Journal Posts (Page 9)

I met my group of fellow foodies today. We’ll be sharing classes, meals, sightseeing and hopefully lots of laughs together. They are a diverse, interesting group, ranging from yet another honeymoon couple to seasoned cooks, a marriage and family therapist, a journalist and a photographer with a show in Florence. I really like the mix of age and life experience in this group. Here are 15 people who might never have met each other and I find it fascinating that the passionate love for food and travel have brought us here with a common goal—fall in love with Italy while becoming better cooks. This sharedRead More →

My journey with Tuscan Women Cook approaches. I find my way back to paradise via Norwegian Air, an unlikely carrier to offer a non-stop option to Rome. I am excited (and a bit relieved) to enter a new comfy plane bathed in lighting I am told by a flight attendant, that is programmed to offset jet lag. Who knew this was possible? Fingers crossed this lighting will help me disembark with the energy I need to head north by train to Tuscany. It’s going to be a total of almost 20 hours of travel but my adrenaline is pumping and I know that my gloriousRead More →

Traveling alone definitely has its pros and cons. I am really enjoying doing what I want to do when I want to do it, taking no one else’s taste or energy level into consideration. I do miss sharing something delicious (“Taste this!”) or sharing a laugh at something ridiculous. Italy is such a romantic, picturesque country. I watch lovers kiss in the piazzas and I’ll admit it, my heart tugs a little. I head first to Mercato Albinelli, a great food hall filled with stalls of fresh produce, meats, fish, salamis and baked goods. I photograph everything from artfully arranged artichokes to sea scallops stillRead More →

I’m back…in ITALY! This is my month filled with great gastronomic adventures with Tuscan Women Cook. Two planes, three trains (one by mistake!) and one taxi and I’m in Modena with an opportunity to explore a new, delicious part of Italy. It’s a foodie mecca and home to the #1 chef in the world, Massimo Bottura. I’m looking forward to getting a good night’s sleep tonight and hitting the ground running tomorrow with a full day food tour of Modena and Bologna. After unpacking into my AirBnB flat, I collapsed for a short afternoon reposino. Refreshed, winning my personal jet lag competition, I taxied toRead More →

Santo Pietro is a lovely, rambling villa that is home to Tuscan Women Cook Black Apron guests. Santo Pietro’s slogan: La tua Chiave perla Val D’Orcia. It means “Your key to the Val d’Orcia.” Santo Pietro Villa is in Pienza, the next village from Montefollonico. This feels very much like a private residence. It’s an old villa, with modern touches like updated bathrooms with rain head showers and large soaking Jacuzzi tubs. The villa features large bedroom suites with super luxurious bedding. Modern electronics like a TV, AC, and the internet have been installed, but the thick stone walls remind me that tech and medievalRead More →