BOOKING WITH TIMEAWAY

03/09/10
If you take advantage of our 10% discount and travel to Italy this September and October* you will be coming at a time when Italy is truly magical. The sky is clear, the climate mild and the towns and beaches considerably less crowded than in August, you will be able to enjoy a relaxed holiday in one of our houses where comfort and charm is a given.
Please request your villa here.

*Discount is valid for stays between 04/09/2010 and 30/10/2010.

01/09/10
ENJOY TELLING A STORY?

If you enjoy writing, and feel you have some holiday tips to share from previous holidays to Italy why not send us your story. We will publish the best in our blog and reward any published pieces with a case of wine.

Please submit your holiday story to info@timeaway.co.uk

25/06/10

How time flies…. time to get on with some baking again!

This week we are adding the delicious Torta Mantovana to our list of cooking expertise!

Servings: 8
INGREDIENTS

* 3/4 cup butter
* 1 egg + 4 yolks
* 3/4 cup sugar
* 2 teaspoons grated lemon rind
* 1 2/3 cups cake flour
* 1/2 cup less two tablespoons peeled almonds and pine nuts
* 1 teaspoon of baking powder

Halve the pine nuts crosswise, and peel and sliver the almonds. Preheat the oven to 350°F (about 180°C).

Melt the butter. In a large mixing bowl, beat the eggs and the sugar until the mixture turns pale yellow. Add the lemon rind, the flour a bit at a time, the butter, and, finally, the baking powder.

Pour the batter into 9-inch baking pan that has been buttered and dusted with flour and powdered sugar; sprinkle the surface of the cake with the nuts. Bake the cake for about 50 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into the centre comes out dry (it will also begin to pull away from the sides of the pan).

Once the Mantovana has cooled, dust it with powdered sugar and serve. It goes quite well with dessert wine.

Buon appetito!

10/06/10 Toni Kay

Lots of fun to be had in Liguria this summer….

From music and art festivals to street parties Liguria has something to offer for everyone.

- For the perfect holiday romance – visit Lavagna’s most famous festival, the Torta dei Fieschi (Fieschi Cake)

- The food lover – “Pesto E Dintorni”, Lavagna – 8th to 10th October
- The bargain hunter – Tuttantico Antique Festival – Autumn 2010
- The Jazz lover –The International Festival of Jazz, Mid July, La Spezia

For further information on Liguria please visit www.turismoinliguria.it.

04/06/2010 Toni Kay

Set your family free this summer…

The type of holiday accommodation you choose is always important, but never more so than when you have a young family. I agree that it would be lovely not to have to lift a saucepan whilst on holiday, however, a self-catering holiday is the perfect choice for families – especially if your kids aren’t old enough to eat at set meal times, and let’s face it by the time the temperature has dropped and most Italians venture to the restaurants your children are actually ready for bed. All parents will know that an overtired toddler can turn a previously idyllic day into an atmosphere fraught with tears and tantrums! Money and effort will be better spent finding the perfect Italian villa, ideally complete with a pool and large garden so the kids can be set free to have fun whilst the adults can enjoy the children’s company in the knowledge that soon the children will be tucked safely in bed and you can get on with the business of preparing a simple but delicious Italian dinner – complete with a cheeky glass of something special!

21/05/10

5 Reasons for choosing Italy & an Italian Villa This Summer…..

Reason One: The Food.One obvious reason is the food, it doesn’t really matter if you can’t afford a four course meal, rest assured that even the simplest pizza or bowl of pasta would have been prepared with skill. The pizzas are usually baked in a wood burning stove and there is nothing better than an authentic Italian Pizza Margherita when you are starving. Pasta cooked perfectly and al dente in a tasty tomato sauce sprinkled with Parmesan or Parmigiano Reggiano is the perfect sunshine in a bowl.

Reason Two: For the Wine… to drink Italian wine in Italy.
What could be better that visiting on of the wine regions Call me a romantic but I think there is something very special about drinking my wine where it was created – just think crusty white bread, fresh mozzarella a few tomatoes fresh from the land together with lovely bottle of Tuscan wine – heaven!

Reason Three: To Eat Real Italian Ice Cream.
Nothing beats the real thing…..
That ice cream is very popular in Italy comes as no surprise to anyone and Gelato is very popular with Italians and tourists alike. You can find shops that specialise in ice cream called “gelaterie” but many caffes sell ice cream as well. Lots of places make their own gelato, others get it from small Italian gelato factories. Please be aware that not homemade gelato is the same; some places use commercial mixes, some places use fresh ingredients.
Look out for labels such as:
• Produzione Propria (homemade – our own production)
• Nostra Produzione (our production)
• Produzione Artigianale (production by craftsmen)

The ice cream comes in all sorts of colours and flavours with the sole purpose to make you surrender to the indulgence that is gelato.

