The Future of Casa Chilenne

What are our next steps? (Abandoned shoes found at our Vicolo Scala entrance 2017)

Casa Chilenne has been closed to the public since March 9th, 2020 and we have decided that we will remain closed, for now,  until September 1, 2020. We promised that when we re-opened we'd be back better than before, and as we consider the path to this promise it is clear that this is not the moment that it can be maintained.

During this shut down, so many things have changed. Providing a memorable experience for our guests and extending our homestyle hospitality and service has always been our priority and now more than ever,  it is also important that we protect our guests in every way we can from Covid 19 until there is a vaccine, or until the imminent threat is over.

Those who are familiar with us know that we are a small 5 room establishment which prides itself in offering hotel amenities in a home environment, however, even before the crisis, we had started to notice that the expectations of travellers was changing.  We prided ourselves in offering television and telephone service so that people could keep up with the news from home and their loved ones. More often than not there was a newspaper available in the breakfast room in the home languages of our guests.  We provide a mini bar for the convenience of our guests at what we feel are fair prices and so that those travelling with medications which need refrigeration  have that peace of mind.

We take pride in offering a "breakfast worth waking up for" so that guests would not have to get dressed and dash out in bad weather, or compete for a table at a coffee bar to sit and relax over breakfast and we love to spoil our guests with specialities of the season or a hot, leisurely breakfast for those who enjoy their holidays that way.

We have not changed our pricing since 2008 when we opened, yet,  we saw our reservation numbers declining over the past few years despite our glowing reviews. The exponential growth of offerings on AirBnB or other such sites, coupled with large hotels marketing cut rate rooms to increase interest in their properties, made us start to question our philosophy.

Amongst my blog drafts I found the following blog which I started in 2017- today I propose it for your feedback as we evaluate what our future should be. I would appreciate any feedback you can give me. Especially from previous guests.


"A No-Frills Future?" a blog draft from 2017

I met tourism of the future today and it frightened me.

I was contacted a few days ago by a friend who gives cooking lessons. He told me that he had been contacted by a blogger/journalist who wanted to review one of his cooking classes and would I be willing to offer hospitality for free for some blogspace with pictures. I was torn.

First of all, I have never, ever paid for reviews of our bed and breakfast. I have never, ever paid commissions to online travel agents like booking.com or hotels.com; the size of our structure and budget just don't allow for it. We were, for a short time listed on AirBnB as a sort of experiment from which we received one guest and I have now paid to be present on a website called bedandbreakfast.it for a flat fee each year for increased visibility in the Italian market.

I do not pay to have Casa Chilenne listed on TripAdvisor and after refusing their many offers to list my website and contact information for fees starting at 4000 Euro and ending  with the last offer at 1250 Euro per year, found my rating as a B&B on their site slip from 1st or 2nd place and never rise again above 4th place, even though the simple math of number of circles awarded divided by number of reviews should land me solidly holding my original placement-go figure.

After receiving more information from my chef friend about the blogger and obtaining a link to the blog in question I visited it and had even more doubts but, I decided to accept the offer, more than anything else to help my friend obtain his review.

I already feel incredibly fortunate and honored that well known guidebooks like the Lonely Planet, Frommer's and Routard have included our home in their recommendations to their readers. All three of these inclusions were a surprise and the fruit of anonymous visits by paying visitors. To this day I cannot explain how we were included in Frommer's and Routard.

The fear that I felt today wasn't tied to economics however, it was more tied to a sort of shaking up of the tenets of hospitality by current technology.

Amenities that we have invested in and continue to spend money on  to upkeep may be swiftly becoming superfluous. Telephones, satellite television are obsolete when a decent WiFi connection is provided (of course for free).

Can it be that the expectations of travellers have changed so dramatically?

More and more, I see travellers turning to OTA's  like Booking.com, Expedia.com, Hotels.com or websites like AirBnB  to find lodging for their holidays. I was visited one summer by a cousin's young daughter who was travelling with an app called couch surfers - or some similar frightening name to find her lodging around Europe.

Watching this new generation of travelers operate in this manner made me wonder about the future of our establishment. Are we passé? Have accomodations which offer comforts and amenities now obsolete? With the advancements of technology travelers no longer worry about finding  a place with television or telephones to stay in touch with news and people back home. More would rather rely on an online review to select a restaurant or activity than asking for recommendations. So what is expected from hosts today?


