Carly's Cortona Corner

The Last Thursday of November

2011-11-30T14:54:00.001-08:00

We specifically designed our kitchen with two ovens. The over-sized (by Italian standards) oven was a non-negotiable must because we had the Thanksgiving turkey in mind. The celebration of American Thanksgiving has become a tradition in Casa Chilenne since we opened in 2008 and as each year has passed our turkey seems to have grown with along with the many blessings which have been showered upon us. 2008 brought the first turkey we ordered which was over 12 kilos, 2009 it was 13+ kilos, 2010 despite our begging the butcher to find a smaller one brought a turkey of 14 kilos. This year 2011 we found ourselves again pondering the oven with our trusty tape measure before returning to the butcher's-at the time the smallest turkey available was 14,8 kilos! The turkey could not be any taller than 32 cm at it's highest point, lest it come in contact with the upper heating coil and burn the skin. On the morning of Thanksgiving Francesco Cipollini arrived, lugging a white paper wrapped bird the size of a kindergartner. He happily reported that the turkey was 24 cm at its highest point and weighed 14,4 kilos-SOLD!

Ademaro Rossi and I getting ready to serve 14 seated guestsIt is most important to emphasize that this turkey has come to symbolize a time for us to take stock and really remember how blessed we are. This gathering meant to inspire conscious sense of gratitude for the support of friends, neighbors and family-we could not have accomplished what we did without their support. This year we were a sanctuary for cousins studying abroad and their schoolmates as we celebrated with Cortona friends. With the help of cousins Natalie, Jamie and Nat's friend Lauren we were able to recreate a classic Turkey dinner with fixings, fresh cranberry-orange relish, bread stuffing, chinese style rice dressing, corn bread, green bean salad, maple and clementine glazed sweet potatoes and yams, pumpkin pie, apple pie and a chocolate buche de noel-I know a bit early, but it was tasty all the same. It's never too early or too late to celebrate Thanksgiving the last Thursday of November just serves as a reminder. Thanks to all of you who believe in us-thank you for your friendship and support.

Technology Marches On!

2011-11-14T10:21:00.000-08:00

Lots of technological changes happening here and it's just making our heads spin. The Italian national television stations will be transmitting only in digital in a few days so we're finishing up the installation of new receivers. We have made Casa Chilenne a Wi-Fi zone, we'll be moving up to a commercial dishwasher, etc. etc. We're striving to keep ourselves updated, to fill our guests needs as well as treating them to a bit of pampering whether it be for a weekend getaway, a place to hang one's hat on a business trip, a memorable wedding celebration or extended stay to tour the area.
For the first time in nearly 4 years we'll be closed for a short break. From November 17th, 2011 until the morning of December 7th, 2011 we'll be keeping our home private. From the night of December 7th onwards we plan to welcome guests to Casa Chilenne with some fresh holiday sparkle .
And after a lot of soul searching, calculating and recalculating we made a hard decision. Nearly 4 years after opening Casa Chilenne to the public, we will be raising our rates, ever so slightly for 2012. A double room will be 110 Euro/night and a double for single use room will be 85 Euro/night. Extra beds can still be added for 40 Euro/night, children from 6-12 years of age still pay half price for the extra bed (20 Euro/ night), children from 0-5 years old still sleep free of charge and we still provide free travel cribs and bedding for our smallest guests. Our rates always include our in-house buffet breakfast, served in our private breakfast room with fresh linens and flowers, daily maid service and free internet service.
We can't give up the idea of providing little comforts to make our guests feel more at home. Our traditional Italian breakfast of pastry, yogurts, cereal, local cured meats and cheeses, assorted jams, juices and local roasted coffee for Italian and electric drip coffee are complimented by bacon and eggs cooked to order, REAL maple syrup for our homemade waffles, an assortment of teas and fresh fruit. Our rooms provide a complimentary set of toiletries, big fluffy bathsheets, multi-lanuguage satellite TV service, individually adjustable air conditioning and heat, minibar and safe. Offering our guests comfort has always been a priority for us. Hairdryers that you can dry and STYLE your hair with instead of playing tug-of-war and doing contorsionists' exercises with the wall mounted ones, bath shampoo bottles with caps rather than blister packs (ever try opening one of those rascals in the shower without scissors?!), showers big enough to avoid hopping out dripping wet should you drop the bar of soap are just common courtesy to us. We want to keep slippers and sewing kits, toothbrushes, razors and combs at hand for our guests if they need them. We observed and adapted as more and more iPads, iPhones and wireless devices came travelling along with guests and we realized that our cable LAN connections in all the rooms were just not going to be sufficient anymore. We listened when it was suggested that a magnifying, vanity mirror be provided in our baths so that shaving and make-up application could be easier.
We've been so encouraged by the 100+ reviews we've received on TripAdvisor, we take this to mean we are on the right track-thanks to all who have taken the time to voice their opinions. We take pride in our home and care about the quality of your stay with us. Let us know how you think we're doing-thanks again for 4 wonderful years we look forward to welcoming you to Cortona for years to come!

Carlotta's latest news updates

2011-06-21T10:03:00.001-07:00

Well! We're getting ready to finish up our third year of business at Casa Chilenne and it has really been a busy one so far. We've made lots of new friends and welcomed back many old ones as well.
We've been honored to be a part of so many happy occasions, weddings, anniversaries. We were thrilled when our friend Peggy from San Jose decided to come back to visit us and complete her 50th orbit around the sun here at Casa Chilenne. Jeanette was able to personally welcome her into the ranks of her newly established 50 Orbit Cadet Club (tee shirt to follow).

Our first Casa Chilenne bride and groom Yoon Hee and Feng Ze came back for a surprise visit to celebrate their almost 3rd anniversary after hosting their wedding guests here in 2008- Our most recent wedding celebration for a couple who returned with a new family member in tow...best wishes to Anna, Tyson and our new little friend Christian.

We have been blessed with experiences and memories which we'll cherish, our Christmas luncheon of homemade tortellini made together with guests from Australia on their honeymoon, Thanksgiving with my cousin who is studying abroad in Switzerland, together with our friends from Cortona and guests from Australia, one who has a wallabee and kangaroo rescue! These are just a few-life has been good to us.

More recent good news, our friend Francesca Pallini has just returned from a concert engagement with other cast members of "Ti Lascio un Canzione IV" in Montreal Canada! We are very proud of her!

