Home To Italy

Amalfi Regattra June 3 2012, will you be there?

2012-05-28T22:13:00.000-04:00

Our friends at Sorrento Lingue shared the following information on the Regatta in Amalfi this month. Cheer for your team and join in the celebration!
Information from Commune di Amalfi

http://www.comune.amalfi.sa.it/regata/eng/storia.asp

The Historical Regatta of the Ancient Maritime Republics that will be in Amalfi on the 3sr June 2010

The History of the Regatta

The idea of an historical festival which could evoke the shining exploits from the epoch of the Ancient Italian Maritime Republics, was independently thought of by two enthusiasts, Mirro Chiaverini of Pisa and Francesco Amodio of Amalfi, at the end of the 1940's. The official charter for the race was instituted by the Regatta Board of the four Maritime Republics in Amalfi on December 10, 1955. From then on, every year, the festival, which consist of an historical parade and a rowing contest, takes place in turn in one of the four Ancient Maritime Republics.

The Regatta

The regatta is a rowing contest using huge galleys constructed by Alvio Vaglini according to twelfth century models. Each galley is propelled by eight rowers and guided by a helmsman. The four vessels, each with fixed seats, a length of eight meters, and a weight of 760 kilograms, blessed by the Venetian Patriarch, Angelo Roncalli and launched from the banks of the Royal Gardens on June 9, 1956.
The hulls of the ships are painted, according to the traditional colours of the four maritime cities: Amalfi: blue; Pisa: red; Genoa: white; and Venice: green. Each boat has its republic's flag hanging at its stern, and a figurehead it its prow. For its figurehead, Amalfi uses a winged horse and a mermaid, which is one of the principle motifs used by medieval galleys; Genoa, on the other hand, uses a dragon evoking in protector, St. George; Pisa shows the imperial, Germanic eagle, in memory of the loyal help which the Tuscan Republic had offered the Swabians and the Ghibellines; Venice presents the lion of St. Mark, which is the symbol of its holy protector.

The regatta is run over a straight 2000 meter long course. In Amalfi the race begins from Cape Vettica, from a promontory which contains a sixteenth century viceregal tower. The course then continues along the sinuous western coast to its end in Amalfi; here, the finish line is set in front of the Great Marina with the suggestive setting of Mount Aureo with the Ziro Tower, St. Lawrence of the Plain (a former monastery), the Cape Cross Quarter and the former convent and Tower of St. Francis in the background.

The event schedule

Regata Antiche Repubbliche Marinare Italiane
Comitato Cittadino di Amalfi
*****
Piazza Municipio 6 – 84011 Amalfi (Sa)
P.I.: 96001390655
 089/8736225 - 089/8736206  089/871646 -089/8736206
economato@comune.amalfi.sa.it
57^ Regata delle Antiche Repubbliche Marinare Italiane – Amalfi 3 giugno 2012
P R O G R A M M A
Sabato 26 Maggio
h 18:00, Inaugurazione della Mostra “Eolo nelle Rose dei Venti” in esposizione sino al 20
Giugno, Amalfi – Arsenale della Repubblica
Martedì 29 Maggio
h 09:30, Inaugurazione “Villaggio del Mare”, Amalfi – Marina Grande
attivo da Martedì 29 Maggio a Venerdì 1 Giugno, dalle 09:30 alle 13:00 e dalle 15:00 alle 17:30;
attivo da Sabato 2 Giugno a Domenica 3 Giugno, dalle 10:00 alle 12:30;
Giovedì 31 Maggio
h 19:00, Convegno “La Cultura salverà l’Italia”, Amalfi – Arsenale della Repubblica
Interventi di scrittori, giornalisti carta stampata e radiotelevisivi, artisti, registi teatrali cinematografici, Assessori al
Turismo e alla Cultura, Associazioni culturali e di Operatori turistici. Video proiezione del corto "Corporate",
proiettato al Festival di Berlino, regia di Valentina Bertuzzi, interpretato da Valentina Lodovini.
Sarà presente la regista.
h 21:00, Concerto “Plettrando per la Regata” dell’Ensemble Mandolinistico “Collegium
Plectrorum” - Arsenale della Repubblica
Venerdì 1 Giugno
h 15:00, Convegno Nazionale “Gestione Integrata delle Infrastrutture Portuali” a cura
dell’Ordine degli Ingegneri di Salerno, Amalfi – Salone Morelli
h 19:30, Regata in notturna di Coastal Rowing e Dragon Boat, specchio acqueo di Amalfi
h 21:30, Concerto della “Piccola Orchestra Popolare C.O. Panzillo”, Amalfi – Darsena
Sabato 2 Giugno
h 10:00, Convegno “Città e Culture dell’acqua al tempo delle Repubbliche Marinare” I°
Sessione, Amalfi – Arsenale della Repubblica
h 11:00, Carpenteria navale in legno - Raduno delle imbarcazioni e Regata/veleggiata dei gozzi
armati con vele latine sul percorso Amalfi-Capo di Conca
h 12:30, Trofeo Velico a cura della Lega Navale Italiana, specchio acqueo di Amalfi
h 15:30, Convegno “Città e Culture dell’acqua al tempo delle Repubbliche Marinare” II°
Sessione, Amalfi – Arsenale della Repubblica
h 16,30, Parata lungo costa ed ormeggio, al tramonto, dei gozzi a vela latina nelle acque di Atrani
con le luci delle lampare –
h 17:00, Presentazione Equipaggi alle Autorità, Atrani – Piazza Umberto I°
h 19,30, Verifica delle imbarcazioni, Atrani - Spiaggia
h 21:30, Concerto dell’Orchestra di Fiati Costa d’Amalfi, Amalfi – DarsenaRegata Antiche Repubbliche Marinare Italiane
Comitato Cittadino di Amalfi
*****
Piazza Municipio 6 – 84011 Amalfi (Sa)
P.I.: 96001390655
 089/8736225 - 089/8736206  089/871646 -089/8736206
economato@comune.amalfi.sa.it
Domenica 3 Giugno
h 10:00, Convegno “Città e Culture dell’acqua al tempo delle Repubbliche Marinare” III°
ed ultima sessione, Amalfi – Arsenale della Repubblica
h 12:00, Raduno delle imbarcazioni e seconda Regata/veleggiata delle vele latine sul percorso
Amalfi-Capo di Conca - ormeggio in rada in prossimità del traguardo del palio remiero
h.15:30, Esibizione degli Sbandieratori e Trombonieri di Città de La Cava – Piazza Duomo
h 16:30, Corteo Storico delle quattro Repubbliche Marinare, da Atrani ad Amalfi –
h 17:30, Esibizione della Fanfara dei Carabinieri – Darsena - Tribuna d’Onore
h 18:15, Palio Remiero dei galeoni, sul tratto di mare Capo di Vettica – Marina Grande di
Amalfi – a seguire: Premiazione degli Equipaggi, Amalfi – Darsena
h 21:30, Concerto dei “6 in Jazz” - tributo a Lucio Battisti, Amalfi – Darsena
h 23:30, Spettacolo di fuochi pirotecnici, rada di Am

Does your Italian trip include a villa rental?

2012-05-28T00:02:00.000-04:00

“From the villas’ terrace I look across the green fields, olive groves and rolling hillside…….” Oh to be able to stay in a villa in Italy……….

