Cooking Lessons In Tuscany

<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on"><span style="font-size: large;">One of the most fabulous things to do when traveling in Italy, is to learn how to prepare and cook the amazing local food.</span><br /><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhP_APLAq-w-50rE_vdj7ql3icEIEfdYyJBqp8WIalLpEzqwJpSmvgHqDkzJJl-4wcxIlgJs8k1HEzE3BJh_xcPbEMyycqacLc7glaanCXyDC3HyuB_EBZSdYMt6NXuLX62edS_1mt8oL0/s1600/marcello+4.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhP_APLAq-w-50rE_vdj7ql3icEIEfdYyJBqp8WIalLpEzqwJpSmvgHqDkzJJl-4wcxIlgJs8k1HEzE3BJh_xcPbEMyycqacLc7glaanCXyDC3HyuB_EBZSdYMt6NXuLX62edS_1mt8oL0/s1600/marcello+4.jpg" title="cooking-lessons-in-Tuscany-with-Marcello-at-Podere-Cunina-02" /></a></div><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span><span style="font-size: large;">It is so much fun to get off the beaten track, away from the touristy T shirt shops, and go somewhere really beautiful, like a private villa, a winery or a farmhouse, and have a lesson with a local chef.</span><br /><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgmxXWdwT2AyO27QtyQfWuB3TtGHqQWBCh0FV09fxSC4zNgGhyphenhyphenXTAqNxMSJuKTqKZQyZABsgMHTP6yiJKITKU59xE0Xx-4TC5IeUhjkpFVwk073f4Bag9Skd1TVynIUMXue0OFJFAxLK6Y/s1600/marcello+3.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="" border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgmxXWdwT2AyO27QtyQfWuB3TtGHqQWBCh0FV09fxSC4zNgGhyphenhyphenXTAqNxMSJuKTqKZQyZABsgMHTP6yiJKITKU59xE0Xx-4TC5IeUhjkpFVwk073f4Bag9Skd1TVynIUMXue0OFJFAxLK6Y/s1600/marcello+3.jpg" title="cooking-lessons-in-Tuscany-with-Marcello-at-Podere-Cunina-08" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Marcello makin fresh pasta at Podere Cunina in Tuscany</td></tr></tbody></table><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span><span style="font-size: large;"> Typically you will learn magical recipes that have been in the chef's family quite literally for hundreds of years, passed down through the generations.</span><br /><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgRtl7IK8blaafrWJaMDU-Mzt-etNOWyowBnK5GAsJQrkomrlUjOVD_qS-0A3evbYPR1zlFOWtJVgk-lK6N7eXGZY2h4u3vrs5NQgtKbQuoIhv-XivJ-jwHNpe6ayaD9vFlglaNTwpeLFQ/s1600/marcello+5.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgRtl7IK8blaafrWJaMDU-Mzt-etNOWyowBnK5GAsJQrkomrlUjOVD_qS-0A3evbYPR1zlFOWtJVgk-lK6N7eXGZY2h4u3vrs5NQgtKbQuoIhv-XivJ-jwHNpe6ayaD9vFlglaNTwpeLFQ/s1600/marcello+5.jpg" title="cooking-lessons-in-Tuscany-with-Marcello-at-Podere-Cunina-03" /></a></div><br /><span style="font-size: large;"></span><br /><span style="font-size: large;"></span><span style="font-size: large;">My very dear friend Silvana Freddi and her husband Piergiorgio own a beautiful Agriturismo in Tuscany, outside of Siena, not far from Montalcino.</span><br /><span style="font-size: large;"></span><br /><span style="font-size: large;"></span> <table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; text-align: center;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjlANGTUE92YzIWy5dYfgdFm25zVquL1cZvkdVm4rUVRBeXish5Witn7fQq2dMuZcwDIB8s_Q8iyqDMW3CXqeLYAks-vbw4dYcQqLE0ugnGd45lYQAV_CTflMv9qrLzmGdvTBp4HdBq3Ic/s1600/cunina+13.