Each Italian city is unique and offers a different atmosphere.

Reason four: the Magnificent Cities & Towns
Apart from being the capital of Italy, Rome is also often referred to as “the capital of the world“ for centuries Rome been seen as the centre of the Western civilization, today it is a modern and cosmopolitan city with unique atmosphere. The city is lively at its core, and rich in history, pause for a moment and look around you because you are surrounded by it’s ancient past you are but a few steps away the ruins of it’s The Forum, Palantine Hill, as well as the Coliseum.
Visit Florence for its art, Pisa for its tower & Venice because you will feel you have to for nowhere else is quite like it.

Reason Five: Italian is the language for lovers and the mother tongue of the renowned. Learn how to whisper sweet nothings to your sweetheart in Italian! And who knows maybe the wedding bells will be ringing for you soon.

13/05/2010

Receipe of the week: Pizza, Florentine Style

In Florence, pizzerias make pizzas with thin crusts and bake them in wood burning ovens. Here is a basic recipe for the crust, plus the ingredients for making a simple Margerita Pizza. Pizzas are also generally individual size so the recipe below would be for one person.

Makes: 2 thin medium size crust pizzas
INGREDIENTS

* 2 ¼ teaspoons of dry yeast
* 1 cup warm water
* 1 tablespoon sugar
* 1 teaspoon salt
* 2 tablespoons olive oil
* 3 cups bread flour

For toppings:

* 800 gr fresh tomatoes or canned
* 4 medium sized fresh mozzarellas
* salt
* ground pepper
* 12 leaves of fresh basil
* good olive oil

1.
To prepare the dough: Mix the water with the sugar and yeast. Let stand for 5 minutes until dissolved and the yeast starts to bubble. Add the salt, olive oil and 1 cup of the flour and mix well. Add 2 more cups of flour, dough should be still a little sticky but should be able to form a ball. Turn out onto floured surface and start to knead, adding a little bit of flour as needed, until your dough is smooth and elastic, about 10 minutes. Form a fall, place into an oiled bowl and cover with a cloth napkin. Let dough rise for 45 minutes. Punch down and divide in half.
2.
To prepare pizza: Lightly oil your baking pizza pan. With your hands, press on the dough to spread it out over the size of your pan, to about 1/2 cm high (very thin). If using canned tomatoes, make sure they have been well drained and distribute over the dough. If using fresh tomatoes, cut into slices and spread them out on dough (for a different flavor, try my favorite tomato sauce as a base!). Cut the mozzarella into thin slices and spread over the top, then salt and pepper to taste, adding washed basil leaves last. Let the pizza rest for another 10 to 15 minutes.
3.
In the meantime, heat your oven to 400°F (200°C). Drizzle olive oil over the top of the pizza before placing into the oven and bake for 18-22 minutes, or until the mozzarella has melted and the crust is golden.

Try your favorite toppings, such as mushrooms, olives, bell peppers and pepperoni.
Buon appetito!

26/03/2010
Timeaway Villas has recently linked up with www.tuscanrecipes.com in order to share some amazing Tuscan recipes with you. Please let us know if you experience any difficulties or have any cooking related issues you would like to share with us.

The first recipe of choice is a Basic Tomato Sauce

This is my favorite tomato sauce and is the perfect first recipe for anyone new to Italian cooking, I especially like to use on my pizzas. Hope you will consider giving it a go!

Makes: 2 cups
INGREDIENTS

* 1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
* 1 large garlic clove, crushed
* 500 gr tomato sauce, unsalted
* 1 teaspoon dried basil
* 1 teaspoon dried oregano
* salt and ground pepper to taste

1. In a medium saucepan, heat the olive oil over low heat. Add the garlic and sauté, moving the garlic around until the garlic starts to colour but without letting the garlic brown. Add the tomato sauce and stir. Raise the heat to medium and add the basil and oregano. Bring to a simmer, lower heat and cover. Cook for about 10 minutes. Salt and pepper to taste. Let cool slightly before using on your pizza or use directly on a bit of pasta!

Buon appetito!

Combine your Tuscan villa holiday with visits to one of the region’s many antique markets.