When you dream of Italy, do you see yourself in a villa, apartment or room with a view of the lush landscape? There are many views in Italy.

Kathy McCabe, the creator of the Dream Of Italy newsletter http://www.dreamofitaly.com, recently helped me find a source for a villa rental in Italy. The villa dream was for a former client of mine. Villas are not suited to solo travelers so I can just admire the photos of the green vistas or sea views that others can enjoy. I reviewed some of the offerings from the list of rental companies Kathy sent me. One great property after another……

One of the rental companies grabbed my attention: Laura Massoni Travel.

Kathy had mentioned that Laura lives in both Italy and the USA and upon further research I found that she is located in San Diego, CA laura@lauramassonitravel.com.

As an Italian American I have a goal of moving ‘home’ to Italy so I am fascinated when I meet Italians who move to the USA. I hope to have an interview with Ms Massoni soon. Meanwhile I want to share with you some of the information I did find and some of the photos on her web site that will make you want to go Home To Italy.

On the Laura Massoni Travel website:

Why use our company? Because our MISSION is to ensure that your clients are well taken care of and experience the "authentic" Italian way of life. We only use GENUINE Italian guides on excursions. We strive to arrange small group tours, enhancing the Italian experience which is often lost in larger groups.

When we arrange cooking classes we use local Italian natives or chefs who are experts cooking the local or regional delicacies. Either born locally or having lived in the area for an extended period of time these experts not only know about the delectable cuisine but also about the rich history of the region. It is this attention to detail, and the resulting fantastic experience your clients will have that sets us apart from all the rest. Even returning visitors will love the different regions that they will experience when seeing Italy the Laura Massoni Travel way.

Another reason to use us is that we have offices in both the United States and in Italy with dedicated associates eager to take care of your clients when they travel.

You and your clients will rest easy knowing that we are HERE for them on BOTH continents.

You can find the entire article on Renting a villa in Italy at the Dream Of Italy website.
I shall be enjoying the villa photos at all these sites for months to come...

Lee Laurino
http:www.hometoitaly.com

Has anyone tried "eating with an Italian family"?

2012-05-21T22:48:00.001-04:00

A blogger at Dream of Venice responded to my question: What experience can you suggest to a traveler to see the real Italy?

They sent me a link to the company that arranges visits with Italian families for lunch or dinner..... take a look and let me know what you think.

Home Food - Who we are:

'via Blog this'

Italian gondolas? In Sorrento, the Carruzzella is the way to go......

2012-05-21T14:23:00.000-04:00

My friends at Sorrento Lingue language school in Sorrento Italy have sent me this post on the wheeled chair that have been used for decades........have you taken a horse drawn carriage ride?

A carruzzella

Coming to Sorrento and taking a ride in a "wheeled chair" is equivalent to going to Venice and not take a gondola ride. Ever since the Grand Tour, when Sorrento was the destination of the most famous noble families in Europe and overseas, even when traveling in a carriage, everyone left their car and preferred to use local media to make sure you take this' essence of what they were visiting.

In the late nineteenth century, Sorrento was one of the most famous resorts in Europe. So goodbye sedan, the most popular method in the first half of the nineteenth century was the wheeled chair, because with a “piastra” you could have one for a full day transport, instead half day cost only six “carlini”.

Today in the places of arrival, port and rail-station, bus and taxi stations, the wheelchairs - about half a dozen - are beribboned with their horses waiting for passengers near the monument dedicated to Torquato Tasso.

In a wheelchair you can still travel the length and breadth of this city. The driver will act as your guide, and maybe will tell you about some princess from many years ago. More than a panoramic ride, the wheelchair reminiscent of a dream, the dream of a romantic Sorrento from another time.

The carriages and horses are maintained particularly well: the carriages repainted every year with floral or landscape scenes, the horses harnessed to party with special ear covers, sometimes richly embroidered, with bells, ribbons and trappings of brocade or satin which reverberate the color under the sun and gives the impression of being in a scene from another era, almost legendary, and it becomes easy to dream ....

The cab men, the first tourist guides, experts with anecdotes, legends, titillating gossip are an integral part of this tradition. From a wheelchair, you can admire incomparable scenery that changes constantly and is transformed by time for the many facets that the Gulf of Naples and the beaches of the coast offer depending on the position of the sun: gold, studded with a thousand mini-fireflies or starlets who have eyes to see the impression, glaring at noon and red-orange sunset.

It's impossible to know the number of princes and rulers "incarrozzati", as the drivers say, on the colorful carriages. Artists, writers, poets, noble and refined world traveler, or intoxicated in love.

Thank you Valeria for this post, we look for the next glimpse into Italian life.

www.sorrentolingue.com

why not study Italian on your next Italian adventure???

*******************************************************************************

Try you skill in Italian:

Venire a Sorrento e non fare un giro in carrozzella equivale all’andare a Venezia e non farsi un giro in gondola. Fin dall’epoca del Grand Tour, quando Sorrento era meta di rampolli delle più note casate nobiliari europee e d’oltreoceano, quando si viaggiava ancora in carrozza, tutti lasciavano la propria vettura e preferivano servirsi dei mezzi locali per essere sicuri di cogliere l’essenza di quanto andavano visitando.

Sul finire dell’Ottocento, Sorrento era una fra le più rinomate località turistiche d’Europa. Allora addio portantina, il mezzo più usato nella prima metà dell’Ottocento è la Carrozzella, in quando con una piastra se ne poteva disporre di una per una intera giornata; mezza giornata costava invece sei carlini.

Oggi nei luoghi degli arrivi, al porto e alla ferrovia, stazionano Bus e Taxi; le carrozzelle – circa una mezza dozzina – sono coi loro cavalli infiocchettati in attesa di passeggeri ai piedi del monumento dedicato a Torquato Tasso. In carrozzella è possibile ancora percorrere in lungo e in largo questa città. Il cocchiere vi farà da cicerone e, vi racconterà magari di quella certa principessa che ha conosciuta tanti anni fa. Più che una gita panoramica la carrozzella vi farà rivivere un sogno, il sogno romantico di una Sorrento d’altri tempi.

Le carrozze e i cavalli sono particolarmente curati: le carrozze riverniciate ogni anno con decorazioni floreali o paesaggistiche, i cavalli bardati a festa con speciali copri-orecchi, a volte ricamati sontuosamente, con campanelli, nastri colorati e bardature di broccato o di raso che riverberano i colori sotto il sole e si ha l’impressione di trovarsi in una scena di altri tempi, quasi da leggenda, e sognare diventa facile....
I vetturini, le prime guide dei turisti, esperti di aneddoti, di leggende, di pettegolezzi pruriginosi sono parte integrante di questa tradizione.

Dalla carrozzella si può ammirare uno spettacolo impareggiabile, che muta e si trasforma continuamente in base all’ora per quelle mille sfaccettature che il Golfo di Napoli e le spiagge della costiera offrono a seconda della posizione del sole: dorato, punteggiato da mille mini –lucciole o stelline che gli occhi hanno l’impressione di vedere, abbagliante a mezzogiorno; rosso-arancio al tramonto.

