What To Expect From Italy in August
As you might know, August is an off month for us, we don’t usually offer tours during August for a few reasons. Kids and Teachers are out of school and the idea of vacation is on everyone’s mind, lots of...
The Tuscan Connection to Groundhog Day & Punxsutawney Phil
Groundhog Day in Italy? Well, not really, but let’s say Punxsutawney Phil may just have a long lost ancestor in Tuscany. Every year, Phil gets taken out in a bug celebration for what we, in America...
Italian Christmas Cookies: Brutti ma Buoni
Total Time: 55 min Prep Time: 15 min Cook Time: 40 min Yield: 2 pounds of cookies Ingredients 1 pound sliced almonds, lightly toasted 2 1/2 cups granulated sugar 7 large egg whites 1 tablespoon vanilla extract 1/2 teaspoon ground...
Italy’s Earthquake- Questions Answered
What Happened? As I’m sure everyone knows by now, central Italy got hit pretty hard with a 6.2 magnitude earthquake. For those that did not grow up in a very earthquake prone area, that may not mean much, so here is a breakdown...
How To Do Rome in 2 Days
So you don’t have tons of time in Rome, that’s okay! You definitely can’t see Rome in a day, but you can get a good amount of Rome checked off your list in two. -Day One- First things first, you can’t...
The Medieval Chestnut Festival of Soriano nel Cimino
Each year, the town of Soriano nel Cimino holds a huge festival called “Sagra Delle Castagne” or the Chestnut Festival. The town is well known for its top of the line Chestnuts and there is no shortage of them....
25 Tips For Traveling In Italy
With all the experience the CDV staff has collected from living and working in Italy, we thought it would be nice to share some of the things we have learned that make visiting Italy, that much easier on you. Most of these...
Tuscan Pumpkin Soup
Pumpkin everything isn’t only a big deal in the United States of Starbucks, Italy loves their fair share of pumpkin recipes as well, here is Carla’s delicious pumpkin soup that she makes during our fall Soriano...
Italy: Where Even The Graffiti Is Romantic
If you’ve been to Italy, you may or may not have realized the very real graffiti problem. Such a beautiful country, with historic and significant buildings, covered in graffiti. It drives me insane, you can find some form...
The Best Tuscan Bean Recipe Ever
On Thursdays in Soriano we go to a winery and olive mill and learn how their exceptional extra virgin olive oil is made. After a tour of their olive mill, Serena (the owner) treats us to some home made food out on the terrace,...