EssentialItaly

Jousting in Arezzo

Ian writes: this weekend saw Arezzo buzzing with jousting fever. Twice every year Arezzo transforms into a medieval throng as the traditional jousting event hits town. The four quarters battle it out for the coveted ‘Lancia D’Oro’.

This year I was in town on the Saturday afternoon and snapped some of the action prior to the main event in Piazza Grande. Whilst less famous than the Palio in Siena the Giostra del Saracino is equally spectacular and much more accessible; you can walk with the knights and flag throwers as they parade through town.

This year, the 117th running of the event saw Porta Crucifera take the honours. The winning ‘knight’ Alessandro Vannozzi claimed that his secret was a lunch of pasta with rabbit. The Saracino takes place the penultimate Saturday of June and the first weekend of September.

Accommodation on the Amalfi coast

Helen writes: Ian and I have just spent a lovely week in and around Sorrento. We stayed at the lovely Oasi Olimpia where Carmen (below right) and all her team looked after us perfectly.

We also visited a couple of new small hotels in the region and are delighted to be able to add them to our website.  

Relais Gourmand

Antonio Mellino and his wife Rita own the beautiful Quattro Passi restaurant, which is the very proud owner of a Michelin star. Unfortunately we couldn’t stay for lunch, however based upon the biscuits we were given with our coffee (aqua calde con Fettina di Limoni in my case) it’s a treat not to be missed if you’re in the area. 

Antonio and Rita have decided to branch out to offer hotel accommodation (Relais Gourmand) and we’re delighted to be able to offer all our clients who book accommodation for seven nights or more a complimentary dinner at Quatro Passi. The views out to sea from the pool are truly magnificent.

Lubra Casa Relax

This brand new B&B has just opened in the small village of Schizzano; the first clients had just arrived two days before us were enjoying the sunshine on the terrace during our visit. Although the village is small it has a couple of restaurants and bars along with a village store. The B&B sits on the hillside with great views out over the sea to Capri. 

These properties are sure to be hits with our clients, and I shall certainly be returning to both in the near future.

Italian food markets

Ian says: the markets in Tuscany are now full of asparagus and other early summer delights. Whilst in Montepulciano recently, I couldn’t resist filling my bag with a few heads as well punnets of strawberries and cherries.

My favourite way to eat the asparagus is simply to boil them and then drizzle with olive oil (Tuscan of course) and then top off with parmesan cheese. Simply delicious. 

And then there’s asparagus risotto; another favourite:

• Asparagus (obviously)

• Few shallots and/or onions (chopped finely)

• Risotto rice

• Big knob of butter and decent Olive oil

• Two glass of dry white wine (drink one whilst cooking)

• Freshly grated Parmesan cheese

• Salt and pepper

• Chicken stock and/or water from cooking aspargus

Blanch the asparagus tips in boiling water and set aside. Cook the stalks in the same water until they go soft.

Melt the butter and Olive oil and fry the shallots/onion until they turns soft and start to brown.

Add the rice to the pan and let it begin to absorb the buttery oily loveliness, before adding a glass of wine. Take in the the heady vapours as the alcohol is burned off. Then add a ladle of stock. Keep stirring until it is absorbed.

Keep adding the stock, one ladle at a time, making certain not to drown the rice, until the rice is al dente, which should take 15–20 minutes. Then throw in your parmesan cheese and add another knob of butter and the asparagus. Bon appetito.

Recommended short breaks in Italy: Bologna

Sarah writes: I have just come back from a very interesting and fun few days in the beautiful town of Bologna. Invited by the Emilia Romagna tourist association, the trip was just fantastic as they took care of every little detail of my stay; putting me up in a great hotel, showing me around the area, letting me visit some lovely hotels, taking me to the Adriatic coast (not quite so enchanting when you live in Sardinia, but they tried) and best of all, keeping me occupied with glorious food and wine.

