When I travel for work, I like to listen to the radio. Radio still has many more creative possibilities than television, and it’s incredible! also on the web! First of all it’s fantastic entertainment in the car – which can’t be instagram or facebook – I listened to the interview with the architect Paola Viganò, who wrote an interesting book, it’s called “the biopolitical gardens”.
Why am I talking to you here about this book?
Because basically the architect says something that escapes us, but is very important: that in the city we try to create something new, more eco-sustainable, greener, closer to our idea of the ideal, but unfortunately we still have old parameters in our heads, and that therefore, we risk camouflaging our cities, but then we don’t change anything substantial. Because all the paradigms linked to the “old” modern city influence us.
Among the old paradigms that still influence us, there is still one that contrasts city life with that of the countryside.
In the 1970s, as a child, I came to Statiano to thresh with my father, or with my uncle and my cousins and spend Sundays.
The regional road 68 was state road and much narrower, to travel it from Cecina it took a good, good hour and you couldn’t take it from the center of Cecina, but only from San Pietro in Palazzi, a small hamlet further north.
Yet, it was the most immediate road that connected the Florentines to Castiglioncello, to the sea, but they didn’t take it into consideration because they took the motorway.
From Ponteginori, we took the provincial road 47, which was a 5 kilometer dirt road, all stones and potholes, and which had to be traveled with a certain tranquility. To cover 5 kilometres, it took us half an hour.
And here’s what we found once we arrived: first thing,
-Roberto and Mirella and Roberto’s parents, who have worked in the family business for many years;
-Mirella’s chickens, who laid eggs of all colours
– Roberto’s mother’s goats, with their milk, made a fantastic cheese that she kept in the cupboard together with the very fragrant bread that she always made,
-5 fat rabbits that were in the hutch,
-the water from the well that needed to be pumped,
-a generator for electricity
-, the hay when it was in season on which we climbed onto the bales and then slid along its bales, or jumped from one bale to another.
– Mirella’s desserts, delicacies made with the eggs of her chickens and which she affectionately prepared for us.
-The fireplace, which we lit with wood from the forest.
– a sour wine, in large one and a half liter bottles, with oil on the surface to be removed with stubble or cotton. A wine that lasted a maximum of 8 months, and which was bright red, but very dense and tannic.
-Extra virgin olive oil, tasty, spicy, where you can dip the bread.
In 2000, when my husband and I came to live here, many things were changing, and others remained the same.
The road has changed: it is regional, it is larger and more accessible, less wild. Now many tourists pass by from Florence and the province to go to the seaside.
Even the provincial road is now asphalted, and you can reach Statiano in 5 minutes from the village of Ponteginori. The water arrives with the ASA and the electricity with the Enel poles. Some nearby towns are heated with steam.
For years we worked side by side with Roberto and Mirella and got to know the inhabitants of Micciano, and the life of the town, of this little jewel and many other towns around.
Many, many things have changed. First of all, the generations. Here we will talk once a month about this relationship, between city and countryside, and about life in the countryside, to stimulate a debate, I hope lively, and stimulate memories.
Visiting the protected areas of the Val di Cecina is a profound experience of Nature. Impossible to
remain indifferent to her: she captures you and you are immersed in her belly.
When I decided to live here, I looked out the window in the evening and thought: this is my Africa!
Since the forest is very close, my summer evenings for twenty years have been characterized by the songs of nocturnal birds which alternate with those of the mornings.
Here Nature shows its wildest and proudest side, but also its most welcoming, thanks to the interpenetration of the Culture and gives us back a peculiar and captivating landscape.
It is a mosaic skillfully modeled by the civilizations that have come and gone since the time of the Etruscans.
Here you can find areas visited by rare birds such as the kite, the oriole, the hoopoe, and mountain landscapes that alternate with coastal ones, landscapes that embrace castles, parish churches, perfectly preserved ancient villages.
More than other areas of Tuscany, Val di Cecina presents an emerging geological and geothermal landscape with fumaroles, putizze, thermal springs.