------------end of draft
28 June 2020
We'd appreciate any comments you might have  and thank you in advance for sharing them.
Jeanette and Luciano, and of course,  Daisy and Jake

To Every Season--

There is something reassuring about the seasons coming and going bringing their fruits and celebrations. As Cortona is surrounded by lands used for agriculture it is easy to be aware of the changes in the landscape, the colors and sounds. The swallows screech with joy  when they arrive, there is rhythmic cooing of pigeons as they nest in the rooftops, the cicadas' frantic ,humming chirps  fill hot summer nights.

Quince, peach, cherry and almond blossoms explode on bare branches as winter draws to a close, the yellow puffball flowers of mimosa are the symbol of March 8th, international Women's Day and are followed by the bright magenta blooms of the red bud trees, or albero di Giuda (Judas trees) which announce the arrival of Easter.  At this time when driving along the roads, one can find people carefully picking through the grasses in the olive orchards or along the sides of the road hunting for insalata del campo, wild salad greens, to be gathered for the Easter luncheon perhaps, or the first tender wild borage to be mixed with fresh spring ricotta for homemade ravioli stuffing.  Next come the purple flowers, the iris, the lupines, the borrage, then the yellow and white flowers, camomile daisies, mustard greens, dandelions, Queen Anne's lace. The photographically famous bright red poppies bloom in May and June amongst the wheat fields, exploding crimson in the fields left to rest from grain cultivation that year.

Wheat fields shimmer with the summer breeze, first green, then gold and as they undergo this transformation, sunflowers climb toward the blue skies  turning golden faces towards the sunrise. When summer lingers on and their proud heads heavy with seeds droop, the wheat fields have been reaped leaving great spools of hay dotting the stubble while the grapevines  are heavy with plump clusters  and olives swell on silvery green boughs. As the seasons change the crazy quilt of fields on the hills change in dazzling color and texture.

Autumn is probably one of the most satisfying times from a gastronomic point of  view in our corner of Italy. The new oil to be sampled on slices of toasted, saltless Tuscan bread, the real bruschetta being merely garlic rubbed on the bread before a drenching of the green-gold, piccant new oil and a pinch of salt. I have always been amused by the line-up at the olive mill with farmers who jealously guard their personally pampered olives to be sure that no inferior olive slips into their lot nor a drop of their oil stolen as they wait for their turn at the mill. As each wait on line he  will politely accept a piece of bread soaked with their neighbors oil as it pours forth from the press, certain that none will be as good as his own when it his turn.

 During grape harvest, I always try to find someone with a vineyard who will give me a cluster or two of wine grapes to make the traditional ciaccia con l'uva, a sweet foccacia bread. This treat is unusual and simple, but appreciated on our breakfast buffet.

Chestnuts  harvested from Mount Sant'Egidio can be roasted and savored with new wine or vin santo. The new wine is ready for tasting in November many times accompanied by roast chestnuts on San Martino's feastday of November 11th..

However, the best reason take to the woods in the Fall is  to search for many of the wild mushrooms which abound in this season. Besides the well known porcini and it's lesser edible cousins of the boletus family, there are many other tasty treats only to be found in this season. There are also truffles to be found by carefully trained truffle dogs and their owners. The prized Tartufo Bianco delle Crete Senesi being the king of truffles in this season  is celebrated at nearby San Giovanni d'Asso, in the Val d'Orcia.

Traditionally, this is the time when pigs meet their maker and are transformed into delicious sausage, salame, capocollo, prosciutti, pancetta, testa fredda, sanguinaccio blood sausage. It really is true that nearly everything except the "oink" is used and nothing wasted. This waste not want not approach just seems to give their demise a little more sense.

All Saints Day start off the rounds of holiday sweets with the "Bones of the Dead" almond cookies, followed in quick succession of panettone, torroni, panforte, ricciarelli, pan d'oro and cavalucci (a spice cookie with walnuts and candied fruits typical of the area).
Christmas celebrations are still relegated to December here, although it seems that every year a few more merchants are trying to jump the gun and amplify their season. Traditionally ornaments are put up on December 8th, the Assumption Day of the Madonna and the streets and store windows come to life with lights and displays.  This time of year is a sort of "Homecoming" time. So many Cortoneses have immigrated over the decades to find fortune in other places, especially in the 1960's and 1970's. All Saint's Day , November 1, is the traditional day for families to visit the cemetary, clean up the grave sites and spend a day together. The 8th of December through the 6th of  January  are considered le "Feste" the holiday season during which time family split up their luncheon duties to celebrate on the 8th, the 24th, the 25th, the 26th and 31st of December, all holidays, and the 1st and 6th of January.