The Archidado Crossbow competition has come and gone, our flag throwers, drum and bugle corps braved rain and hail as they paraded down Via Nazionale, and the winners of Peccioverarda (that's our neighborhood!) were thoroughly drenched as they made their victory promenade along Rugapiana.

And the most recent bit of information of all...today our friend and computer whiz Martino performed a feat of magic...Casa Chilenne is now a WiFi zone! He couldn't be stopped by 4 floors of stone building. We've noticed in just 1 year's time the number of IPhones and IPads used by our guests has just increased exponentially, it was time for us to step-up and make it happen...so, here we are.
You can travel to far flung corners of the earth and still stay close to the ones you love and I guess that's one of the biggest gifts that technology can give us.

We're looking forward to launching into our 4th year of welcoming folks to Cortona. Our mission as always to provide the comforts and amenities of a fine hotel in a homey friendly atmosphere. It's been most encouraging to receive so many kind thank you notes, comments and reviews which lead us to believe we're on the right track so we'll keep plugging on. One of our most recent satisfactions was being included in an article published in "Ville e Casali" June 2011 issue which features Cortona.

Our recent goal is to start using our resources wisely for this and future generations. We have installed a reverse osmosis water purification unit so that we basically create our own great tasting mineral water, fizzy or naturale . We're saving space, we're saving fuel in transport and at the same time we're providing fresh, great tasting, high-quality drinking water. We hope you'll agree when you taste it.
We've always had motion sensor activated lights in our halls and we'll be encouraging our guests to be involved by remembering to turn out lights in their rooms when they're not needed (we need to use our monetary resources wisely as well).

Thank you for three wonderful years, we look forward to being your home in the heart of Cortona for many years to come...

What the World Needs Now-

2011-02-15T12:55:00.000-08:00

Valentine's Day fluttered in on Cupid's wings with more of a whisper of a breeze than the gusting winds of previous years here at Casa Chilenne; however, as this pink and red and heart embellished holiday passes on I can't help but think about what this holiday is really about. It is the "Festa degli Innamorati" here, the "holiday of lovers", but I want to reflect further on what this festa chock-full of roses and chocolate really is or should be.

Maybe it should be a celebration of Love in general, love of our family, ourselves, our planet, our neighbors. A reminder to find something worthy of our passion and invest our love in that person, cause, idea and hopefully make this world a better place for a friend, a lover, a child, the environment, the world, our animals, our neighbors, society in general.

Overly optimistic and naiive? Probably. Unrealistic and preposturous? Maybe. But I just can't stop believing in that romanticized notion of the Power of Love which when channeled in the proper direction can right some of the wrongs (big and small) of our world. Love ourselves, Love one another, Love our world and maybe we'll live happily ever after...

Cortona's Got Talent!

2010-05-16T00:06:00.001-07:00

Congratulations to our friend Francesca Pallini! It's always a pleasure when someone's dream comes true and eight year old Francesca has taken a big step forward toward her dream to be an entertainer. This winter Francesca participated in a talent competition organized by our local television station Teletruria called "Talenti alla Ribalta". She had participated the year before, had fun, but failed to win. This year Francesca triumphantly swept away all the awards.

There's always been something special about Francesca since she was a tiny little baby who would sing along with her mother as she strolled along in her pram. The choices of songs for the competition are hers and they surprise the judges and public because many are popular Italian songs which harken back to the 40's or 50's. One of her favorite artists is Renato Carosone who made "Tu Vuo' far l'Americano" popular in the fifties. I am going to post here a link to videos from the transmission of Francesca performing "Io, Mammeta e Tu" which is a comical story/song about a man obliged to bring his girlfriend's mother along on their dates as a chaperone. This song was sung both by Domenico Modugno of "Volare" fame and Renato Carosone.
The second link is Francesca's interpretation of Renato Carosone's "Torero" in costume!

Brava Francesca!! May all your dreams come true!
Click on or copy the links below to your browser, one at a time, to see Francesca's performances.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=utA2QLhT5Vc "Io, Mammeta e Tu" and
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oiQmeQcnXjQ&feature=related "Torero"

Viva la Mamma!

2010-05-08T09:25:00.000-07:00

Many of you already know about the biggest news in Casa Chilenne for 2009. It was the arrival of 4 pups on October 22. Carlotta bravely brought 2 boy and 2 girl puppies into the world. More bravely she diligently cared for them and raised them to become healthy and hearty pups who have gone out into the world with new loving families. The exception being the runt of the litter, Daisy, who has firmly instated herself in Casa Chilenne as the Queen of Everything. Carlotta is loving, patient and kind as any model mom would be, she doesn't break the bubble of illusion that Daisy has surrounded herself with.

Daisy proclaiming herself the queen of everything to her baby sister Gioia.

The first puppy to make his way into the world was a little boy. He arrived feet first and just couldn't seem to make his way out. Jeanette watched as he struggled to free his head and his little feet wriggled, then slowed as he fought his way out to face the world. Miraculously his head finally appeared, he needed some massage to get him breathing properly and get a healthier pink color to his tiny body with relief we heard a bleating cry, all was well, he had blazed the way for his siblings and during the time we had him we called him Scout.

Thinking the worst had passed it was evident that we would need to hold our breath again as another even tinier pair of hind paws appeared. The tiniest pup had started her way into the world, again, this one was determined to hit the ground running. Little Daisy was born at 4 pm, 40 minutes after her brother and weighing in at a miniscule 126 grams !

She was followed by an enormous head that belonged to a whopping 156 gram puppy boy Jake who followed and another half hour later the last girl puppy, arrived head first. Before she had been fully delivered she latched on to start nursing and we knew then that the best name for her was Gioia for the joy of life she was already demonstrating.

To announce their arrival we proudly (and a bit ironically) displayed the blue/pink/blue/pink ribbons outside our door and were surprised by the steady stream of visitors who came to visit Carlotta's pups with flower homages!

For over two months we watched in wonder as Carlotta cared for her puppies and they grew and flourished.

Soon Jake was twice the weight of Daisy yet they were inseparable. Daisy would nestle for her naps a top her big baby brother and growl and yap him into shape when he disobeyed her orders. Our vet was amazed at how well Carlotta did at nourishing them and her puppies continued to grow and flourish.

Thanksgiving and Christmas were especially joyful as our little ones filled the house with good cheer.
When the holidays were over they went to good, loving homes and received new names as well. Jake is now Pato, Scout has become Lapo and Gioia has a new name Jolie.
Probably the hardest part was saying goodbye to our pups. They are all in loving homes where they bring joy to new families. We wanted the best for Carlotta's pups and worried that she would suffer when she was separated from her offspring. But again we learned something from the animal world, the greatest satisfaction for a mother is to see her children go off into the world and thrive, it is the affirmation that even without an instruction manual that she has done her job right! Happy Mother's Day to mom's all over the world who give their love, care and nourishment to their children so that they may become thriving adults. Son tutte belle le mamme del mondo.