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="" border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjlANGTUE92YzIWy5dYfgdFm25zVquL1cZvkdVm4rUVRBeXish5Witn7fQq2dMuZcwDIB8s_Q8iyqDMW3CXqeLYAks-vbw4dYcQqLE0ugnGd45lYQAV_CTflMv9qrLzmGdvTBp4HdBq3Ic/s1600/cunina+13.jpg" title="Podere-Cunina-Tuscany" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Podere Cunina perched on it's mountain in Tuscany</td></tr></tbody></table><span style="font-size: large;">I have written about it before - the lovely <a href="http://corinnabsworld.blogspot.com/2013/03/where-to-stay-under-tuscan-sun.html"><span style="color: blue;">Podere Cunina</span></a>, perched on a mountain, with views that would make you weep.</span><br /><span style="font-size: large;">An Agriturismo is a boutique farm (agricultural  - not an animal farm) with apartments or houses for tourists to rent and live in for their vacation. See my post from last year, <a href="http://corinnabsworld.blogspot.com/2013/03/where-to-stay-under-tuscan-sun.html"><i><span style="color: blue;">Where To Stay Under</span> <span style="color: blue;">The Tuscan Sun</span></i></a> to look at pictures and read about lovely Cunina.</span><br /><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span><span style="font-size: large;">After first reading <i><a href="http://www.francesmayesbooks.com/under-the-tuscan-sun/"><span style="color: blue;">Frances Mayes "Under The Tuscan Sun</span></a>"</i> back in the late 90's I became obsessed with Frances' recipes and the idea of spending a day cooking in Tuscany.</span><br /><span style="font-size: large;">Fast forward a few years and I wound up renting an apartment in Tuscany from Silvana every summer, and building one of those wonderful friendships that will last forever.</span><br /><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span><span style="font-size: large;">Silvana's son Marcello is a master chef who was running a boutique restaurant on Lake Garda, but has since moved to Podere Cunina to work in the family business and teach Tuscan cooking lessons to tourists, both those staying at Cunina and also those who just want to spend a day cooking and eating and drinking the glorious local wine.</span><br /><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEinlWJ35XKoc06Gxx2qGjR0cFWGBlT53CCHixhLpUjbSE8gi9kZ_wQ22KasyFSlrzzFcx1qO31BJdwpXb5ewrZIRqje_SjFS-YrB-8DxmmR5ePtJlHFl2lVglESr8-XXsGqQ4HWkOq4YoU/s1600/marcello+1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="" border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEinlWJ35XKoc06Gxx2qGjR0cFWGBlT53CCHixhLpUjbSE8gi9kZ_wQ22KasyFSlrzzFcx1qO31BJdwpXb5ewrZIRqje_SjFS-YrB-8DxmmR5ePtJlHFl2lVglESr8-XXsGqQ4HWkOq4YoU/s1600/marcello+1.jpg" title="cooking-lessons-in-Tuscany-with-Marcello-at-Podere-Cunina-01" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">A gorgeous group of Russian tourists spending the day cooking, eating and drinking wine with Marcello at Podere Cunina in Tuscany</td></tr></tbody></table><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span><span style="font-size: large;">People from all around the world come to stay at Cunina and to learn to cook with Marcello. His recipes are divine, and he is fun, charming and engaging.</span><br /><span style="font-size: large;">Everyone wants to come back and cook with him again!</span><br /><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh4ZVR4LFqN7tHvpiGkQR7HnlYyMjPHwwXxH4L6HAFQ0rw4GMoZYae5SVFKrBU8_AfyUxWVjUV9HSb32AniWUqhvRkoRp__Kach6H29TI6WoTEH2ctnD-xrXkwqS8InQb4yVme9yCIxMSM/s1600/marcello+11.