The strings of lights which twinkle along Via Nazionale , Via Guelfa, Via Roma, Via Dardano and Via Benedetti (brought to you by the local merchants as I learned the first year we opened the B&B) illuminate the roads to the cathedral to Piazza Signorelli and Piazza della Repubblica-the square of the townhall which becomes the backdrop for the light and music show which livens New Year's Eve. The country houses that dot the valley and hillsides are adorned with colored lights on their railings and windows, on the trees in the garden.  The Valdichiana  countryside lights up at midnight with fireworks as families and friends in the valley welcome in the new year.

January plods toward February, life in the countryside deceptively seems inert, preparations are being made for the new harvests and finishing touches put on some of the old.  The lands rest, but farmers do not. Vines and trees to be pruned and fertilized, brush to be gathered, burned, The scents of wood smoke filter up the hill from the fields and chimneys. Finer wine is coaxed along to develop the best flavor in the large Slovenian oak or smaller French barrique barrels; tasted, consolidated, moved to different sizes and types of barrels before bottling. February marks the debut 4 or 5 years after their harvest of some of the important wines of the area like Brunello of Montalcino or Vino Nobile di Montepulciano.

Free time can be dedicated to hunting, a tradition in this area which put some extra food on the table in the winter. Pheasant, wild boar, wild hare, partridge, venison, are now delicacies, but at one time were accessible sources of protein to even the poorest in the areas.

 As planting season approaches, the clay rich soil will be plowed with long tined plows to pull up large chunks of earth, left to dry and plowed again with wheel disks to break up the soil and prepare for seeding of wheat, oats, corn, sunflowers.. When the first shoots start to sprout from the vines it will be time to return to the vineyard to tie and train them to encourage the best quality grapes, clear away the grass and fertize the vines .All in anticipation of April and May's natural irrigation . There are roses, hydrangeas  to be pruned, plants to be re-potted, all rituals that tie one closer to the earth.

At times it seems the year is a merry go round, revolving  faster and faster. I remember a conversation with my grandmother, in her nineties at the time at her fruit orchards in California . "The older you get the faster the years go" she said . As I grow older in Tuscany, I know she was right and it seems comforting in many ways to know that no matter what trouble tries to distract or stall me, there is a force always pushing me forward - life goes on and so must I  for that is the force of nature.                              

Cortona's in the Mix !

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ehebTQrDrg4

The video above is the result of a project created for the Cortona Mix Festival which involved our city choir as well as children from the elementary school participating in a presentation of Verdi's "Aida".

Whether or not one wants to consider the end result a success or failure in quality,  it is most exciting that the project exists in itself.
This is a perfect example of the positive potential of this festival and the impact and involvement it can have on our community. To see the enthusiam of young and old reconnecting to the rich musical gift created by Verdi and appreciated throughout the world is refreshing and exciting.  Globalization of music can many times cause an overshadowing of domestic music and musicians now days in Italy-young people many times favor foreign music sung in languages they may not understand and shun their national products.

Tonight will be the screening of "Metropolis" in Piazza Signorelli with musical accompaniment performed by the Orchestra Regionale Toscana. Events which will please a wide range of participants and priced right for many pockets instead of a select few. This is exciting...

After much anticipation there will be a first viewing of "The Genius of a Place" a film produced by Sarah Marder and her colleagues at OLO Farm of Milano. This film uses Cortona as a case study and addresses among other questions, "Is there a way to make tourism sustainable?" After years of hard work, the film seems to be in the final editing phases and a preview has been promised for August 2.

The biggest surprise of the festival is the surprise concert appearance of our homegrown internationally famous, Lorenzo Cherubini---better know as Jovanotti , in a closing show on August 4th.

The Feltrinelli bookstore is open for business at the MAEC-  and as a side note, the travel photography festival,  Cortona on the Move has just inaugurated this, its 3rd year. 

Cortona is definitely in the Mix---a provocative protagonist, inviting all to tickle their fantasy to the world of possibility when art meets enthusiam.

Dancing in the Streets-the Cortona Mix Festival

After much anticipation, the details of the 2013 Cortona Mix Festival were unveiled a few days ago. Some of the events will include pop group Elio e Le Storie Tese and musician, Max Weinberg, cortonese citizen and historic member of the E Street Band, plus many more. The website seems to be updated often and new names and events added. www.mixfestival.it    It is new and exciting and we're looking to see what unfolds.
   