This is why we offer educational itineraries and nature trails suitably set up, capable of giving great emotions.
https://valdicecinaoutdoor.it/
Salted Olives are a recipe to make during the olive harvest season, so I apologize if I’m a little late for those who would have liked to make it. I’m certainly not late for those who appreciate this tasty appetizer, and maybe want to know some information.
Preserving olives in salt is an infallible method for preserving them all year round, so if you perhaps receive a small jar as a gift, rest assured that you do not have to consume it immediately.
The olives must lose all their liquid and with it the bitter aftertaste. In fact, salt is able to absorb the watery substances of the olives without making them salty!
The first requirement is that the olives are not bruised, but are healthy and fleshy.
Preparation: the freshly picked olives are washed and dried with a clean cloth. take a large container or several large containers, I use large hermetic glass jars for preserving, and with coarse salt – but I use fine Volterra salt which is very moist-
So make a layer of olives and a layer of salt, a layer of olives and one of salt. Continue until you leave 2 cm from the closure of the jar, so that you can also close it and shake it.
Keep the salt in the olives for 10 days, taking care to remove the vegetation water that will come out of the olives every day. The olives will also change color. They will be ready when they have completely lost their bitterness.
So …. the operation is simple, but it takes patience and method!
If they are not ready after 10 days, wash them and repeat the operation. Then keep them in salt until they are ready.
When they are sweet, wash them to remove the excess salt, drain them well and then dry them with a clean cloth.
Once dry, transfer them into the glass jar and dress them with a generous drizzle of extra virgin olive oil. They can be flavored with garlic, rosemary, mint, orange or lemon peel.
The jars can be stored in the fridge, in the cellar, as long as it is a cool and dark place.
Il Natale 2022 è alle porte…impacchettare i regali vale il tuo tempo?
Ecco infatti che arriva di nuovo il momento dell’anno dedicato ai regali di Natale. C’è chi procrastina fino all’ultimo per mancanza di tempo, per pigrizia e poi…si trova con mille dubbi ad affrontare, la folla e il caos natalizio da gestire, per non parlare della sua probabile indecisione sugli acquisti da fare. Qualcuno invece al 31 ottobre ha già comprato tutto, risparmiando moltissimo sui regali e sul tempo speso fra la folla.
Ma non sempre, chi vorrebbe avvantaggiarsi, può permettersi di acquistare i regali in anticipo, sia per ristrettezze economiche che per il mancato tempo a disposizione. A volte infatti dobbiamo aspettare un po’ più di soldini e un po’ più di relax e nonostante questo poi…le buone idee non sono subito a disposizione.
Così ci domandiamo: “ma per questo Natale 2022, impacchettare i regali vale il tuo tempo?”
A questo ci abbiamo pensato noi, Scegli il coupon!
Abbiamo preparato un bel regalo natalizio che è perfetto sia per chi si trova all’ultimo momento, per chi non sa che pesci pigliare e sia per chi non vuole perdere tempo, ma vuole comunque ottenere un buon buon risultato con l’entusiasmo di rinnovare sempre l’amore dell’amico/a, compagno/a o familiare.
Se stai leggendo, magari vuol dire che sei già tra i nostri ospiti, hai assaggiato la nostra pasta fatta in casa con il pesto al basilico fresco del giardino, o hai bevuto un bicchiere del nostro rosato, o forse, hai ammirato il tramonto rosso dietro le colline Toscane…che meraviglia! O forse stai leggendo per curiosità…
Pasta fatta in casa con il basilico fresco del nostro giardino
E allora, ecco! Ti abbiamo preparato un coupon sul nostro sito. Scusa se ti do del tu…in alcuni casi è la prima volta che ci conosciamo, in altri – ormai – c’è quella confidenza tale poiché ci siamo sentiti spesso anche al telefono, o perché ho visto i tuoi figli crescere o perché ho imparato – durante il tuo soggiorno a Statiano – che hai una grande passione per la musica e sei un ottimo strumentista. Oppure perché ogni anno vieni a trovarmi e mi porti i cioccolatini e, come ben sai – anche se c’è il solo cocente di luglio – con questi piccoli doni mi sembra sempre Natale.
Oppure perché non ti sei ancora deciso a soggiornare nella nostra azienda, e allora ecco…questa opportunità è per te.
