Just in– An Award for Mara…
2012 Conde Nast Traveler Villa Rental Specialist Award
The April issue of Condé Nast Traveler arrived recently at our office. For the sixth year, I am humbled to be chosen by Wendy Perrin for her Villa Rental Specialist award. It is an impressive list of agents– all of whom are experts in their regions.
In addition to this recognition, Casa dell’Amato– a Homebase Abroad property– was also recognized by Condé Nast Traveler as one of five “luxurious, affordable villa rentals” for it’s location and access to activities. Looking back on the past 18 years, I realize how much the realm of villa travel in Italy has grown. I thank Condé Nast as well as Wendy Perrin and Klara Glowczewka for being incredible thought leaders and bringing professionalism as well as greater transparency to our industry.
The internet makes it easy to access properties in Italy but interpreting the offering and translating it into your house and your vacation takes more skill. I honestly love helping my travelers not only plan their dream vacation and make sense of the nearly endless travel options but overseeing each detail of the journey. There are no rushed phone calls at Homebase Abroad as you need the time to communicate your desires so we can get it right for you. It’s not about what property we like to rent but rather what you want and you desire.
Whether you are interested in touring the back roads of Tuscany on a Vespa ( trailed by a mechanic, of course) or just lounging by a pool in Lake Como, I will match you with the best available property and activities for your desires.
It’s your trip– when are you going?
Andiamo,
Mara.
Casa dell Amato Swimming Pool
Mara Solomon is one of only 40 villa rental agents in the world awarded the prestigious Condé Nast Traveler Villa Rental Specialist for 2012. She has earned this distinction for six continuous years. For 18 years, Mara Solomon’s Homebase Abroad has been crafting heirloom Italian travel experiences for families and friends. From adventurous explorers seeking local experiences, friends commemorating special events to multi-generation families looking for reconnections and everlasting memories, a Homebase Abroad trip balances enchantment and indulgence with handcrafted authenticity.
Casa dell Amato Bedroom
Casa dell Amato Dining Loggia
In: Uncategorized · Tagged with: conde nast traveler, homebase abroad, luxury villa travel, mara solomon, Tuscany, wendy perrin
Antoinetta’s Tiramisu
Antonietta is a fabulous cook, a real Italian natural. I have eaten many of her incredible meals: a summer lunch with an endless series of flavorful cold salads composed from garden fresh herbs, a heaping Christmas platter of home-made tagliatelle with shaved truffles and of course Tiramisu. A lot of Tiramisu actually.
In addition to her culinary temptations, the pleasure of having Antonietta in the kitchen is that she makes it enjoyable for you — Antoinetta is well-organized and executes full time cooking responsibilities with calm control and a great team of helpers. Antonietta is happy to do whatever makes you — and your children, parents, friends — smile and ask for more. Plates that have been wiped clean are the most satisfying thank you she receives.
Antonietta’s Tiramisu (via Homebase Abroad)
Ingredients:
6 eggs
3 cups mascarpone
1/2- 3/4 c sugar
1/2 to 3/4 cup of strong espresso (room temperature recommended)
Ladyfingers (Antonietta uses a hard-ish cookie called ‘pavesini’ that is more like a ‘Nilla wafer than the usual sponge-like American ladyfinger)
Good quality, hard, dark chocolate, shaved
In medium saucepan whisk together the egg yolks and sugar until well blended and cook over medium heat until thickened.
Remove from heat and cool.
Whisk egg whites to stiff peaks and fold into mascarpone. Fold in cooled egg yolk/sugar mixture.
Take pavesini biscuits and dip into or brush on coffee. You want the coffee to infuse the biscuit but not so they are ‘too wet’.
If you like, add rum or Marsala wine to the coffee.
Assemble the layers of the tiramisu in whatever kind of dish you like — individual ramequins or goblets, a trifle bowl or a baking dish (approximately 9 x 11″) — starting with biscuits, then mascarpone, then chocolate. End with chocolate. Refrigerate for 4 to 6 hours.
In: Italy Vacation Destinations, Italy Villa Rentals, Our Favorite Things, Uncategorized · Tagged with: family vacations, food, italian villa rentals, Tuscany, Tuscany Villas, vacation villas, villa rentals
Village Life in San Casciano dei Bagni, Tuscany
Whenever I help a group or couple plan a trip, I encourage them to experience what I call ‘village life’. To truly experience their surroundings they must not only stay local but get local and slow down. A vacation should be at a different pace from your everyday– taking time with the small moments expand into a deep or playful exchange which in turn nourishes the soul. Is this why we go away as often as we can? San Casciano dei Bagni is the perfect place to relax and experience Italian life in an authentic manner.
San Casciano dei Bagni is a town I have known for 18 years. A short walk from Le Ripe, this is an untouched medieval town with a spectacular view. While much has changed in the world, village life in San Casciano dei Bagni has a lovely sameness and just the right newness about it.
When I first arrived in town, there was just the Bar Centrale and the proverbial butcher and baker (then tucked up on an inside street– great profiteroles!).
