comedy. Dante was one of his most fervent supporters. Henry VII is best known for his “descent to Italy”, where he came with…
So here we are! Another year has just begun! Happy New Year to you all!!! May 2014 be a healthy, serene year, which makes all your dreams come true! We know our 2014 will be challenging but hopefully a happy, challenging year. We are expecting our second baby in just about two weeks. If everything…
This year, the program of events for the New Year’s Eve in Pisa is remarkably rich. The local administration has planned what they called a “spettacolo diffuso”, that is, a show spreading throughout the city center. The main attractions will be acrobatic dancers dancing on the façades of the palazzi along the Lungarno accompanied by…
In small communities like ours, tradition is a difficult concept to tackle. On the one hand, there is what people expect “traditional Tuscany” to be. That is often “staged” authenticity more for the benefit of the visitors than of the locals. On the other hand, there is what is truly traditional. And that is usually…
There are (rare) days when you think “why did I ever decide to start renting out my house?!“. It’s mostly when everybody else is on holiday and traveling somewhere, and we have to stay home to check guests out and in and to make sure everything runs smoothly while they are on vacation. Meeting them…