Rosolaccio – Rosè di Statiano
Tramonto indaco dietro le colline toscane
È un codice sconto, si chiama REGALODISTATIANO. Si tratta di uno sconto del 20% per soggiorni di almeno 3 notti e potrai usufruirne dal 23/04/2022 al 31/08/2023.
Il codice è attivo solo da ora e fino al 31 Dicembre 2022, cosa aspetti? Affrettati ad acquistarlo!
From Friday 22nd to Friday 29th September 2023: enquire now!
“Tuscan wine and sketching holidays “in Statiano farm. Enquire now for holidays in September 2023 at Statiano in Tuscany.
From Friday 22ndto Friday 29 September 2023 we offer a 7 night sketching holiday with tutoring by visiting artist, Jane Smith. Our holiday includes visits to local villages and markets, wine tastings with our own wine from the farm and wine pairings with Tina, one of the owners and a qualified sommelier. Excursions to local places and markets will provide excellent sketching subjects and the authentic Tuscan experience. We can also trek along the wild and beautiful riverbanks of the stream Trossa. Visits to the medieval hilltop town of Volterra (Tuscan Capital of Culture 2022), the market of Cecina, and the Mediterranean coast will be included. Guests stay at Statiano, our beautiful country house in a quiet corner of Maremma, Tuscany. Tiny hilltop villages perch above rolling fields: Montegemoli, Querceto, Montecatini, which are still relatively undiscovered. Nature will provide plenty of inspiration too; we are surrounded by beautiful woods where wildlife including foxes and turtles and flocks of jays live among the oak trees. The area is famous for Sangiovese wine and typically the cuisine will include bruschetta, pappa al pomodoro, ribollita. Holidays are held in Statiano, a beautiful stone farmhouse in a quiet country setting sur rounded by wood, 5 km from the lovely village of Micciano, where you can have a good coffee and pizza, and 5 km from Ponteginori with its own ‘panetteria’ where we shop daily for our ‘pane toscano sciocco’ or you can have a typical aperitivo or prosecco at the nice bar down in the village.
Statiano offers 5 double or twin or singles en suite bedrooms. There are 4 large and panoramic apartments.
Apartments A: at the ground floor with two bedrooms, a bathroom en suite, a kitchenette and a private terrace with a
breathtaking view on the sunset each.Apartments B: private garden, kitchen at the ground floor, and at upper floor 2 panoramic bedrooms and
2 bathrooms.The outdoor pool, surrounding shaded area, covered terrace esure that there is plenty of space to relax
in comfortably.
About Jane
Artist and Illustrator Jane will guide you through sketching and drawing, giving suggestions and en
couragement, whether out on trips or back at Statiano. She will show you techniques and tips for sketching architecture,
markets, restaurants, people and landscapes, using a variety of media. She says of herself :
“I am an artist and Illustrator based in east London. I love drawing and have been doing it ever since
I could hold a pencil. Originally from the rural north of England and Wales, I studied at what is now
the University of Northumbria then moved to London. Working briefly for the BBC led to a freelance illustration career that has lasted until the present day. Other clients have included Marks and Spencer, Jamie Oliver, Ted Baker, Greenpeace and many others. Also I exhibit widely in galleries, cafes and shops around London.
I have given art workshops for lots of groups including an art retreat in France, staff at Facebook and Marks and Spencer’s head offices and local schools and community .
I have travelled widely, but these days concentrate on Europe and the UK. I never go anywhere without at least a small sketchbook in my pocket. If I am away for more than a couple of days, I will pack a variety of sketchbooks and art materials, a box of watercolours and a few pens and brushes. To me there is nothing better than sitting sketching outside a cafe somewhere, with a nice coffee or cold beer, totally in the ‘zone’, with the sounds, smells and general ambiance of life going by, whether in a Roman piazza, a small street in Marseille, at home in London or the beautiful Tuscan countryside”.
PRICES AND TRAVEL for 1 pax:
-980,00 € in double / twin room with ensuite bath and shower based on 2 people sharing
-780,00 € non painting partner in double/twin room with ensuite bath based on 2 people sharing
-1050,00€ single room with en suite bathroom
-850,00 € in double / twin room in the apartment with two en suite bathrooms and kitchen based
On 4 people sharing the same apartment (note this apartment has stairs).