The Bar Centrale was and is where the locals gather for cappuccino and fresh cornetti in the morning– the men in the back with the sports pages open on the table and the women in front gossiping. What I know now that I did not know then is that in the summer (why only summer this New Englander asks???) they serve up an excellent gelato.
Daniela the proprietor has in these intervening years become a local entrepreneur, adding Daniela’s Restaurant (which also serves that very same gelato), a casual inn, a gift store and a pizzeria/bread store which also has excellent glazed pumpkin/raisin cookies. There are several more stores worth visiting including the fabulous Fonteverde spa and La Fontanella for a really superb meal. Fortunately, the stunning, expansive view from the piazza is no less stunning and expansive than it was then.
When I am in town, I meet friends and colleagues, have dinner with my family, check in to see if there are any truffles to be had (wink, wink, nod, nod to my local friend Giuliana who knows the man with the goods), check the tiny jewelry store for estate–sale finds, buy the Financial Times and International Herald Tribune (only sometimes) and get money from the ATM. Oh, and yes, I get bread, fruit, salad greens, vegetables and, well, dessert.
It may take me all morning or all afternoon to do this, but who cares? I am moving to the rhythm of small-town life in Tuscany. We all feel the modern-day pressures - my Italian friends particularly are experiencing the rising taxes, food and fuel prices directly and with a wince. But here among village life it is shared. Everyone takes a break to swap stories, commenting and criticizing and taking stock. They care about each other and take an interest in each others’ lives. This reconnecting gives life meaning and adds sweetness. I invite you to come taste some for yourself in San Casciano dei Bagni…
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In: Italy Travel Advice, Italy Vacation Activities, Italy Vacation Destinations, Italy Villa Rentals · Tagged with: italian villa rentals, Italy Travel Advice, Tuscan towns, Tuscany Villas
How to Dress a Salad al Italiana
We all have special skills. As my friends and family know, mine is dressing a salad just so, ‘al Italiana.’
Now, it is easy to get into a disagreement about food in Italy. Even about dressing a salad. I was told, in no uncertain terms some years ago, to apply the oil first to coat the greens, then a bit of salt. Vinegar (if you really must) goes on last. Then, the other day, I was castigated in the most friendly way by friends insisting I must apply the vinegar first – because oil added first prevents it from combining with the greens – and then oil and salt last. Well, I tried it both ways and I am sticking to my original formula.
So, in the spirit of the season of Olio Nuovo in Italy, pull out your best oil and your preferred vinegar (fresh lemons in the south of Italy if you please, Balsamico in the north) and try your hand at a perfectly dressed salad — nothing left sopping around in the bottom of the bowl, but each leaf flavorful and moist.
I drizzle the oil in a spiral starting at the ouside rim of the bowl, and end with a flourish. The acid – vinegar or lemon – should be about half that of the oil. I have come to appreciate a few gratings of a good sea salt and pepper, but this is entirely a mater of taste. Enjoy!
In: Uncategorized · Tagged with: food, recipe
Positano By Night: Chic Bars We Love
Local Feel: Bar dei Mulini
This is the locals’ joint. Unsuspecting passersby might not notice it in the curve of the street in the main piazza as the people, cars, motorini, buses, and strollers rush past. But if you want gossip, go here, stand at the bar, and be a local — at least for a night.
Chic and Tranquil: Wine-Dark House
For a light lunch and excellent desserts as well as a delightful outdoor dining area in the shade, come here. Nicco’s family goes way back in the hospitality biz locally, and he knows what he is doing. The look and feel is sleek and modern.
In: Our Favorite Things · Tagged with: bars, nightlife
Viva La Bici!
Italians are mad for ‘bici’ – biking.
Go anywhere in your car on an early morning without rain and you will find them on the road – alone, in pairs, and by the hundreds. They wear the characteristic outfits – bright colors covered with logos and brandnames – and in cooler weather they sport insulating socks over their shoes that are a bit comical. Some don’t wear helmets, some are chatting into cell phones, most all are talking a mile a minute to a buddy right close by.
I, too, love bici and very much miss getting out there when I am working in Italy. That said, I am a bit picky about the roads I choose. For one thing, I don’t love the experience on Lake Como where you are squeezed between some combination of a wall, a building, a truck, a car, and/or a precipitous drop to the Lake. This happens in other places as well, of course, but the backdrop of the Lake makes it that much more dramatic.
Finding a quiet piece of road is a dream come true and we rely on good knowledgeable guides to get you there faster and more comfortably. If you are planning to bike here, however, plan on sharing the road with motorized vehicles on
a fairly busy road at least some of the time. Best to also plan on some real climbs and some real curves as well.
I am grateful to one of our treasured guests for leading me to MapMyRide, a particiuarly good tool for anticipating elevation changes. Road biking here is for the fit. That said, families and those who want something a bit less demanding will do well in the Lucca area (we like Chronos for bike rentals and guided tours), the Maremma and some of the self-guided tours on mountain bikes that are more manageable.
Cicloposse has a reasonable loop from their Pienza headquarters that most anyone can do. Even Chianti has its do-able routes if you have someone like Ramuzzi who knows what they are doing. Getting out and enjoying
Italy on a bike is exhilarating, and staying fit feels good and makes the abundant, fresh cuisine that much more enjoyable.
