Buti, enjoy Hospitality and Oil in Tuscany

Good morning to all of you, I’m leaving going to Buti, a beautiful medieval country between hills and wild nature. The Cooking Classes in Tuscany blog we’ll be there to report various events you can find here during the Extra Virgin Oil Feast and, above all, giving you some trip tips if you’ll decide coming here in Tuscany.

I’ll share this adventure with my friends and partners: Il Servito Buono and Profumo di Timo travel and food bloggers, the first very focused on events and meetings in Tuscan towns and villages andthe second on recipes and personal food experiences.

I really hope the weather’ll love us and that we’ll be able to work at its best.

Here we go…the day was over and the “I Tesori di Buti” experience was a really tasteful and enriching one.

Just two days ago we arrived at Agriturismo “Cima alla Serra” around 3,00 pm and we were immediately kidnapped by the magical view surrounding here.

Francesca, the owner, is very welcoming and friendly and she made us know every detail about this faboulous place on the top of a hill.

Pictures show you the landscape you can enjoy from the windows bedroom.

The apartments are very bright and confortable; this is the right place for who likes peace, quite, good food and a neirby village to go if you need something.

After few minutes we went to an interesting meeting, at the lovely Theatre. This event, sponsorized by Buti Municipality, was about “Albergo diffuso“, an Italian concept often not translated in English, but we could sintetize in: Widespread Hotel.

The university lecturer Maurizio Droli explained us this concept as an innovative way to accomodate tourists: houses and bed places can be utilized by tourists in a country which has agricultral roots. People have to network and to found mutual helping groups; never forgetting that this is a way of doing business. Everyone make something, all together make the tourist or traveler happiness.

After the meeting we went to Villa Medicea cellars enjoying a drink and tasting of local aperitifs. This magnificent Villa arose in Buti from the ruins of an ancient fortress dated back to the year 1000.

The leit motive of all these days is the “Olio Novo”, the new year oil (Extra Virgin one). That’s why we tasted Bruschetta, ricotta, vegetables and polenta seasoned with Extra Virgin Oil, rapresenting here in Tuscany: the green Gold.

We had dinner at the restaurant Aglio, Olio e Peperoncino, where we met the spontaneous and genuine owner, Roberta, who personally recommended to us a delicious local menu: Bruschetta, Maccheroni di Cinta Senese, Tagliata Porcini Mushrooms, Tagliata Rucola and Parmesan and Tiramisu. At the end of all this…could not miss the Ponce (strong italian coffee, sugar, lemon zest and strong Tuscan Rum). It was really tasty, just the “boxer punch during the gong” 😀

During this time at the restaurant we spoke at the table about our lives, blogs, business, recipes and loves, and I’m sure we placed a new “piece” toward our future friendship.

It was a nice way going to bed and thinking about people I met during the day and with whom I was.

Sunday was the “Extra Virgin Oil” day.

We had a fantastic breakfast at Cima alla Serra and then we went to Buti where, on the sides of the village narrow streets, there were many people who dramatized the ancient crafts here in Tuscany.

We had a fast lunch and the entire group (instagramers, bloggers, journalists and foodies) went to visit the Villa Medicea and the ancient Oil mill Rossoni, where we found an exposition about chocolate and coffee by Trinci.
This company utilizes a traditional machine working with wood, for coffee and cocoa roasting; following a “sweet” procedure (without attacking the berry) with unmatchable results.

We made a picture of the group you can and we left for home.

They were two days of meetings, ideas sharing, good food and laughters.
Here you can find a local newspaper article about our experience.
I really think to Buti like a big chance in hospitality and I hope coming back here early, maybe to hold some of my cooking classes in Tuscany.