Going to Dario Cecchini’s in Panzano in Chianti is always fun. While getting there may cause a little dizziness as you navigate the switchbacks that climb up and down the hills in the Chianti area, once you get there, the only dizziness you may feel […]

The other day I was at the Arezzo Antique Market with my friend Nan. I’m a big fan of the Antique Market and have furnished much of the house with furniture and other pieces that I’ve found at the market (click on the Arezzo Finds page […]

If Fionn McCool was the giant of legend said to have built the “Giant’s Causeway” in Ireland, I think Dario Cecchini might be the giant of legend that put Panzano in Chianti on the map. How else can you explain the daily pilgrimage of foodies […]

  Italy is a country of history, art, and tradition. Skills and family businesses are passed down generation to generation. The members of the Biagiotti family of Pienza are one such family. The family now boasts three generations of blacksmiths. In the early 1900s, Alfredo Biagiotti (the grandfather) […]

Starting its life as an Etruscan town originally named Corsignano, Pienza (renamed in 1462), is located in Tuscany on the road from Montepulciano to Montalcino. It is located smack dab in the middle of the famous wine towns of Montepulciano and Montalcino – about 15 minutes […]

The Vasari Corridor was completed in 5 months by Giorgio Vasari as a surprise for the guests attending the wedding of Johana of Austria to Giovanni, son of Grand Duke Cosimo I. It was used as a passage between the Uffizi (the family offices) and […]

Toronto has its PATH. The PATH is almost an underground city. It stretches over 30 kilometers (19 miles) and is officially described as “a network of pedestrian tunnels, elevated walkways and at-grade walkways that connect the downtown office towers with shops, restaurants, entertainment and services”. The […]