-650,00 € non painting partner in double/twin room in the apartment with two en suite bathrooms and
kitchen based on 4 people sharing the same apartment. Please note :this apartment has stairs
-900,00 € single room in the apartment based on 2 people sharing .The apartment has 2 en suite bathrooms
and the kitchen( please note: this apartment has stairs).
-1000,00 € in double /twin room basing on 2 people sharing . The apartmentis with a bathroom en suite, kitchen and private terrace
( please note: the apartment has no stairs).
-800,00€ non painting partner in double/twin room of the apartment with en suite bathroom, kitchen and private
terrace. ( this apartment has no stairs)
The pick up from Pisa to Statiano and trasfers from Statiano to Volterra and to the coast are not included, They will be comunicated as soon as we will know the number of partecipants. THe pick up from the arport will be in a pre arranged time. the group has got a chat in whatsupp and will use it to prearrange the pick up or to communicate the news.
We are one hour from Pisa international airport, 30 minutes’ drive from the coast and from Volterra.
Participants of the 2022’s lab, will have a 10% off to join the 2023th!
your Host
Tina live with her husband in Statiano since 2003, and there she plant her deep rooths. She is devoted to her land, as well as to good food and wine.
She got a degree in English language and literature at Pisa University and she is a certified sommelier.
She loves to do pasta with friends and guests.
In winter time she likes to read great novel in or playing cards, she enjoy prepare jams, to discover new things, to walk in the countryside. Tina will do pasta with you as well as tell you some secret about wine.
ITINERARIES
Day 1:Pick up at Pisa International airport Galileo Galilei at 7.30, transfer to Statiano
and setting in.Time for a deserved aperitivo in the terrace before a relaxing dinner with wine.
Day 2: Leisurely breakfast and time to visit the farm and the vineyard. First session with your
tutor. Lunch at 1 pm at the shady terrace and time to relax by the pool before your next sketching session. Opportunity for some plein air session in the garden. Dinner at 7.pm with wine.
Day 3:Breakfast and working trip to the etruscan/medioevale Volterra to visit Piazza di Priori, and the roman Theatre and have a delicious coffee in the most characteristic cafè. Have a delicious lunch at ” Chich and schock” cafè and icecream shop.
Lot’s of time to sketch there and take reference pictures and paint.
Vist to the Saline of Volterra.
Back home in the afternoon, and time to continue your sketching or relax in the pool.
before a delicious dinner with wine.
Day 4:Breakfast and working trip to Querceto, a picturesque well preserved
small village. Lot’s of time to sketch, take reference pictures.
Then we reach Montegrmoli and Pomarance, and have lunch at a local pizzeria.
back home, afternoon of painting and relaxing and dinner on the terrace with wine.
Day 5: Breakfast and morning at Cecina, first at one of the very colourful local market .
Then we reach the beach ‘Delfino” where we have luch. passing through an amazing natural wood of marittime pines.
Back home in the afternoon, and time to continue your sketching or relax in the pool.
Dinner at 7 with wine.
Day 6: after breakfast, pasta lab with Tina.
We will enjoy sometime doing pasta together, such as ” fettuccine e gnocchi”.
we will have lunch with our amazing pasta
Lunch on the terrace and afternoon of relaxation. You can have a walk around until the
beautiful Micciano,or just until the river, or help Tina to prepare a nice apericena,
Day 7 : breakfast and time to concetrate and finish the works. in the evening winetasting with Tina.
day 8: Breakfast and arrivederci!
Transfer to Pisa international airport Galileo Galilei at 9 to arrive at 10.15.
Please note the itinerary may be subject to minor changes due to weather and/or after
consultation with the tutor.
INCLUDED
-Accomodation at the farm
-Jane sketching lab.
-Breakfast, lunch and evening meal at the farm
-Pasta Lab and winetasting.
-Refreshment throughout the day . Help Yourself with tea, coffee and herbal teas.
-Excursion and visit included in the course program.
Lunches at Cecina and Volterra ad Pomaranceare not included
Museums’ tickets are not included
Some art material are available here, but you are kindly asked to bring
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