Most people love a good market and see it as the perfect way to interact with the local population, and when it comes to markets Tuscany is the region that has seen the biggest increase in the number of antique markets and fairs with Lucca and Arezzo at the top of a long list of cities where, once a month, antique traders, collectors and bric-a-brac dealers display their goods in the main piazzas. Tuscany’s best known and prestigious antique market is held in the streets and piazzas of Arezzo on the first weekend every month. (Piazza Grande, first weekend of the month). The crème de la crème of flea markets, this one almost resembles an outdoor furniture museum. Worth a visit just to gawk, but don’t worry, you can also find smaller items that will fit into your suitcase. While you’re there, pop into the nearby church of San Francesco to see Piero della Francesca’s magnificent frescoes.

No sour grapes here – just lemons!
15-04-10

The amalfi peninsula is the perfect example of how the farming landscape can characterise an entire area. The sweet bloomed terraces, the characteristics “pagliarelle”, the evocative contrast of colours between the green leaves of the lemons groves and the blue of the sea, the strong smell of zagare, make the Amalfi Coast unique, perhaps not surprisingly as this after all is a region, whose beauty has been admired both by poets and artists. The best period to see the flowers and fruits is from April – September, as the trees usually are covered with a black cloth during the winter months to protect them from the elements. The most famous variety of lemon is named “sfusato amalfitano”, and is famous worldwide for its shape, its smell, its taste and vitamin C content. The lemons are often used to produce the famous “limoncello” the characteristic lemon liquor produced in the Campania region of Italy. Limoncello is served iced cold at the end of a meal, in a small glass or ceramic cup, which are often kept in the freezer along with the bottle. If you are visiting the Amalfi Coast you will be able to buy your own set of handmade ceramic limoncello glasses in the local work shops.

BOOKING WITH TIMEAWAY

31-03-10
What is your Italian dream made of?
For lots of people the dream has always been that of an villa in Tuscany . The beautiful Tuscan landscape, the culture, the food and wine is what brings people back to this wonderful region right in the heart of Italy.
Choose one of our villas in Tuscany and you will find yourself right in the centre of where it all happens. You just have to mention Tuscany and immediately it conjures up emotive images: rolling hills, vineyards, olive groves, mushrooms and fields with blossoming sunflowers. This beautiful landscape is dotted with castles and villages with lots of stories to share.
The historic town of Florence can easily be reached from your Tuscany villa. From the well known masterpieces by Michelangelo and Castagno’s magnificent 15th-century fresco of The Last Supper to the impressive view of the city from the Bardini Garden the city is packed with surprises. Of course the walled town of Lucca, the hilltop town of San Gimignano towers and Siena with its wonderful Piazza are all within easy reach of our Tuscan villas. Umbria too has some wonderful sights to offer, from the magnificent basilica at Assisi to the historic hilltop town of Orvieto.
No matter where you go in Tuscany, you are sure to experience the true delight of the Tuscan Cuisine, with each tiny village offering their own unique speciality,

29-03-10
Live like a local!
Renting a Villa allows you to live the life of an Italian for a week. Enjoy the privacy of your own Italian villa – move in so to speak! Cook dinner with fresh food bought from the local market. Take the time to get to know your surroundings, say Ciao to your new neighbours and above all live the dream!
With so many villas and regions to choose from, it can be quite difficult to decide where to go. This month we are concentration on Liguria, also know as the Italian Riviera. It is one of the smallest regions in Italy, but it has plenty to offer. Liguria is an area full of tradition and culture with outstanding landscape. You will see glimpses of hill top castles amongst lemon-scented groves and pretty little fishing villages amongst chic seaside resorts.

The Ligurian Riviera is lined with palm-fringed avenues and plays host to numerous excellent resorts.

To the west of Genoa, the capital that stands central along the coastline, Dolceacqua is one of the most picturesque villages in the area and renowned for its well tended vineyards producing excellent wine.

Santa Margherita Ligure beckons with its little harbour, sandy beaches and lovely long sea front walks.

San Remo, famous for its flower production of roses and carnations, offers palm-lined promenades and exotic gardens.

To the east of Genoa, Rapallo is one of the most popular resorts on the Riviera. It has a low-key, yet lively atmosphere for all ages, as well as enticing food markets and historic sites such as the seafront Castello, which once served as a prison.

Portofino, perhaps the most famous of all, is the most exclusive spot on the Riviera and can only be reached by boat or foot. Favoured by the rich and famous, its medieval lanes studded with bijou boutiques and lovely harbour lined with yachts, make it an irresistible place to visit.

The capital is the old city of Genoa with its little narrow streets leading to unexpected pretty squares. The hub of the city is the old port which is located right in the centre and where you will find excellent restaurants, bars and shops.