Bologna does not always spring to mind when thinking of the more famous Italian cities – Rome, Florence and Venice often taking predecence – but I can strongly recommend a short break in this magical city. Best known in Italy for being the home of ‘la cucina Italiana’ (Italian cuisine), I suggest that you do not visit if you are trying to lose weight as the food is seriously good. As is the local wine. Try some homemade Tortellini either in broth; or in a creamy mushroom sauce; or with fresh asparagus or with a tasty meat sauce (everyone has heard of ‘spaghetti bolognese’); and accompany with a glass (or three) of tangy red Sangiovese di Romagna wine. Delicious.

A trick to help you get to the end of a meal is to not go wild on the ‘aperitivi’, though it may be difficult when confronted by a glass of sparkling wine and a huge array of tasty little titbits. Main courses are based on local and fresh products with pork based dishes being very traditional. Mortadella being a must whilst you are there. Puddings are simply gorgeous; try a mascapone souffle with hot chocolate sauce. I think I may hold the record for eating three in one sitting.

Bologna is probably best avoided in the very heat of the summer, but it’s a great location in the spring, autumn and even winter. 40km of covered arcades line the ancient streets meaning that you can wander around the town in shade if it gets too hot, and keep dry if it’s raining. There are a wealth of narrow streets to explore with no sign of a shopping centre in sight. Old fashioned shops that you thought you may never experience again are there to browse and when you are tired of standing on your feet, there is always a bar or restaurant ready to nurture you back to the best of health with excellent local fare.

Watch out for our new cities page coming soon and choose one of Essential Italy’s handpicked hotels – selected for their comfort, service and location in this lively city. The airport is only 15 minutes away, and with a good selection of flights from the UK what are you waiting for? 

Buon Divertimento (or perhaps, in my case) I should say: Buon Appetito!

Spring walks in Sardinia

Sarah writes: spring is definitely in the air here in Sardina. This has to be my favourite time of the year. As I walk my dog Lucy every day around Porto Rafael and Costa Serena, I can almost see the trees, flowers and Mediterranea macchia growing before my eyes. The perfume from all this greenery is wonderful. If that isn't enough, then that mixed with the heady smell of the sea, the sum of all these smells is completely intoxicating.

The coastal path has been painted with many wild flowers – coming into bloom over the last couple of days; the vibrant yellows, pinks and reds really wake up my senses. A carpet of orchids make it necessary to walk very carefully in certain places.

It’s still quiet in Porto Rafael, giving me the perfect opportunity to do a bit of serious snooping over walls and though windows (often the best way of finding new properties). I can also check up on some of our current accommodation. Those of you that have visited the village will be pleased to hear that Villa Nini has been completely gutted and rebuilt with underfloor heating for the cooler months and fitted with contemporary bathrooms. Casa Max is in the process of being repainted, giving it a pinky glow which will be great when the Bouganvillea comes out.

Maddalena has a new bamboo covering to its patio so that the wonderful view can be appreciated at the hottest parts of the day. Rosetta is having the greenery in front of its terrace trimmed to open up the vista, and Torretta is having various bits and pieces ‘upgraded’ to make your stay even more enjoyable.

So hopefully the glorious weather is now here to stay. Anyone needing a peaceful and relaxing few days should seriously consider a visit. Lu Ciaccaru would be a great base and I would be happy for you to join my on my early morning walk to give you an insight into the real Sardinia.

Accommodation in Southern Sardinia

Helen writes: Sarah and I have just spent a few days in the south of Sardinia looking for new properties.

I arrived to wonderful warm sunshine – not always the case in March. Luckily it stayed with us for the full three days. It was hard to keep focused and not be distracted by the beautiful white sandy beaches that were completely deserted. To my delight there were flamingos arriving in flocks from North Africa.

All the hotels and apartments we visited gave us a very warm welcome and were teaming with armies of staff getting ready for the 2009 spring season. All with the exception of Nora Club Hotel which seems never to close.

