Skiing in Tuscany


Did you know that you can go skiing or snowbording in Tuscany in winter? Abetone is a popular destination between Pistoia and Modena. It has 34 ski tracks for beginners and advanced. You can eat Tuscan food during your winter holiday and perhaps you even have some time to visit Florence. For information about Abetone, take a look at this site

Pappa al pomodoro - tomatoe breadsoup









A genuine Tuscan plate: Pappa al pomodoro

The ingredients for four persons:

400 gr fresh tomatoes
250 (old) Tiscan bread (best is non-salted)
4 leaves of basil
garlic
1 spoon of concentrated tomatoe
800 ml. vegetable broth
half a glass olive oil (extra vergin)

salt and pepper

Make a small cross with a knife on top of each fresh tomatoe and cook them for just a few moments in hot water. After cooling down you kan easily peel of the skin and than you cut the tomatoes in small pieces.

Fry the garlic and 2 leaves of the basil in a saucepan. Add the concentrated tomatoe and the fresh tomatoes after a few minutes. Add salt and pepper according to your taste. Cook this and add the vegetable broth.

Cut the bread in thin slices and cook this with the rest for 3 minutes. Switch off the fire and leave the sauce pan covered for one hour.

After one hour you can heat the pappa a little, but you can also eat it cold. Finish the plate with some fresh basil and a bit of extra vergin olive oil. If you wish add some grated Parmesan cheese.

In 1964 Rita Pavone sang a song about this plate!

B& B in Verona


Occasionally I would like to recommend a nice B& B in Verona!
Last Thursday I was in Verona with my family to pick up my Dutch passport and the passport of my youngest son. Nowadays you have to scan your fingerprints for the new passports and that is not possible anymore in Florence. So it was a good opportunity to make a trip. On the internet we had found a B& B close to the arena. The room was spacious and nicely decorated, at a friendly price. The owner was very helpful and the breakfast was fine (you eat the breakfast in your room). Click here for the website.

We want to get married in Tuscany, now what?


You have decided to get married in Tuscany. But where to start?

These are the very first steps:
- choose where to get married
- make a (provisional) guest list
- take a look around where you would like to stay (with your guests)?
- stabilize an indicative budget
- contact a weddingplanner

to be continued with the next steps!