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The Big Apple Tours

The Big Apple Tours

We do more than just Italy (though we do mostly Italy). For our European friends, we also do private tours of Washington DC and New York City. Last weekend Doug took some French folks on a sight seeing tour of Manhattan (he was born and raised in New York and got his degrees in art and art history from Pratt in Brooklyn, and is a fun, fun guy to have with you in the city that never sleeps).

 

ETA:  You don’t have to be from Europe for us to show you around New York!  Feel free to engage us any time from anywhere to see if we can help; our NYC biz is mostly so far word of mouth however, and typically has come from people who’ve used us in Italy who are European and want to come see the US.  But it’s a short jaunt for Doug via the Amtrak to get there, and if you want to see the city he’s your guy.

Pet Portrait

Pet Portrait

Raphael’s pet portraits really capture the emotional truth in a canine companion’s face.

We have bookings available for drawing classes in Italy this fall as well, but he’s fairly well booked up for the summer. More to follow.

Venezia

Venezia

Love this shot. Great color juxtapositions are a Venice trademark. Come back to this spot on a rainy day and the perspective and experience will be entirely different and in a very dramatic way. It’s pretty crowded in this area in the summer time, but we’ll typically walk past it several times on various outings during a three or four night tour of Venice which gives you a chance to see it from various perspectives.

Spring Has Sprung at Sassi Italy Tours World HQ

Spring Has Sprung at Sassi Italy Tours World HQ

Our weeping cherry is blossoming in its typically lovely fashion, and it’s warm. Time for some spring travel to Italy! As mentioned earlier there are still some deals to grab this season if you act soon, so if you’re on the fence let us know and we’ll see what’s available, but for the most part we’re recommending fall departures at the moment.

Yeah, He’s Been At This A While

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!

Risotto con Funghi Porcini

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.

Mama Isa’s Gnocchi con Porcini

Mama Isa's Gnocchi con Porcini

This looks insanely delicious. Nothing, and I mean nothing, beats the way porcinis are integrated into northern Italian cuisine. The savory, rich flavors…yes!

We love sending clients to her classes, as they’re both informative and delicious. Let us know if you’d like us to coordinate one for you.

Speaking of Pottery…

Speaking of Pottery...

…everyone who books a Sassi Italy Tours tour gets a free http://www.sassi-italy-tours.com coffee mug like this. You can ask for one in any of the glaze color combinations Doug can offer (inquire for details).

Sassi Pottery

Sassi Pottery

We Sassi folk are multi-talented, I dare say. In addition to having forgotten more about Italy than most tour guides have ever learned, Doug Sassi is also a career professional potter with an MFA from the Pratt Institute in Brooklyn. His functional pottery has influenced an entire generation of ceramicists far and wide.

While there’s certainly more to Italy tours than museums and architecture and historical sites, you really do get a deeper understanding of what you’re seeing thanks to Doug’s art and art history background.

More from Raphael Sassi’s exhibit

More from Raphael Sassi's exhibit

Photorealism but with a classic, emotionally accurate rendering of a vital, engaging subject.