Viva la bici!
In: Italy Vacation Activities · Tagged with: Chianti, Lake Como, sports & activities, Tuscany
Fresh Mozzarella and Gracious Locals in Argegno
Argegno is settled in the crook of the hillside where the Torrente Telo widens and empties into Lake Como.
There were once mills on the backside of the main piazza but these are long gone. I have driven the road many, many times but never thought about the river or the mills because the road takes all my concentration. Mostly I am relieved to even reach Argegno for the sense of light and air and space after this one narrow strip of asphalt has squeezed through Comacina and other villages on its way here. In other words, it is a good place to stop.
The bread basket that accompanied my lovely lunch salad.
I have come to really appreciate the friendly local nature and the particular pleasures of Cafe Colombo and its companion restaurant La Piazzetta. When I have a break in my schedule, this is where I hide out for a big salad with fresh mozzarella that tastes of Naples even though I am looking at Lake Como. Not very locavore but a great lunch.
Their pizza looks delicious as does each plate that comes from the kitchen of this unassuming but fresh and contemporary family-run establishment. Then comes an afternoon of work in the chatty quiet atmosphere of Cafe Colombo. Today the incredibly gracious and easy-going Laura brought me a little espresso cup of hot chocolate with whipped cream just because, and then I had the pleasure of watching her share a similar treat with a delightful blonde girl of about six was keeping Laura company behind the bar. These people are friendly that way.
All of this inspires me to stay and reminds me to return whenever I am Lakeside.
In: Our Favorite Things · Tagged with: Lake Como villas, restaurant recommendation, travel guide
Como’s Finest Tartufo and Balsamico: Lunch at Navedano
Gatto Nero gets the press, but Navedano has the food.
Lunch was Tartufo Bianco d’Alba, mature enough finally to be worthwhile, explained the delightful Lila, daughter of the owner. “Close your eyes and let the perfume reach you,” she advised after the shavings landed softly like a blanket on the butter-coated hand-made tagliarelle. And reach me they did, with their pungent, woodsy unmistakable scent of ‘tartufo.’
A perfect salad followed, beautifully dressed with good oil and a fragrant balsamico. Unfortunately for me, the lemon trees were resting, so there would be none of their signature ‘lemon pie with foam’ with which to end. Next time.
The food at Navedano is delivered with precison and professionalism, but is borne of an absolute passion for fresh, seasonal ingredients that deliver ’sapore’. It was more than a lunch; it was an induction. And a lovely three hours at that.
In: Our Favorite Things · Tagged with: fine dining, Italy Travel Advice, Lake Como villas, seasons
The Seduction of Lake Como in October
Lake Como in October can be really lovely. Like today.
Bright sun with just enough warmth to justify leaving the coat behind but adding a cashmere around the neck for just the right of touch of Italian-style comfort and luxury. The mountains everywhere are green green, the water of the Lake is clear and inviting, and parking — even turning around — is made easy by the almost non-existent tour buses.
I write from Villetta di Laglio, a new Portfolio property we will be launching shortly. This is my second visit to the property to make sure we have fully vetted the experience. The light through the windows first thing this morning almost made it easy to get out of bed and there are beguiling views through the trees to the far lake shore. There is a certain seduction to have only a glinting view of the water, and it makes the full-on impression you get while out on the Lake itself that much more dramatic.
The location is incredibly convenient and I had a warming dish of Pizzocheri for dinner.
In: Italy Villa Rentals, Seasons In Italy · Tagged with: Lake Como villas, seasons
Spring Is the Time for Gelato, Giro and Gaddi
I am sincerely grateful for the warming sun of spring this year. The Magnolia trees are glorious and color has returned to the garden. Time to celebrate.
May brings celebrations galore to Italy…
Giro d’Italia: What a rush to watch the streamlined pack of bikers scream by during this challenging 3,482 km race spanning Italy from the Alps to Sicily. Stand back, though. These riders really move. On 11 May between 14:10 and 15:48, the cyclists race through San Casciano dei Bagni at 37-41 kms per hour.
Stay at: Al Borgo
The villa Al Borgo enjoys a panoramic position overlooking the Val di Chiana, through which the annual Giro d'Italia rides.
Antonio Gaddi is the 13th-century painter who created the exceptional frescos of Santa Croce depicting the Legend of the True Cross. In May you can actually climb the church scaffolding to see them up close. An exceptional opportunity.
Stay at: Casale di Fiesole
Casale di Fiesole in located just 20 minutes from Florence and its delightful Spring celebrations
I’ll be in Italy myself beginning 18 May and may re-route my itinerary to Florence for the Gelato Festival (24 – 29 May). Anyone care to join me?
P. S. Cantine Aperte is a coordinated event with 800 open cantinas on 29 May. Move fast on great last-minute airfares and tidy savings on Ca di Pesa & Podere due Scale available now.
In: Our Favorite Things · Tagged with: cultural activities, Florence, Italy events, seasons