Chicken Little

2010-04-20T13:39:00.000-07:00

It's important that the skies be safe to fly in before planes take off. We are experiencing a few postponements of visits due to flights being cancelled from England and Ireland, otherwise life here as been pretty much "as usual". No need to worry about lack of food or supplies, nor mass exodus on our commuter trains which bring people from Florence or Rome to Cortona. No air quality warnings, there is calm- and Spring though a bit fickle this year about making a definitive commitment to staying, has been gracing us with visits. Nothing which sells newspapers and fills television news space has been happening so far.

Life is almost excruciatingly ordinary as we await visitors who will come to enjoy Cortona. The skies were blue and the sun started to warm the stones of the piazza today and it took a bit of coaxing to get Daisy (Carlotta's six month old baby!) to continue moving along without throwing herself down in Piazza della Repubblica to soak up some early spring sun. The swallows snuck up on me again this year (drats!) ; I missed again the exact day of their arrival.

Our little corner of paradise is being transformed by Spring- we're ready to welcome you home.

And We're Off!

2009-05-10T10:41:00.000-07:00

Well! 2009 Blew by us so I want to publish this now- So many things have happened and I will post in more blogs. The 2010 addition of this car rally was over yesterday. But here are the pics of last year's race-

Well Summer is blowing by us! Here are some highlights of what's been going on around town. Carlotta has been shirking a bit on her blog work as she's been a bit busy making sure all our guests are happy.

The roar of the engines of the Epic Car Rally here in Cortona seems to kick off the flow of visitors who come to discover the beauty of Cortona. This loud cross of rumbling and whining has some sort of hypnotic power over the spectators, most often those who possess a Y chromosome, who are drawn like bees to honey. Personally, this noise seems to bring out a sort of axe murderer instinct in me. If I had an axe and was within earshot of a television broadcasting these events I think the results could be disasterous. However, I must say the cars are beautiful as far as design goes.

Most popular are the race car prototypes

But even these old beauties command attention.

25 Aprile - La Liberazione

The Liberation Day holiday of 25th April was celebrated with a parade

The city band isn't complete without Gastone and his bass drum. When they pass you look for him- I will try to retrieve the photo in my next blog. You can just see him in the background of this one.

Mayor Vignini follows the city banner, followed by the partisan survivors of the last world war

In reality it is a double liberation as Cortona was liberated in 1261 from hostile Aretine occupation on the very same day. Memory is long here.

On May 3rd there was a gathering of the ex- Bersaglieri of the Tuscan Region in Cortona (a division of the army which literally run into battle)-their unusual uniform hats decorated with glistening black/green feathers fluttering in the wind and presence of the Carabinieri in high uniform.

More memories of 2009 to come and one of the most surprising and life changing events of last year for Carlotta to be shared with you.

The Swallows are Back!

2009-04-12T09:43:00.000-07:00

Somehow they do it every year, all of a sudden they appear- Le Rondini- the swallows that have nests built under the eaves of our palazzi here in Cortona return. I always say that I will be more observant, because there has to be a specific day they swoop in, like the swallows of Capistrano, but they always sneak in on me and their distinctively shrill cries as they dive and and swoosh upward again against the morning and evening skies wake me up to the fact that Spring has Officially arrived.
Carlotta with our friend Mario at his flower shop
There are city "Rondoni" big, totally black birds and smaller country cousins who return to the houses in the valley below and most easily distinguished by their white feathered breasts. They are the original and unchallenged trick aeronautic show as they cry out in the morning and early evening as they daringly dive in formation then suddenly swoop to the left or right or straight upwards with their beaks open to capture their insect meals.

Cortona, therefore, is called back to life. Last weekend's Chocolate Festival and this Easter Holiday weekend have called back family and friends to spend "Pasqua con Chi Vuoi" - The Italian proverb meant to resolve the dilemma of where to celebrate the holidays is "Natale con i tuoi, Pasqua con chi vuoi" that is: Christmas with yours, Easter with whom you wish.

Easter in Italy is as big as Christmas, as the priest like to remind us, Christmas is just half of the story. The beginning of the celebrations here are somber with the Good Friday procession, nearly life-sized wooden statues which represent the scenes of the Passion Week are carried through the streets by members of various service organizations. The statues, carved of solid wood in the 1600's, leave their homes in the various churches at the top of Cortona, and the bottom of Cortona , the east and west of Cortona and are brought together to visually tell the story for believers and for curious onlookers. The highlight of the midnight mass on Saturday evening is the "Volo" as the effigy of Christ Risen is run through the church at midnight. In Cortona it is said that the smoothness and speed of this "flight" through the cathedral is an auspice for the year in course.

Ilaria with face painted as a Bacio Perugina

In anticipation of the Easter celebration, beautifully decorated chocolate eggs start appearing right at the end of Mardi Gras (just to tempt those who have given up chocolate for Lent) in the windows of the pastry shops of all the cities, who proudly display their handiwork in the weeks leading up to Easter. Grocery stores stock an array of colorful, shiny, paper wrapped eggs with surprises inside. Pencil sharpeners, charms, calculators, silver jewelry, key chains, plastic toys or stuffed animals are just a few of the things that can be found in commercially produced eggs.

Gianni Banchelli getting ready for a demonstration at the Chocolate Festival. Gianni proudly carries on the tradition of Banchelli's Pasticceria opened by his grandfather in Cortona. We get our morning pastries fresh each day from Gianni.

A custom made egg from the pasticceria can hold whatever one desires, from a love letter or marriage proposal with a diamond ring, wristwatch, pens, real jewelry which lead to many an urban legend of eggs or prizes that get mixed up at the pasticceria a Easter time.

There is always a giant Easter egg up for raffle at the grocery store or pastry shops and bars. Numbered tickets from 1-90 are sold for a euro or two and the winner will be the holder of number which is drawn first from the national lottery on a specified "wheel" usually the one closest to the town, in our case Florence.

Alessio Burroni of Cocoa Chocolate Shop (left)

Sabrina, Gianni Banchelli's wife (right)

Cortona is waking up again, and although we like to enjoy having the city to ourselves for a while, a true proud citizen of this city enjoys showing it off to appreciative visitors. What's the use of having an exquisite jewel which is hidden away and never sees the light of day?