E’ impossibile conoscere il numero dei principi e dei regnanti “incarrozzati” come dicono i vetturini sui variopinti calessi. Artisti, scrittori, poeti, nobili e raffinati giramondo, oppure inebriati innamorati.

Sorrento Italy, the taste of Lemons!

2012-05-21T13:19:00.001-04:00

Another wonderful post about Sorrento, Italy from our friends at Sorrento Lingue language school.........

Lemons into lemonade, NO limoncello!

The wonderful language school in Sorrento, Sorrento Lingue, has sent me this post on the Lemons of Sorrento.....They have also promised some other wonderful stories to share with us....

The gardens of Sorrento

The "gardens" terraced for the cultivation of citrus fruits are a unique feature of the Sorrento peninsula. The lemons hanging from the trees of the Coast, in systems with terraces, are mostly of a quality so sweet, slightly sour flavor and round, which is called "Pane” (bread), as it can easily be eaten in slices for dessert with or without the addition of a spoonful of sugar.

The Sorrento gardens are easily recognizable by the characteristic "pergola", the traditional protection of citrus groves of Sorrento. The pergola structure was established as a defense against adverse environmental conditions, and thanks to two key elements: windbreaks and hedges, is used to protect the plants since lemon and orange trees, are particularly sensitive to wind and cold.

In addition to this important feature, coverage determines some changes in the characteristics of citrus. The low light and temperatures often slows vital functions of the plant, so that the bloom is concentrated in late spring from the month of May. Fruit ripening is, therefore, late and the harvest takes place between spring and summer each year.

In addition to the aesthetic appearance of the pergola is one of the most fascinating landscape of the Amalfi-Sorrento Coast.

At the end of the 800's the landscape of Peninsula Sorrentine was full of citrus so as to occupy about 40% of the total area. With the passage of time farmers began to specialize in the cultivation of oranges and lemons. To protect them from the cold they built "the pagliarelle" placed on trellis made with chestnut poles.

In 1830 fair trade in citrus fruits. The oranges were collected and transported to the warehouse with carts pulled by donkeys. Then they proceeded to selection and then into packaging boxes.

After collection, the work was mainly done by women called “incartatrici" (wrapping), as the fruits wrapped in colored tissue paper, on which was engraved the name of the company, the brand and the quality of the fruit.

Later, other women called "maestre” (teachers) put oranges in crates to be transported to the port of Marina Piccola in Sorrento or Marina di Cassano in Piano di Sorrento: here the crates were shipped to be transported across Europe and America.

Thank you Valeria for this wonderful post.

On your next Italian adventure take Italian lessons at Sorrento Lingue and live as an Italian!

www.sorrentolingue.com

Practice your Italian:
I giardini di Sorrento: gli agrumeti

I “giardini” terrazzati per la coltivazione degli agrumi costituiscono l’impareggiabile caratteristica della penisola sorrentina. I limoni che pendono dagli alberi della Costiera, negli impianti a terrazze, sono per lo più d’una qualità talmente dolce, poco agra e di sapore rotondo, che viene
detta “pane”, in quanto si può gustare tranquillamente a fette, come dessert con o senza aggiunta d’un cucchiaio di zucchero.

I giardini Sorrentini sono facilmente riconoscibile per il caratteristico “pergolato”, la tradizionale protezione degli agrumeti della penisola sorrentina. Il pergolato nasce come struttura di difesa contro condizioni ambientali avverse, e grazie a due elementi fondamentali: i frangivento e le coperture, è utilizzato per proteggere le piante di limoni e di aranci, particolarmente sensibili al vento e al freddo. Oltre a questa importante funzione la copertura determina alcune modificazioni nelle caratteristiche degli agrumi poiché la poca luce e le temperature spesso insufficienti rallentano le funzioni vitali della pianta, così che la fioritura si concentra nella tarda primavera a partire dal mese di maggio. La maturazione dei frutti avviene, perciò, in ritardo e la raccolta si effettua tra la primavera e l'estate dell'anno successivo. A ciò si aggiunge l’aspetto estetico che fa del pergolato uno degli elementi paesaggistici più affascinanti della costiera sorrentino-amalfitana.
Alla fine dell’800 il paesaggio Sorrentino era ricco di agrumeti tanto da occupare circa il 40% della superficie totale: con il passare degli anni i contadini si specializzarono nella coltivazione di arance e limoni. Per
proteggerli dal freddo costruirono “le pagliarelle” sistemate su pergolati fatti con pali di castagno.

Nel 1830 iniziò un discreto commercio di agrumi. Le arance venivano raccolte e trasportate al magazzino con carretti trainati da asinelli. Dopodiché si procedeva alla selezione e poi si passava all’imballaggio in casse di pioppo. Dopo la raccolta, il lavoro era svolto principalmente da donne chiamate “incartatrici”, in quanto avvolgevano i frutti nella carta velina colorata , su cui era impresso il nome della ditta, il marchio e la qualità del frutto. Successivamente altre donne dette “maestre” sistemavano le arance nelle casse per essere trasportate fino al porto di Marina Piccola a Sorrento o di Marina di Cassano a Piano di Sorrento: qui le casse venivano imbarcate per essere trasportate in tutta Europa e in America.

Amazing! I meet Italians everywhere I go, in the USA

2012-05-17T00:19:00.001-04:00

Finding a new Gelato store in Cape May lead me to finding Italian expats!

I have been driving to NJ from Atlanta every 6 weeks exploring some of the towns along the way I never bothered with, when the only motive was "are we there yet".

But in the past year I found that I am finding "Italians" everywhere I go! I met a volunteer at one of the state run welcome centers who told me her parents immigrated here in the early 1900's and I met Jo in Stauton off of interstate 81 while traveling the mountain route. She is a first generation Italian!
So when I stopped in Cape May, NJ to walk around this charming Victorian sea side village I was surprised to find a gelato store next to the self serve frozen yogurt store. With very little debate I picked gelato....... The bigger surprise was the young owner of the shop moved to NJ from Italy!

We chatted while I selected my two flavours (this is how it is served in Italy) and Monica was kind enough to allow me to speak Italian with no skill....

After a google search I find that she and her brother are from Milan. He was an attorney.
But I wish to know how they selected Cape May and what promted them to create a gelato store?

The Gelato was wonderful and if I decide to make the 90 minute drive back to Cape May Monica said we could work on my Italian........ just amazing who you meet on the road.
http://www.cionegelato.com/gallery.php

Cione Gelato 315 Ocean Street, Unit 10, Cape May, New Jersey 08204

In the Washington Commons shopping complex next to the ACME
phone: 267.496.7788

Yoga in Italy? This is not India...no it is better!!!

2012-05-16T11:22:00.002-04:00

Is travel sometimes exhausting, trying to see everything in a short amount of time? Why not spend some of your adventure living in Puglia and enjoying a yoga retreat? See what Yle has created for you.......

YOGA RETREAT IN SALENTO WITH YLTOUR

IN PUGLIA

A wonderful natural setting to relax and restore

...Take space and time to unwind and recharge in Puglia ....

September and October 2012

For info: info@yltourcongressi.com

Salento, in Puglia, is the hidden treasure of southern Italy with its coastline and small fishing villages of a predominant baroque and country chic style, combining gentle hills and farmlands, white walled medieval towns each with its culinary specialties.