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="" border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh4ZVR4LFqN7tHvpiGkQR7HnlYyMjPHwwXxH4L6HAFQ0rw4GMoZYae5SVFKrBU8_AfyUxWVjUV9HSb32AniWUqhvRkoRp__Kach6H29TI6WoTEH2ctnD-xrXkwqS8InQb4yVme9yCIxMSM/s1600/marcello+11.jpg" title="cooking-lessons-in-Tuscany-with-Marcello-at-Podere-Cunina-05" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">making homemade pasta with Marcello at Podere Cunina in Tuscany</td></tr></tbody></table><span style="font-size: large;">If you have never rolled out fresh, homemade pasta before, it is an experience you won't forget anytime soon. And no pasta tastes like homemade pasta!</span><br /><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi0N8nOCgKcCrkDk_k-NE2UwU2sDu-rmtWwvxjjWOdjytYLqTthgJB7ZylE0Ad78uSpefZwbFtHKpP2wBxYWV68W4y-yioTVPgq9B-7Whick0R3NgSXr-fxgc5-eYtLHyx7dhGW2Vrbr2o/s1600/marcello+10.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi0N8nOCgKcCrkDk_k-NE2UwU2sDu-rmtWwvxjjWOdjytYLqTthgJB7ZylE0Ad78uSpefZwbFtHKpP2wBxYWV68W4y-yioTVPgq9B-7Whick0R3NgSXr-fxgc5-eYtLHyx7dhGW2Vrbr2o/s1600/marcello+10.jpg" /></a></div><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjoSq1cPiTh6S8qPFBIK3uBCy-j1Rc9npRO4p0r4dyAg3XDWil6nLeblIfV5mX-rpQY-p5hQceEl6lzNRgomG2CKDTiuEaAt5ikLzuFrxmRC5pAO6XrfqhQoIK7aixfcKvyVWL2bAVIKKo/s1600/marcello+7.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjoSq1cPiTh6S8qPFBIK3uBCy-j1Rc9npRO4p0r4dyAg3XDWil6nLeblIfV5mX-rpQY-p5hQceEl6lzNRgomG2CKDTiuEaAt5ikLzuFrxmRC5pAO6XrfqhQoIK7aixfcKvyVWL2bAVIKKo/s1600/marcello+7.jpg" /></a></div><br /><span style="font-size: large;">There is much more to Tuscan cooking than just pasta. (although the pasta is spectacular!) There are so many wonderful dishes to experience, so many fantastic recipes to bring home and wow your friends and family with.</span><br /><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span><span style="font-size: large;">Marcello wanted to improve his cooking English and his tourist English, so last December he came out to Phoenix to live with us for a couple of months.</span><br /><span style="font-size: large;">We cooked together every day, and Marcello even filled our freezer with homemade pasta meal</span><span style="font-size: large;">s and gnocchi before he left.</span><br /><span style="font-size: large;">So I can personally vouch for his amazing cooking!</span><br /><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span><span style="font-size: large;">You can find out about staying at <a href="http://www.tuscanyaccommodation.com/podere-cunina.html?gclid=COqa6af98L4CFcRffgodxBkAGw"><span style="color: blue;">Podere Cunina</span></a>, or just booking cooking lessons with Marcello by clicking <a href="http://www.tuscanyaccommodation.com/podere-cunina.html?gclid=COqa6af98L4CFcRffgodxBkAGw"><span style="color: blue;">here</span></a></span><br /><br /><span style="font-size: large;"><i>If you are having a lesson with Marcello and are completely wowed with his cooking English have him do a little Kid Rock for you. We not only taught him how to use words like "whisk" and "sprinkle" and "bring it to a boil", but we also taught him to rap his way through "Cowboy" - after all you never know when it might come in handy :)</i></span><br /><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /></div>

Cooking Lessons In Tuscany

One of the most fabulous things to do when traveling in Italy, is to learn how to prepare and cook the amazing local food. It is so much fun...

