Bread is a wonderful food, a great base for many meals and it plays a big part in virtually every food culture. Whilst Italians may not eat quite as much as many other Europeans do, they do eat it virtually every day and Italian cuisine is a wealth for regional bread variations. Much like the…
Flavours Blog
Italian food, lifestyle and culture blog - by the Flavours Holidays team.
How to Read Italian Wine Labels? Understanding DOCG, DOC, IGT & VdT Classifications
We all know that feeling – standing in the wine aisle of the supermarket trying to choose a great bottle of wine, with no idea what differentiates an average wine from a great wine. With so much choice, and so many types of wine to choose from, it can definitely be a bit of a…
The Definitive List of the Top 10 Masterpieces of Italian Art
With its decadent architecture, many extraordinary remains of the Roman Empire, a dramatic and often turbulent history, and stunning natural scenery, it’s really no wonder that artists, poets, philosophers and writers have turned to Italy for centuries to inspire and create. Widely recognised as the birthplace of the Renaissance, as well the Baroque and Neoclassicism,…
Lock-down Diaries – A perspective from Seville
Sixth and last of our lock-down diaries is an interview with Abel Ibáñez, the charming Manager of Villa El Molino. Flavours launched Seville as a new destination in 2019 and our home away from home is the stunning Villa El Molino. This luxury nineteenth-century Oil mill recently restored in the heart of the Natural Park Sierra de Aracena y Picos de Aroche, has fast become a favourite amongst our guests for its true Andalusian charm. Abel is the manager of this amazing estate and he is known for going above and beyond to ensure all guests have the perfect stay at the villa.
Lock-down Diaries- A Spanish Perspective
Fifth of our lock-down diaries is an interview with Noemi Parra Martin, our host from Granada, Andalusia. Our guests love the splendour and delights of Andalusia, and the lovely Noemi is always on hand to share the culture of her hometown Granada. Noemi can often be found teaching our guests Flamenco, a real passion for her and not to mention ensuring their glasses are always filled with ‘Cava’. In this interview, Noemi shares what life has been like in Andalusia during this period and gives us a glimpse into life after lock-down.
Interview with Nikki Welch – Wine Expert and Founder of WineTubeMap
Nikki Welch is the founder of the WineTubeMap and author of the Pocket Guide to Wine. She is well-known for her love of wine, saying that she “only ever stops thinking about wine to decide what she’s eating with it”. Nikki’s website and app – The WineTubeMap – is an amazing wine recommender, designed to…
Lock-down Diaries – A Perspective from Bologna
Fourth of our lock-down diaries is an interview with Contessa Maria Teresa Vespignani Boselli, the lovely owner of Villa La Vespa. Villa la Vespa is a beautifully restored farmhouse situated in the heart of the Tredozio region on top of one of the highest hills in the area. This amazing villa is famous not only amongst our guests, it turns out Celebrity Chef Gino D’Acampo cooked up a storm with the Contessa at the villa in the foodie capital of Italy. Contessa Maria Teresa is always on hand to welcome our guests and make sure they have an unforgettable experience.
The Top 10 UK Art Competitions to Enter in 2020
Art competitions are a great way to further develop your creative skills! By working on a piece with a specific theme or using a particular medium, entering a competition gives you a chance to focus on and evaluate your technical skills and personal style. We’ve compiled a list of the 10 best UK-based art competitions…
How to Choose the Best Pilates Mat
Choosing a Pilates mat is one of the most important steps in setting yourself up for success in your Pilates practice. With so many Pilates mats on the market, it can seem overwhelming and confusing, so we’re here to help! We’ve reached out to our Pilates network to put together a guide for choosing the…
Lock-down Diaries – A Perspective from Puglia
Third of our lock-down diaries is an interview with Cosimo and Gina, our gardener and housekeeper from Villa Casino Pisanelli. Casino Pisanelli, originally a hunting lodge built in the 17th century for a local Count, is our signature villa in Puglia which never ceases to impress our guests and it is all thanks to our lovely team Cosimo and Gina. In this interview, Cosimo and Gina share what life has been like in the ‘Heel of the Boot’ during this time, as they make sure that the beauty of Casino Pisanelli remains waiting for you all.
4 Quick and Easy Italian Recipes
The cuisine of each region of Italy is known for its unique style, flavours and technique, as well as certain historic influences from around the Mediterranean, including Greece, Spain, and even the Middle East. With so many styles of Italian cooking to choose from, it’s an exciting and delicious cuisine to cook! The Italian’s Mediterranean…
Lock-down Diaries – A Perspective from Venice
Second of our lock-down diaries is an interview with Flavours’ Trusted Partner, Vineyard Malibran. Malibran, located in the heart of the Treviso province, is the birthplace of ‘Prosecco’ and continues to produce the highest quality Prosecco in the world known as ‘Prosecco Superiore’. This family run business is a favourite amongst our Flavours guests and many have enjoyed the delights of this Prosecco at the famous tastings in the vineyard itself, nestled in the Conegliano hills. The owner, Maurizio shares what life is like in the Veneto region during this time and how family comes first.
10 Best Books That Will Transport You to Italy
Embracing the Italian culture and the Italian way of life is an integral part of the Flavours Holidays’ experience. When you’re learning how to cook regional Italian dishes, diving into a conversation with the locals, or immersing yourself in the Italian landscape – you get a feel for the passionate and inspirational culture of Italy….
