EssentialItaly

Etna eruption

More pictures here. Photo: Leonardo Camaggi.

Propery hunting in Puglia

Sarah writes: Last week Helen and I made our end of season trip to Puglia. We were a little later than usual but still had a great time driving around the Pugliese countryside. Our first night was spent north of Bari at the lovely Lama di Luna, an oasis of peace and quiet. Our host and owner Pietro (along with his beautiful red setter Uma) joined us for breakfast, before showing us his eco-friendly heating system reliant on ground olive stones. In a land completely full of age old olive trees, we imagine he’s on to a good thing.

On leaving Lama di Luna we called in to Cefalicchia Country House. What a find. Beautifully restored and perfectly run, we can strongly recommend a stay here and suggest that you look out for it as it will be on our website very soon. Many other properties were viewed though our standards had perhaps been set high with such a great start to the day in Cefalicchia.

We then drove to the Valle d’Itria just south of Bari – home of the trulli – the typical coned-roof dwellings. A light lunch in Alberobello (a UNESCO site due to the amount of trulli found here) set us up for the afternoon with more exploring. We then headed to the tried and trusted hotel, Borgo San Marco. We never go to Puglia without a stopover here. Due to the evenings getting dark by 5pm we opted for an early aperitivo and a sumptuous dinner cooked by the lovely Teresa, all enjoyed with the charming owner, Dottore Alessandro Amati. The next day took kept us in the same area and we revisited some already well known properties including Trulllo Lontano, Casa Cicereali, Casa Calandra and some very interesting new properties soon to be revealed. A good days work.

Another Borgo San Marco dinner set us up for another long day to the south of the region near Otranto. We managed to get too hot having coffee in a bar on the seafront before visiting a great family beachside hotel just north of the town. Watch this space. With more stops on the way back north, our day concluded with a lovely dinner in the little town of Carovigno. Già sotto l’Arco, the supposedly best restaurant in Puglia was sadly closed, but we took our chances at another local restaurant which turned out just fine. Before leaving Borgo San Marco on Friday morning we had a fascinating tour to see the beautiful frescoes that have been recently uncovered and restored in the hotels very own grotto. A truly magical experience and one not to miss. Time to go home and back to our respective desks. Not sure about Helen, but I could have stayed much longer.

Sweet Sicily

Helen writes: Sarah and I have just returned from a week in Sicily. The temperature didn’t drop below 25°C during the day, and even the evenings were exceptionally warm.

We spent two nights at the beautiful Borgo Petra in Mascalucia where the owners Cristina and Toto, fed us a fabulous feast each morning of fresh bread, cheese, fruit (including fresh cachi and prickly pears) and cakes. The highlight for me were the cakes – particularly the honey and hazelnut cake – truly delicious. Here’s Cristina’s recipe so we can all get baking...

Small cakes with honey and hazelnuts

• 80 grams butter
• 40 grams white flour
• 45 grams ground hazelnuts
• 65 grams sugar
• 50 grams honey
• 3 egg whites
• 1 pinch of salt
• 6 small round moulds (8.5cm diameter)

Preheat the oven to 180°C. Melt the butter, sugar and the honey together (not over direct heat, but in a bowl over a saucepan of boiling water). Cool and add the egg yolks. Add a pinch of salt to the whites and beat them until the mixture is firm. Add the flour and egg white tablespoon by tablespoon to the honey, sugar and butter mixture. Grease the moulds with butter and sprinkle with flour and pour the mix into the mould. Bake for 25 minutes – it’s ready when you can put the blade of a knife into the cake and it comes out clean. Bingo: Fantastic hazelnut cakes.

Essential Italy Art Prize 2011

Juliana Manara has won this years Essential Italy Art Prize for her photographic work at the Palace Art Fair.

Client feedback

An excerpt from a glowing review of an Essential Italy property at the Plymouth Herald: 

We had used Essential Italy for our previous foray to Tuscany in 2003 – the summer of a lengthy heat wave – and had turned to the Cambridge-based Italy travel specialist this time.

More information on where they stayed can be found on the main Essential Italy website.

One week in Puglia is not enough

Anne-Marie Shepherd from Worthing writes: Before we had even reached our holiday accommodation, we were lured by the sight of one of Puglia’s famous ‘white towns’ perched on the hill in the distance. We steered off the motorway, and headed for Ostuni, an ancient looking town, a mess of white washed houses with its cathedral dominating the town’s skyline. Walking the beautiful narrow, stone, higgledy piggledy streets in the heat of the day was almost surreal. There was hardly anyone about, and it would have seemed almost eerie, was it not for the bustle of everyday life coming from the open windows and doors of the homes. Walking aimlessly was a delight; each street more enchanting than the next, with coloured shutters, nooks and crannies, potted cacti, amazing arched window terraces and steep steps leading to brightly coloured doorways and upwards to the roof terraces. We knew we’d be back another time to explore again.