If you love Italy and the genuine, simple atmosphere of the south, a yoga holiday in Salento can be the right place for you, combining yoga with cooking classes, wine tasting, photography, painting and enjoying all the beautiful things Puglia has to offer daily.

Yoga classes take place in some very inspiring locations as well as relaxation sessions. Known as the land of simplicity, Puglia can truly surprise you with her beauty and sense of life. This is the ideal vacation and destination for those of you looking for natural beauty, transformative yoga, good company and a place to be simply yourself.

The morning session will allow you to connect with the surrounding and dive deep into yourself, from the flow of your breath to the practise of postures that cultivate core strength and steadiness to the body until you feel stronger and more confident.

Whether you are a beginner or a practitioner, this yoga holiday will get you in touch with the love, inspiration and joy within you.

A yoga retreat in Salento is an opportunity to come to completely rest, to reflect and to feel completely at ease with yourself and others in a nurturing environment.

Meals are prepared using fresh organic home-grown and local products. You will live like a local in a safe atmosphere that will make it possible for everyone to feel at home straightaway.

This yoga holiday is intended for you to relax and mingle with the most beautiful simplicity and local warmness. You will experience how wonderful getting in touch with nature can be and feel the love and dedication all around you.

Between sessions, you can choose to explore the countryside and villages: markets, relax by the beach, visit wineries, cycling, photography, painting or enjoy a guided walk through Salento and Itria Valley, meet some really lovely locals.

To know more about this relaxing holiday contact Yle anytime: info@yltourcongressi.com

This tour will be run in September and October.

It’s for small groups of 8/10 guests

All included (with a local yoga instructor English speaking)

Italy, Pizza home delivery!

2012-05-10T23:58:00.002-04:00

Photo thanks to Sorrento Info

Pizza! Home Delivery in Italy? Say it is not so....

Italian Americans (in New Jersey at least) probably eat Pizza once a week or more.

Living in the south, it is nearly impossible to find what I call “real” pizza.

Stopping for a slice is a phrase I hear when visiting my hometown but not often on my long road trips in America.

While living in Sorrento, Italy I found pizza was a dinner item. You order an individual pizza and eat it with a knife and fork….. While in Rome I saw many locations that sold a faccacia type of pizza that was sold by the gram. Hot out of the oven the smell would waft down the street and drag you into the store. School children on their way home would have a ‘slice’ in the heavy paper in one hand and books in the other.

Cafe Pizza in Bari, Italy 2011

One of the best locations in Rome is at the piazza dei Fiore. I stood transfixed watching the bakers making countless long slabs of the pizza like base. None of the pizza I saw or tried in Italy looked like the cheese laden product we have here.

Dominos is NOT in Italy but Pizza is now being delivered to Italian homes! This amazes me since the event of eating out with family or friends is a major pastime in Italy. Dinners out can last hours and the diners truly enjoy the food and the company.

Olga Stinga with the Sorrento Lingue language school in Sorrento was kind enough to confirm for me that it is true, pizza is now available for ‘take away’ and home delivery! She tells me “home delivery is becoming more frequent and many Pizzerias do that. Here in Sorrento there is the Pizzeria “Cuore di Pizza” that delivers and even in Piano di Sorrento there is “Pizza Expresse” and “Re Pizza” that offer this service.

Rome Pizza bakers

What will change next? Starbucks in every small town? Please NO…..

When In Rome Tours - Vatican Tours, Vatican Museum Tours, Vatican City Tours, Official Vatican Tours, Scavi tour Vatican,

2012-05-08T12:03:00.001-04:00

Has anyone tried any of the following tours?

When In Rome Tours - Vatican Tours, Vatican Museum Tours, Vatican City Tours, Official Vatican Tours, Scavi tour Vatican,:

'via Blog this'

Italian Death Notices!

2012-05-03T22:03:00.001-04:00

Manifesto..............

I have walked by posters in many Italian towns saying 'goodbye' to a family member, announcing to the neighborhood that a freind has passed away. I think I always read these to see if any locals had our family name. Many were similar but none were exactly the same.

The notices are lovely, often with photos. Since I only read a little Italian I could not tell if there were poems or stories about the person.

While living in Sorrento Italy I visited the local cemetery. I walked by the cemetery every Tuesday on the way to the weekly market. After asking my contact in Sorrento if it was acceptable to walk around the cemetery he told me families often visit on Sunday. Sometimes they might bring a picnic. And the monument were very interesting and kept impeccable.

This location was old and had newer sections

built on top of the older sections.

Each marker had photos and flowers and sometimes messages.

Not a quiet place, lots of visitors and one tourist.

Don't you wish you were Home To Italy

2012-05-03T16:28:00.001-04:00

There is a list of Festivals for May in Italia

for you to dream about.

Thanks to Diane Hayes (author) and her web site

http://www.becomingitalianwordbyword.typepad.com/

Becomming Italian Word by Word

Affordable Italy Custom Tours

2012-05-02T23:50:00.003-04:00

Travel with our expert, Yle.
Our local expert tells us that travel to Puglia can be your affordable experience this year
no matter what your budget is........see her list of great events tomorrow.

Meet Yle, your tour expert

BUDGET HOLIDAYS IN PUGLIA

It is time to seriously plan your vacation in Italy and discover an unspoilt side of the “bel paese” (beautiful country) focusing on one of the most charming destinations in Italy – Puglia – a hidden region almost unknown to tourists.

And if it is a budget holiday? No problem, whatever you are looking for, we have a full range of simply cozy accommodations to choose from and unique tours to join for one day or more.

More and more frequently I am asked by my guests to suggest some very unique on a budget solutions: they can be B&B, agritourism, guest houses, homes in villages (case di paese), country houses, lofts, apartments. All of them with a common characteristic: being it well located, preferably a few steps from the centre of the town where they can easily get anywhere and with the possibility of experiencing the true Puglia with locals, cooking, sightseeing, tasting wine and more fun activities.

Sometimes they clearly tell me what their budget is and I tailor a unique holiday accordingly. Staying in a nice apartment or in a beautiful country house equipped with all the comforts (kitchen corner included), swimming pool and bikes available, can be a fun experience. I show them how to live like a local, where to shop for their food and more! After a little while they’re so perfectly blended with the locals and they never feel like tourists.

For sure I find it quite boring, touring and exploring the classical way.

It’s exactly the same everywhere and does not leave you unique memories. While blending totally with the area is “the travel experience” which makes the guest feel rightt at home and comfortable.

Your budget is never a problem but an opportunity to tailor something specifically focused on the preferences of the guests. masseria, we can easily suggest some lovely places for you to stay.

Furthermore, if guests drive their own car it is also possible to settle them into some wonderful country houses (in the countryside or by the ocean). In these accommodations, it is very common to dine with the family that owns the home.

Now let me say that the internet is a boundless resource of contacts and address. But often what is advertised is not completely what it truly is! That’s why a local travel expert can help you find the perfect place for you without any kind of surprises.
Being a local travel expert and doing this job for a long time I can suggests to guests just what they are looking for.
Sometimes, guests contact me for daily tours having found their accommodation on their own, and once they spend the day together in one of our wonderful venues (with lovely locals) they can simply return there for relaxation, to meet more nice people. This may not be available in the place they have booked on their own.