Lock-down Diaries – A Sicilian Perspective
First of our lock-down diaries is an interview with Flavours Driver in Sicily – Giovanni Floridia. Giovanni is famous amongst our guests thanks to his impeccable style and welcoming smile. He’s been working with Flavours for over 6 years as our driver in Sicily. He loves working with the Flavours guests and showing them the delights of Sicily and is a true ‘Amici’. He has kindly shared with us life in Sicily during this period and how he has adapted his business to ensure the safety and comfort of his guests.
My Inspiring Photography Holiday in Tuscany (by Sid Vel)
I’ve holidayed in Italy a couple of times in the past. Those were all city breaks where I would go through a checklist of places to see, things to do, and food to eat. Then, I went on a ‘Flavours holiday’ – a week-long holiday where one gets to learn (or improve) a skill, unwind…
Interview with Flavours’ Chef & Host – Livia De Giovanni
Livia de Giovanni is a chef and host for Flavours Holidays, and is also the “granny finder” for the Pasta Grannies phenomenon on YouTube and the new cookbook of the same name. We received so much lovely feedback from guests last year about Livia, so we got together with Livia to chat about her love…
Flavours’ Favourite Moments of 2019
A lot of wonderful people work with Flavours across all activities and regions to make every holiday a success. We spoke to some of them about how fantastic 2019 has been and to reflect on some of their favourite moments! Johanna Dollerson – Pilates Teacher 1. What has been your favourite region to visit this…
Flavours Staff’s 2019 Christmas Wishlist
Christmas is fast approaching and the Flavours team is feeling festive! The decorations are up, the carols are playing and we’re all thinking about what Santa might be leaving under the tree for us. Have a look below to see what’s at the top of the Flavours’ Christmas wishlist!
Pasta Grannies – An Interview With Vicky Bennison
We are delighted to introduce Vicky Bennison, creator of the YouTube phenomenon Pasta Grannies and author of the newly released cookbook by the same name. Flavours Holidays recently had the chance to sit down with Vicky and discover the story behind Pasta Grannies. What inspired you to come up with the Pasta Grannies concept? I…
My Amazing Cooking Holiday in Venice (by Erin Prior)
I am lucky enough to be able to say that I have travelled to Italy multiple times, and visited many of their beautiful cities. I absolutely love everything about Italy – the history, the scenery, the food! It’s definitely safe to say I can see my Italian travels continuing for a long time yet! Most…
The new Pilates holiday in Seville was a hit with our ‘Amici’
Our first ever week in Seville was a massive success with our Pilates ladies and the lovely Ros Hoyes demonstrating the benefits of Pilates and Mindfulness. Everyone had lots of fun with cava flowing, tapas and Flamenco! Here are some highlights from Ros on the week: Ros, you were teaching Pilates with Mindfulness in our…
Remembering Andrea Camilleri
Flavours Holidays are long-time fans of Andrea Camilleri’s wonderful world of Inspector Montalbano, especially with his links to the beautiful Sicily. Born in Sicily in 1925, the beloved creator and author sadly passed away in July 2019 at the age of 93 years old. Camilleri worked on a handful of historical novels, before creating the…
Who Goes on a Flavours Holiday? Interview with Alice Peterson
We spoke to bestselling novelist Alice Peterson, who joined a Flavours Pilates holiday in Puglia, which also includes two cooking lessons. Alice’s new book, If You Were Here, is published on 22 August. What made you pick a Flavours holiday in Puglia? I did a fair bit of research online, and there were lots of…
A selection of our favourite white wines from Italy
Looking for a dry white wine? It’s easy to get overwhelmed by everything that is on offer. Which is why we have put together a list of our favourite wines. It contains wines from each of our Flavours Destinations and each wine displays characteristics typical of its region. Fiano Fiano is a wonderful grape variety…
Interview with Flavours’ Italian Teacher – Carlo Lenoci
Carlo Lenoci teaches Italian at a number of language schools around Edinburgh. He also teaches our Italian language learning holidays throughout Italy, and, as our guests love him so much, we thought we would find out a bit more about him! “Everything was perfect for me; I loved the villa, and Carlo, our teacher, made…
Top 5 Reasons to Learn a Foreign Language
How often do you hear yourself lament that you wish you knew another language, or that you had taken advantage of the opportunity to learn back in your school days? I know that I say it almost every time I travel to a foreign country, and probably more often than that if I’m honest! But,…
Celebrity chef Rick Stein visits Bologna and enjoys dinner cooked by our favourite chef!
We are so excited to see the wonderful chef, Mario, featured on Rick Stein’s Long Weekends in a recent episode set in beautiful Bologna. Before opening his own restaurant, Scacco Matto, Mario used to teach on our cooking holidays in Bologna and is a long time friend of Flavours Holidays. In his BBC programme, Rick…
The Top 10 Highlights Of Andalusia
What does Andalusia conjure up in your imagination? Sun, flamenco, sea, white villages, fiery Spanish passion, Seville oranges perhaps. This diverse region in southern Spain has long been a place for holidays with its long hot summers, beaches and delicious food. Having always based our activity holidays in Italy, we are branching out and finding…
Piedmont’s Top Produce Everyone Should Try
According to Lonely Planet, this year Piedmont (Piemonte in Italian) is the top region to visit in the world. Amongst the beautiful rolling hills and grape vines of the Langhe region, Piedmont has three products from the region that we think you should know about. The Flavours team decided to make our own list of…
The 7 Big Advantages of Solo Travelling
Travelling is always beneficial. Advantages of travelling are never ending; it broadens your horizons. You get out of your comfort zone, meet new people, share new experiences and make new memories. However, solo travelling does a lot more wonders than travelling alone. There is no other feeling as amazing as travelling alone. It makes you…