Our accommodation, Borgo San Marco, a wonderful old fort, turned farm, turned hotel was easy to find just off the main Brindisi to Bari road, but amazingly not within earshot of the traffic. It is hard to capture the beauty of Borgo san Marco in pictures. Set in the heart of the Pugliese countryside, surrounded by olive and lemon trees with the odd vine thrown in, it really is a haven of tranquillity. The building is beautiful, with a Moroccan feel to it. Rustic, yet in no way shabby. Simple, yet luxurious and comfortable. The chapel in the walled courtyard adds to the beauty and charm, and we immediately envisaged just how perfect a wedding here would be. With large roof terraces, and beautiful gardens, theres lots of space to relax, take in the views and enjoy the local wines.

Out first dinner at Borgo san Marco blew us away. We asked what was on the menu, the friendly receptionist answered ‘fish’. She was right. There was no menu; we were just brought a whole host of different, delicious fish dishes. Giant prawns, clams in a rich tomato pasta dish, mussels, calamari squid, it was endless and we were delighted. We were giggling at the enormity of the meal and just how tasty it all was.

The next day that we were spoilt for choice as to what to see and do in Puglia. We knew we wanted to see more of the white towns and I was developing an obsession with the trulli – the magical dome shaped huts which dominate this area of Puglia, built centuries ago to house peasant farmers – and which up to now were evading me. So we started by visiting to Martina Franca and Locorotondo, two lovely white towns where we happily meandered and admired the beautiful white streets. And from the heights of Locorotondo, my quest for trulli was achieved. The trulli are truly magical. Rounded shapes with conical stone roofs, littering the landscape, they look like the kinds of houses you’d imagine mythical animals or little beings living in.

My appetite was fully satisfied when we reached Alberobello, the home of over 1000 trulli. Alberobello is like the quaintest of model villages, only you can walk the streets and enter the trulli, shopping, looking at galleries and viewing the town from the terraces and gardens. It’s totally enchanting. 

The Baroque city of Lecce is next on our list. Right down in the centre of the heel of Italy, Lecce is known as the Florence of the South, due to its incredible architecture. At every corner of the Old Town, is another example of buildings adorned with incredibly flamboyant stonework of such beauty. We walked and walked the streets, impressed with the magnitude, intricate detail and humour of the work. The stonework and decoration in the Cathedral was simply stunning. In fact even just the ceilings in almost every church we went in were breathtaking. Lecce is an absolute gem and not to be missed.

We headed to Otranto, a seaside town even further south to hit the beach and catch some rays, but also to visit another cathedral steeped in history. In 1480 the town was invaded by the Turks who massacred both the Bishop and the majority of the townspeople, 800 of whom became martyrs because they refused to give up their Christian faith. Their skulls and bones are held behind glass panels in a chapel in the cathedral as a reminder of their faith.

Otranto, like we soon came to realise most of the Pugliese towns, came to life from around 8pm, when the streets are filled to the brim with Italians of all generations out to eat, drink and socialise. After a day on the beach, Italians party in the evenings and it was a joy to see babies, children, teens, parents and grandparents out having fun.

The caves of Castellana were also on our to-do list. Discovered in 1938, these caves are a mile long and breathtaking. Guided tours in English (or German and Italian) take you through the passage ways and chambers full of stalactite, stalagmites and shimmering crystallite. We also discovered the nearby village of Putignano, perfect for a bite of lunch and our daily gelato.

A day by the sea was needed, so we drove along the coast road and stopped just outside Savelleti (a small fishing town with a superb fish restaurant called Maddalena) and joined the Italian families, relaxing in the sandy coves, sunbathing on the rocks and enjoying the incredible warmth of the Adriatic Sea. Heading back to Borgo san Marco in the darkness, a few families and friends were having their dinner out on the rocks overlooking the sea; tables set up beautifully, lit by a portable standing lamp, it looked too idyllic.

Shopping trips to Fasano (Benetton must have seen a surge in profits) and the lovely town of Polignano a Mare with its caves in the cliffs housing bars and restaurants, and an evening trip to Ostuni to join in the evening vibe, saw the end of our week. We decided we had to have one last dinner at Borgo San Marco. This one just excelled. Nine courses were served. Breads, tempura vegetables, tiny quiches, fritters, a pasta dish, a selection meats, vegetables, fruit and to cap it all the king of all chocolate mousses! Just amazing.

I had read in the guidebooks that Puglia still wasn’t used to tourists and that the locals could often be off hand. We found the opposite. Everyone we came across was helpful, smiley, eager to please and eager to chat. Even the old guys running their small town bars welcomed us with their lovely attempts at English grinning all the while.

Puglia is beautiful, unspoilt and enchanting, and we didn’t get to see half of it. Taranto, the villages at the very bottom of the heel, the beach, Baia dei Turchi, which the locals say is the most beautiful beach in Puglia, and the National Park to the north of Bari, all eluded us this time. One week in Puglia is not enough, book two.

Sandcastles in Sardinia

Full marks to Xavier for this splendid sandcastle built on the secluded beach at Porto Rafael. The flags give it a great touch. Many thanks to Alex (Xavier’s Dad) for sending the photo direct from the beach.

