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Stories motivate us to take action!

"They have been able to keep up with what’s hot in Tuscany by reaching out to local experts" - Georgette jupe/girl in florence

Episode 59: Italy Customized with Linda Sorgiovanni

3/10/2019

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​Hosting a podcast explicitly dedicated to Tuscany has many advantages. The one we like the most is the network of friends that we have made over these 59-episodes. We hope that when you listen to every episode that you feel you have created a bond of some sorts with our guests as well.
​Italy, in particular, Tuscany is something we want, and our guests want to share with the world. We do it with our podcasts and our Total Tuscany Experience. Today's guest, Linda Sorgiovanni is a partner in the agency, Italy Customized. Anything you want, Linda and her partner Alberto Bassilichi can make happen. 
  • Helicopter tours? It's Done!
  • Private yacht to the Italian Riviera? No problem!
  • Drive around Italy in a Ferrari? Here are the keys!
  • Private villa for a family gathering? The doors are open! 

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Ponte Vecchio Florence Italy
Ponte Vecchio
We have discovered that not one size fits all when it comes to travel. Some of you like to do your planning.  Some of you are not that detailed and want everything mapped out down to the smallest detail. This service is where Italy Customized comes in and is here to help.

Linda has lived in Florence for the past 18-years; she has dual citizenship, Australian and Italian. Her credentials described on the Italy Customized website tell you she had cut her teeth in the travel and tourism industry.
Customized Italy
Alberto Bassilichi & Linda Sorgiovanni
​"Her work in Italian Travel and Tourism began in the UK where she worked as a consultant and travel planner of events to Verona and Milan for opera, ballet, and classical music.

After obtaining certifications as a Tour Leader and Chauffeur Driver, she worked as a freelance professional for top travel agencies and direct clients from all over the world as a Be-Spoke / FIT travel planner all over Italy.

Her role as a tour leader included Small group and private luxury food, wine, and active vacations — tours to exclusive boutique wineries and famous hill towns."
​Our interview covers a lot, like the strangest request Linda has gotten when putting a tour together. She also reveals her hidden gems. Those places off the beaten path that tend to go unnoticed by tourists because they are on the road(s) less traveled. 

Linda is part of our network of friends. We share a common passion, a love for Italy and the desire to tell stories or create an experience that inspires you to travel, experience a different culture, and take in a part of the word that still seems it like it was centuries ago. 

We would love to hear your stories! Email us your pictures, and where you are at and with your permission, we will share them on our social media channels. The more we share, the more we inspire. The more we inspire, the more we live! 
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Episode 54: Personalized Italy

4/1/2017

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Personalized Italyh
​When you first sit down to start planning a trip to Italy, the experience can be a bit overwhelming. Where do we go? How long do we stay? How in the world are we going to see everything we want to see in such a short amount of time? Take a deep breath! We have been preaching on this podcast for the last three years that once you visit Italy, you keep going back and eventually you will see and experience everything you want to see.

Travelers are not created equal. Some of you like to travel in groups, getting to know different people, and maybe have most or all of the planning taken care of ahead of time.  If you fall into that category, we would love to have you join us in October on our Total Tuscany Experience.

However, you might be a traveler who likes a more personalized experience for you and a partner and family members. This is when you contact today's guest on the Total Tuscany Podcast. Annie Ojile is the co-founder of Personalized Italy,  an exclusive tour company that features tastefully designed custom experiences throughout Italy. 
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​Annie is a native of Minnesota but now calls Rome home and the place she plans on living forever. Personalized Italy started out organically with Annie helping friends and family plan their trip to Rome and give them tours of the city. Before she knew it, she was helping friends of friends, and friends of those friends. Boom! A business was born, and it has been thriving ever since. 

Personalized Italy combines American sensibility with Italian flair. Annie and her team conceive and deliver memorable, one-of-a-kind experiences that place your hand on the pulse of Italy. Whether you are visiting for the first time or planning a sequel to your holiday, you can reach out to Personalized Italy for original ideas for your itinerary. 

You might be thinking that Annie only provides tours in experience in and around Rome. This is not the case! Personalized Italy can take you wherever you want to go and give you an exclusive experience that you will never forget.

Enjoy our conversation with Annie and start planning your next personalized vacation today!
Join Travis and Pat In Tuscany!
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Episode 51: Parker Villas 2017

1/15/2017

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Cottage Cassis Parker Villas
Cottage Cassis
Happy New Year! Now is the time to start planning your trip to Tuscany and Italy. It is our hope this podcast will set you on your way to what is sure to be an exciting journey.

Each year on the Total Tuscany podcast we like to talk with Mario Scalzi from Parker Villas. Mario's company offer premier villa rentals throughout Italy, and there are new and exciting properties that are coming online in Tuscany.