View villas in Liguira

Official site for tourism in Liguria

Easter Holiday in Italy
14-03-10
If you’re travelling in Italy at Easter you will find lots of festivities. Easter is an incredibly important holiday not least due to the fact that the Roman Catholic Church has got its headquarter here. The Monday following Easter is of equally importance, the entire week proceeding Easter, in fact, is the perfect time to be travelling through Italy, unless you are allergic to crowds and traffic of course!
Easter is called “Pasqua”in Italian and it’s a time of religious parades and celebrations. Should you wish to, you’ll be able to find an Easter Sunday mass wherever you are during that week. If you’re looking for the biggest of them all, however, you’ll have to head to St. Peter’s Basilica in Vatican City. For a more intimate and local tradition, do lookout for Catholic priests throughout Italy who will be stopping in private homes and shops in order to bless them for Easter.

The Joys Of Spring Under The Italian Sun
11-03-10
Spring is definitely in the air now in Italy, the first spring flowers have already appeared and gone, and the newly pruned fruit trees producing tightly furled buds that will open with the first week of sun and good weather. In a matter of weeks, the country has shaken off is winter gloom and is alive with a new sense of optimism and cheer at the first timid signs of the arrival of a new season. Days might be blustery, but the pale yellow sun is never far off and ever more people are tempted back out onto the streets for a stroll and a chat, or onto their balconies to enjoy a sly half hour of sun. Anyone with a patch of ground at the back of their home is out tilling and preparing the ground for the year’s first vegetables, rows of bitter escarole and hardly lettuces already forming straight lines along the plot edges. Broad beans and peas are next, with beans, beets and carrots close on their heels. People are still very passionate about growing their own fruit and vegetables in Italy, and even in the smallest plot of land, you’ll find they’ve managed to insert an impossible number of edible plants and herbs. And as anyone who’s eaten carrots or beets fresh out of the ground can tell you, there really is no comparison! Fortunately, much of the produce available at our local market is also grown locally. Visit Tuscany for the full rual experience

Please look here for villas in Italy

Experience “the Dance of the Devils”, on Sicily this Easter
08-03-10 by Toni Kay

On from the 28 March to the 4th of April 2010.
Every nation has its eccentric folk customs and to experience the top of Italian ritual strangeness, you really do need to spend Easter in Sicily.

The cosmic battle between good and evil rages across the island, as villages performs real-time Passion plays. At Prizzi, south of Palermo in the picturesque Sicilian interior, the masque begins on Palm Sunday, when Jesus rides into town on horseback. There follows a Last Supper on Holy Thursday followed by a Calvary procession on Good Friday.
On Easter Sunday at 6am is when the real fun starts, the forces of Satan arrive, hideous in their iron masks, and rampage through the streets. A company of angles eventually turns up, to slay they devils in suitable histrionic style. No evil triumph here!
Have a look at The regional Tourist Office of Sicily for information about similar Sicilian plays.

Italy

Visit Sorrento For The Early Season Sunshine.
26-02-10 by Toni Kay
Last year Sorrento was visited by thousands of people coming to enjoy this little gem in the bay of Naples, and frankly once you have visited it’s not hard to see why.
Travelling from Naples, Sorrento can be reached easily from Naples and Pompeii, as it lies at the south-eastern end of the Circumvesuviana rail line. If you drive yourself don’t expect to be able to enjoy the view as your eyes will be firmly fixed on the winding road but take comfort in the fact that at least the passengers will be able to enjoy the winding road that outlines the natural scenery off the peninsulas cliffs that makes drive a pleasure if not a bit hair-raising . The scenery has been described by some as the “colourful land, between the sky and the sea of sirens”, and particularly Sorrento captivates tourists by the load, which stays in the stunning Sorrento villas and apartments the area has to offer. The town overlooks the bay of Naples, and is the ideal spot to take in the view of Naples itself as well as, Vesuvius and Capri. Sorrento is the ideal location for reaching the remainder of the Amalfi coast. The local busses have a regular service to Positano, Amalfi, and Ravello etc. For a unique holiday experience why not use the sea metro Metro del mare you can go all the way from Pozzuoli, north of Napoli to Sapri on the Southern Campania border. You can stop off in all the attractive towns on the way to sightsee at you own leisure or simply to have a swim and a cold drink of something nice. This way of travelling is truly idyllic. If you prefer to take the helm yourself it is possible to hire speed boats for the day and travel along the coast stopping off for a swim on the way……. ahh bless.
Rent a villa in The Gulf of Naples and discover the wonderful landscape, or relax yourself in a fantastic villa on the Amalfi Coast or the Sorrento Riviera

Where Else Would You Find An Ice Cream University…
25-01-10 By Toni Kay
Italy is of course responsible for our obsession with pasta, Positano and Prada. However, nothing is more synonymous with Italy than ice cream, and it should be no surprise the first ice cream now has opened in Bologna: “Gelato University” La dolce vita indeed!