Puglia has a great selection of quality on a budget holiday accommodation and attractions.
Why wait then? Book your holiday to Puglia today on www.yltourcongressi.com for a tailor made trip that suits your taste and budget.
..and if your kitchen is cool enough we can eventually plan a cook eve t and following dinner with locals!
Feel free to contact me anytime: info@yltourcongressi.com

Yle

Include Learning Italian on Your Next Trip Home to Italy

2012-05-02T23:16:00.000-04:00

NEWS

02/05/2012
Point Park University "School of Communication": round table at SASL
On May 21st, Sant’Anna Institute-Sorrento Lingue (SASL), based in Sorrento at Via Marina Grand ... >>

write a review

Language Dept.»Study Abr. Dept.»»

SL 50+ PROGRAM 2012

Italian Language and Culture

The program is designed for people who want to learn Italian and experience the local culture with other students of a similar age and interests.

Sant’Anna Institute-Sorrento Lingue proudly offers a 2-week 50 + Italian language and culture program (also with a 4-week option upon request).

This program is available in October and in April in the following weeks:

· From 15th April 2012 to 27th April 2012

· From 30th September, 2012 to 13th October 2012

The program includes:

· Accommodation: in family, single room, B&B*

· 1 Tour of Sorrento

· 1Excursions to Pompeii

· 1 Excursion to Naples

· 2 afternoons of school activities, such as Italian film and class cultural lessons.

· 1 Visit to Lemoncello Factory followed by tasting

· 1 Make your own Gelato and enjoy

· 1 Typical Sorrentine cooking class

Sant’Anna Institute-Sorrento Lingue can offer on request a multitude of differentaccommodation arrangements including: shared Apartments, apartment rentals, and hotel reservations.

Optional Excursions:
During the rest of your free time you can enjoy excursions to Capri, Ischia, The Amalfi Coast, Positano, The Castle of Caserta, Paestum, Vesuvious, Historic Naples, which includes, Capodimonte Museum, The National Archaeological Museum, world famous San Carlo Opera house and more.

Something Special on the Weekends…
We organize excursions to Rome, Florence, Siena and more.

You can also enjoy a refreshing and rejuvenating experience at a local wellness centre and health Spa where you can pamper yourself to a Turkish bath, a thermal Spa, a sauna and a variety of massages and luxurious treatments to make your visit truly rewarding.

Price: 1009 Euros (two weeks)

Italian Adventure you dont want to miss

2012-05-01T00:13:00.000-04:00

Have you always wanted to visit Italy? Have you heard great stories about Sorrento and the many wonderful towns within a short boat or bus ride?

Now there is a program that takes you from a tourist to a traveler!

Why not live as an Italian while you experience Italy?

Hear from recent attendees about their experience enrolling in beginning Italian lessons, touring important sites in the area, living with a family (other accommodations are available), learning to make gelato and a long list of other events during your adventure in Sorrento.

2008 group touring Naples

SASL “CLUB 50+” PROGRAM

The Club 50+ programme offers a complete package of lessons and activities, exclusively for people aged 50 and over who want to travel, meet like-minded people and improve their Italian.

IMPROVE YOUR ITALIAN

SASL 50+ course focuses on practical General Italian in the four skills of speaking, reading, writing and listening. You will be placed in a class of students from different backgrounds and nationalities, all of whom are over 50

EXPLORE SORRENTO

AND THE CAMPANIA REGION
The excursion programme includes activities that will help you to discover this unique city and its culture. You will discover the incredible history of Sorrento, Pompei, Naples and the Campania Region and have the opportunity to enjoy the wonderful Mediterranean cuisine.

               MEET LIKE-MINDED PEOPLE
         FROM ALL OVER THE WORLD

You will study in group classes, take part in group activities, and have free time to create friendships with people from many different cultures

THE SASL 50+ PROGRAM INCLUDES:

- 2 weeks Italian Basic Course

- Accommodation: 2 weeks

in family, single room, B&B

- 1 tour of Sorrento

- 1excursions to Pompeii

- 1 excursion to Naples

- 2 afternoons of school

activities, such as Italian film and class cultural lessons.

- 1 visit to Lemoncello Factory followed by tasting

- 1 make your own Gelato and enjoy

- 1 typical Sorrentine cooking class

PRICE 1009 € per person

anced
COURSE DATES: From15th April 2012 to 27th April 2012

From 1st October 2012

to       13th October 2012

COURSE DURATION:

2 weeks
s per week –
m day/5 days per week)

more information at:

SASL - Sant’Anna Institute - Sorrento Lingue

Via Marina Grande 16 - 80067 Sorrento (NA)
Tel. +39-081-807-55-99 - Email: info@sorrentolingue.com

Sorrento

Study abroad and Italian language programs in Italy have traditionally focused on the popular cultural centers of Rome, Florence, Milan, and other cities in the north of Italy. Rarely have any programs offered the student an opportunity to experience the unique culture, customs and climate of southern Italy.

Sorrento is situated on the west coast of Italy, twenty miles south of the city of Naples, on the spectacular Sorrento Peninsula. Perched atop hundred foot cliffs that face the Gulf of Naples, Sorrento is within sight of rugged snow-capped mountains, emerald waters, black sand beaches, cliff-hanging villages, and the world’s best known volcano. Within easy reach of Sorrento are the stunning islands of Capri and Ischia, the Baroque splendor of Naples, the amazing Amalfi Coast, the majestic Greek temples at Paestum, the historic Roman cities of Pompeii and Herculaneum, and of course, Mount Vesuvius. The National Archaeological Museum in Naples houses perhaps the world’s greatest collection of Roman antiquities.

Sorrento is:

· A safe, walkable and picturesque center of international tourism with an international population

· A small town yet with a cosmopolitan feel

· Friendly, gracious people; southern hospitality, Italian style

· Elegant hotels and quaint, family-owned restaurants

· Bustling shopping streets and quiet, stone-paved alleyways

· A mild, sun-drenched Mediterranean climate

· Culinary traditions based on the fruit of the sea, and on locally grown produce

· Streets lined with lemon and orange tress; hillsides covered with olive groves and vineyards

· A meeting place for artists, writers, musicians, architects, philosophers, poets and religious figures from around the globe.

· Home to some of the best pizza and gelato you will find anywhere

· The ideal location for the adventurous student who would like to experience the ‘other Italy’.

How The Search For My Roots Began « The Gelato Tour

2012-04-29T20:43:00.001-04:00

How The Search For My Roots Began « The Gelato Tour:

Great story of a tourist who changes to a Traveler when looking for the village where grand parents were born and immigrated from!

think about searching for your roots.....

Food & Wine Lover's Journey in Puglia - Join me! - Food Lover's Odyssey

2012-04-18T17:04:00.001-04:00

Food & Wine Lover's Journey in Puglia - Join me! - Food Lover's Odyssey:

http://bit.ly/yKS9Bo

Cook, Eat, Drink, Discover Puglia!

Yle has created another wonderful adventure for travelers to Italy.

Learn how to cook as an Italian.