The "Rondini" are calling-what are you waiting for? Come home to Cortona, Luciano, Jeanette and of course, Carlotta are ready to welcome you home to Casa Chilenne Bed and Breakfast.

Loss of Love, Keeping the Faith and Hope

2009-04-08T11:23:00.000-07:00

With the recent earthquake in Abruzzo, there have been emails pouring in from all over with worries and concerns that we in Cortona we're physically involved in the earthquake. Thank you for all prayers and good wishes. We are far enough from Aquila that we weren't physically affected. However, as the reality of this grave situation sinks in we can't help but be affected.

A great loss of loved ones, anyone's loved ones is always a tragedy. It is, however, heartening to witness the incredible power of humanity and charity which is pouring in from the community around us and around the world. A reminder that we are all connected. Appeals for solidarity and support for the people of Abruzzo have gone out, food, clothing and blood donations. Housing for the thousands who have been rendered homeless is being sought and offered. Rescue teams of professionals and volunteers are selflessly working gruelling hours to help reunite loved ones.

Loss of a love on a big or small scale touches us all. We must fill the void with faith in finding the strength to go on, inside ourselves, or reaching out and asking for it from others to hope for a brighter future ahead, no matter how dark it may seem.

We at Casa Chilenne send our love, thoughts and prayers to the victims and survivors of the Abruzzo earthquake.

Hello Spring!

2009-03-22T14:50:00.000-07:00

Well, Spring on the calendar has come, but old man winter just had to show off a little bit and we awoke to snow on Saturday. Big, fluffy, Christmas movies kind of snowflakes and Mt. Sant'Egidio was liberally sprinkled down past Santa Margherita Church. Spring is here however, and the days are longer. The sun is rising earlier, setting sooner and we've got lots of new things happening here as well. Some of you might be reading our blog for the first time as we are now linked to our official site www.casachilenne.com which our Webmaster Simone Mozzorecchi published a week or so ago. We have nice pictures, maps to show where we are, the Cortona webcam is up and running again, although they've changed the angulation, so you basically just see the pavement, although our front door is still visible in the upper right hand corner.
Our first winter was filled with more action than we thought. We had a full house at new year's and even ran into old work colleagues from France among our guests. The "Cortona Inverno" promotion seemed to have some following and we were grateful for the offering of the theater and concert events. "Cortona in Love" the Valentine's Day event was well received and has inspired an encore to the chocolate market which will include demonstrations! on Sunday, April 5th.
The "Festa della Donna" on March 8, found Cortona filled with visitors and some nice pre-Spring weather. It left us with some great ideas for activities for our guests this summer.

Here are a few of the things that happened around Casa Chilenne this winter-

Luciano's dad celebrated his 93rd birthday! Tanti Auguri Oberdan!

Antonella's award winning St. Valentine's window displays!

So we're ready for Spring- April is filling-up fast and May starting to bring us many new visitors as well as repeat guests! September is always high season and we've been taking reservations since last year. OK Spring we're ready for you!

The Power of Love

2009-01-23T23:52:00.000-08:00

Well, it is official, it's that time of twice a year when Carlotta's charms are apparent even to the male dog world. Her popularity has swelled, and, as always, it is the arrival of Tappo the Ba-a-a-d dog in town that gives us the first and only sign (Photo by Robin Davis, on sale at La Tabaccheria del Corso). He pops up like clockwork and starts his courting sit-in outside our door. Taking a walk with Carlotta becomes an agonizing and comical (to others) affair. It seems that I have two dogs, one on a leash and the other tied by the leash of pheromones behind. Take two steps, "Tappo Vai a CA-SA!", another three, then "Tappo Go HOME!"--just in case he doesn't understand as he comes from a bilingual home as well. Sometimes he hides behind a parked car or ducks behind a potted plant, unaware that his crazy upward curled tail or pointed ears poke out and give him away.

Walking down Via Nazionale draws attention as Tappo is well known as being a key contributor to the gene pool of most of the dogs of Cortona and his hot pursuit is often cheered on by some of the meandering, pensioned men of the town. Others who are not fans of Tappo's questionable etiquette regarding his sanitary habits come to our aid and try to help us shoo him on his way. Of great help are merchants who have wares displayed on racks outside their doorways (for understandable reasons).

There must be something incredibly strong and desirable in the bloodline of Tappo, as it seems that he is the Canine Latin Lover par excellance-admittedly, he holds some sort of charm for Carlotta, quite to our horror. We imagine a new line of "Tapponcini" coming forth-a fate almost sealed last February when Carlotta slipped past the workers who were coming in to the door to work on the B&B and ran off with that peg-legged rascal. A terror fed chase ensued. As I called for her vainly, I was soon called on my cellphone by Enzo our taxi driver friend (see Cortona friends blog entry) who informed me that he had seen Carlotta dash through the townhall square (still wearing her Landsend jacket) with Tappo in hot pursuit. I back-tracked as I had head in the opposite direction-met Enzo in the square and we gave chase towards the top of town to Tappo's house (or should I say lair!) in his taxi. Alas, they were not there. Desperate, I decided it was time to notify Luciano at work-upon delivering the news I received a blue streaked earfull of Tuscan "bestemmia" D.O.C. followed by a slamming down on the other end of the line.

With nightmare images of the possible stumpy, curly haired, pointy eared, offspring which could be in the making at that very minute, I returned back down to the main part of town to continue my search. Back at Casa Chilenne she hadn't returned. I met up with Luciano at the house, he had run toward home to see if they had returned. We parted ways again. I going toward town hall on foot and him going towards the park. After 27 minutes of adventure they both came running down toward Luciano from Santa Margherita, Carlotta still with her jacket in place. Santa Margherita was looking down on us that day (she is the patron protector of wayward women) and procreation did not happen (to our immense relief).

One may say, why don't you get her fixed...I guess we selfishly and sentimentally,just can't bring ourselves to renounce having a little bit of our Carlotta carried on in future generations, of course fathered by an appropriate mate of our choosing. Perhaps Tappo is a little wiser than us as to the ways of love and the world and has other plans in store. And so, he lies in wait-

At Casa Chilenne this February we are honoring the power of love. The Comune has organized Valentine's Day weekend events and promotions including an artisan chocolatier event, concerts and our historic flag juggling company.