Frank Lampard is fit to fly to Italy
23-02-10
Great news for all Chelsea fans! Frank Lampard has now recovered from his virus and it fit to travel to Italy. Mind you this won’t be an Italian holiday but I’m sure he won’t be able to resist a bit of shopping in the fashionable Milan.

Italy – Villa by the sea
20-02-10 By Toni Kay
Look out of you window today and all you see is grey skies, but we all know that it doesn’t have to be like that. Early spring is beautiful in Italy, and what’s more you will have the place pretty much to yourself. Have a look at our collection of Italian villas by the sea Prices start from as little as £470 for one week Sleeps 2

Wanting Luxury? Look no further
16-02-2010 by Toni Kay
Villa Capodimonte is a luxury villa for 12, in the heart of Positano
Stay in luxury in Positano, also know as the pearl of the Amalfi Coast. The villa has enchanting views of the coast, equipped with Spa area and indoor pool and all modern conveniences expected from a luxury villa. Uniquely for the area the villa has parking for three cars with a lift to take you directly to the villa. This 5 star Positano villa is available from £6115 per week.

Bring On The Carnival Season
21-01-2010 by Toni Kay
At the moment the streets of Italy are full of laughter and fun, with kids in their amazing costumes. It is the Carnival season and you need no excuse to have fun. The tradition goes back a long time and does go back to ancient Rome’s Saturnalia, which was a festival where masters and slaves had the opportunity to change places. Nowadays the carnival is linked to Lent as a time to have fun before the days of penitence.

Carnevale Venezia 6-16 February 2010
The Venice festival is the oldest of the Italian festivals. The congregation of masked people began in the 15 century but the tradition can in fact be tracked back as far as to the 14th century. During initial period it was made law that the masks could not be used in the city after dark. The Venice festival attracted lots of foreigners including princes from all over Europe who came to enjoy the wild festivities while spending lots of money. To this day the carnival remains a world famous event.

Carnevale Acireale, The Carnival of Sicily January 30th – February 16th 2010
Know to all as the festival of beautiful and fun and is said to be the most involving and historical festival of the island. The large floats are made of paper-mache and painted in of lively colours taking the form of politicians, animals and fantasy creatures. The floats are illuminated and move around on large platforms making it quite a show.
Villas in Sicily

Carnevale di Diivrea January 13th- January 16th 2010
The medieval town of Ivrea located close to Turin in Piedmont truly comes alive in January. This historic festival commemorates the tyrant who ruled the town with an iron hand during the middle ages. It famously culminates with a battle of oranges leaving a lovely sent of oranges behind. Local food is served for free in the streets, serving up treats like pots if boiled beans with sausages, polenta and pastries.
Villas in Liguria and Piedmont

20 New Apartments in Venice.
20-01-2010 By The Timeaway Team
We are excited to announce, that we have extended our portfolio in Venice with 20 apartments!! To celebrate we have decided to offer of a magnum of champagne to all our clients booking their holiday to Venice prior to the 1st of March 2010.
Apartments in Venice

Get Romantic – think Venice
11-01-2010
There can be little doubt that Venice is the most romantic city on the planet, not even the most cynical person can deny that! The city can at times be overrun by tourist so in order to capture the romantic Venice prepare your trip in advance and you will find the beautiful and pretty canal sides and secret lanes. We would recommend that you explore the backstreets around the Rialto Bridge where you can find plenty of hole-in-the-wall wine bars gives you an insight into the real Venice. In order to get further away from the tourists you should consider one of our many apartments all very centrally located in the centre of Venice and guaranteed to give your holiday an authentic flavour. Please view our apartments in Venice here

What links two famous actresses and John Steinbeck to the Amalfi Coast?
18-12-2009
ByToni Kay
The answer is of course love! Greta Garbo as well as Ingrid Bergman conducted their famous love affairs on the Amalfi coast, and the coast inspired John Steinbeck to write; “Positano” a place that completely captured his heart. Should you fancy a drive of a lifetime and the opportunity to feel the love for yourself then follow the popular Amalfi Coast route follows the shoreline from Sorrento south to Salerno . National Geographic has name The Amalfi Coast and the Sorrento Peninsula one of the chosen drives of a lifetime and also deemed by UNESCO as “an outstanding example of Mediterranean landscape, with exceptional cultural and natural scenic values,” the coast was awarded a coveted spot on the World Heritage list in 1997.