Will be interesting to see how this pans out and what effect it has on exchange rates. We’ve been holding fast at around $1.30 per euro for a while now–and obviously it’d be nice if your US dollars went a bit further in the Eurozone.
Monthly Archives: April 2013
Madonna di Campiglio
I first went here in 1989 with my dad. I was 14…and utterly unable to appreciate it properly at the time. Nowadays I watch the Top Gear guys zipping Italian sports cars around the mountain passes in northern Italy and it reminds me of what a stunning place it is, and why it’s on my list of places to go see again soon.
A good friend of our family from Brescia was originally from the area and had a cabin on a hillside looking out at the Dolomites off in the distance. I remember thinking it felt out of the way and without the things of interest to a 14 year old American, but it’s precisely these out of the way places that make Italy so amazing–and as adults we should seek out! It’s not a place commonly found on a tour itinerary, but if you want to experience the Italian Alps (and you should!) we can definitely help you get there. You’ll need to rent a car, but it’s worth the expense.
Pinocchio and Pizza
Another great post. So true about La Cucina Povera–so many of the best dishes are peasant inspired recipes rooted not just in tradition, but necessity. If we would all be a bit more considerate to the Earth by not wasting food!
I would rather eat a fresh baked piece of bread than just about anything. To tell the truth, I could eat an entire loaf if left to my vices. For Italian bread lovers there is focaccia, ciabatta, pizza. FCP. I love it all. Italian rustic bread with olives and rosemary, bring it on. In Florence I was first introduced to Ribollita, day old bread covered in a tuscan vegetable soup (reboiled day old soup). Italy is famous for using day old bread/ no salt bread, in their dishes and I was curious about this. In one of the most popular places for cuisine on earth, recipes have developed from a history of malnutrition and hunger. During the war, the working class lived on what they could gain from their meager rations and gather from the land.
The cookbook, Cucina Povera, by Pamela Sheldon Johns, tells the story of…
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Yeah, He’s Been At This A While
It’s no exaggeration: when Doug’s in Venice, Italian people ask *HIM* for directions. He’s got that kind of expertise. Here’s a great shot of him with a group of students in San Marco in 1992; he’s being guiding people through Italy longer than many readers have been alive.
It’s hard to put into words, but I’ll try–if you travel to Italy and don’t avail yourself of the opportunity to have Doug guide you, it’s a shame, as you’re missing out on something special. There’s no amount of browsing TripAdvisor.com and reading Frommers and blogs like this one that can serve as a substitute for his insights. Don’t miss out!
Deals on Tours
Ordinarily we’re pretty picky about where we’ll have our customers stay. We’d rather ask you to spend a bit more money to stay in a hotel we trust, as the risk in lodging guests in questionable accommodations or places far from the attractions we’d ordinarily include on a tour just isn’t worth it. But we’re willing to do the research and dig for low cost accommodations for clients who have limited budgets or want to go in high-demand times of year with the caveat that they be willing and prepared to take cabs or other ground transport to get to the sites they want to see instead of walking as we’d normally do.
And sometimes it really makes for a compelling offer. We lined up something for a client today that would be three nights Venice, two Florence, and three in Rome this June for $2750 a person including airfare, trains, hotels, museum and historical site admissions, private tours with Doug Sassi, shuttles, taxis, etc. This was based on a really cheap flight I found out of JFK; depending on your airfare your cost might be different, and you can source your own flight if you like.
We only have a couple slots available as we strictly cap group size, so if you want to go the last week of June bear that in mind, but we can probably strike the same deal for the week before or the week after.
This is an unheard of good deal. Let me know if you want to jump on it or want to know which attractions it includes (there are tons, too many to list here). This isn’t something we generally do, but once in a while when hotel availability is tight and costs are squeezing clients we’ll try to pass things like this along.
Books and the Mafia
An interesting read from CLL. Some thoughts; Italy has a problem with graft and political corruption, but the Mafia shooting the place up all the time like you see in the movies…not so much. Glad to read a slightly less melodramatic recounting. Secondly…I’m sure Ms. Mayes appreciates that people appreciate her story, but she probably doesn’t need flowers and teddy bears at her doorstep all the time. I’m a fan of the story too, but let’s let the lady have some peace and quiet.
I think this is a good place to talk about the book reading prep I have done for the trip to Italy. Not just this time, but over the years. I love to read and cook, except by now you know I’ve been doing the Nutrisystem thing since January 1st, I have that day etched in my mind, so I just read the cookbooks for now. I’ m saving up the eating part for Italy. My book choices are varied because I like history and mysteries too and of course I have to read the books that talk about people who have actually moved to Italy. There are lots of books to pick from, but these are the books that stuck in my mind. Years ago I read Underthe Tuscan Sun, At Home in Italyby Frances Mayes, after I saw the movie. I knew then and…
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Probably a Good Thing
That Italy is paying its bills. Italy’s economy relies on tourism bigtime, and the retailers and restaurants we rely on to make tours enjoyable need the economy to have some liquidity.
A Word From the Operations Department
We periodically get emails and web form submissions that go something like “we’ll be in Venice next Monday, what does your service cost?”
Yikes. Not generally going to be cost effective for us to help these folks. Our value proposition is strong and I price check us regularly against the competition and find that we’re very, very cost effective for what we do, but what we do is by design a niche market play: our job is providing an inclusive service that offers a competitive bottom-line figure for everything (hotels, trains, water taxis, museum and historical site admission fees, the tours with Doug, shuttles, taxis as required, etc, and flights if you want us to book those for you as a value-added service).
The short version: we want you to have a relaxing, enjoyable, deep-immersion experience that affords a memorable emotional connection to Italy and its culture where you don’t have to worry about getting lost, missing something, wasting time in the wrong line, paying for hidden fees you didn’t expect, and so forth. Our goal is to provide a well planned and inclusive service, and as such we’re not much help to the last second folks looking for a Hail Mary pass for a tour solution next week. We’ll try to help everyone! But help us help you–plan your trip months or years in advance, not a week.
Grazie mille!
Risotto con Funghi Porcini
When you have a two and a one year old, having a dish that you know finicky eaters will chow down on is key. And it’s pretty rare that my little ones turn their noses up at risotto.
I start with garlic in olive oil and butter with some diced shallot. After the arborio is warmed up and glistening, I cook in a shot of sherry, some porcini mushrooms, and this time I also added some roasted squash. Lots of broth, a fistful of romano once it’s cooked, and half an hour of stirring later, I have a simple but incredibly savory dish that the kids can’t get enough of.
Nothing cuter than a 1 year old with risotto all over his face grinning :).
As good as this is, one of the perks of Doug Sassi’s tours is finding a lot of risotto that blows mine out of the water. Much to learn I still have.
Drawing Classes
You don’t have to go all the way to Italy to enjoy one of Raphael’s drawing classes. If you’re on the east coast, the drive to MD’s beautiful Eastern Shore is well worth it for this.
Sassi Italy Tours 