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Where To Stay Under The Tuscan Sun

<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">Thinking about spending some time under the Tuscan sun??<br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjj7UgGb_mQX7DkA5MJxS_TtSlNAYchO8c8SCKwdVG9exdzgXRVvIP5W26EtKuq9Ppw0dwEswn8rtHBPkDxGqrxkYPLIa1_frPAZFkvE9hxDcmN88i8v0IabGlz1KkO7gOhqiU65HNKOU4/s1600/cunina+13.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="298" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjj7UgGb_mQX7DkA5MJxS_TtSlNAYchO8c8SCKwdVG9exdzgXRVvIP5W26EtKuq9Ppw0dwEswn8rtHBPkDxGqrxkYPLIa1_frPAZFkvE9hxDcmN88i8v0IabGlz1KkO7gOhqiU65HNKOU4/s640/cunina+13.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Podere Cunina standing watch over the Val D'Orcia</td></tr></tbody></table><br />Every year I like to spend a few weeks in Italy.<br />Actually I would like to spend endless months there, but have to settle for weeks instead.<br />Tuscany has become my home away from home.<br /><br /><br />People always ask me where to stay in <b>Tuscany</b>, especially if they are not seeking out an overly homogenized hotel experience.<br />Personally I love to rent an apartment, rent a car and drive around Tuscany, finding endless spectacular towns and villages that aren't in the guide books.<br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhlSeJ77wBNSOmB4GNXoOwFwPR2hvRD88GP_qQujqTSfc83s-oxnF2ol9sHTo4J-x7dnhyphenhyphenLnUMCYJdLLp4YkBbd3OKa-tqFw0EFwrzdEkLlX9ulsJtJrdV-s-oZC4gP8FRrMQYII1gescQ/s1600/cunina+12.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhlSeJ77wBNSOmB4GNXoOwFwPR2hvRD88GP_qQujqTSfc83s-oxnF2ol9sHTo4J-x7dnhyphenhyphenLnUMCYJdLLp4YkBbd3OKa-tqFw0EFwrzdEkLlX9ulsJtJrdV-s-oZC4gP8FRrMQYII1gescQ/s640/cunina+12.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Podere Cunina, Buonconvento, Tuscany</td></tr></tbody></table><br />I like to be super close to <b>Florence</b>, and not too far from <b>Rome</b>. In a country with such a fantastic rail system, I like to be close enough to a train station that it's easy to make a last minute day trip to <b>Venice</b>, or maybe <b>Pompei </b>- wherever feels like fun that day. <br /><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg4W-jDA3iIzV7pPWgKDmSNlcZOsx5a63H4YLaskdYDm8e8mEGV6NTq0aRFDAOeb1pteTj0p8fzezBE97UjR15pqbA_4YDYddMSMuP42BOCl28hUbySIpb65b0qJebHGy-Ia5xZQXooBy4/s1600/cunina+11.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="299" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg4W-jDA3iIzV7pPWgKDmSNlcZOsx5a63H4YLaskdYDm8e8mEGV6NTq0aRFDAOeb1pteTj0p8fzezBE97UjR15pqbA_4YDYddMSMuP42BOCl28hUbySIpb65b0qJebHGy-Ia5xZQXooBy4/s640/cunina+11.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">one of the patios at Podere Cunina, Buonconvento, Tuscany</td></tr></tbody></table><br />I like to chill out in the piazza, drink cappuccinos and watch the world go by. Shop at local markets for fresh produce,all grown inside a 10 mile radius and picked to be sold today, with flavor that just explodes in your mouth. (Unlike the flavorless factory farmed produce here in the US)<br />There's nothing quite like having a local vendor choose items for you, and tell you how to prepare them the way generations of their families have been doing for centuries, and then going home to your gorgeous Tuscan apartment, throwing it together and enjoying it, <i>truly enjoying </i>it with a local Sangiovese, or maybe a Brunello, living the luxe life.<br /><br />I love filling my Italian apartment with freshly picked wildflowers and sprigs of fresh rosemary, the combined olfactory delight of which tells my brain I'm really, truly here. <br /><br />My dear friend Silvana is living the life I dream of.<br />Together with her husband Pier Giorgio she bought an old, run down farmhouse on a little hill overlooking the spectacular Val D'Orcia. They rebuilt, refurbished and restored it using traditional materials, creating a home that at the same time is visually mesmerizing, maintains historical truth but is equipped with all the modern conveniences. Its called Podere Cunina.