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Il Castello Ristorante-Certaldo
When Americans travel to Italy, they often need clarification about the practice of tipping.
In the States, it's common to tip anywhere between 15 and 30% when at a restaurant, bar, or cafe. The standard is 20%. Total Tuscany Podcast hosts Travis Justice and Pat Campagna have been to Italy several times, even they are somewhat confused about when and when not to tip in Italy after all this time. It's hard to believe we have been doing this podcast for almost nine years now, and we are getting closer to our 100th episode and have never spent a serious amount of time talking about the subject of gratuity.
When discussing such an important issue, we bring in the experts. Linda Sorgiovanni fromItaly Customized joins us again on the podcast. Operating a boutique travel company, Linda is asked by clients to factor in a tip to the cost of services. That's more challenging than it sounds, as it is not customary to tip for some services, but it is for others.
After listening to this podcast, you will be able to travel to Italy with complete confidence on when to tip or not to tip!
If you have a quick question about traveling to Tuscany, a recommendation, or even travel planning and a full-service itinerary, email us, totaltuscany@gmail.com.
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Emanuele Giannelli's "Mr. Arbitrium."
Italian America
Andrew Cotto has worn many hats in his career. Teacher, novelist, freelance writer. He’s written about his love for Italian food and travel in magazines for years. You are never too old to reinvent yourself, right?
Italian America magazine is a full-color quarterly in English. It is the official publication of the Order Sons and Daughters of Italy in America®, the nation’s largest and oldest organization for men and women of Italian heritage in the United States. According to the Organization, the magazine is the most widely read quarterly for people of Italian heritage in the United States.
Andrew is trying to grow the magazine outside just Italian heritage. You don’t have to be Italian to enjoy all things about Italy. It’s probably why you are listening to this podcast. The country and the culture are so appealing to many of us who don’t have family that comes from the old country. We can be Italian without actually being Italian.
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Italy's Finest
Italy attracts all kinds of travelers. Those who visit on a fixed budget. Those who vacation and spare no expense. And those who fall somewhere in the middle.
Imagine if you will that you have unlimited funds and you could do and buy whatever you want in Tuscany. Sounds like a dream, right? As you are about to hear in this edition of the Total Tuscany Podcast, dreams do come true!
Villas are once again in high demand and if you want one you are going to have to wait. 2023 is the earliest you can grab one and those are filling up fast!
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If there is someone you would like us to interview or a place in Tuscany you want us to checkout, send us an email at, TotalTuscany@gmail.com. Please like our Facebook and Instagram pages and follow us on Twitter and Tik-tok.
Italy can be therapeutic. People from all walks of life flock to Italy for all sorts of reasons. We've never met a person who left the country and didn't say to themselves, wow! That's the way life should be.
Andrew Cotto recently returned from Italy, where he was on a three-week "work" trip drumming up stories. Andrew is a fantastic journalist; one of his stories from this trip will be coming out in Italy Magazine. He will be pitching several more articles to other travel sites and publications.
Please take the time to give this podcast a "like," share it with friends, and follow us on your favorite podcast platform, so you know when new episodes are released. Click the social media icons below and or search Total Tuscany and join our community.
So Many Stories To Tell
We can spend hours looking at the old men in this photo. Their facial expressions. Their hand gestures. Their clothes. Their shoes. Every part of them tells a story. If you stare at it long enough, you can write unique fictional attributes of each one of them. If you come back the next day and look at the photo again, the stories for each of them change.
We took the photo in San Gimignano in 2009. It hangs on our office walls as not just a reminder of our first trip to Italy but to let us know there are grace and wisdom in aging.
San Gimignano tells a story that dates back to the Etruscans three centuries before Christ. A shining city on a hill marked by its 14- towers, San Gimignano is a must stop for any tourist. 4-million people a year visit this mid-evil town in North Central Tuscany. Normally packed with people, beauty is found in the hustle and bustle of buses, walking tours, and onlookers.
Like most places in Itlay, specifically Tuscany, the worldwide pandemic of COVID-19 has taken its toll on the economy. But as you find out in this latest podcast. The people of San Gimignano are not sitting back and just crossing their fingers and hoping people return. They are using this time to rediscover themselves. Soul searching, should we say, to connect with its past so when the people do return, they get the authentic experience they want and deserve.
Just like the old men in the photo, the days go by, but the stories we share and pass down over time can live forever. Next time you visit Tuscany, make sure you make a story of your own in San Gimignano. 
Inspiration On The Horizon
If you believe all the news stories and headlines, buying a house for as low as 1-euro in Italy is simple. But is it?
We have been doing this podcast for several years now. We travel to Italy (when there’s not a pandemic) yearly. I would say it’s our goal to have a home or an apartment in Tuscany someday. But where do you start? Who do you turn to? Well, our guest on this edition of the Total Tuscany Podcast knows a thing or two about purchases homes and real estate in Italy. Chris Sobolev operates the websiteSuper Savvy Travelers with her husband, Chris.
They fell in love with Italy a couple of years ago, started buying property, and now it’s their mission to people like you and me do the same.
Property in Tuscany is SUPER expensive. That’s not a surprise as Tuscany is the most popular region in Italy. Chris and Pete and settled in by the sea in Calabria. It’s cheap, beautiful, and provides easy access to other parts of Europe, Africa, and the Middle East. You find or interview with Chris both enlightening and educational. After listening to it, you might be ready to start the process of making your dreams of an Italian home come true!  Linda and Claudio
The two of the most popular things to do when you go to Tuscany are drink wine and take a cooking class. Well, since we can't travel right now, what if there was a way to put a sommelier and a Tuscan chef right in your kitchen?
COVID-19 has reinforced our need for connection to people. Linda Sorgiovanni from Italy Customized wants to come into your home, virtually. Linda collaborates with her friend Claudio Bisanzio on a unique cooking class and wine tasting with you and your family and friends. The 2-hour experience includes wine, a food menu with step by step coaching during the cooking process, a recording of your cooking class, a recipe booklet, and memories that will inspire you to travel to Tuscany to experience the real thing. This virtual experience's price is very reasonable—$ 50 per person up to four people and $40 per person for larger groups. We recommend that groups are not larger than eight people.
Yes, there is a pretty big time difference between Florence and the United States. But don't fret; Linda and Claudio are night owls and will work directly with you to schedule a time that works for you and your guests. You can email Linda directly to set up your class.
linda@italycustomized.it Print Your Own Gift Certificate
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Total TuscanyTravis Justice & Pat Campagna have been traveling to Tuscany since 2009. They produce the Total Tuscany Podcast and all the content on this website. Categories
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