We know that love can't be scheduled so we're celebrating all month-contact us if you'll be in Cortona in February and we'll tell you about our "Power of Love" specials- very affordable love get aways in Cortona- We bow to the Power of Love (info@casachilenne.com or tel:+39 0575 603320)

A Season Filled with that Warm and Fuzzy Feeling

2008-12-26T12:43:00.000-08:00

A Holiday Hello from your Home in Tuscany, Your Home in Cortona- We Wish you a Joyous Holiday Season, May Serenity and Happiness be yours in 2009! We look forward to welcoming you home ! Jeanette, Luciano and Carlotta

It's Beginning to Look a Lot Like Christmas!

2008-12-21T07:29:00.000-08:00

One of the things that makes Cortona Christmas different from San Francisco Christmas is the timing with decorations. It seems that right after Halloween it immediately becomes Christmas in the US. Here in Cortona, the lights on Via Nazionale and Piazza della Repubblica were the first things to appear. The truck with the "cherry picker" basket arrived on December 7th and started to install the lights which hang above the street like a canopy of white strands of lights. The tradition is that decorating should begin on the holiday of the Immaculate Conception (December 8). Carlotta was decorated by her Sig.ra Paola, her groomer with her annual red holiday bows and then we set about deciding how to transform our B&B-
Here's a picture of some of our effort and that of some of our neighbors' to welcome in the holiday season:
Giulio and Antonella's window is always eye catching
!

No cookies and milk for Santa when he stops in Cortona-Vin Santo and Cantucci take the chill off better!

Ivan always goes all out-he really knows how to organize a transformation that would make the best Christmas elf proud

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Marco and Paola Nocchia's Galleries bring back memories of Christmases Past in Downtown, SF.

Even Roberto and Nunzi got into the spirit:

Which spread over to Massimo's Bar

And so the stage is set for Christmas in Cortona 2008-

God Bless Us One and All!

I Can't Believe They Ate the Whole Thing !

2008-12-02T14:22:00.001-08:00

Well, what do you think? In the end we had 15 guest and ourselves. We had leftovers all the same and our inn guest Judy Testa and her local friend , Teri, who took the following pictures helped us out with leftovers. We had already sent a few plates home with some of our guests on Thanksgiving eve as well as a few jars of quince jam!!

Final menu:

Pumpkin Leek soup with Barley

Roast Turkey with Sage and Herb stuffing

Baked broccoli

Cranberry with candied kumquat and ginger chutney

Regular Cranberry relish, Pumpkin Crostata with a Gingersnap Crust served with a dollop of whipped cream. Homemade white and whole grain rolls.

We put all five tables end to end and set about with the task of creating an authentic Thanksgiving dinner. Our company included the diligent electrician Giulio Moretti, who helped us create our incredibly up to date lighting system, with motion sensors, dimmers and the like. He came with his family, his assistant Simone and his assistant's fiancé, Giulia. Our talented housepainting team, Ademaro, Giuliana and Rolando-Ademaro's right-on sense of color and Giuliana's gift of hand decorating worked magic, while Rolando's good temper and dedication moved our works forward. We expressed our thanks then and we express our thanks now, that the teams of artisans who worked on Casa Chilenne believed in it and gave it their best.

I couldn't help but express our thanks to these neighbors, these friends who helped us through the first harvest of a long, hard year and a half.

We also wanted to thank the friends old and new who encouraged us on this endeavor. Who believed in us enough to cheer us on. Missing from these pictures but not at the dinner table, is one of my biggest supporters, Alberto who came to shiver in the dust while we went over his English homework and was a great help at our inauguration celebration shuttling food, dishes and beverages from the kitchen up to the terrace.

Casa Chilenne is the fruit of our investment, but more than anything it is the fruit of a labor of love for one's origins, heritage and the desire to share with others the beauty of their city. These artisans dazzled us with their dedication to making our bed and breakfast the best it could be.

As hectic as it may get and as uncertain the future may seem, we know we have much to be thankful for.

Over the River and Through the Woods

2008-11-26T14:49:00.001-08:00

OK, so the whole point of getting the oversized oven for the B&B was the Thanksgiving Turkey. How many years this endeavor had been foiled by the reduced dimensions of European ovens, but this year no. It wasn't easy but we're ready, hopefully photos later.
The Thanksgiving scavenger hunt started months ago...the most challenging task was finding the source for cranberries, second only to finding the real name of cranberries in Italian (thank God for Internet!). Cranberry juice can now be found in some health food stores and of course our well stocked Molesini grocery store, but always labelled as Mirtilli Rossi. Not exact. I sent the first search and retrieve request to Roberto, the best furnished green grocer in town at the end of September. One month prior and he still couldn't get the supplier. No one knew what he wanted. We had found a small basket of them once, mixed in with the strawberries, raspberries and blueberries one winter in a year long lost in our memories ago-but no one could recall where they came from.
Back to the drawing board, I was more thorough this time I "Googled" and printed out pictures, latin name and another Italian name "mirtilli palustri", native to North America, imported by Dole. Armed with further information Roberto perservered. There was a slight detour when I ended up with 22 lbs of Quince when I thought I would have to settle for a substitute, but sure enough, I received a call from Roberto. He could procure them. Minimum order 6.5 kilos (roughly 15lbs) and he would pass them on to me at cost (65 Euros!!!) we had come too far to let mere Euros stand in the way-DO IT! I said, feeling like I had the bird of paradise in the cross-hairs of my high power rifle (no I don't have a rifle or a hunting license I just like the image). And so on Monday, a smugly satisfied Roberto delivered 6.8 kilos of cranberries (Ocean Spray from Canada at that!).
The Bird itself was the next challenge. The first Turkey order intention warnings had been placed in September as well and followed up on in the months after. How large is always the dilemma. If one has a group which can be satisfied with a 6-7 kg bird (our famous 15lbs) then a tacchinella can be ordered, that is, a female bird. If you need any larger then a tom turkey must be ordered...hmmm. I have to feed 16 or so. I put in my order for a 9-10 kg. turkey (max). Second snag, I run into the butcher and his wife on the street a few days ago- the turkeys have arrived, they are upset with the supplier, he could only send a 6.5kg and a 13+kg bird. I go home and pull out the tape measure, size up the oven. Upon doing so I slip the tape measure into my pocket and it's off to the butcher's.
Upon my arrival in the small shop, the butcher and his sons rush in the back to pull out the now famous turkey. Onlookers are amused as I pull out my tape measure and size it up. The butcher tries to be helpful. "Well, if you want I can chop off the legs"--No, that would be sacrilege.."or we could chop off the part where the wings are attached"--you just don't understand, the bird has to be whole.
Years prior I had to accept such compromises, roasting only a thigh and a breast, buying a mini turkey, no, this year was special- I had demanded and obtained the 22" wide, 11" high, 18" deep oven-there could be no compromise this year.
The good news is that this turkey is 20 inches long 10 inches high at it's highest point and I didn't measure the width but it seems to fit.
Thanksgiving will arrive in Cortona this year...if only I had planned it better and had a few more days, I could have foraged for sweet potatoes in Arezzo.
Blessings to all this holiday-we have many to count this year-hope you do too.
Update and photos to follow turkey stupor.