Ten eclectic things to do in Tuscany this August

Tuscany in August offers a host of cultural, gastronomic and family events to satisfy just about any tastes. So if you're in the area next month, and you're determined to have at least one day where you don't lounge by the pool, bake on a beach or trek through the countryside, here's a selection of the well-known, the less-well known, and the downright quirky events you can enjoy this month.

Tuscan Sun Festival 31st July - 7th August - Cortona (Arezzo)

World-famous festival featuring classical, culinary, wine and spoken word events. Highlights this year include legendary pianist Martha Argerich in a night devoted to Argentina and the tango in particular. Hollywood stars Sharon Stone and Jeremy Irons will perform a dramatisation of the romance between Chopin and George Sand later in the festival. See website for full details.Further information.

Porcini Mushroom festival 5th-7th August - Cascine di Buti (Pisa)
One of the most well-loved ‘Italian’ ingredients is celebrated in this small festival dedicated to the not-so-humble porcini. Further information.

FestAmbiente Ecological Festival - 6th-15th August Rispescia (Grosseto)
Open air shows, concerts, films and workshops dedicated to the Environment and Green issues.
Further information.

Truffle Festival - 12th - 15th August - Chiusi della Verna (Arezzo)
A sagre dedicated to the scorzone truffle, widely available throughout Tuscany, and celebrated for its variety of culinary uses. Further information.

Zappa Day - 12th August - Sarteano (Siena)
An unusual one this, the saxophonist Napoleon Murphy Brock will be performing his unique (and Grammy-award winning) tribute to the legendary Frank Zappa. Further information.

Palio dell'Assunta 13th- 16th August - Siena
No roundup of events in Tuscany can escape without mentioning this world-famous horse race around the Campo Square. Very busy, and very popular, the race itself (on the 16th) is best experienced either on television (sadly) or by arriving very early in the day.  The preparations and pre-race trials are well worth a visit though, and are much less busy. Further information.

Bank Holiday 15th August - all of Italy
Expect the beaches and picnic spots to be extra busy. One to be contrary and do nothing - stay by the pool in the villa, or try something off the beaten track. The last of the sunflowers will be fading in the fields....

Madama Butterfly - part of the Puccini festival - 18th August - Torre del Lago (Lucca)
The Puccini festival is a yearly event in Lucca, attracting world-class opera stars to celebrate and perform the works of Giacomo Puccini.  This year’s operas are La Boheme, Turandot and Madama Butterfly.  Further information.

Rievocazione Medievale Volterra AD 1398 - 21st and 28th August - Volterra (west of San Gimignano - near Pisa)
Bringing the magic of the middle ages to life, with a pageant of medieval themed processions, music, food and celebrations. Further information.

Bravio delle Botti - 28th August - Montepulciano (about an hour’s drive South of Siena)
An annual festival featuring a barrel-rolling race between the 8 quarters of Montepulciano. Each team must roll an 85kg wine barrel across the narrow streets of this pretty and historic city. Further information.

And number 11 - start planning for next year

If you're not fortunate enough to be in Tuscany this August (or you're already dreaming of coming back) - why not book for next year? Have a look at our selection of Tuscan villas, apartments and hotels.

The Romantic History of Masseria Cupina

In the 18th century, a rich and powerful Puglian nobleman had a daughter. As the daughter grew up she became very close to her father. But when she reached her early twenties, she fell in love with a local farmer.

Although farming was the mainstay of life in Puglia, society was strictly segregated. The rich did not mix with the poor, let alone marry them. Her father forbade the union. But the daughter’s heart was set. Love overcame the barriers of class and privilege. She married her lover. Her father was so angry he refused to speak to her ever again.

But seeing her love was genuine, his heart softened. He decided to build his daughter a farmhouse. At least, he thought, she will have a comfortable home and the means to make a good living. The masseria was named ‘Cupina’ (meaning ‘not so black’) to reflect the bittersweet nature of the gift.

By the mid 20th century, however, the farmhouse had been abandoned. In another fairy tale echo, the building became overgrown and derelict.

It remained that way until 2004 when the masseria was rescued by its current owners and lavished with love once again.

Wild boar

Malcolm writes: just spent a few days in Tuscany at Villa La Senaia with my son Ollie, and in-laws Alf and Edith. The weather was perfect for our stay, and the views out over Castiglion Fiorentino from the terrace and pool are fabulous, so we didn’t feel the urge to leave the villa all day. Our visit however, coincided with the Wild Boar Festival (Sagra di cinghiale) in Castiglion Fiorentino, which is only a short drive from Villa La Senaia. Our relutance to leave the poolside was rewarded with a number of delicious dishes, so it was well worth the effort.

The villa’s location is ideal for exploring southern Tuscany – with Cortona and Arezzo just a short drive away – and if you want to venture a bit further Siena, Montepulciano and Lake Trasimeno in Umbria are all worth a day trip.