Built in the 17th century, Villa al Boschiglia is set in beautiful northwest Tuscany, in the ancient parish of Vorno near the magnificent medieval town of Lucca. Displaying the easy elegant lifestyle of the period, the noble, or main, floor is raised from the country floor, and entered through a portal atop the outside double flight stairway, with a symmetrical distribution of the other rooms around the central salon. There is also interior access to the country, or ground, floor where guests can enjoy delightful dinners in front of a large fireplace. Guests are embraced by the gentle colors and sharp fragrances of the panoramic countryside. Upon the opening of the private gate, the guest’s first sight is an alley of ‘tall and pure’ cypresses. The wide park of the villa with lime-trees, oaks, olives, magnolias, large bushes of aromatic plants, and roses is the ideal background in which to begin one’s visit.
My name is Otis the Sock Dog. I recommend to you Villa al Boschglia. I can tell you from personal experience why you should rent this spectacular villa. I was warmly welcomed with my family while staying at Villa al Boschiglia. It is a spectacular villa in the heart of Tuscany. Here you can live out your dream of life in a luxury villa. I am pleased to say that cats are not allowed in the villa, just sock dogs.
Why rent in Tuscany? Tuscany epitomizes the birth of the Renaissance. The region’s most prized art and historical relics reside in the larger cities, while hilltop medieval towns offer their own history. Tuscany offers breathtaking views of the undulating countryside with its rustic vineyards and olive groves and the majestic Appiennes Mountains. The blend of delicious foods and beautiful wine is classic Tuscany. Whether you come in search of pure relaxation and rural charm or an experience packed with local culture and tradition – you will fall in love with Tuscany! Why rent Villa al Boschiglia? Besides having me to answer any questions at otis.sockdog@gmail.com, here are just 12 of the reasons to rent this villa in Tuscany!
Why rent in Tuscany? Besides having me to answer your questions at otis.sockdog@gmail.com, here is the 1st of 12 reasons to rent Villa al Boschiglia!
1 – Location, Location, Location!
In a beautiful corner of Tuscany, near the medieval town of Lucca, the magnificent Villa al Boschiglia is for rent. Villa al Boschiglia rental was built in Tuscany in the middle of the 17th century. This central location allows you to explore the numerous well-known sites of Tuscany such as Carrara, Chianti, Florence, Lucca, Pisa, and Siena. It is also the ideal location from which to visit the lesser known, but worthy of exploration, places such as Fiesole, Montecatini Alto, Pistoia, San Gimignano, San Miniato, Vinci, Vicopisano, and Volterra.
Monterosso al Mare
Crystalline water, plentiful restaurants and small hotels and the area’s only sandy beach make Monterosso al Mare the most resort-oriented stop of the Cinque Terre. The last of the five villages along the Cinque Terre strip, Monterosso al Mare is the most visited, largely because it has the only sizable sand beach and the biggest hotels. Though it can get very crowded with tourists during the peak summer months, Monterosso is still delightful. The old town area, separated from the more modern resort area by the Aurora tower, is home to the ruins of a medieval castle and San Francesco church, which houses an important Van Dyck painting of the crucifixion. Day beds and umbrellas are available for rent on the crowded strand, popular with both tourists and locals, especially midsummer.
The Tuscan landscape design style blends charm and Old World beauty with modern flair and elegance. This sophisticated, yet simple, theme for outdoor living space has made Tuscan landscape design quite popular, especially in affluent communities. The beauty, as well as the practicality, of a Tuscan garden complements today’s lifestyles and homes.
The plants, trees, and other flora that is incorporated into a landscape design are really the defining elements of any garden theme.Tuscan garden plants are very distinct and extremely important if you are planning a Tuscan style outdoor area.Tuscany is a central coastal region of Italy, known for its breathtaking scenery and relaxed, farming culture with an emphasis on vineyards.
Shade Relief and Privacy with Tuscan Trees and Shrubs
Trees and shrubs are a vital part of any relaxing outdoor design. Most of the trees native to Tuscany are evergreens, giving your home a lush, Mediterranean appearance year round. The following trees and shrubs will compliment any Tuscan landscape design…
The artistic curves and twists of Live Oak branches will provide wonderful shade and add character to your Tuscan garden.
Your Tuscan landscape design will not be complete without the symbolic Italian Cypress tree.
These grand evergreens make wonderful privacy barriers around your yard and add to the magnificence of your home.
Olive trees are also signature plants of Tuscany that should be a part of your design.
Showcase a variety of citrus trees, berry plants, and other Tuscany garden plants around your patio and terrace, using large terra cotta planters for a rustic Tuscan flair.
Tuscan shrubsmake wonderful hedges and look terrific along the walkways in your garden.
Boxwoods, bay trees, the yew tree, and other plants of Tuscany that are easily pruned make terrific topiaries for a contemporary touch to your garden design.
Palm trees can be incorporated into your Tuscan garden.RealPalmTrees.com carries a wide range of palms including many that can withstand the cooler temperatures of the Mediterranean nights in winter. They deliver to 48 States in the USA including worldwide and will arrange freight shipping for large specimens.