Visit cities that are not on every tourist's itinerary
Stay at an elegant country farm house
And fill your days with endless fun...*
- Sign up for the Sept 1-9 trip by May 30th and receive a $200 discount per person -

check the link above for a complete outline of events or contact
Yle at www.yltourcongressi.com

2012 Language Immersion Tour in Puglia: August 19th – 26th :: Diario di una studentessa matta

2012-04-17T19:03:00.001-04:00

Wish I could join the group planning this wonderful language adventure in Puglia this August
I have toured the "farm" they are staying in and it is the ultimate country luxury!

Think about joining Yle and Mellisa on this great adventue in Puglia, Italy

Review the wonderful list of event. I have visited the
2012 Language Immersion Tour in Puglia: August 19th – 26th :: Diario di una studentessa matta:

'via Blog this'

Italian Americans can find their roots in Puglia

2012-04-17T00:22:00.000-04:00

Are you one of the millions of Italian Americans in the USA? Did your family immigrate from the Puglia area of Italy? Now include a visit to your family village as part of your next or first visit to Italy! Having a local expert in Puglia to help you research your "home" village, arrange transportation and even arrange translation services if your Italian is not fluent. Dream of walking the streets that your grandparents told you about............Yle can help make this happen.

Puglia Roots anyone?

Explore Puglia with a local expert

How many of you have Puglia roots and have always longed to get back to the places where your family grew up and walk along the same streets as they did or simply find any possible contact in your family village?

There are many Italian Americans associations with members who remember the story of their families and dream of getting in touch with their family and friends in Italy.

But not all returning Italian Americans speak fluent Italian and in many cases a local expert, helping them to identify potential relatives and friends, is the solution. That’s what I’m always happy to do for those associations contacting me for these very tailored tours.

In order to facilitate this research it is very important to provide as much historic information as possible to make a visit to the town of your family ancestry a dream come true.

Italian Americans often contact me and ask for a very special vacation :

I remember once, a lovely lady in her 60’s from Brooklyn, and her evident emotion in seeing an old woman in a small village, Mola di Bari, making orecchiette hand-made pasta in her little tiny home. It was like recalling in her memories as a little child and seeing her grandmother again. I will never forget the intensity of her gaze and the deep sense of emotion.

In the Bari area in particular, we have entire communities that many decades ago emigrated from Southern Italy to the USA looking for a better future, without speaking the language and in most cases with very little money.

Many of them often come back to Puglia and visit family and local friends.

Now for Italian Americans, a tour with YLTOUR could be a memorable experience not only for visiting the towns of their ancestors and a way to find ones own roots, but also to arrange any details of your trip in the area. Experiencing all the things you have always been told about: bread making, the main square in the village, an ancient bar in town, pasta making with local grandmothers and so many more incredible things with a local travel expert makes your dream possible.

It’s not an ordinary vacation nor an exploration. It is about family and feelings. It is a wonderful experience that’s worth a try for those of you interested in returning to your ancestral Puglia region.

I am more than convinced that growing up as an Italinian American has been amazing and given you many lovely memories.

I am always happy to listen to your family stories and memories and help you experience Puglia with all heart and soul.

Feel free to email and visit me in Puglia!
Vi abbraccio forte

Yle

Do you have Sicilian Roots? Travel in Sicily with an expert

2012-04-12T14:11:00.000-04:00

I had hoped to write my own story about Ciro Grillo after a trip to Sicily, but he is offering services you might need now, so I shall post information on www.sicilyroutes.com from a post Ciro did on face book.

I was most interested in his ability to help fellow Italian Americans find their family villages.

If you are looking for your family roots in Sicily he may be able to help.*

Ciro Grillo (from a recent FB entry)

4:11am Apr 12

Our main purpose is to make your Sicilian adventure a positive one. We have worked in the tourist industry since 1980 and have vast experience guiding group tours. Not only can we ensure that you see all of the beautiful highlights that Sicily has to offer but we can also arrange trips to the rest of Italy.
The possibilities are endless! Whether you want to enjoy the Mediterranean Sea or the beautiful mountainous inland areas, we can accommodate all requests.

Explore the land of your heritage or simply enjoy the endless beauty and archaeological treasure that is Sicily.
We specialize in custom tours that include:
- All accommodations (be it a hotel, unique selection of villas and private properties, B&B or charming Italian farmhouse (agriturismo)
- Custom tours by an English/Italian speaking guide
- Comfort travel in a private car or van (if the group is larger) with an experienced driver
- Excursions to outlying islands via deluxe sail or motor yachts
- Visits to the town of your family ancestry (research on family history can also be accomplished)
- Wine tours and exposure to the “REAL" Sicilian cuisine.
-Traditional Sicilian Cooking course.
- genealogy research service provided by Giovanni Montanti at www.sicilyvideo.it info@sicilyvideo.it
- new!! WEDDINGS in Sicily There are many spectacular wedding locations around Sicily. Whether you wish a wedding in Sicily across this fantastic island we can give you all the help you need.
1st class and quality holidays in Sicily. All that we propose, accommodations, wineries, coastal and country retreats and chartered yachts, in Sicily, are the best. If you hunger for quality, authenticity, honest opinions & excellent service from people who really know Sicily, you have found the right place.

Ask us to tailor an escorted holiday for your private group:
Call or email:
+ 39 393 8161997 begin_of_the_skype_highlighting + 39 393 8161997 end_of_the_skype_highlighting
skype : ciro.grillo57
Email: cirogrillo@msn.com
please visit our web site

WWW.SICILYROUTES.COM
US ASSOCIATE
PiazzaSicilia, LLC
1099 General Knox Road
Washington Crossing ,PA 18977
(215) 369-7630 begin_of_the_skype_highlighting (215) 369-7630 end_of_the_skype_highlighting
Fax (215) 325-1074
Email : piazzasicilia@aol.com

* I was very impressed when Ciro was able to help a SOLO traveler recently.

Life in Italy as a Vegetarian!

2012-04-11T14:56:00.000-04:00

When you think of Italy you think of the wonderful cured meats, the regional specialties of perhaps hare or bore.

If you thought you could not travel and eat well in Italy, Yle shares with us first hand knowledge of the bella vegetarian life in Puglia!
Why not join her and the mammas on veggie cooking adventure?

It took a little time for my parents to understand their child would become a vegetarian. It just took a little practice but at some point, when they realized I cried every time they suggested I eat meat and that I rescued any possible form of animal, they easily learned how to best accommodate my foodie needs.

Vegetarianism is getting more and more popular in Italy and the number of people eating healthy and organic is growing fast. Once it was very unusual for Italians to shop organic food (they had to look for dedicated shops). Now it is much easier and you can buy excellent food for vegetarians in shops and food markets. At the beginning when you said you were a vegetarian, people thought you only ate salads and were ill somehow. Now it is assumed to be a nutritional choice and a lifestyle.

When travelling, a vegetarian or vegan may find some difficulty without planning: tasting local food in fact is often a meaningful part of travelling and learning about the culture of the country you’re exploring. Fortunately the Internet helps a lot, not only in sharing recipes but also in recommending how to be inspired by the best travel tips.

Being a vegetarian myself I love planning tailored tours and cooking classes that my “green” friends, finding highly rewarding, simply combining ingredients in numerous ways and learning to make tasty meals with only creativity. This region in Italy is popular for using vegetables, legumes and wild plants, so developing special programs is natural and intriguing for me.

