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"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 62: REnting With Peace Of Mind

6/9/2019

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In today's world of unique travel of experiences, people are quick to rent a property on the internet sight unseen where reviews are manipulated, and pretty pictures don't tell the whole story.

When it comes to a trip of a lifetime to Tuscany, or even Italy for that matter, why chance it? You shouldn't and why Parker Villas is the best when it comes to first-class rental properties and excellent customer service and satisfaction.

Parker Villas just added a new property in Tuscany. It's calledCatini Alto. Here's the description from the Parker Villas website:

More Photos of Catini Alto

Strategically situated midway between Florence and Pisa and rising 1000 feet above the famous thermal spa town of Montecatini Terme, Catini Alto offers an unforgettable medieval village experience, unparalleled Tuscan views and a host of luxurious, modern day comforts. Accessing Lucca, the Tuscan coast and the Cinque Terre is a breeze from this stylish townhouse.

Aside from the incredibly strategic location, another perk of staying in a medieval village is walking access to a couple of restaurants, cafes, and a local grocer within a few hundred yards. Start off the day with a frothy cappuccino or return home after a day of seeing the sites and walk up the street to the local trattoria.

Sound like a dream? It's a perfect property for a group of 8 as it has four bedrooms and four bathrooms.

Mario Scalzi, owner, and founder of Parker Villas has been a regular on our podcast. We have used Parker Villas in the past and have come to appreciate the exclusivity of their properties. By exclusive we mean the only place you can rent Cantini Alto or the other locations you see on the Parker Villas website is from Parker.

Mario is the first to admit the competition is fierce, but he refuses to get into a bidding war like a typical internet property broker.

Mario or someone from Parker Villas has visited every property it offers. There is 24/7 customer service in the United States as well as Italy to guarantee your satisfaction.

There is a difference between a three-star and a five-star experience. If you are planning a trip to Italy, don't take chances, where you sleep and call home for a week, or two, or three will make all the difference.

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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!

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.

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 58: Andrew Cotto

2/3/2019

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Andrew Cotto

We have done several interviews here on the Total Tuscany Podcast. This being the 58th episode we have introduced you to fascinating people who make Tuscany so unique. With no disrespect to our previous guests, our discussion with Andrew Cotto just might be our favorite.

Why do you ask? Well, there are a number of reasons, but the number one reason is we just connected with him. We are similar in age, love food, wine, people, and most of all Tuscany.

Andrew lives in New York City. He is an author, academic, and if you can’t tell by his last name, comes from Italian descent. When he was in this 30’s Andrew was looking for a life change (don’t we all go through this?) Unlike so many of us he actually acted on his impulse, quit his job, sold some property, and moved to Italy for a year this wife and young daughter.

What came out of that one year? Memories to last a lifetime for sure and the inspiration to write! Andrew has penned three novels; his latest, Cucina Tipica: An Italian Adventure. We dive deep into the book throughout the interview but here’s a taste of what the book is about... food!

Andrew has a dynamic personality. He’s and award winning author and has written travel articles for the biggest newspapers and magazines in the world and today we are fortunate enough to have him be our guest and share his amazing story with you.

Buy The Book!

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Episode 56: dinner in the vineyard

7/7/2018

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Tucked away in the hills outside of Castellina in Chianti is one of our favorite places to visit when we are in Tuscany. It's a family run estate called Querceto di Castellina. Our love affair with the estate started when we stayed on the property in 2011, and it is one of the stops on the Total Tuscany Experience.

Lunch and Wine Tasting

The buildings on the property date back centuries. The winery has been sustainable since 1998, and it has been certified organic since 2012. In our book, Querceto di Castellina is certified awesome! Not only does it produce amazing, the Matriarch of the family, Laura cooks incredible Tuscan dishes that are simply to die for.

Antipast at Querceto

Mary Shea, the Marketing Director at Querceto di Castellina, is always looking for new ways for visitors to enjoy the estate and the Tuscan countryside. A couple of years ago a corporate client asked if they could have a large dinner in the vineyard. It had never been done at the property before, Mary and her team pulled it off without a hitch. That experience got Mary thinking, why not make it a regular affair so more people can enjoy the experience.

Vineyard Dinner

Perfectly Set Table

If you can't make it to one of the vineyard dinners, there is no need to worry. Querceto di Castellina has so much to offer, there really is a picture to take in every direction you look. There are also plenty of spaces to sit back, relax, and take in the Tuscan countryside.
From wine tastings, lunch, cooking classes, and apartments that sleep anywhere from 1 to 10; Querceto di Castellina really is the epitome of Tuscan authenticity and hospitality.

Picture Perfect

Cellar Tour

Taking In The Views

Now This Is Living!

Are you ready to visit? Your trip is already planned, join us on the Total Tuscany Experience September 29-October 6, 2018.

Join Us In Tuscany

Planning on going to Tuscany but don't know where to start? We can help! Email us atinfo@totaltuscany.com and we will work one-on-one with you to help plan and coordinate the perfect trip.

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Pat's 5 Favorite Things About Tuscany

6/24/2018

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If you are a regular listener to the total Tuscany Podcast, you know that Pat Campagna has a great passion for the region. If you are not a regular listener well, then you will hear Pat's enthusiasm as he details his five favorite things about Tuscany.

