Only five days left to the anniversary of Giacomo Puccini’s birth, the famous Tuscan Composer so well known all around the world.

He was born in Lucca on 22 December 1858, the fifth of a large family, oldest son, and the last descendant of a family of musicians.
During his life he became a great musician and composer and loved his town Lucca, and Torre del Lago, for the rest of his life. He took a lot of inspiration from these territories  and, despite of his fame and success, he passed his whole life remembering his mainland.

Did you know that nowadays many studies have found out that Puccini’s music is a real symbol of passion, great love and suffering, and that this symbol is mostly used in national and international cinema?

Yes, that’s true, I’ve visited the exhibition in Torre del Lago Puccini’s Theatre and I have seen the very interesting job, made by a famous Professor of History of Cinema and Performing Arts Museum in Pisa university, Prof. De Santi: it’s an interactive exhibition in which you can see the various parts of the movies in which there are the previously spoken quotes of the Musician.

On Dec. 21st in Puccini’s auditorium in Torre del Lago there is a ceremony for a laying of a plaque in memory of the 150th anniversary of the birth of the great Musician.
So if you’d like to know more about the Puccini’s month of Celebration, keep informed with us!

Freddie Pragnell, on Jamaica Gleaner, writes that “Animals are perhaps a literal example of ideal gifts which do not stop giving.”
Adopting a pet can be a good idea for a Christmas gift, both to you and to someone else.

Before picking up a dog, or any other animal, you have to be sure that the owner will be able to take care about it.

If the tenderness and the big eyes of a puppy are not enough to persuade you, Freddie Pragnell gives us another important reason to adopt a dog:
The adoption of a dog would certainly be fashionable. Canine infatuation has been in vogue recently with both President-elect Barack Obama and Vice-President-elect Joe Biden on the hunt for the perfect pup.”

Can you still resist?!

For further info, read the article.

There are not only holidays: people often travel also for work, and there are many Italian regions, especially in the north, where this type of “tourism” is really important.

Lombardy is one of that, and Varese and its area can offer to the businessman a very organized net of structures: most of the hotels and congress centres are perfectly coordinated by Varese Convention Bureau, an institute born to promote Varese as conference and incentive destination.

Placed at the outlet of the alpine valleys and between the two important routes of Sempione and Gottard, Varese is close to the Malpensa airport and to the most important way of communication between Italy and the whole Europe.

Moreover, it has a wonderful territory: it has been called “land of lakes” because of its many lakes and rivers, and the proximity with Alps and Switzerland make this area convenient for a sky holiday.

Varese is also a place where you can find high quality services joined with the quiet given by a little city that does not give up to the metropolis’ frenzy, and can still treat its guests with oasis of peace in the very centre of the city.

Montello Restaurant is one of that: a Nineteenth century’s villa immerged in a beautiful garden in the centre of Varese hosts a typical Lombard family run restaurant.

Onion soup served into the bread, autumn pie with polenta, gorgonzola cheese, mushrooms, eggs and truffle, are only two of the many specialties cooked by Sergio, the chef, that you can taste during a business lunch or a romantic dinner in the ancient atmosphere of the villa.
There’s also a porch from which you can admire the fabulous garden.

Tasting the cuisine of Montello Restaurant is one of the reason to choose Varese like the right place for a business meeting…

Italian version.

Italy: there’s no a more romantic place where to spend your Christmas holidays!

With your family or friends, alone or in couple… I think it would be the most exciting and romantic Christmas ever!

If you’re searching for info and ideas about a Christmas in Italy (traditions, itineraries, restaurant or accommodations) I think you’ve found the right place.

Merry Christmas!