MAPPING TUSCANY

Any news? Buonconvento, Tuscany The internet is a fantastic place. Information abounds, small Italian restaurants which you'd never have found 20 years ago have easy accessible websites and my favorite Tuscan wine estates can be quickly drawn up on a  google winery map .  All over the world thousands of bloggers share their local knowledge and give you the inside out of their favorite locations. And what a relief that Italians and travelers alike no longer have to despair over ripped out pages in phone books when looking for contact details of a  museum in Siena  or for the number of that perfect little  beach restaurant   in Southern Tuscany. But there is one drawback with all this accessibility. You need to have time.  With spare time becoming an ever more unattainable luxury good than the next Prada bag, this is a problem. At least until you've found somebody like Susan Van Allen. The American writer with a passion for Italy h...

No please! not another guidebook about Tuscany , was what I thought when I first met Veronica Ficarelli, author of yes, another Tuscany guide book. But once she mentioned the title of her book -   Tuscany, A Great Reason for Every S eason   I perked up my ears. Guidebooks about Tuscany normally start off with Michelangelo, take in Botticelli and end with Leonardo da Vinci. And quite rightly so. But after admiring all those people and landscapes rendered immortal by the great Renaissance masters, you may wonder what life is like down South in the 21st century. And the best way to find out is by meeting the people who live on the land.  But where to go and above all when to go?  Tr y leafing through your Lonely Planet or Frommer's guide for some advice on the matter. Nada. You'll get great Tuscany maps, info on museum opening times, the region's history and hotel bookings. But the small scale events and artisan shops have a hard time appearing in any of t...