Everyday Heroes

2008-10-21T13:11:00.000-07:00

Sunday morning was the celebration of the 60th anniversary of the Blood Donors Society. As we were cleaning up after breakfast a marching band could be heard outside our window and we went to see what was happening. The marching band was leading a procession of stendard carrying participants. From all over the Valdichiana representatives of the blood donors groups came congregate and remember the loved ones lost during the wars by placing wreaths at the monuments. A bittersweet celebration which can move one to tears as these proudly altruistic individuals marched down the Via Nazionale-each banner brightly colored many lovingly hand embroidered to proudly proclaim which chapter from which town was participating in this show of solidarity to this heartfelt cause. To give to others, to take time out of busy lives to share and give a gift of life. Italy has long been a community of volunteers. The ambulance drivers, hospital volunteers, are a tradition which date to the Misericordia fraternities of the middle ages.
But it seems that people are involved in many different charity organizations. Setting up fund raising dinners for the cancer society, selling apples in the piazza to support multiple sclerosis research, hydrangeas for the child abuse hotline telefono azzurro, the rummage sales for the Caritas. As the year unfolds the piazza can host sales of gardenias, of chocolate easter eggs or ceramics, sales organized to raise money for many worthy causes.
Italy has been a nation ready to give, the victims of hurricane Katrina and the tsunami which hit Southeast Asia received millions of Euro from Italy, 2 Euros at a time when people were asked to donate via SMS . Each message sent would automatically deduct 2 Euro from the credit on the phones and be sent as a donation we were told.
As I watched the Blood donors reverse their direction after laying the wreaths and march back to the Piazza Repubblica it was easy to see the proud faces like the elderly man who marched with his two age worn hands firmly grasping his lapels. I thought about a blood donor I had met, a man in his 70's who proudly told of having made 70 donations of blood. That's at least 210 people whose lives were touched and hopefully healed due to the generosity of 1 man.
It doesn't take wars to make heroes. It only takes generosity of spirit and the willingness to give. Hats off to Everyday Heroes.

Love is in the Air! Weddings in Cortona-

2008-10-02T10:27:00.000-07:00

September blew by us in blurry flurry and the word was weddings! The big wedding here in Cortona was Jovanotti's (remember the Italian rapper? see previous capers posting) September 6th wedding. We hosted our first destination wedding guests last week! Excitement of all the celebrations just vibrated through the house. The groom was a Chinese-Italian, born and raised in Milan and the bride a lovely Korean woman born and raised in London. They had met in university and were joined by their family and friends from literally all over the world! Our house was abuzz with energy and planning.
There's something incredibly romantic about Cortona- for the past number of years there seems to be at least one wedding a week-most in our town hall but many at some of the many beautiful churches. We have 3 separate wedding planning services working full time in Cortona and they all seem to stay very busy.
One day while out on the street I heard the wailing music of bagpipes in the distance. At first I thought it was the Christmas zampagnari coming early for their tips, I was informed by a shop keeper that it was a Scottish wedding party. She told me that the tradition was for the bridal party to be led to the festivities by a bag piper.
I didn't believe it until this afternoon when I heard piper's music first in the distance than passing under our open window. Sure enough as the music grew closer, I looked out my window and saw a group of kilted men and silky gowned ladies all making their way down Via Nazionale. As they passed by, the little feathered head dresses that the brit ladies seem to favor for these occassions and the hems of the kilts fluttered a bit in the autumn breeze. The impeccable jackets with shiny buttons arranged in almost a horseshoe shape on the back of each one, and shiny, sharp black shoes with special laces were the accessories to the kilts. I wondered, do these men all own kilts? I started to have silly thoughts, such as, do kilt renters exist? Thinking back to prom night with tux rentals and mint green or baby blue ruffled shirts to match the girl's dresses.These wedding goers definitely looked less silly then we did at the prom.

This summer we saw one of the most unusual choices of wedding garb here. The bride had a dress which seemed to be a real life version of the Disney Cinderella gown-complete with bows around the hoop supported skirt! and the groom was dressed as a prince-complete with shiny silver breastplate armour-his long hair perfectly coiffed into long sausage curls! They were out and about in Cortona by night, taking wedding pictures on the medieval facade side of town hall. The reflections from the armour lit up the piazza.

When Luciano and Jeanette got married in Town Hall in 1989, they didn't know they were having a destination wedding. They thougt they were having a simple, no frills ceremony for intimate friends and family.They should have got the hint when a Danish tour group walked through their wedding ceremony and they were able to pass off the flag thrower's demonstration in the Danes' honor as a carefully planned part of their wedding celebration.

Romance seems to live here-and it seems that more and more are continuing to plan weddings in Cortona. Casa Chilenne will be hosting more wedding parties this year and in 2009-so this seems not to be a passing trend.
Optimism lives, love lives and Cortona seems to be the perfect backdrop.

Discovering and Re-discovering Cortona

2008-08-29T10:15:00.000-07:00

According to archaeologists Cortona's history as a city can be traced back at least to 700 BC. However, for the citizens of Cortona this is just not old enough. When asked how old Cortona is, almost every citizen will look you straight in the eye and tell you, "Cortona è la mamma di Troia e la nonna di Roma" that is "Cortona is the mother of Troy and the grandmother of Rome" . They are making reference to Dardanus of Cortona in the epic poem by Virgil, the Eneid, Dardanus left Cortona to found the city of Troy and when that city fell, the citizens went on to found the city of Rome...or so the story goes. Therefore, Cortona as a city supposedly older than Troy and Rome.

Still others want Cortona to be even older. Stories of Pythagoras being buried here at the Etruscan temple outside the city walls. There is also a legend which tells of the selection of the site of Cortona for a city...it starts something like this-And after great the waters subsided, the son of Noah, while navigating down a canal on his barge -looks up- and lo and behold there is a great beam of light shining down upon a hilltop...and which hilltop could that be? Of course the one right under Casa Chilenne! And after consultation with his father, it was decided that yes, this was truly a sign from God, and thus Cortona is said to be the third city built on the new, dry land that became Italy!