Visiting Tuscany, or Italy for that matter is not about travel and tourism, it's about the experience. You can travel anywhere, but it's what you do, what you see, what you taste and smell once you get there that makes the memories last a lifetime. Food, wine, people, landscapes, art, it all comes together to what we think is euphoria.

Join us in Tuscany!

Sitting around the table with food, wine, and a a full day of experiences make for the best conversations.

Visiting local hilltop towns and watching local artists in action gives you a feeling that everything is genuine and you are taking home something that is unique to you and your experience.

Alabaster Carver In Volterra

Jeweler In Florence

Need Help Planning Your Trip To Tuscany?

The landscapes at every turn will take your breath away. Sometimes you just have to stop, get out the car and take it all in.

Overlooking the Val d'Orcia

It's the people you meet in the places you visit that make a at trip a a true experience. The more we learn not just about the places we visit but about each other is what makes the world a better place to live in.

Finding Common Ground In Cortona

Book Your Total Tuscany Experience

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Episode 52: lisa Condie-I found Myself In Tuscany

1/21/2017

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"When you change the way you look at things, the things you look at change."
-Wayne Dyer

Looking back, that quote from Wayne Dyer had significant meaning for Lisa Condie. Lisa has been a guest on this podcast before, talking about her tour company, Find Yourself in Tuscany. She's a model for greatness and inspiration for women everywhere. Successful and living abroad in one of the world's most beautiful cities, Lisa is a contributor to the Huffington Post, TUT, and she's been featured on the Today Show.

Lisa is in control and maybe the happiest she has ever been in her life.

I have some news for you, like almost every real success story, the journey along the way is filled with pain, disappointment, regret, even suffering.

In her book, I Found Myself in Tuscany, Lisa describes in great detail her first three years in Tuscany. She describes her journey of becoming an ex-pat much like a love affair; infatuation, doubt, and finally total acceptance.

But why in the world would a beautiful mother of two, successful business owner from Salt Lake City, Utah end up in Florence, Italy in the first place?

Amazon Review

Well its 4:00am and I just finished this book. I haven't pulled an all-nighter reading a book in a very long time! It wasn't my intention to read it all in one night, I just couldn't stop turning the pages.

The descriptions of Tuscany, and especially Florence, dance in my mind's eye. I have tears in my eyes as I realize I had stopped believing in synchronicity. Your book has brought it back to me. I feel renewed and hopeful.

Thank you for the courage in sharing your incredible story with us. I loved taking the journey with you. I am on the lookout for feathers! -Patricia

Lisa Condie

That answer is how Lisa found herself in Tuscany. She is incredibly open and honest in our interview. Her story is one that many women are living today but don't know how to change the narrative.

Lisa is the first person to admit you don't have to move to Florence, Italy to change your life; it's what worked for her. But if you want to change, if you want a fresh start, it's possible, and the story Lisa tells in her book just might be your inspiration to say, now is the time.

After hearing Lisa's story, you may just want to join her in Tuscany! She has a Signature Tour planned for April and October that is eight days and seven nights. Lisa can also help you customize your Tuscan vacation itinerary and plan a retreat.

Lisa Condie found herself in Tuscany, will you?

Amazon Review

This is an honest and inspiring memoir written by one of the most honest and inspiring women I know! Far from the "same old story" about an American woman coming to Italy to find love and passion, this is Lisa's real journey to get to know herself as well as her new host country after her life had taken an unforeseen turn. Lisa tells her story in clear and descriptive prose--you truly feel as though you are with her as she navigates her way through the Italian language, makes friends up and down the Tuscan region, discovers new places that become extremely dear to her, and ultimately starts her own business so that she can share her discoveries--and her joy--with others. Read this book if you are looking for inspiration from a strong, smart, determined and loving woman who transformed her life and found happiness, yes, in Italy--but more importantly, inside herself.-Alexandra Lawrence

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Episode 51: Parker Villas 2017

1/15/2017

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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!

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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Lisa 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."

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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Aerial 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.

Vintages 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 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

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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<<Previous

Stories motivate us to take action!

Episode 62: REnting With Peace Of Mind

More Photos of Catini Alto

STay In Touch With Total Tuscany

Follow Us!

Episode 59: Italy Customized with Linda Sorgiovanni

GEt The latest from Total Tuscany

Episode 58: Andrew Cotto

Episode 56: dinner in the vineyard

Pat's 5 Favorite Things About Tuscany

Episode 52: lisa Condie-I found Myself In Tuscany

Amazon Review

Travel To Tuscany With Travis and pat

Amazon Review

Episode 51: Parker Villas 2017

episode 49: find yourself In Tuscany

Find yourself tour photos

Episode 48: mary Shea from Querceto Di Castellina

Social Querceto

Episode 44: Parker Villas: The Villa Matchmaker

Villa Belmonte

Total Tuscany

Categories

Like what you hear? There's a lot more!

Stories motivate us to take action!

STay In Touch With Total Tuscany

Follow Us!

GEt The latest from Total Tuscany

Amazon Review

Travel To Tuscany With Travis and pat

Amazon Review

Find yourself tour photos

Social Querceto

Villa Belmonte

Total Tuscany

Categories

﻿﻿Like what you hear? There's a lot more!

Like what you hear? There's a lot more!