One last bit of Raphael’s (the modern one, not the Renaissance one) talent tonight. If you’re even a little bit interested in learning how to *really* progress in your renderings of living subjects, you need to seek his instruction.
Monthly Archives: March 2013
Puerto Rico, Old San Juan and Castillo San Felipe del Morro
Puerto Rico, Old San Juan and Castillo San Felipe del Morro.
Some non-Italy content if you’ll permit me…great shots of San Juan and the rainforest on Mike’s blog. This winter weather is making me miss sunny PR.
Venice for Visitors hotel directions
If you’re a do it yourself type, this is a handy site. Even if you’re on a tour and want to explore on your own a bit this’ll be a handy one to bookmark as getting back to your hotel is generally an enjoyable thing to be able to do.
A word on doing it yourself–we’re really not against it per se even though it runs counter to our business model. We’ve had lots of clients go with us a time or two and then be able to navigate Italy on their own, and we think that’s great! Nobody can be an expert at everything, and while going to sites like Tripadvisor can give you general hints about the things you want to see and how to get there, there’s also no substitute for the personal insight someone like Doug Sassi can give you. Someone who’s been doing this for going on four decades and has professional art/art historian underpinnings can lend a perspective that the Internet just can’t duplicate I don’t think. It’s YOUR trip and you don’t want to waste your time getting lost, hoping to get lucky with a good non-tourist-trap restaurants, waiting in lines you don’t have to, etc.
There’s no real downside to traveling with Doug Sassi. Our tours are customized to let you travel at your pace and you’re never hamstrung into more or fewer activities than you want or need, and you can have plenty of time to explore on your own. Why not have your own private Italy expert showing you the ropes on your first trip or two?
Transfer of Energy
Portrait of local baker Doug Rae by Raphael Sassi. One of the special things Sassi Italy Tours can do that I don’t think anyone else can offer as well as we can: a chance to study the masters of the Renaissance under the tutelage of a modern master. Raphael Sassi is a career professional portrait artist and the winner of more awards than I can begin to mention here. His attention to light and emotionally accurate rendering of his subjects is hard to beat, and Sassi Italy Tours can naturally book him to accompany you on an artist’s tour of Rome and Florence, where you’ll study the works of the masters with his help and oversight, and learn two dimensional rendering of various subjects with a classical touch.
Brandano Photography
My friend Jim Brandano, based in Florida, is a fantastic photographer. His Venice images are quite literally astounding and instantly transport you into an extreme state of “holy cow when am I going to get to be in Venice again.”
He does sharp wedding and portrait work as well. Check out his site!
Gave a pasta making demonstration last night
I like to think Mama Isa would have been proud! The wife has joined a women’s group that’s focused on exploring international cuisine, locally sourced foods, and self-reliant artisanal “making it yourself” outlooks. They wanted to have a pasta making night, and fortunately they knew just who to ask.
I brought some already made semolina noodles and some pre-mixed dough that had already had a chance to settle; there were about 15 attendees, and we talked about the importance of making your food yourself and being connected to where it comes from (it’s interesting how that concept is somewhat revolutionary here in the US thanks to our industrial processed food addiction, but is just “how it’s done” in Italy), and how that’s a key component of what makes food so enjoyable in Italy.
I like to think that person by person we Americans are going to start grasping just how unsustainable our processed food diet really is and starting seeing the nobility in the “get everything you can locally and make it yourself” take on food.
It was nice talking to like minded folks, many of whom were planning trips to Italy and hadn’t yet heard of Sassi Italy Tours. Not a bad way to spread the good word about what we bring to the table–some pappardelle arrabiata and vino rosso!
Cooking Classes in Venice
Have you checked out Mama Isa’s page? Her recipes are outstanding and our clients have loved her private cooking classes. She teaches you the authentic Veneto cuisine–seafood, meats, pastas, veggies, desserts…all the good stuff! There are scads of great local markets in the Padova area from which she sources fantastic ingredients.
https://www.facebook.com/isacookinpadua
We include cooking classes in a lot of itineraries these days, as it’s a great way to take a little slice of Italy home with you.
A Great Prague Blog
Check out Katy’s take on Prague. Great photos! A city high on my list of non-Italy places to visit.
The Sounds of the Baptistry
Pisa.
Listening to this never gets old. It’s an easy excursion from Florence to go, it’s a shame so many people skip it.
Welcome
I remember my first trip to Italy with Dad. I was 14. I’d never been out of the country. I couldn’t sleep with excitement on the plane, and I landed beat, bleary eyed, and amazed at everything. We hopped on a shuttle bus to the hotel and even though my mind was racing with “wow, so this is Rome!”..I fell asleep.
I spent the next three weeks amazed at all the things my Dad knew and had my worldview forever changed by seeing an amazing culture up close.
Sassi Italy Tours is all about sharing the amazement that 14 year old boy experienced with the rest of the world. We’re here to share culture, art, food, wine, history, architecture, and the dolce vita in a private, intimate setting that offers a deep immersion in all that is wonderful about Italy. I’m biased for obvious reasons, but I really do think people who travel to Italy without Doug Sassi’s perspective are missing out.
Come travel with us. Continue reading Welcome
Sassi Italy Tours 