We arrived and headed straight out of Cagliari to the west towards Pula. In Pula we did the usual and stopped straight away for lunch (we’ve found there’s no point in looking at properties on an empty stomach as it’s too hard to concentrate). We re-visited the beautiful Is Morus and will certainly be putting it back on our website – the location and hotel are simply wonderful.

After Is Morus we visited Lantana; a lovely family run small hotel with some great apartments. The property is surrounded by lovely gardens. Anyone staying in the residence also gets the bonus of the hotel restaurant on their doorstep.

We then took a long drive over to the very south east corner of the island to the town of Villasimius. We stayed over night in a B&B that won’t be making its way onto our website and will remain nameless. However, they did point us in the right direction for a wonderful fish supper. If only the nights sleep had been as good – we also rather foolishly thought breakfast could improve the whole experience and again were way off the mark.

But nevermind. That’s why we visit all the properties we consider for our website. Our criteria for choosing accommodation is very simple – if we like properties we add them. This means that we have a wide range of accommodation from simple, rustic apartments and B&Bs; to luxury villas and hotels. The thing they all have in common is that we know and like them; albeit for different reasons.

After our disappointing breakfast we headed to Cala Caterina to refresh our memories of this lovely hotel. Our memories didn’t fail us, as it was as lovely as ever. We also slipped into the St Elmo Beach Hotel to say ciao. We then travelled along the coast to the west of Villasimius to see Mario and Pierpaolo at Cormoran. This hotel and residence is simple in its furnishings and facilities. But the location is hard to beat; a few short steps from the hotel and you’re on the beach.

Upon departure from Cormoran, Pierpaolo and Mario gave us an itinerary for our evening in Cagliari and it didn’t disappoint. We started at Mario’s favourite bar in the town for Spumante and followed his instructions from there. I’d certainly recommend that anyone staying at Cormoran follow receptions advice when it comes to restaurant and bar recommendations. They were spot on.

After a night in Cagliari (another hotel that won’t make it onto the Essential Italy website for reasons too numerous to list) we visited two more properties. The Nora Club Hotel which is a wonderful small B&B in Pula followed by a small group of apartments called Baia della Palma – again in a lovely location with great apartments, pool and gardens.

If you’d like any information in the meantime please do call or email.

Carnival

Sarah writes: Carnival time has once again drawn to an end in Sardinia. Street music, dancing, tasty hot doughnuts and lots of home made wine and beautiful processions have all been enjoyed with a huge amount of effort going in to the locally made floats.

Depending on which town you visit for this lively event, you may also catch traditional horse racing around the streets and beautiful costumes. Sardinia has had fantastic weather for the ten days of merry making. Everyone – from the tiniest of children to the older generation – made the most of dressing up and having fun. With the help of a lot of wine it has to be said; well for the adults anyway.

This annual event happens six weeks before Easter and finishes as Lent begins; which is a shame as I was just getting into the swing of wine at four o'clock in the afternoon – along with a quick tango with a passing witch.

Day out in Rome

This weekend I spent a great day out in Rome with my two boys. We caught the train from Arezzo down to Rome and wandered the streets of this amazing city. There is so much to see and do without breaking the bank: Trevi fountain, Spanish Steps, Colosseum and the Bocca della Verità were on our schedule.

The highlight of the day was an evening game at the Stadio Olimpico to see Roma play Siena. It’s nearly always possible to get tickets as the stadium is rarely full; though avoid Roma/Lazio and the major Seria A teams. Unless you support them of course...

And the result? 1–0 to Roma. The boys were thrilled and Sunday was spent out in the garden re-enacting the match. Needless to say ‘I was Siena’ and the result was always the same.

La Bocca della Verità
Place your hand in the mouth and if you tell lies it will be bitten off. While we were there, no blood was to be seen. So you can be sure when I say: Come to Italy with Essential Italy; it will be your best holiday ever – you know I'm telling the truth!