Our half-hour conversation with Mario covers a lot and is a starting point of what you should be looking for when it comes to renting a villa, even if you don't use Parker Villas. However, take it from us as we have used Parker Villas several times, they are the best. The most important thing is that you are able to make a purchase with confidence and you know there is nothing to worry about once you reach your location. 

In this latest conversation with Mario we discuss the following:
  • What is new for 2017
  • What kind of customer service you should expect when renting
  • What it takes to be a Parker Villa property
  • Hot spots in Tuscany
  • Hidden gems in Italy
Living and enjoying the Italian lifestyle is easier than you think, even if it is for one or two weeks. If you need help planning your trip or just need some up front information, feel free to reach out to us, info@totaltuscany.com. Also, look for our next Total Tuscany adventure and travel to Tuscany with Travis and Pat! Sign up to our newsletter and be the first to find out when we are going and how you can join us. 

Ciao!
Cottage Cassis Parker Villas
Cottage Cassis Parker Villas
Cottage Cassis Parker Villas
Click Here To See Cottage Cassis From Parker Villas
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episode 49: find yourself In Tuscany

7/30/2016

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PictureLisa Condie
​It's human nature to ask ourselves questions like; what am I doing with my life? Am I where I need to be? Is there something I should be doing differently for me that in return will serve others?  The introspective thought is healthy and in many cases, people find the answers they are looking for,  all it takes is a leap of faith and taking action that sets change in motion.

Rewind to 2012 and picture a 56-year old woman standing outside coffee shop in Rome. She is on the last day of her vacation and realizes that she doesn't want to go home.  Sure, all of us have had that feeling at one time or another, but we pass the emotion off as a pipe dream and return to our daily grind of what we call "normal" life. Lisa Condie was fed up with "normal" and after taking a deep breath, she decided that Italy was going to be her new "norm" and start a life many of us dream about, but we rarely try and make it come true. 

"It's harder than you think... But better than you can imagine."
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Find Yourself In Tuscany tour
​Fast forward to 2016 and Lisa will tell you that she has zero regrets about her decision. Has it been easy? By no means, but it has been rewarding and life changing. Everything she wanted, and as you will find out in this podcast, the best is yet to come.

Lisa's website is www.finyourselfintuscany.com, and she invites other women to share in her experiences. No, she's not asking them to sell everything they own and move to Florence.  You can find yourself in Tuscany by taking one of Lisa's tours that take a deep dive into the history and culture of Tuscany. 

Take it from us; you can find yourself in Tuscany, how do you think this podcast started? Why do you think we started this website and are regularly posting stories about Tuscany? It's because we found ourselves there and experienced a people and a culture that speaks to our soul. We didn't have to move there to find what we are looking for on a daily basis. 
​Lisa has helped hundreds of women find themselves.  She also shares her stories on the Huffington Post and Tut, and she's even been featured on the Today Show. Her change has happened so fast she is chronicling her story in a book titled "I Found Myself In Tuscany." How fitting, right? 

Be inspired, listen to the podcast and discover the power of making a decision and following through with the action.

We would like to hear your thoughts on this podcast; please leave your comments, thoughts, or questions in the box below. If the moment moves you, please share this link with others you know will be inspired by the story. Go find yourself! If it's in Tuscany, even better!  

Find yourself tour photos

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Episode 48: mary Shea from Querceto Di Castellina

6/18/2016

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PictureAerial View of Querceto Di Castallina
When it comes to tourism in Tuscany, Querceto Di Castellina has what I call the holy trinity for visitors.
  • Great Location
  • Fantastic Food & Wine
  • Affordability
We stayed on the estate a couple of years ago for a full week; the picturesque setting remains embedded in our memories, and when we are drinking a bottle of Chianti Classico it's easy to imagine ourselves on the estates large terrace overlooking the vineyard.

​If you are a regular listener to the Total Tuscany Podcast, you know that we've talked about Querceto before, way back on Episode #3 with Jacopo di Battista. While traveling to the United States to promote the wines of Querceto, Jacopo met the love this life, Mary Shea. Having done consulting work in the food and wine industry, Mary knew a good wine when she tasted it. However, we aren't quite sure if that was prerequisite to getting the first date but I'm sure it didn't hurt.

