The travellers’ image of Tuscany is all sunshine, olive trees, vines and cypress-lined roads, and if you come in spring, summer or autumn, that’s mostly what you’ll see (although you’d be in for a surprise here in the Garfagnana). In winter the scene is completely different. We have snow — not much, but we can count on it every year. No one pretends it doesn’t happen, so it’s compulsory to have winter tyres on your car or chains at the ready. Snow ploughs clear the roads within a few hours. Far and near the snow reveals patterns that are invisible at other times of year.
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Artisan or traditional style?
Last week I went with Debra Kolkka to the Mostra Internazionale dell’Artigianato at Florence. You can read her views o ...
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Weeds for Lunch
Guest blog by Penny Barry
I had an adventure last weekend. Heather returned to Cambridge leaving me with a sub-contra ...
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Use Your Nose
So what did I learn at the first sommelier course lesson? Apart from the party trick of how to open a bottle of champagn ...
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7 Shades of Orange
Blood oranges have character and flaunt their diversity; every morning as I cut open two of them, I watch with anticipat ...
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Meaning in a Glass of Wine
I’m about to embark on a three-month wine sommelier course at Lucca. It’s not that I want to become a wine expert, b ...
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Another Zuppa
I've written about zuppa alla frantoiana, a typical seasonal soup of Lucca, so many times that you'd think I'd be bored ...
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Snow Patterns
The travellers' image of Tuscany is all sunshine, olive trees, vines and cypress-lined roads, and if you come in spring, ...
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Seasonal Eating 5: Pimpinella
L'insalata non è bella se non c'è la pimpinella!
The salad isn't good (beautiful) if there isn't any pimpinella!
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Weaving a life of happiness
If you come on my Tastes & Textiles tour, you’ll meet Romeo and Nadia, two of my local heroes. Not love-struck tee ...
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Orto in February
It takes some willpower to go down to the vegetable garden on a cold, gloomy February day. But as soon as I'm out the do ...
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Moments of Glory
Three times every winter we organise an Advanced Salumi Course. During the course participants learn the theory of Itali ...
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Fare La Scarpetta
Scarpetta means slipper, but fare la scarpetta doesn't have anything to do with making slippers. It means to wipe your ...
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Lovely photos. I’m glad was here for the snow here this year.
High praise from you, Debra! I’ll tell Klaus. We had more snow on Sunday when I was driving to Turin. I’m praying to the spring gods now.