Trevi Fountain
The surroundings are a bit of a tourist trap, but the fountain itself is definitely worth a visit. Launch a coin over your shoulder and you are sure to return to Rome; a good earner for the town council I reckon.

Stadio Olimpico
A huge marble obelisk engraved with ‘Musolini Dux’ meets you upon arrival to the Foro Italico sports complex.

Competition time

You could win a hamper by entering our Italian vocabulary competition. The first to email back with 18 correct answers will receive a free food hamper when booking one of the three properties below with Essential Italy.

The owners are fabulous at Le Terrazze and more than happy to chat if you so wish. Many clients have returned here year after year due to both the excellent accommodation and the wonderful hospitality of Fiorenzo, Antonella and their daughter Giada. Topics for conversation could well be food, gold and hunting...

Translate the following words:
cinghiale
fucile
bosco
cane di caccia
lepre

Lorenzo is the owner of this house and many an hour can be passed in the allotment with his mother learning all the food vocabulary you could possible need.

Translate the following words:
pomodoro
zucchine
melenzane
orto
fagioli


The owner Silverio is a real charmer and has become close friends with many of his guests. One couple have returned so often that he now just leaves the key under the mat for them! Another couple fell so in love with the house and Silverio they bought their elderly mother over to visit him.

Translate the following words:
casetta
vista
campagna
sugero
simpatico

Translate the phrase:
Dopo aver parlato con i proprietari per 2 settimane il mio italiano sta migliorando molto e non vedo l’ora di tornare.

General knowledge questions
Who is the Patron Saint of Arezzo?

Who is the man in the photograph below?

Got all 18 answers? Then email Ian and see if you’ve won. Good luck or buona fortuna!

The Never Ending Festive Season...

Ian writes: Christmas creep happens here in Italy just as it does pretty much everywhere that commemorates the birth of Jesus of Nazareth. Ceremonies starts way back on the 8th of December, with a public holiday for the Feast of the Immaculate Conception. You can be sure the shops have already begun their opening moves to warm us up for the start of the holiday shopping season.

Christmas Eve/Day are up next, with St Stephen’s following a couple of days later. And of course there’s the excesses of New Year’s Eve which is a global TV affair these days; if you follow the Gregorian calendar that is.

Some Italians still engage in the ritual of throwing old stuff out the window into the street below. So if next year you find yourself, say wobbling around the narrow alleyways of Cortona on the night of the 31st of December, well... don’t say you haven’t been warned. Just ask Rob who does some of our design work.

La Befana by Mg Lizi.

La Befana (The Witch) is wheeled out on the night of 5th January and children hang out stockings to be filled with sweets and goodies; assuming the child has been good. Otherwise it’s coal and onions. Needless to say the coal merchant doesn’t do much in the way of sales as all Italian children are perfect. Cough, cough...

There are poems about La Befana, which are known in slightly different versions throughout Italy. Here's one version:

La Befana vien di notte
Con le scarpe tutte rotte
Col vestito alla romana
Viva, Viva La Befana!

The English translation is:

La Befana comes by night
With her shoes all tattered and torn
She comes dressed in the Roman way
Long life to the Befana!

The Italian word for Witch is La Strega – also a popular digestif liquor. It's a strong mix of herbs and the taste reminds one of a powerful mouthwash should you go in for that sort of thing. At 80 proof (40%) Liquore Strega has among its approximately 70 herbal ingredients mint and fennel. The yellow colour comes from the addition of saffron. And if over-indulged it leaves you with an almighty hangover. But least your breath is relatively fresh. Just ask Malcolm who does some of our design work.

The finale to the Christmas proceedings is on the 6th January with Epiphany. By the following day, everybody has usually had enough and are happy to get back to normal. And even get back to work. Children apart of course.

That just leaves me to wish all our clients, past, present and future a Happy New Year and hope to see you in Italy later in the year.