<br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhDK00iHkQYH3RXpk_ygBCICBMT_cuIHuvZwm4e9f4hR_u5BcG-eXI4xWq3nke-S8PV8GdxePwFDjSBkPpE2ndJKTb7xJaDm17MYFLwFNpVA5WLZsms7Vvh6RKqULFlJAUXz3ISoI6CVgY/s1600/cunina+4.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="356" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhDK00iHkQYH3RXpk_ygBCICBMT_cuIHuvZwm4e9f4hR_u5BcG-eXI4xWq3nke-S8PV8GdxePwFDjSBkPpE2ndJKTb7xJaDm17MYFLwFNpVA5WLZsms7Vvh6RKqULFlJAUXz3ISoI6CVgY/s640/cunina+4.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Beautiful Podere Cunina in Buonconvento Tuscany</td></tr></tbody></table><br />The stonework, the iron work, the colors are achingly beautiful.<br /><br />Part of the restoration project involved creating 7 apartments to rent to vacationers.<br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiTl4JaRCOtVbcLsRIUQHSZAuZg1HqpCPN7CeXsO8IJp-ykBELauW6amK4DLZ8UGxfAkqiE0FKhRLe91eUJhJt9OxnBvNSklkwvJzErSdOLVIqS5NlAmVSeWzvmW3j5e6Cmi5pQaGJrJjc/s1600/cunina+14.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="436" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiTl4JaRCOtVbcLsRIUQHSZAuZg1HqpCPN7CeXsO8IJp-ykBELauW6amK4DLZ8UGxfAkqiE0FKhRLe91eUJhJt9OxnBvNSklkwvJzErSdOLVIqS5NlAmVSeWzvmW3j5e6Cmi5pQaGJrJjc/s640/cunina+14.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">One of the apartments at Podere Cunina, Tuscany</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhKB81N4rI_sG1lFusHyl6zqH7VOPvGWT4cu0dOHoUo-9AVSsytKFPU1HwQe7evCzecNaNR1wm76HKNWXLEvFHpkpRkt04e6WOY0h6xHyoOtwWyMN2SsTWW6N4VwKxFVgy4zpDIKoT7F-A/s1600/cunina+6.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="356" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhKB81N4rI_sG1lFusHyl6zqH7VOPvGWT4cu0dOHoUo-9AVSsytKFPU1HwQe7evCzecNaNR1wm76HKNWXLEvFHpkpRkt04e6WOY0h6xHyoOtwWyMN2SsTWW6N4VwKxFVgy4zpDIKoT7F-A/s640/cunina+6.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Apartment at Podere Cunina, Tuscany</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhGXNGtNY9W80Kd8LAJbnZZd_vTFnaZnQmcbnNr98a7rRzdj9tyPCVGO3bgQK_0p1a0P2l1CnC9M_JTi5k3Kv0lhjLJNPEREPJu7-8Tg3JVkyEmVw0YY0Zk2MXpx6BeZfaXtSW7KX_pA-4/s1600/Cunina+3.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="356" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhGXNGtNY9W80Kd8LAJbnZZd_vTFnaZnQmcbnNr98a7rRzdj9tyPCVGO3bgQK_0p1a0P2l1CnC9M_JTi5k3Kv0lhjLJNPEREPJu7-8Tg3JVkyEmVw0YY0Zk2MXpx6BeZfaXtSW7KX_pA-4/s640/Cunina+3.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Apartment at Podere Cunina, outside Buonconvento Tuscany</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgubnLCt-a-OmXWbjyj6PA5r0X0leVC_PcJwtn1lG089hMDQ5Z7o3aqQpQpitU35o8UCPwqFMEy4VowWqRiNZ9GjPY6kXjBeBZub-lHh8Ru-NkPPAKGzky6YxdDks4yLORi0lLZ9UL2OvI/s1600/cunina+10.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgubnLCt-a-OmXWbjyj6PA5r0X0leVC_PcJwtn1lG089hMDQ5Z7o3aqQpQpitU35o8UCPwqFMEy4VowWqRiNZ9GjPY6kXjBeBZub-lHh8Ru-NkPPAKGzky6YxdDks4yLORi0lLZ9UL2OvI/s640/cunina+10.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Apartment at Podere Cunina </td></tr></tbody></table><br /> There are 2 two bedroom apartments and 5 one bedroom apartments, each of which is just gorgeous.<br /><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjfMAoKBVGKT7EwRXUq4kaBJ_BO6LKzWkGiEbmDBT-TtGrD0uR5FgONj4jTFVkteqT2OalBSd3gYF487p5G_WEOVki3UHOgirM83yw66TIISTGWMMhvnrtygYUOKnjAHpUDYbuocX7WGRk/s1600/cunina+15.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="424" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjfMAoKBVGKT7EwRXUq4kaBJ_BO6LKzWkGiEbmDBT-TtGrD0uR5FgONj4jTFVkteqT2OalBSd3gYF487p5G_WEOVki3UHOgirM83yw66TIISTGWMMhvnrtygYUOKnjAHpUDYbuocX7WGRk/s640/cunina+15.