However, local pride aside, there is much to admire and discover here-apart from the fine artwork in our museums by Fra' Angelico (the painter, not the liquer), Luca Signorelli and Pietro da Cortona (Berrettini) and the astounding relics uncovered from the stone-age forward which are showcased at our MAEC museum, there is something much more to be appreciated in Cortona. Cortona itself.

There is a magic here, some in my home state of California would say it has an aura, an energy which makes it distinctive from any other place. It calls to you like a siren perched on the hill over the sea of the haze-filled valley. Once you are caught in its spell you must return, you want to discover, know and understand more. And when you think that you have seen it all, there's something new to discover...the Celle, one of the first monasteries founded by Saint Francis of Assisi, Luca Signorelli frescoes and paintings tucked away in San Nicolò Church, the stations of the cross designed by Futurist artist, Gino Severini , a native son of Cortona.

The list continues but you must come to discover it for yourself-

We hope you'll choose Casa Chilenne to be your home in Cortona-Your home away from home.

We're Missing an Angel

2008-08-27T08:47:00.000-07:00

Tomorrow we'll have to send off an angel- in small communities like Cortona we notice the loss of one of our citizens. Tomorrow we will say good bye, though the priest will remind us that it's only "Arrivederci" to our friend Francesca. While returning from the train station, the black and white obituary notices flicker past the moving car-sometimes we glance, catch a glimpse of a name- today I saw "Francesca"-it stuck in my mind and as Carlotta and I took our walk to buy our piece of bread for lunch we found our friend Dee reading the notice- Francesca Nandesi, age 36 passed away last night, funeral at San Filippo's at 3 pm tomorrow.
Only 36-but which Francesca? Oh no, that Francesca, who lived the life of one much younger than her years, but was filled with a joy for life, a sense of community and gave-gave to us all. Some would judge a life as imperfect at birth when defects are detected, but think again. Francesca, though medically diagnosed to be imperfect, was a perfect citizen of this city.
She greeted and inquired about the whereabouts and well-being of her fellow citizens. She was involved in community service with the Caritas rummage sales and scouts. She held a job with pride and performed it with diligence in the City Hall. She was a proud aunt-especially fond of sharing news about the twins in Bologna.
Francesca was a ray of sunshine and a breath of fresh air. She was the example of a good citizen of Cortona, a caring individual, generous in good will toward her fellow man. Her enthusiasm for life a life that others may have judged as compromised by her handicap, she lived fully and happily. I remember the glimmer of joy in Francesca's eyes as she informed Carlotta and myself that she was off to the sea in Vada-she'd be gone for almost all of August she told us with glee- we knew that we'd miss her then, we just didn't know how much. Ciao Francesca...

2008-08-27T08:46:00.000-07:00

Caution Cortona Can be Addictive!

2008-08-19T00:56:00.000-07:00

As some of you may know-Carlotta's friend Jeanette is one of the examples of the phenomenon of Cortona Addiction. Jeanette arrived in Cortona in 1986-felt she had arrived to her "heart homeplace" and has never really lived anywhere else since. But Jeanette is just one of many who over the years has found a "Heart Homeplace" here.

Someone who may not be well known to the masses, but definitely known to the locals is Annie- for right around 20 years this now retired professor from the rural midwest has come to live exotic Tuscan summers.

Never one to have need of luxurious creature comfort, Annie arrives every Spring (and now that she has retired in the Fall and sometimes Winter) like a rare and welcome migrant bird to perch at the Convent of the nuns of Santa Margherita, her signature floppy cloth hat and nautical style booty bag in tow. Carlotta counts her among her friends(even if she sleeps at the competitor's) . Annie is practical and provident-she once explained that the simple tunics she sports are the most comfortable garments she has found and therefore using her skills as a seamstress has copied that pattern and replaces them for herself when they become worn- her travel bag as well (fashioned from copying the pattern of a wool bag used by shepherd children on the isle of Crete which she had purchased in the 1970's during an archaeological dig there). Her wristwatch, is a reliable mechanical Timex-she has purchased another 12 which she keeps on hand for when the one she has expires and hopes that she's stocked up that way for the rest of her days.

Annie arrives year after year-many times her arrival is announced in advance by the big box of books she sends ahead to be savored, analyzed and then passed on to the appropriate recipient of the community of ex-pats here. The Casa Chilenne library has already been enriched with some of her gifts.
Over the years Annie has built a relationship of respect and co-habitation with the nuns. Although she considers herself an extremely handicapped student of Italian, Annie has managed to learn to recognize a few words each year and in the last 2 years feels that she has overcome a language learning obstacle. Armed with her small Italian vocabulary she has even taken on a few chores for the sisters. Each morning she walks to the Caribinieri station to consign the guest registration forms, stops for her USA Today and Herald Tribune , her newspapers are thoroughly analyzed over the morning's cappuccino and brioche then passed on to appropriate parties.
Some mornings its off for a walk through the park to the swimming pool to keep her old knee injury pain at bay and in good working shape, and over the years there's probably no one better to consult about some of the best foot paths to take to discover the beauty of Cortona inside and outside the walls.

Annie's adventures aren't limited to Cortona with past excursions to archeaological digs in various parts of the world and mediterranean-however, she always comes back to Cortona and we're glad that she does return to reclaim her place in our community.

Robert Redford has landed with the Tuscan Sun Festival !

2008-08-07T14:44:00.000-07:00

So somewhere in the verdant hills outside of Cortona in a luxurious villa Mr. Robert Redford is hidden away. We are told that his whereabouts are top secret- probably just to me as Cortona is a small place and news like that just doesn't stay fresh very long.

Seize the Caper Blossom and Robert Redford and the notte di San Lorenzo

2008-07-30T15:07:00.000-07:00

Alas, the Tuscan Sun Festival and Robert Redford have come and gone...fluttering away like fallen caper blossom petals to notes played by Joshua Bell.

The other day while out for a morning walk, Carlotta and I noticed that the wall at the end of Via Nazionale had lots of blooming caper bushes! The caper flower is beautiful with papery large white petals and delicate burgundy stamens. It was getting late, we didn't have our camera with us so we put it off. Today we went to the wall armed with camera...all blooms were wilted at best and alas no pictures! At least not today, there were some big fat buds that looked promising but not for today.

