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Total Tuscany Podcast

Pasta Mike

11/13/2021

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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. 
​In addition to his travel writing, Andrew has a new book out. "Pasta Mike", a story of friendship and loss. Losing your best friend is not easy. In our conversation on this podcast, you can hear in Andrew's voice the pain he's still going through. 

Friendship never dies, and Pasta Mike is a reminder of how important it is to have people in your life who you love, trust, depend on, and yes, even say goodbye to even if you aren't ready to. 
Pasta Mike
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Andrew Cotto
Andrew Cotto
​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. 
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Discovering Sicily

10/17/2021

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​Italy is open for business. 
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Mount Etna Sicily
Mount Etna
​There is hope on the horizon. Slowly but surely, people are returning, including the co-publisher of Total Tuscany, Pat Campagna. Pat recently spent close to a week and a half exploring his family roots.  The name Campagna is a dead giveaway that he's Italian.  But not from the mainland. On this trip, Pat skips out on Tuscany and enjoys the island life of Sicily. 
​In this episode of the Total Tuscany Podcast, Pat is the guest on his own show. We go in deep on what it's like to travel with current Covid restrictions and testing. What's the difference between Sicily and Tuscany?  Where there are several, but there are also similarities. 
Sicily Greek Theater
Ancient Greek Temple at Siracusa
Sicily Fish Market
Cantina Fish Market
Can we ask a favor of you?  Please like this podcast and give it a review? Your reviews help more people who want to travel to Tuscany and Italy find us. If you haven't done so already, follow Total Tuscany on social media. We are on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, and even Tik-Tok. 

If you have travel questions or need assistance booking a tour or tour guides in Tuscany, email us, totaltuscany@gmail.com.
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Rediscover San Gimignano

2/14/2021

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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. 
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City Center
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View From Tower Tops
​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. 
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Dinner at Il Trovatore
​One of our favorite restaurants in Tuscany, Il Trovatore, is located just outside the city walls. It was there we enjoyed our first Bistecca alla Fiorentina. Oh, and the pizza! Our personal favorite, the Atomica.

​We have purchased handbags, chocolate, wine, pottery, and t-shirts in San Gimignano. We have sat for hours in the City Center (UNESCO World Heritage Site) people watching, and imagining the history of the people who walked the streets before them. 
​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. 
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Inspiration On The Horizon
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The 1-Euro Home In Italy!

1/23/2021

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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.
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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. 

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​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! 
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Episode 76:Let Italy Come To You!

12/4/2020

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​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. 

​In this podcast, you will find that Linda and Claudio are the perfect guests to bring virtually into your home. You will laugh, drink great wine, create friendships, and be inspired to travel to Italy when we are again allowed to do so. 

This unique experience is a fantastic gift for the holidays. Imagine unwrapping a bottle of Chianti Classico Reserva or a Brunello with a card detailing a night of great Italian food that you will make right along with your new friend in Florence. 
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Virtual Cooking Class

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​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

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Episode 72: Patiently They Sit and Wait

3/29/2020

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Love 4 Wine
Becca and Anthony Frevelleti
I​taly is under lockdown. Many friends and the people you've heard on this podcast are directly affected by the Coronavirus outbreak in Italy.   

When we visited Florence just five months ago, we spent time with Anthony Frevelleti and his wife, Becca. We ate a fantastic meal together at Ristorante Accademia. Drank several bottles of amazing wine, and then walked the streets, enjoying all the Christmas lights and decorations.  Good times!

Today the Freveletti's are confined to their home outside of Florence. They are homeschooling their daughter, having their groceries delivered, with little to no contact with the outside world and adding to their stress, worrying about their son, who is in Florida. The good news is Anthony can still ship wine all over the world.  So he LOVES it when the delivery driver shows up to pick up a shipment for one of his clients.  You can support Anthony and Becca by visiting their website and order some of the most fantastic juice Tuscany as to offer.
Visit LOVE 4 Wine!
In the first half of this edition of the Total Tuscany Podcast, we talk to Anthony and Becca about what they are going through. 

The second half is a conversation with Anna Madaffari, who owns and operatesCool Tours. We also spent a day with her in the Tuscan countryside when we visited last December. A day to remember that ended with a conversation we featured inepisode 67. 
​Anna is a private driver and relies 100% on tourism. She hasn't worked or had a source of income for over a month. Anna is someone who during the busy time of the year and works 45 to 50 days in-a-row. Even during the slow months, she has three to four tours a week. 

Today the cancellations far outnumber the bookings. Anna is worried and for a good reason. 