When I am asked to tailor a tour for vegetarians my goal is to tell them about the many spectacular dishes we prepare with those vegetables in a way that only our mums know how to combine and are so special in developing the preservation of the destination through tradition and healthy principles. Local farmers do not use chemical products for their fertilization and many people here eat what they grow in their vegetables gardens.

Organic food is now available also in restaurants and combined with what this destination offer (warm hospitality, unique landscapes, good wine and white sandy beautiful beaches) makes Puglia very attractive.

Furthermore, this nutritional philosophy goes straight in the direction of sustainable travel, minimizing ecological impact and teaching respect to both travelers and hosts.

Vegetarian travelers looking for a vacation in Puglia will find Puglia particularly vegi–friendly and appreciate the lifestyle of the locals promoting the principles of the good life through sustainability and good healthy organic food. Basically local people are very passionate in growing their vegetable gardens (big or small) and sharing this pleasure with friends is a joyful experience for them.

Upon our guests arrival, we give any possible information and direction on local farms and markets, where to purchase veggies, cheese, milk and much more information. We are keen on promoting suppliers who daily use their special skills (real wooden fire oven, hand-made pasta) employing local people and only fresh products.

Cooking Classes for vegetarians can be a unique experience during which a local mum teaches our guests how to employ seasonal vegetables and herbs (from our organic vegetable garden and the local markets) in a creative repertoire of unique dishes that locals are fond of.

And remember….once in a restaurant the question you have to ask is…..Avete un piatto vegetariano? Do you have a vegetarian dish?

If you have any queries or questions about our Vegetarian cooking classes (daily and week long programs, recommendations on accommodations) and Holidays in Puglia please don't hesitate to send us an email to: info@yltourcongressi.com

How to make Pizza in Roma

2012-04-09T12:47:00.000-04:00

I may never find the Naples pizza school I saw the poster for, while in Napoli, but i did film the pizza process in Rome at the Piazza dei Fiore. Little did I know that this store is famous for their pizza that to me looked like foccia but tasted WONDERFUL

Even though I speak little Italian, the helpful baker told me how long to leave the dough in the oven.

Did you notice the different techniques to "dimple" the dough?

Easter! Pasqua in Italia, how to celebrate as an Italian

2012-04-05T17:35:00.000-04:00

Pasqua: among colomba*, almond paste lambs and chocolate eggs!

The holy week in Puglia, just like in the rest of Italy is a very busy one in every kitchen.

Lots of sweet stuffs to prepare, mainly based on almond paste, breads (with a row of eggs on top), cookies and chocolate eggs of any size with a nice surprise gift inside.

Although it is a religious metaphor and many people do, being myself a vegetarian I will not encourage the killing and eating of lamb at Easter. I rather prefer the almond paste version: it is one of the best expressions of pastries here that together with “colombe”(Easter Dove cake), represents authentic, artisans artworks every family loves sharing with family and friends on their table at Easter lunch.

Many Italians actually will have colomba long after the Easter holiday, for breakfast with their cappuccino or caffé e latte (coffee and milk).

Egg is the recurrent symbol for breads and cakes: any area of the region may call it something different, according to the dialect, but it is basically made with flour, eggs, sugar and extra virgin olive oil. The dough is shaped in various way and garnished with a row of eggs and dough stripes.Lamb shaped almond paste is together with the chocolate eggs and “colomba”, the most popular Easter symbol: it is made with almonds, sugar and glaze (stuffed with chocolate and pear marmalade).

The colomba (every Italian family will serve this at Easter time) is a dove shape sweet yeast bread, topped with coarse sugar and almonds.

But Easter week is also the time of the year when amazing Focaccia bread is made (actually we always make focaccia, but at Easter time even more) stuffed with any vegetables you like and topped with eggs (what an extra job for the chickens in this time of the year).

So far it is the common focaccia bread dough shaped in different sizes, mainly garland, topped with(hard boiled) eggs and dough strips.

Bakeries and pastry shops will be overwhelmed by these traditional Easter food that locals will keep on eating until (and after most of the time) the Monday immediately after that we call “Pasquetta” (Little Easter, the Angel’s Monday) during which families and friends meet for gorgeous picnics in the countryside or by the ocean.

Chocolate eggs are the favorites of course and are the “official Easter gift” for the kids and adults as well: they contain a surprise and sometimes when it is about making a special gift between housewife and husband you can also find a jewel inside!

Buona PASQUA a tutti my dear friends!

yle

Baked in an outdoor overn

Original Design

INGREDIENTS COLOMBA

Dough:

3 cups (400 grams) flour

3 large eggs

1/2 tsp vanilla

1 egg yolk (set aside the white)

1 stick butter

100 gr sugar

½ tsp salt

Grated rind of 1 lemon

Grated rind of 1 small orange

Sponge:

1 cup flour

3/4 cup milk

1 oz fresh yeast

1 tsp sugar

100 grams sultanas (only if you like it)

Almond Glaze:

50 grams almonds

1 egg - white

50 grams sugar

1 ½ tsp cornstarch

50 grams whole almonds

Confectioners sugar

Processions,wrapped, large egg shapped container in stores, and dolce!

2012-04-05T16:32:00.002-04:00

Easter Traditions in Puglia

It will be Pasqua in a few days and Yle has sent me some wonderful photos of special breads and novelties her friends created. I am waiting for her to send the receipe to find out if they are sweet cookies. Wish I were there for Sunday lunch!

Did your family have a tradition with this type of treat? Notice the eggs that are incorporated into some of the design and they were backed in an outdoor over!

Yumm, sure beats the donut store.....

I dolci di Pasqua nel Salento

(non solo Colombe e Pasta di Mandorla)

Easter sweets in Salento (not only Doves and almond paste)

Yle has shared her family recipe for Colombe with us!
Try it and let me know the results!

INGREDIENTS COLOMBA

Dough:

3 cups (400 grams) flour

3 large eggs

1/2 tsp vanilla

1 egg yolk (set aside the white)

1 stick butter

100 gr sugar

½ tsp salt

Grated rind of 1 lemon

Grated rind of 1 small orange

Sponge:

1 cup flour

3/4 cup milk

1 oz fresh yeast

1 tsp sugar

100 grams sultanas (only if you like it)

Almond Glaze:

50 grams almonds

1 egg - white

50 grams sugar

1 ½ tsp cornstarch

50 grams whole almonds

Confectioners sugar

Gelato! A food group all it's own!

2012-04-02T23:46:00.001-04:00

Perhaps I LOVE ice cream because of my Italian blood.........and it is really gelato I am looking for every time I stop at an ice cream store. When home in Italy each year I taste gelato in every town I visit in Italy. I have my favorite gelato stores and flavors that I visit every time I go home to Italy. Yes it is different in EVERY town and EVERY store. And I am sorry to tell my 23 million Italian American friends, nothing in the USA comes close to gelato in Italy!

Un’arte tutta italiana: il gelato, Yle

Creamy, swirls of gelato

When clients ask me for a spring culinary experience I often suggest for them to assist in a GELATO demo and learn what Italians gelato makers do and how artisanal gelato is made.

And when it is about making it (gelato) with some nice friends and learn this Italian art, the answer cannot be anything but positive.