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Apartment at Podere Cunina, Tuscany</td></tr></tbody></table><br />Podere Cunina is located 3 kms outside of <b>Buonconvento</b>, near <b>Siena</b>. An easy drive from either <b>Rome</b> or <b>Florence</b> it places you in the ideal location from which to drive around Tuscany and really experience the majesty of this amazing part of the world.<br /><br />After a long day of enjoying yourself it is just lovely to sit out on the patio area and have a prosecco as you watch the sun set over neighboring <b>Montalcino </b>(one of my favorite villages in all of Italy).<br /><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjcyZcB7Vjka2UHQS8jKAqOoANyEOkAzlYukYGk0UT-OLDjus7nXQl5Ez14Jx8JDw1G7wbbSAjLuj_H6tJdr8apZaMhN_r-kyVgVio6UmTNrG7Y2pSKnu0A1IsZ1DaNje9PwfebLc_RX_o/s1600/Cunina+1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="356" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjcyZcB7Vjka2UHQS8jKAqOoANyEOkAzlYukYGk0UT-OLDjus7nXQl5Ez14Jx8JDw1G7wbbSAjLuj_H6tJdr8apZaMhN_r-kyVgVio6UmTNrG7Y2pSKnu0A1IsZ1DaNje9PwfebLc_RX_o/s640/Cunina+1.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The pool at Podere Cunina, near Buonconvento, Tuscany</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><br /><br /><br /> Wine lovers adore the region, as it is home to the Brunello, one of my all time favorite reds.<br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi5yvhPiWOP_wvCJps1R7zR8JTKlXD-EXQtzJ4Ep6i3fBtUdjanNp_UDMwQc6r1QYvmSx2LXg4rSbLlIoYFl6WQPyd9FVVizKB5AogtdFU5XLxxpdEar7GKYtGXIvfKM49OoqPr6hcM85w/s1600/cunina+9.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi5yvhPiWOP_wvCJps1R7zR8JTKlXD-EXQtzJ4Ep6i3fBtUdjanNp_UDMwQc6r1QYvmSx2LXg4rSbLlIoYFl6WQPyd9FVVizKB5AogtdFU5XLxxpdEar7GKYtGXIvfKM49OoqPr6hcM85w/s640/cunina+9.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Prosecco time at Podere Cunina as the Tuscan Sun sets</td></tr></tbody></table><br />Silvana is the ultimate host. She always has loads of ideas of great places to go see and experience. She always tells me about fabulous villages that the tour buses (thankfully) don't know about, is endlessly knowledgeable about where the best local markets are and when, which restaurants and cafe's you mustn't miss, and has the most wonderful stories about this spectacular slice of the world.<br /><br />Lovers of <b>Frances Mayes' Under The Tuscan Sun, </b>and her subsequent tomes about her life in Tuscany will love driving to <b>Cortona</b>, which is not too far away, and spending the day walking through every moment in her delicious Tuscan world. (I think at this point I probably know her books by heart)<br /><br />3 million years ago the <b>Val D'Orcia </b>was under the ocean, which is no doubt why the hills have the most beautiful undulating roll to them. A couple of years ago some guests were walking through the fields on the beautiful <a href="http://www.agriturismopoderecunina.com/">Podere Cunina </a>property and picked up a perfectly formed shark's tooth, that scientists later dated as being 3 million years old.<br />You just never know what you're going to find in this wonderful place!<br /><br />Summer is not the only time to enjoy Tuscany. Spring and autumn are beautiful, and this year if everything goes as planned we are hoping to touch down in Tuscany over the winter too.<br /><br />If staying on a glamorous little farm is a bit to rural for you, Silvana also rents out an apartment in beautiful <b>San Gimignano, </b>which is my Italian home, and which I can never go a single day without thinking about.<br /><br />If you would like to know more about Podere Cunina or about vacation rental in Tuscany, click this link:<br /><a href="http://www.agriturismopoderecunina.com/"> Agriturismo Podere Cunina </a><br /><br /><br /></div>

Where To Stay Under The Tuscan Sun

Thinking about spending some time under the Tuscan sun?? Podere Cunina standing watch over the Val D'Orcia Every year I like to spend a ...

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