Archive for 'January'

Considering getting away this Christmas – escaping the chaos, the in-laws, the dinner preparations, and more – but not sure where to go? Why not think about choosing Montepulciano? It is a beautiful town, famous for its wine, located in lovely Tuscany, surrounded by the most gorgeous scenery, historic and well-preserved, and very peaceful and quiet. Better yet, it is utterly transformed at Christmas and becomes a magical winter wonderland with plenty to keep everyone in the family or in a group of friends happy! If you are looking for a home away from home that is full of Christmas cheer but far removed from your daily routines and responsibilities, then just browse our incredible vacation rentals in Montepulciano and plan a Christmas getaway in Tuscany.

From the 16th of November 2019, right through to the 6th of January 2020, the lovely medieval town of Montepulciano goes crazy for Christmas. A Christmas Village pops up in the Piazza Grande and the cute little wooden huts that make up the town’s Christmas market house various stalls selling all sorts of goods from Christmas ornaments and gifts to local crafts to seasonal treats and snacks to hot drinks of all kinds. Then, at the Poliziana Fortress, Santa Claus takes over for the season and it becomes his castle and the garden plays host to an ice-skating rink.

The team here at Easy Reserve would like to take a moment to thank all of you and wish you a happy holidays.

We are grateful to all of our customers, both new and old, who booked villas with us this year and hope you had wonderful holidays and only good experiences throughout the whole process. To our property owners, we hope you had your properties booked up all year and look forward to ensuring the same next year! For anyone who reads our blog, we hope you gained some interesting insights, found new holiday destinations and got inspiration for your next vacation.

In 2017, we will do our best to deliver the same excellent service, fantastic properties and content and have plans to better all aspects in the new year. Here's to an even better year with Easy Reserve!

Salvador Domingo Felipe Jacinto Dalí i Domènech, Marqués de Dalí de Púbol, known as Salvador Dalí, was a prominent Spanish surrealist painter born in Figueres, Catalonia in Spain and is one of the most famous artists of all time. Having some of his work on display is always a bonus at a gallery or museum that is sure to draw crowds.

A certain museum in Tuscany, meanwhile, is putting on an exhibition that is a must for any and all Dalí fans who have found a luxury villa in Pisa.

The Palazzo Blu will host “Dalí. Il Sogno del Classico” (“Dalí – The Dream of the Classics”) from the 1st of October 2016 until the 5th of February 2017, Monday to Friday 10am - 7pm and Saturday to Sunday 10am – 8pm.

Our last article outlined the Italian tradition of Presepi, or Nativity Scenes, and their origins and cultural significance. This second installment aims to help you find some real examples if you have found a vacation rental in Tuscany and are planning on spending time in the region over the festive period.

We have put together a long, but in no way exhaustive, list of some of the better Presepi that you can find in Tuscany.

However, as we mentioned in the last article, almost every church and town will have one, though they may vary in scale, style and elaboration. Among these, you may even find some hidden gems that we haven't listed so take this as a rough guide rather than the bible.

Each year the international media plays reels at the end of Christmas news reports of the highly elaborate Nativity scenes that can be found all across Italy. What might appear to be a cute gimmick, is actually a very old tradition, indeed.

Dating back to the very origins of the Christian holiday, these physical representations of the birth of “bambino Gesù", or “presepe", were popularised in Italy and now can be found throughout the globe. Find a vacation rental in Tuscany and discover the presepe dotted all over the region!

They vary in size, the material they are built with, the number of elements, people, animals, dress, and activities that are figured but the core concept is constant: the Virgin, Joseph and baby Jesus an angel presiding over everything, an ox and a donkey.