Last time I saw Luca, the gelato maker, he made me taste a gorgeous fruity gelato and that was at that time that I thought my clients would have loved it. On several occasions, during my USA visits, I have tasted gelato, but have been disappointed by the quantity of sugar used in it. In some cases I tought it was a bubble gum rather than a gelato and could not finish my serving.

What makes Luca’s Gelato so special, is actually the freshest products used for ingredients and the limited quantity of sugar he adds. Actually having tasted sugar free and gluten free gelato, it is one of the best experiences and I can recommend it. Also, his gelato is made without preservatives and artificial additives which made me prefer tasting this rather than others.

In this area of Italy (Puglia) people basically eat healthy , so planning a vacation for a vegetarian is not complicated at all. Well, as probably some of you have realized, I like all things genuine and simple. This selection does not only fit a lifestyle, but is also a guidance in my daily nutritional programs.

It was a busy spring weekend devoted to the inspection of new lovely places to recommend for my one day or longer tour programs. I asked two friends of mine to join me in this foodie inspection and share with me the pleasure of having breakfast with a “just made” gelato.

When I told them the factory was by the ocean, they were simply happy. Our scheduled time with Luca was quite early in the morning and the light on the ocean at that moment of the day is simply gorgeous.

As soon as we got to San Cataldo (a beach that is very close to Lecce), we admired the lovely landscape: a blue ocean and a sense of calmness all around that invited us to be totally lazy.

Luca and his friends (including his lovely wife and son), were already waiting for us outside the door of the laboratory just in case we could not find the site (actually his gelato shop has a lovely outdoor sign).

The three of us were well equipped with cameras and could not wait to start tasting.

Luca was kind and informative. He explained to us every step of the preparation and even allowed us to taste some of the ingredients (like pistachio and chocolate) before mixing them in. He underlined from the very beginning the importance of using the freshest milk and cream (panna) and the importance of the pasteurization.

Luca’s gelato is very creamy and has a lower percentage of fat than standard ice cream.

Perfect and delicious.

Luca filled the ice cream machine with milk and other ingredients to prepare the base and after 10 minutes moved the liquid into another machine to bring it to the right temperature.

While waiting for the pasteurization,

Luca explained to us many interesting things everybody should consider when eating a gelato: gelato in fact provides many nutritional qualities such us calcium, carbohydrates, egg protein, fruit minerals and vitamins.

Once the super-soft gelato was ready to be tasted, Luca offered several “gusti” (flavors) and my favourite was undoubtedly the stracciatella one. I don’t know how but when eating I’m so attracted by all thing white in color and if it is complemented with chocolate, the combination is perfect. This gelato was soft, creamy, with soft colors and was so genuine.

In spring and summer time, enjoying a gelato s a real "must try" in Italy. During break times, late in the evening and mainly at the weekend you will see many locals having a stroll with their favourite gelato flavour in their hands. Also, when they invite you for lunch, if in autumn and winter times you usually offer cakes or little pastries, now it is the moment for “gelato box” (vaschette di gelato) or semifreddi.

Luca also explained the difference between creamy and fruity gelato. The fruity one is much lighter, since creamy flavors include standbys while Fruit ones contain no dry.

For those who love good ice cream there are different tastes, from traditional ones like fruits, creams, chocolate, and yogurt, in particular ones like nutella, hot pepper, almond, pistachio, bacio, cassata, coffee, mint, vanilla and many more.
It can be served in cones, cups or “stecche” with biscuits and wafers.

It is always time for gelato, so how about tasting one right now?

If you are planning to visit Salento in Puglia and would love making this once in a lifetime experience, send me an email: info@yltourcongressi.com

I’ll be there with you, making and tasting gelato together.

Do you take the time for luxurious spa treatments when you travel? Now enjoy the ultimate in Italy!

2012-03-27T00:57:00.001-04:00

When you travel is it a mad dash to see as much as possible on the short time you have to "vacation"?
As a traveler you may have more time to experience a location, culture or country but do you take the time to relax while on the mission to experience everything?
Yle introduces us to a extreme spa, where all your wishes can be granted while you are pampered in the Italian countryside. What a great way to spend your first day in Italy while battling jet lag, the time change and trying to "do nothing"!
What spa towns in Italy have you visited?

cremea di caffe

Let's join Yle at an Italian spa........ and dream of your customized holiday in Puglia.
continued from the earlier post:
Drinking a “caffè” (in whatever way you like) in a central bar in Lecce is often a way to meet some friends and talk to them, even if you have not planned that and that was the case. I had just asked for my lovely coffee cream when I noticed the wonderful look of a lady who was actually very close to me. I immediately realized I knew her and told her: “Marisa how nice to meet you here (that in Italian would be translated like “Che piacere vederti qui”). This lovely friend and her family owns in Salento some very nice resorts by the ocean and are just unique in their style. The last born is a dream place in Lecce where you truly experience a relax atmosphere while enjoying the sun.

We decided to have coffee together and at the end of the meeting she pronounced the magical formula: “Yle come and visit me tomorrow at Masseria Luciagiovanni”, we will have a brunch together by the swimming pool” (a 1600 sqm swimming pool with Jacuzzi) followed by a spa treatment (I could choose among: sauna, steam bath, hammam, body treatments, massages, indoor/outdoor Thalassic Therapy path and Jetstream, whirlpool).

I accepted the invitation for the next day and could only picture myself swimming in a late, hot Salento spring day kissed by the sun (baciata dal sole). The brunch was amazing based on Salento traditional specialties paired with a glass of white wine from the very best wineries of the area.

My dear friends, as soon as I got to this place my relaxation buttom was put on: perfect!

The Masseria was in Lecce, so I did not have to drive for km looking for parking and as soon as I got inside I was literary in love with the whole atmosphere, the zen music and the smile of Marisa who was so nice in waiting for me. The style, the colors, the class approach, the privacy were just the perfect signs of the place I was looking for.

This oasis of peace has 28 rooms and is a mixture of East and West culture and combines style, comfort, luxury and personalized services, a refined expression of hospitality based on experiences and sensations exceeding the traditional concept of a hotel stay.

Far from any expectations, she told me there was a “lettino” (bed) for me under the sun by the swimming pool and that she would have joined me for the brunch. Now the swimming pool is one of a kind, the music is a real caress for the soul and the service simply perfect.

I am always excited when I find new, gorgeous places to recommend to my friends.

I was in a state of “total karma” and could only think my lovely friends would have adored it,
the perfect place to relax, unfold, refresh and immerse in a Mediterranean atmosphere.
I could only appreciate every single minute of that atmosphere and tell myself “you deserve to live a gorgeous morning. Even bigger than the one you were dreaming of”. I had just found the place to recommend to my friends.

There is nothing more rewarding for anyone going on vacation than finding the perfect place: for the perfect holiday. Be it an experience, a unique place, but for sure something that makes you feel you are in the right place.

Did I say I was excited?

My dear friends, I am here to share the most extraordinary and exciting experience with you.

MASSERIA E SPA Luciagiovanni via Caliò/Torre Veneri, Lecce tel +39 392.70.80.167 fax +39 0832.1831665 email contatti@masserialuciagiovanni.it
If you would like me to customise your Puglia holiday and recommend the very email anytime to info@yltourcongressi.com

See you next Monday for a new story.