Anthony, Becca, and Anna are open and honest about what they are experiencing right now.  Their vulnerability tears at the heartstrings and is a reminder that COVID-19 is having a devastating effect on lives, whether you have the virus or not. 
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Anna Madaffari
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Episode 71: Coronavirus Impact

3/14/2020

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Jacopo Di Battista & Mary Shea
Coronavirus has a significant impact all over the world.  Our friends in Tuscany are not immune to what is going on, and for all practical purposes, tourism has come to a complete halt throughout the country.

Many of our friends who you have heard on this podcast are directly affected both professionally and personally. Now is the time to listen to them and learn how you can help right now and in the future.   
​
Jacopo Di Battista and Mary Shea help run their family estate Querceto Di Castellina. The agriturismo is supposed to be getting ready for the busy season, but the pandemic has forced cancelations for March, April, and even into May.  They are worried, but optimistic at the same time. 

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Support Querceto Di Castellina and Its Employees

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SUPPORTING ITALY

There are no limits to the devasting economic effects the outbreak of the virus has had on Italian businesses.
 
We encourage you to show your support not only for us at Querceto, but for our friends and colleagues all over Italy.


In solidarity, we encourage you to drink Italian wines, buy Italian foods, treat yourself or a loved one to a hand-crafted Italian artisanal good or book a future trip to Italy when everyone can travel freely and safely.
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Episode 70: The Personal Touch From Florencetown

2/15/2020

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Urbano Brini Urbano Brini
​Esperienza personale.Translated to English, personal experience. Urbano Brini is on a mission. He wants everyone who visits Florence and Tuscany to have a once in a lifetime adventure. 

Several years ago, he started Florencetown Tours. What began as a simple self-guided bike ride around the city, has grown into something much bigger.  Something more unique. Something more personal.

Last December, I visited Urbano in his office, located a stone's throw from the Arno River. The view alone must provide Urbano with some of his most creative ideas. He is laser-focused on customer service and has a keen understanding of what savvy tourists desire.  Urbano will be the first to tell you what visitors want changes over time. 

Take Florencetown, for instance. Many of the company's offerings are group outings.  Several people, many who you don't know, take a tour to see David, ride Vespas, or retrace the footsteps of the Medici family. Typical things a lot of us do when vacationing to Tuscany, but leaves us feeling more like a tourist rather than having the authentic experience we yearn for when visiting Italy. 

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Urbano and his team noticed this and wanted to offer their clients something more.  They didn't need to reinvent the wheel; they just needed to look at the way people want to experience Florence and Tuscany differently.  By differently, we mean privately, uniquely, and off the beaten path. Something that when you tell your friends what you did on your trip, they say, wow! How in the world did you get to do that? 

Urbano makes dreams come true. It shouldn't be that much as a surprise, as you will find out by listening to this podcast, Urbano is one of the biggest dreamers of them all. We are lucky that he wants to share them with the world. 

More Florencetown Priviate Offerings

Florencetown Marble Safari
Marble Safari
Florenctown Chianti Safari
Chianti Safari
Florentown Panting Class
Private Painting Class
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Hey Mario!

2/2/2020

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PictureVillaTramonto
​When you sit and talk to Mario Scalzi about Italy, it's like a living version of Google. Ask Mario a question, and he doesn't even need time to think, he answers instantaneously.  Maybe Amazon can rename its Alexa to Mario. 

"Hey Mario, what about the Marche region of Italy can you tell us?"

If you want the answer, you will have to listen to this edition of the Total Tuscany Podcast.  Mario is one of our regular guests on the podcast because he brings so much value to you when we talk with him. 

Of course, we always find time to talk about his company, Parker Villas, but the stories he shares about going off the beaten path are what inspire to plan our next trip! 

When planning a trip, you are going to need a place to call home. Sure there are several places you can rent from online.  But do you really know what you are getting? Take the guesswork and the worry out of your rental property.  Parker Villas offers exclusive homes throughout Italy. What does exclusive mean?  Well, you can't rent them anywhere else. Every villa has been inspected and meets the five star standards that Mario has demanded since he founded the company in 1993. 

​"So Mario, what about Etruscan history can you tell us?"

Again, if you want the answer, listen to the podcast! Not only will you get lots of information in detail, Mario tells us the best places to visit if you want to experience the history of the ancient people had had a significant impact on Roman culture. 
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Episode 67: Cool Tours With Anna Madaffari

1/12/2020

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​It was a bright sunny morning mid-December in Florence. My wife and I waited outside our hotel in Florence, about 400 yards from the Duomo. We were meeting our friend Anna Madaffari who operates Cool Tours.  