At closing day of Cortona Mix Festival last year , facts and figures were in and evaluation of the success of the event was made on the streets, in the stores, in the newspapers. It is said that there was an attendance of 10,000 visitors and sales of some 4,000 tickets to the various events. It was hard when examining the first bits of news about the program what the aim and purpose of Cortona mix was. Feltrinelli later published on its site that CORTONA MIX FESTIVAL represents a different idea of festival, and I paraphrase: a event created to banish the isolation of the arts and instead celebrate their mix, their richness and variety and invent new inspiration by bringing them together. If this was the goal, then I have to say it was a success. Street musicians, ballet, jazz, classical music, literary events and cinema. Even politics had its place (as it always seems to in Italy) when the Minister of Labor, Elsa Fornero came to speak to a very agitated crowd, as her role in recent dramatic labor law reforms render her a controversial figure. The people participated, Cortonese and non-Cortonese alike. In most cases it was by happenstance that people participated, but people were engaged. Feltrinelli opened a satellite bookstore well furnished with books both in Italian and other languages. It was enriching on many levels.
But more than anything else, people were present and participating. The squares were buzzing with activity, the town came alive. On the heels of the Cortona Mix Festival was a series of concerts organized by Gli Amici della Musica and the Annual International Folk Dance Festival all riding out the wave of the excitement created by the previous events. It was Cortona at it's best-people out and about, enjoying the city and maybe gathering some food for thought.
Probably one of the events which was most enjoyed by all was the projection of Modern Times with Charlie Chaplin with original accompanying music performed live by the Orchestra Regionale della Toscana.  A delightful event for young and old.
This year, they are proposing a similar event with the projection in the square of Metropolis by Friz Lang.
Last year's  festival was accessible to many and this I hope will continue to be the spirit of this event. Nothing was more touching than to see many of our aspiring ballerinas have the possibility to attend an event with family, dance in the audience as they watched enthralled and maybe their parents understood a little better what passion for the art of dancing could become.
Welcome back Cortona Mix Festival- show us how to dream!

Let the Games Begin!

June 1-9, will be the next series of festivities to celebrate a historic event from 1397, the marriage between the nobleman Francesco Casali of Cortona to Antonia Salimbeni, member of the prestigious family of Siena responsible for founding the oldest operating bank in the world (Monte dei Paschi di Siena founded in 1472).

The "New World" where I was born was not discovered until 20 years later, or so it was drummed into my head in grammar school!

When I look out the bed and breakfast windows at Via Nazionale, I cannot fathom how many people have streamed by this building. Since at least the 1600's people have observed this street from our windows!  And before then? It is still called  la "Rugapiana" today, the "flat street", as it is a natural promenade along the "decumano" or main East-West road following the Roman tradition of urban planning. Cortona can trace its origins as a civic center under the Etruscans to at least 750 BC, with traces of Umbran settlements on Via Dardano as early as 900 BC!

It is no wonder that there is such a sense of civic pride which seems to have spread to many of our young people as well. The reinactment of this historical event comes alive with the bugles and drums of our historic musical group and animated by the colorful flags which are tossed and juggled by the flag throwers. Traditionally, these musicians and flag throwers were young men, but our Cortona group seems to have many female members now who seem to dominate in number, shine in skill. Locals as well as many "new locals" from the large expat community participate in the celebrations. The enthusiam is contagious. Even our Daisy can't resist getting in the act!

I Scream, You Scream!

We know that the Bella Stagione has arrived when we start seeing ice creams on the street again-especially gelati being consumed by Italians. They say that the Romans invented this tasty treat, bringing in snow from the mountain tops and mixing together with fruits to make this tasty treat. We have two gelateria at present with rumors of another one on the way, plus, the seasonal gelati created by Gianni Banchelli for his family's Pasticceria Banchelli and Cocoa Chocolatier/Patisserie which features artisan gelati in the summer. The offerings of the types and styles of gelato change from place to place. Some favor the Florentine style which concentrates on creamy flavors where as the Sicilian style seems to concentrate more on the icier, sorbet-style and the Venetian style coming somewhere in-between. Snoopy gelateria in Piazza Signorelli tends to be of the creamier variety, Dolce Vita, just two doors down from us has a variety of imaginative flavors using candy bars or cookies for inspiration as well as venturing this year into creating gourmet versions of popsicles (ice lollies) and other ice creams on a stick. Banchelli,( now located at their new larger shop at the end of Via Nazionale near town hall) on the other hand, creates high quality gelati with some unusual ingredients like Green Tea, or his creation Crema Etrusca as well as ice cream cakes or semi freddi. Cocoa of course has an offering of delicious chocolate as well as classic gelatos at their shop on Via Guelfa.