After a long distance courtship, Mary has moved to Tuscany to be the Marketing Director for Querceto. She manages the brand from a social and visual aspect, but Mary also makes sure the hospitality and service you get when visiting Querceto are second to none. It's no secret that tourism in Tuscany is very competitive and visitors looking for a unique and memorable experience. 
PictureVintages of Querceto
Querceto is a family owned Agriturismo and the wines produced on the estate are certified organic. Currently, there are five different vintages produced at the farm that dates back to the 14th century.
  • L' aura Chianti Classico 
  • Furtivo Igt Toscana Rosato 
  • Sei Chianti Classico Gran Selezione
  • Podalirio Igt Toscana
  • Livia Igt Toscana (White)

The estate also produces olive oil and Grappa di Chianti Classico
affinata in Barriques. 

​For us, the best part about Querceto is not the wine. Don't get me wrong they taste amazing! But as you can tell from our podcast, we LOVE Tuscany, and it was Querceto that made it feel like home. There are ten apartments on location that sleep anywhere from two people up to six. You can stay here a night, a week, a month, or even longer. If we had our way, we would have never left. 

Enjoy this podcast and when you are planning your next trip to Tuscany make sure to visit Querceto Di Castellina. Until then, follow them on social media by clicking the following links. 

Social Querceto

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Episode 46: Come to Tuscany with us! The Total Tuscany Experience.

2/29/2016

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PictureWe Want You To Join Us!
​It's hard to believe we have been podcasting for over two years! Hundreds of thousands of listens later we have arrived at episode #46.  The number itself isn't that significant; the content in this episode is what we are so excited for you to hear. 

After years of planning, organizing, making contacts, and testing, we are ready to launch the Total Tuscany Experience! Join us October 29-November 5, 2016 on a trip of a lifetime. Whether it's your first trip to Tuscany or your next, this experience gives you the right amount of structure and organization but still the freedom to roam and take in Tuscany at your pace.

Our experience is tailor made for couples who are looking for a unique opportunity to travel, meet new friends, and ignite a passion that will open your soul to new possibilities and a slower pace of life. One of our favorite quotes about travel is this one by Saint Augustine.

​"The world is a book and those who do not travel read only one page."
PictureFlorence Is Lovely In The Fall
​For the longest time, we were stuck on page one. Are you stranded, looking to turn the page to have the entire world open up? Start with us as we host you in the Tuscan countryside with other couples who share the same feeling for Italy as you do.

We are not going to use this blog post to go into full detail of what the trip entails.  Our suggestion, listen to the entire podcast. Once you have heard what we have to say about the journey, spend a lot of time going through and reading our newly designed website, (we hope you like it.) Here you will find all the information you are looking for about our planned Total Tuscany experience. What's included, what's not included, the cost of the trip, and a daily itinerary so you know exactly what you will be doing.  If you are excited about what you will be doing just by reading the website, trust us, experiencing it first hand is a million times better!

We want to know your thoughts. Feel free to leave your comments below.  Are you interested joining us in Tuscany this fall? send us a and email, info@totaltuscany.com and schedule a time to have a one-on-one conversation with us, we are looking forward to it!

Click Here To Learn More
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Episode 44: Parker Villas: The Villa Matchmaker

2/28/2016

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When you think of matchmaker, what comes to mind? An internet dating service? It's fine if you do, a simple Google search of the word yields 11,500,000 results.

The 1997 movie of the same name starring  Janeane Garofalo might jar your memory or if you are little older, the 1958 cinema not so classic with Anthony Perkins (before Psycho) and Shirley MacLaine. 

Our friend Mario Scalzi is an Italian matchmaker. No, Mario is not a broker of relationships.  Instead, he looks to make the perfect pairing between you and the villa you choose to stay in when visiting Italy. Mario started Parker Villas over 20 years ago; full disclosure, we have rented from Parker Villas on three different occasions and give the company our highest recommendation.

Villa Belmonte

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This interview marks the 3rd time we have featured Mario and Parker Villas on the Total Tuscany Podcast. Why do we keep having him back? Simple, we think Parker Villas has the best selection of villas in Italy and Tuscany.  Besides have the best collection of vacations homes, Parker Villas offers 5-star customer service. This attention to satisfaction so important as you are getting ready to make an investment in what might be the trip of a lifetime.

Why are we having a conversation with Mario again? First, the Parker Villas Spring Sale is going on right now, and you can get great deals on vacation homes all over Italy including a large selection in Tuscany. 

Also, with the 2016 booking season about to hit a fever pitch, we thought it would be a good idea for you to hear about some of the new properties Parker Villas is offering and what are the major differences that set it apart from its competitors. 

Make sure to listen all the way to the end, we have a teaser for you on something big we are working on at Total Tuscany.  We want to know what you think of the podcast; please leave your comments below. Your feedback and suggestions are very helpful and give us great ideas on how we can tell stories that interest you. 

Thanks for listening and tell a friend or two about us.  We'll talk to you next week with another Total Tuscany Podcast. 

​
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    Total Tuscany

    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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