eGullet thread you have to read

eGullet is a website for very serious foodies. There are a lot of forums and naturally one of those is devoted to Italy and Italian Cuisine. The link for that forum is here. For the last couple of years they have been taking one month and cooking dishes related to the various regions of Italy - it is quite interesting and these people are serious about their food and take great photos too.

It seems that on eGullet they also take turns with different people blogging for a week about what they are cooking and eating that week. Right now someone who lives in Umbria is doing the blog. It is a fantastic thread with photos and commentary that make you want to make your reservations for a trip there immediately.

Check it out here.

Italian Villas and Gardens - great resource

As a garden lover, what could be better than visiting some of the wonderful villas and gardens of Italy. If such a thing is at all interesting, here is a site with lots of great inspiration for viewing gardens and villas. Includes opening times, fees and all other pertinent details.

On my last trip I got to visit Villa Carlotta on Lake Como. More on that in another post.

If you can't go there, then you can enjoy a story set there

This is a great idea. Here's a website with a collection of books and films about various cities, including Florence and Venice.

Here's the explanation:

"We all have our favourite places and favourite stories aboutthem. Our idea of these places is usually a mix of experience and imagination andfiction is usually not the smallest contributor to our mental maps.

I love London, Venice and Florence, so I made this site, with lists and reviews of all sorts of fiction setin these three cities. You'll also now find some odd added non-fiction."

Since I'm such a bookworm, this is a perfect site for me!

Coffee like they make it at home in Italy

When I lived in Italy and visited friends I noticed that they always made coffee with a little stove top maker. I never saw anyone with an electric espresso maker.

Here is a website with a step-by-step (in exhaustive detail) about how to make coffee with a stovetop espresso maker, called a moka.

http://www.ineedcoffee.com/06/moka/

I use the Bialetti model shown below but they make a number of different models and sizes.

Walking & Biking Tours - On my wish list!

I just got my catalog from Backroads for their biking, hiking, and multisport tours. And of all the tours they offer - all around the world - the country that is first in the catalog is Italy. Oh, I have wanted for so long to go on some of these tours - the look so enticing and so easy to do because they transport all your luggage for you. What could be more convenient?

Here is the section of the website related to Italy tours

Stay in a deluxe Monastery !

Italy has many convents and monasteries that you can stay at. Some are quite simple and plain - and economical - but here is a site that has some quite luxe ones. The prices are not super cheap but they don't seem to be outrageous and the properties look beautiful. I found a couple that I want to try out on my next trip there.

Have a look at this website Italy's Monastery Hotels and I think you will find some you like as well.

Two Friends' blog

Two gals from here in Iowa are blogging about their stay at an acetaia in Italy - namely Acetaia Del Cristo.

Here is the link to their blog: Torry and Heli in Italy

But what is an acetaia? It is a manufacturer of Traditional Balsamic Vinegar of Modena or Aceto Balsamico Tradizionale di Modena (DOP). And it is amazing stuff. It is not the kind of vinegar that you buy in the supermarket - even if it says balsamic vinegar of Modena. This is in a class by itself.

Here is a good explanation.

I was very fortunate to be able to attend a tasting of the vinegars from the Acetaia Del Cristo. We started with ones that had been aged 12 years and went on up through 25 years, 50 years, and even one that had been aged since 1849! That one the owners say is used for meditation!

Here are a couple that are available on Amazon: My favorite is the one aged in juniperwood barrels.

Italian Language Learning with weekly podcasts

Here is another great site for Italian language. They have weekly podcasts that you can subscribe to.  By the way, you don't need an ipod to enjoy these. Just download them to your computer and listen to them there. 

You can also join and get access to the transcripts and other learning tools.

The podcasts are fun and interesting too!

Check it out here:  www.learnitalianpod.com

technorati tags:Italian, Language, Learning, podcast, podcasts, ipod

General Overview of the Italian Language

Lots of excellent background information about the Italian language at this site.

http://www.orbilat.com/Languages/Italian/Italian.html

When learning a language it helps to have an overview of the language before you go in and learn the specifics.

technorati tags:Italian, Language, Learning

ItalyGuides - for sightseeing and language learning

ItalyGuides is a great website that could really be in two categories - sightseeing and language learning. They have great recordings in English and Italian. You can download them onto your computer or your ipod. They are extremely well done with excellent narrators and loads of fascinating info about Rome, Venice, Florence, Pisa, Siena and Naples.

These guides are not meant for language practice and are not simple but, even so, if you have studied Italian for a while you can use the recordings in Italian to practice your listening comprehension and then check yourself with the English version.

There is also an Italian version of the site.

Benvenuto - welcome to my blog

Benvenuto! Welcome to my blog.

Italy - I was hooked from the time I stepped off the plane on my first trip there. And since then I gravitate to anything related to Italy - from art to travel to cooking to history and so many other topics too. In fact there are so many topics it's hard to know where to start. But hopefully Blogger will help me to organize this information.