And this was the spirit of curiosity and amount of success we had getting a "sighting" a glimpse, a "my touch with greatness" moment while strolling the streets and casually hoping to bump into Robert Redford. Much like the time that Oprah was at the market and run as I did from square to square and displays of wares, alas, I did not get an upclose and personal moment. This is not to say that we haven't had our chances here in Cortona! I did see Cicely Tyson one day at the market-Malcolm McDowell is a good friend of a friend. Of course we have our own home grown celebrity- Lorenzo Cherubini the songwriter/singer better known as Jovanotti who introduced Italian Rap. Rumor has it that Moto GP champion Valentino "The Doctor" Rossi and friend of Jovanotti has just bought a house here and once I had lunch once at "The Antica Trattoria" with Catherine Spaack and Orso Maria Guerrini. The Queen Mother, bless her soul stopped by to visit us, as well as past pope John Paul II. All these little nods from the realm of celebrity hint that there could be something here worth seeing, enjoying, experiencing.

Tracy Chapman held a concert here-but nothing meant more to me than peering out of a friend's piazza facing balcony window to enjoy one of Lionel Hampton's last European concerts and admiring the verve and showmanship of this great-He didn't want to let down the standing room only humanity packed piazza- hopping and bopping back on stage to Give them More! and more again-

Cortona, "piccola grande" Cortona- has pulled a few stars into its orbit.

And so, August 10th is San Lorenzo's feast day, and the night of the shooting stars- Days that blaze hot-and the evening is to be spent finding a nice dark place (preferably with a good friend) and searching the heavens for shooting stars-blazes of light-to fill hearts with wishes and promises.

There is unfortunately a not so romantic side to this tale. They say that when Saint Lawrence was martyrred he was burned on a grill...YIKES!! to underline his unwavering faith, we are told that his last words were (and to paraphrase) "Turn me over, this side's done"---anyway, the shooting stars are supposed to represent the sparks.

The Comune together with the MAEC museum, the Cortona wine producers association as well as tourist promotional groups got a great idea. Organize a festival at our Fortezza Girafalco at the top of town. So from 6pm to midnight there were shuttles moving people up and down to gaze at the stars and look for hope.

The weather has been HOT, HOT, HOT and our minds turn toward foods which are constellated by capers. Vitello Tonnato-cold roast beef dressed with tuna sauce spiked with capers, Insalata di Riso, that classic Italian picnic dish, rice dressed with olives and olive oil, onion , pickles , tuna, cheese, ham, and then those drab green little buds, oddly fragrant, salty -sour. The warm origano spiced tomato and melted mozzarella of the pizza Napoli flavored with anchovy fillets and capers .The impossibly miniscule capers served with lox and cream cheese, perhaps on a bagel. The pickled caper fruit has become a mainstay as a cocktail aperitivo along with pretzels and peanuts- substituted by for the onion or olive in a martini.

So why do we have to search high and low for celebrity and notariety? It grows here wild on the walls. Each little bud had the potential become this beautiful flower!

Cortona Friends and Neighbors

2008-07-29T07:12:00.000-07:00

Cortona is the county seat of one of the largest comuni in Italy. The city administration is in charge of 324 sq. KM. That's a lot of land populated by about 30,000 people. 2,000 or so of these people live within the city walls of Cortona

This is a picture of the town hall of Cortona.This is the view of the town hall which can be seen as you approach from Via Nazionale, ancient east-west road. Via Nazionale is of course a new name inspired by unification of Italy as the United Kingdom of Italy under the House of Savoy which happened in 1861. There had been many previous changes in government over the centuries which translated into changes in the architecture of the town hall. We'll tell you more about that another day.
Getting back to the history of Il Palazzo Comunale...
It was constructed more or less on the crossroads of ancient Cortona. In Roman times it was common practice to plan and construct a main east-west road (decumano) and north-south road (cardo) in each town and the place that would serve as the gathering point to make city government policy would be planned at the crossing point. The Cortona comune lies more or less at that point. Thus, it was the habit of former mayor, Ilio Pasquì, when welcoming visitors to the city in the formal Sala dei Consigli (Council Chambers) to open his speeches with the phrase, "Welcome to the cradle of Western Civilization..."

The Via Nazionale or Rugapiana as it is called by the local folk is one of the liveliest streets in the city. It is where people go to see or be seen, gather the latest news and announcements and sadly, discover who from the community is no longer amongst us. The cynical would say that it's where the show-offs go to display all the new things they have, new shoes, new clothes or new babies-however, one most remember that the local paper "L'Etruria" comes out only every 2 weeks making fresh info and local news a rare commodity. The most important function of "la Rugapiana" is to cement the community together-it is the place where you go to seek out your friends. Here are some photos of some of our friends we met on passeggiata (our stroll) in the last few days. The photo to the right is the east end of Via Nazionale. Casa Chilenne is on the right side of the street as you enter the city at number 65.

Here are Giulio and Antonella Lucarini out for a walk with Lapo. Giulio is a talented ceramicist who made the beautiful placard for our bed and breakfast with Jeanette's logo on it.

Here's a picture of Carlotta with Enzo the taxi driver. He is her official taxi driver and has accompanied her and Jeanette to Rome twice when she went to visit family and friends in San Francisco. Enzo is just great!

Carlotta went to Enrico's shop to visit her admirer Blue. Theirs is an impossible love story but Blue never gives up. He worships the ground Carlotta walks upon-sure that one day she will be his-

The coolest dog in Cortona by far is without a doubt Bruto. Here he is enjoying the shade and watching the world go by. He's a dog of the world and has been around the block.
Daniela his owner doesn't know how many pictures have been taken of him and how far away they've travelled. He's a star and he knows it-
in the nearly 4 years that he's know Carlotta he just now has started to acknowledge her presence..

Meet Carlotta- The Concierge of Casa Chilenne B&B, Cortona, Italy

2008-07-26T09:42:00.000-07:00

Welcome to Carlotta's Cortona Corner...Carlotta has just taken on the new job of official concierge for her family's B&B- Casa Chilenne at Via Nazionale, 65 in Cortona, Italy.
Cortona has always been a special place which has attracted visitors from all over the globe for centuries. It is a town who's history is archeologically traced to roughly 600B.C. but oral history tells us of origins which can be traced even further back.

This blog is a place for Carlotta to share her special Cortona with you as well as special friends, four-legged and not, who she would like you to meet in the area.

She hopes to share with you a fresh point of view of her hometown and the people and places that make it special. Please check back for all the latest news!