Buon Natale!

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Buon Natale as they say in Italy and in the USA … Merry Christmas!

Thanks to the kindness and generosity of our friends Steve and Hayley, John and I are once again spending the holidays in Tuscany at their beautiful hill top home. Il Granario is situated near the historic hill town of Volterra which has Etruscan roots and is my favorite Tuscan city.

It’s wonderful being back in Italy, seeing our friends here and enjoying how the Italians decorate for and celebrate Christmas.

One Christmas custom here is the display of a Presepe which in English we call a Nativity display or a creche.  This intricate and lovely one was made by the father of our friend Elisabetta.  She and her husband Cristiano proudly display this beautiful, handmade Presepe in their home. 

Presepi (plural of Presepe) can be found just about everywhere … inside of and in front of homes, in shop windows, in piazzas and in front of churches. Cristiano delighted us with a visit to a nearby church and convent that had a near life-size Presepe display.

It seems to me that Christmas in Tuscany is less of a commercial event than back home.  There are certainly secular displays for Christmas but the fact that there are so many Presepi, which is a religious display, warms my heart for the true meaning of Christmas, a celebration of the birth of the Christ Child.

John aka Babbo Natale (Father Christmas) has been delighting children and adults alike with his Santa Claus beard (a real beard!) and hat, his joy in greeting folks with “Buon Natale” and willingness to pose for photos.  His favorite Christmas elf (L’Elfa di Natale) is definitely Francesca of Chic e Shock, her fabulous chocolate shop in Volterra.

Today is Christmas Eve and John and I ate lunch at the newly discovered, thanks to Elisabetta, lovely Osteria La Pace in Volterra.  When we had lunch there last week, we met the delightful owners Giampaolo and Monica Vannini.  Giampaolo is a former Motorcycle Vice Champion of Italy and Motorcycle Champion of Tuscany. The lovely Alina was our server today. 

After today’s il pranzo (lunch) Monica told us that Giampaolo, their son Gianmarco and a father and son who sat at a table next to us at lunch were participating in the annual motorcycle “Christmas Bikers Run” around Volterra with a final destination of the Piazza dei Priori.  Certo (of course), we had to head to the Piazza to see the bikers.  The event was great fun and I’ve never seen so many Santas!

Speaking of food, yesterday John and I enjoyed gourmet panini (sandwiches) from La Sosta del Priore.  We each had the panino with Prosciutto Toscano, Pecorino Caldo (hot cheese) and Miele (honey) and can I say … wow!  I’ve been following La Sosta del Priore on Instagram for a while now and was so pleased to finally meet Ilenia and staff.  We’ll return soon for more delicious panini.

Tomorrow, Christmas Day John and I will attend Mass at the Cattedrale (Cathedral) in Volterra and have the pleasure of Il Pranzo di Natale (Christmas Lunch) at another favorite restaurant, Del Duca and seeing lovely Larissa, the owner’s daughter again.  We’ve always had fabulous meals at Del Duca so we’re looking forward to our return.

Signore Fabio Vallini took ownership of Del Duca in November from his friend Genuino, who sadly passed away recently.  Genuino was a lovely gentleman and our hearts go out to his family.  At lunch tomorrow we will make a toast to the memory of Genuino, a truly fine gentleman who will be missed by all who knew him.

Ristorante Antico Borgo in Iano is a great favorite of ours.  Owners Mauro and Marisa, their daughter Sandra and her family have become wonderful friends.  Although Antico Borgo is closed for the season, we’ll soon meet with Sandra to catch up.  As we’re very fond of the family, to include Chef Omar, and have had many fine meals and good times with our friends there, we plan to return to Antico Borgo many times in the future.  It’s hard to beat excellence!

Buon Natale! May you all have a Blessed and Merry Christmas!

Note:  If you’re thinking about a trip like one of ours in either the USA or Western Europe, please know that I offer travel consultations and curated itineraries for the trip of your dreams. If you would like assistance in planning such a trip for yourself, please contact me on our website’s “Let’s Connect” page or via email at jttripsnpics@gmail.com. 

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