Our plan for the morning was simple. We would walk to Caffe Gilli, have a cappuccino and a pastry, catch up with Anna whom we hadn't seen in a year.  In the large crowds walking to and from the most famous landmark in Florence, emerged the spunky Italian with a smile a mile wide dressed in her traditional black. She was bundled up more than we were as the temperatures were cooler for her, but mild for us considering we were coming from winter in the Midwest. 

"Buongiorno!" Anna lets out, followed by a peck on each cheek; she repeated the greeting for my wife. 

"I am parked around the corner, let's get in the van," Anna said. 

"But what about our morning plans?" I said. 

"Oh, we will stop and get a coffee, but it's too nice of a day not to go for a drive and see something new," she said.
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The Cool Tours Van
​It seems like Anna is always working. If you follow her on social media, you know she is doing tours almost daily.  Her silver Mercedes van that seats eight is perfect for a trip to the Tuscany countryside.  After our quick hits of caffeine, we were off on a new adventure. 

Our first stop, a place we have never visited before, a small hilltop town in Chianti, Barberino Val d'Elsa.  For the most part, everything was closed, and the streets empty. I don't want to paint a gloomy picture; it was quite peaceful. We were able to roam at our own pace taking in the historic structures and spectacular views of the countryside from the city wall.

After about an hour's stroll, it was time to climb back in the van. It was nearing lunchtime, and we were getting excited about our next stop - even though we didn't know where we were going. 
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​Winding through the switchbacks of the Chianti hills, the Cool Tour's van ascended a steep incline. Once at the top, there was a gated villa on our left.  A small wooden sign hung on the gate that was hard to read unless you were three feet from it.  It read, I Balzini. I can try and describe the estate, but I wouldn't do it justice; their website captures it perfectly.
From the website: www.ibalzini.it
​I Balzini is a classic example of a Tuscan working farm that has grown from the former country farmhouse around which vineyards and olive groves were cultivated. The central block of vineyards is located directly in front of the house, which serves as the owners’ residence as well, while a second vineyard parcel is just a short distance away. A wood and a small lake complete the property, giving it a harmonious and cozy air, one gathered in upon itself, and from which one looks out over some of Tuscany’s most celebrated villages. The long sunsets over the vineyards are perhaps some of the loveliest images to be admired at I Balzini and are the result of the extremely felicitous exposure of the property, which enjoys a special luminosity.

The name “Balzini” comes from the Tuscan word for small terraces, the exact site on which the vineyards were planted.
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​Anna introduced us to Nicola, who helps manage the estate and the three large but friendly dogs whom Nicola tries desperately to keep from escaping.  While Anna made a couple of phone calls, Nicola took the time to give us a tour of the organic farm. The small cellar that houses what we are about to find out are some amazingly great tasting wines.  Next, it was off to the tasting room for lunch and food.  On the table were red, green, white, and black label wines. Each with its own unique taste that paired perfectly with our appetizers, pasta, and chocolate lava cake for dessert.  My wife and I were seduced by the atmosphere, the smells, the tastes and purchased six bottles, two red labels, two white labels, and two black labeled bottles.  They arrived at our home in Nebraska about three weeks later. 
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After about two and a half hours at I Balzini we climbed back into the van to head back to Florence.  We made one more quick stop at the Florence American Cemetery and Memorial. This is the final resting place for 4,398 Americans who helped liberate Italy in World War 2. It is one of two American cemeteries in Italy and a must-visit for any American.
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​We left the cemetery in the late afternoon as the sun was setting into the horizon. Anna maneuvered the streets of Florence and was able to find a parking spot on in the Oltrarno side of the Arno river. We walked to a tiny but upscale wine bar where we sat next to a large window overlooking the Arno. Anna ordered water, my wife and I ordered wine.  It was like a dream, and I didn't want the day to end.  So I counted down, 3, 2, 1, and started interviewing Anna with my portable recorder. The result, the 67th episode of the Total Tuscany Podcast which you can listen to by hitting the play button at the top of this page. 

We talked about our perfect day together, her growing business, and what you can expect when you hire Anna to be your guide a day or even longer. 

Anna is simply the best! If you are going to Tuscany, do yourself a favor and hire her. Your experience with this sweet, spunky Italian will most likely turn into the most memorable part of your trip.  You will see Tuscany through her experienced eye and know the place better.
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    Travis Justice & Pat Campagna have been traveling to Tuscany since 2009. They produce the Total Tuscany Podcast and all the content on this website.

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