YOUR OLIVE TREE ON THE TUSCAN COAST

olive trees in the Maremma park in Alberese

Tuscan olive trees waiting for adoption...

Dreaming of an olive grove in Tuscany? Forget the grove, it's going to break your back - I speak from first-hand experience - but adopt a tree instead. Or twenty. Or more.

Olive trees in the park nearly ready for the harvest in October and November

A group of farmers in southern Tuscany are reclaiming 30'000 abandoned olive trees (yes, that's a lot of trees). These are all located in beautiful groves close to or right in Maremma's nature park. Also known as Parco dell'Uccellina, the nature reserve is a wonderful place to visit in person.

As an adoptive parent, you'll be taken for a private tour to the groves. However, you won't have to learn how to properly position a ladder to harvest or prune the trees. Instead, you can hug your adoptee and then spend the rest of the day hiking or swimming at my favourite Tuscan beach.

Souvenir shop in Marina di Alberese

The project is under the helm of Chico Mendes, an Italian fair trade organization which also ships abroad. More information on the project website, Adopt an Olive Tree (scroll down to the end of the Italian text to read the English version) and on Facebook.

In summer, you can also find the olive oil at the souvenir shop in the pine grove near Marina di Alberese (next to the mobile bars and food stalls), and during the rest of the year in the groceries in the village of Alberese.

Comes in all sizes: the Maremma parks EVO oil

THE TALE (and some pics) OF THE PERFECT TUSCAN CHRISTMAS LUNCH

I'm writing a book (which has been published in the meantime). Hence I raise the word count by cutting down on aperitifs (not an easy feat in my Tuscan village ), and I keep the storyline going by dodging invitations to Sunday lunch. But when I know that the table will look like this... and the food like this it's hard to resist... Hence we drove to the Chianti and followed the crowd through the woods to jump into the midst of the clatter, chatter and laughter of a Tuscan Christmas gathering, which was cleverly interrupted by countryside walks to make sure there was room for more, until - inevitably - the moment arrived, when all the plates were licked and the last bottle of Chianti was emptied and it was time to go home (you said you drive, right?). INGREDIENTS FOR A TUSCAN GATHERING Lunch was organized by Emiko Davies and Giulia from Juls' Kitchen , who with the help of their respective partn...

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WINE AND ARCHITECTURE: PETRA WINERY BY MARIO BOTTA

Southern Tuscany is home to a handful of wineries, which are often described as wine cathedrals. The Petra vineyard near Suvereto (by architect Mario Botta) is an interesting example of this new approach in winery architecture. At Petra the world-class architect went beyond designing an impressive wine cellar, but also included the outlay of the vineyards in his aim to form a contemporary agricultural landscape. Main building of the Petra Winery in Suvereto If it is true that the way to good wine starts in the he vineyard, it is also true that only the quality of the cork, the design of the label, and the beauty of the bottle shape will bring the consumer's experience to full circle. Taking this thought further it's obvious that the birthplace of a good or even fantastic wine, is yes the vine and its grapes, but also the winery building in particular and the whole estate in general. If you know any of Botta's works, you'll recog...

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Storytellers at the Todo Modo bookshop in Florence

I may not be religious, but I totally worship the Todo Modo bookshop in Florence for its beautiful interior design, central location - a ten-minute walk from the station and Ponte Vecchio - and the cafè hidden among shelves and plants hanging from the roof. UqBar serves some of the best lunches to be had in Florence - especially for people who'd love to forego the usual Tuscan fare for a delicious miso soup . But Todo Modo does another thing well. The shelf-filled spaces in the back can be turned into a small theatre which makes for a great event space among all the books. I had my Across the Big Blue Sea book presentation there and was back last month for a Storytellers night - the first event of a great new series. Linda and Steve, the team from the The Beehive Hostel in Rome have decided to take their storytellers nights to Florence, and Todo Modo has agreed to host them. Whether residents or just travelling through, English speakers will have great fun...

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