Canary Island Date Palms, European Fan Palms, Pindo Palms, Windmill Palms, California Fan Palms and Sago Palms are just some of the many that do well in a Mediterranean climate.
Smaller specimens are great in urns for both inside and out or under the canopies of larger trees. Large palms placed in rows produces a bold statement and can help lead the eye to an accent point. Palms are also great used near swimming pools to create a private oasis.
Leslie Halloran
Please check out my website at: www.lihdesigns.net
“A frog in the well does not know the sea.” – Japanese Proverb
Dark, glossy, sweetly sour, balsamic vinegar is the perfect condiment for both salads and desserts. Here’s how to choose a great one.
It costs more than many wines. It fills the rooms of a museum. It even inspired one of Italy’s greatest designers, Giugiaro, to create a bottle out of Murano glass. It’s hard to believe that aceto balsamico is a humble byproduct of grape must.
But then many elements conspire to make this vinegar special. Its history for starters—the very first grape must vinegars were made in the area in Roman times, although the qualifier ‘balsamic’ was only appended to the condiment in the 18th century.
Then its production method—must from Trebbiano, Lambrusco or Ancellotta grapes is cooked, then fermented and aged in progressively smaller casks made of chestnut, mulberry, oak, juniper, ash and other woods, for at least 12 years. And most of all, its taste—thick, viscous and glossy dark, it teases the mouth with a round, velvety texture and a complex flavour that has notes of must and of the many woods the vinegar aged in. And, unlike any other vinegar, the balsamico’s perfect balance of sweet and sour ensures it is just as good on salads, meats and parmesan as on strawberries, zabaione or custard.
However, not every aceto balsamico is the traditional, mouth-watering deal. Only balsamic vinegar made in the Reggio Emilia and Modena provinces, following the strict rules laid out by two local consortia—which include mandatory tastings of each vinegar before it is released to the public—can be called aceto balsamico tradizionale.
The traditional variety tastes much better than plain aceto balsamico di Modena (which is usually a blend of must and wine vinegar, sometimes with added caramel, and doesn’t require ageing in casks), and is a world apart from the cheaper, so-called ‘balsamic’ vinegars, which are just normal wine vinegar with caramel and thickeners.
Traditional balsamic vinegar are usually made by passionate small producers, like Modena’s Ermes Torricelli, who runs a garage by trade and makes vinegar for fun, and are covered by a European Protected Denomination of Origin, as well as its Italian equivalent, the DOP.
The label is not only a useful tool to help consumers distinguish the small-scale, cask-aged artisanal product from cheaper industrial versions, but also a recognition of the part the vinegar plays in the local culture—events such as weddings or births are often celebrated by acquiring new casks to use in the production process, or bequeathing old ones to grown-up sons and daughters.
So if you are after the richest, most complex balsamic vinegar flavours, look for an aceto balsamico tradizionale DOP. Then look carefully at the bottle to find out how long the vinegar is aged for and what flavour you can expect from it.
Among the Reggio Emilia vinegars, choose the lobster-orange label for those aged at least 12 years, which have a clear vinegary note (great on meat and fish carpaccio); the silver label for those aged at least 18 years, which have an intensely sweet and sour taste (perfect on grilled fillet); or the gold one, for those aged at least 25 years, which have the richest flavour (try them on strong cheese, ice cream, custard, chocolate desserts or even drink them on their own at the end of a meal). Among the Modena ones, those with the white cap are aged for at least 12 years, whereas those with the gold cap are aged at least 25 years.
But if you want to savour only the very best, choose those tradizionali that topped the rankings at the Palio di San Giovanni, the annual competition for artisanal balsamic vinegars that takes place in Spilamberto, a village near Modena, which is home to the balsamic vinegar museum.
Every year, tasting masters sample more than a thousand balsamic vinegars over the course of two months to select the twelve best, which are awarded a prize. Here are the winners of last year’s edition, but beware—like all artisanal products that take time and effort to make, these vinegars don’t come cheap. Expect prices in the region of €40-€100 for 100ml bottles.
Leslie Halloran
Please check out my website at: www.lihdesigns.net
“A frog in the well does not know the sea.” – Japanese Proverb
Built in the 17th century, Villa al Boschiglia is set in beautiful northwest Tuscany, in the ancient parish of Vorno near the magnificent medieval town of Lucca. Displaying the easy elegant lifestyle of the period, the noble, or main, floor is raised from the country floor, and entered through a portal atop the outside double flight stairway, with a symmetrical distribution of the other rooms around the central salon. There is also interior access to the country, or ground, floor where guests can enjoy delightful dinners in front of a large fireplace.
Guests are embraced by the gentle colors and sharp fragrances of the panoramic countryside. Upon the opening of the private gate, the guest’s first sight is an alley of ‘tall and pure’ cypresses. The wide park of the villa with lime-trees, oaks, olives, magnolias, large bushes of aromatic plants, and roses is the ideal background in which to begin one’s visit.
