ITALIAN TRAVEL - CHRISTMAS IN A TUSCAN VILLAGE
ISTIA D’OMBRONE NEAR GROSSETO
I was spent Christmas in Tuscany with the most wonderful people. I really love spending time in the small villages of Italy as this is where all the traditions are preserved in more ways than one.
As the Italian schools only have a break of two weeks holiday over Christmas New Year so the primary school in the small village of Istia just outside Grosseto Tuscany performed a Christmas nativity play with lovely singing on their last night of school.
The whole historical center turned into the town of Bethlahem except they called it “Istialem”! The parents of the children dressed up in costume and made stalls that exhibited goods from the time of Jesus.
There was the carpenter and the grain sellers and the food stalls. People opened their doorways and spread the paths with Turkish style carpets and muslims.
Large drums filled with lit fires warmed us on a cold winter night two days before Christmas accompanied by the music sung by the children, warm sangria and Tuscan sausages, Bolognese sauce and lots more.
It was lovely and the parents worked all day to decorate the village – there is such community spirit and everyone knows everyone. I love this.
If you are thinking about spending Christmas next year in Italy, I highly recommend spending it in one of the little villages where the churches and homes are filled with homemade presepe - the nativity scenes. The midnight mass is very traditional with baby Jesus taking centerpiece on the altar.
I had to laugh though as in the large church nativity scene, the cow had its horns and ears missing and it looked like a hippopotamus which made me start giggling in mass – a bad habit left over from childhood!!
I recommend booking your Italian Christmas now so you are guaranteed places in our beautiful boutique apartments as all the relations return home to Italy for the holiday season so best to book ahead.
See our villas and apartments in Tuscany here
TRADITION OF THE PRESEPE AT CHRISTMAS
In Tuscany the nativity scenes in their homes are handmade by each family anew every year. It is a creative activity each christmas to make it a little bit special or different. I love the individual touches and the little ones especially enjoy this. Such a beautiful tradition. They use a special moss that grows in the mountains to make the grass for the scene and they are filled with lights that the Italians do so well.
Also in the different regions of Italy the statues are crafted out of different geological material - whatever the local area offered. In this local village in Maremma they were crafted out of chalk in the past and then painted. The antique statues are very beautiful and are collector items now.
AN ITALIAN CHRISTMAS
MERRY CHRISTMAS EVERYONE AND MAY 2013 BE A YEAR OF PEACE THROUGHOUT THE WORLD.
We look forward to organising your holiday in Italy in 2013
Cheers,
Passion for Italy Travel
RENTING HOLIDAY APARTMENT VILLA IN ITALY
ODE TO SHARP KNIVES WHILE RENTING AN APARTMENT IN ITALY
In Rome about 10 years ago, I heard this man squawking a funny little horn outside and I put my head out the window and I saw this little truck travelling slowly around the streets on day with a man calling out his wares. It was a knife sharpening man and all the housewives and people came running out with their kitchen knives and chatted to him while he sharpened and cleaned their beloved utensils.
What a great idea – a knife sharpening man travelling around – just like the old fruit truck, milkman and bread man of the old days. I have not seen that man since. He also sharpened scissors, axes and whatever was needed (oh no not the axe!). A great idea – bring him back I say to park outside all those holiday apartment that are sadly lacking!!
TRAVEL TO ITALY - ON LEARNING ITALIAN
This is a little reminder to all travellers to Italy or to those that have a dream to buy a house in Italy - that most Italians do not speak English!!. English tourists tend to have a mindset that the whole world now speaks English!! Guess what -they don’t!! The only people who speak English in Italy, are those involved in tourism and perhaps some of the young people who have studied English at university.
Nothing offends me more than hearing tourists shouting at the Italian people as if raising the volume will make them understand. If someone shouted at you in Italian would you understand it more?