So many choices, I always recommend that the quality of all our gelaterias require a careful taste testing during your stay! Nocciola (hazelnut), Zabaione (italian egg nog), Malaga (rum raisin), Stracciatella (a fancy name for chocolate chip!) and of course Cioccolato (chocolate), Fragola (strawberry), Crema (vanilla egg custard), Fiordilatte (vanilla), are just a few of the classic choices, without forgetting Caffe and many of the fruits of summer from peach (pesca), watermelon (anguria o cocomero), pineapple (ananas), limone...the list can go on and on! When overwhelmed by all the choices, I can't help but long for a hot summer day at my Aunt Pat's house in Suisun, California-turning the hand-crank of an ice cream freezer, with melting ice cooling me and my cousins off as we sprinkle rock salt and fight over licking the dasher of the best flavor ever, plain old vanilla!

Another Artisan in Paradise

This is a blog entry which lay in the drafts section for nearly a year. Although it is late, and much time has gone by since Maurizio's passing, I wanted to publish this all the same. Cortona is undergoing changes, but we musn't lose sight of the people past and present who have made the city what it is today.

When we tell the story of Casa Chilenne to our guests we can't help but emphasize the important role our local artisans had in creating the cozy atmosphere here. Luciano and Jeanette knew they wanted to create a place for guests in Cortona which would feel like a home away from home, that would have the modern comforts which make a holiday less stressful and at the same time enhance and recover the charm of their historical house. This vision was made possible by the men and women artisans who took on the job with enthusiasm as they proudly took part in making Casa Chilenne a place which they felt would showcase their historic craftmenship. From plumber and electrician, painters and carpenters, all seemed to really care that their work shined through as Cortonese workmanship.
These artisans or "artigiani" are the treasures of Cortona. Once numerous they have dwindled away and alas, we had to bid farewell yesterday to Maurizio Baracchi the carpenter in charge of making all our doors and windows, personally creating and fitting the arched window cases and door in our breakfast room, all the fittings of the doors and windows through the house. Maurizio was a no nonsense kind of man, an avid bird and boar hunter who worked diligently just down an alley from us in a workshop by the wall of San Sebastiano. He was always available to come to the rescue to remediate injuries to his work, usually caused by guests unfamiliar with they way windows and doors work in Italy. He could be found in his workshop filled with sawdust and wood shavings as he worked on his machinery there in the company of his hunting dog.
One of the greatest honors we have had is to work with individuals like Maurizio who have a pride in their work which goes deeper than personal skill and monetary gain. It is as if they are a link in the chain which traces back to their predecessors who originally created our centuries old buildings with heavy oak or walnut doors and bronze fittings; those with the knowlege to maintain the creations of their ancestors. Ciao Maurizio-we already miss you, but we know there's a special place for carpenters in Heaven.

Everything Changes

2012 has brought some surprises and they'll definitely be some shaking up this summer. We have had confirmation that the Tuscan Sun Festival has moved on to a new home in Florence where they hope to find a larger public for their world class talent. The Comune of Cortona was left with a space to fill, as there are many lovers of the arts here and they have decided to collaborate with publishing house Feltrinelli in creating an arts festival in Cortona from July 31 to August 5th, however these are the only details we've been given. Rumors of the participation of Bob Dylan?! We shall see. In light of the latest cuts in Italian government funding to comuni (counties), laws were adopted for comune to collect an "imposte di soggiorno" or "tassa di soggiorno" to help replace lost funds. This hotel room tax or tourism tax has existed for a long time in many places in Italy, Europe and large cities around the world, and as of April 15th, 2012 it will be in effect in Cortona. Basically, the comune has passed a law which delegates all hospitality owners to collect on their behalf a "tourism tax" which is calculated on the category of accomodation, the number of guests and number of nights spent at the accomodation. Casa Chilenne is classified as a "affittacamera non professionale" and therefore, the charge will be 1.50 Euro/guest/night for the first 4 nights. This tax will be levied on Italians and non-Italian visitors alike, with a few exemptions for children, group travel personnel, persons travelling for medical treatment and local residents, if you would like more clarification please feel free to contact us at info@casachilenne.com

There was a very small window of time between the official confirmation of this new tax, the first official letter being written on March 27 and the second updated tax rate schedule written on April 2.

Our nightly rates have always included all taxes and we will include this new tax as well. We will not request additional payment from our guests nor inconvenience our guests by insisting that the "imposta di soggiorno" be paid in cash. Your full bill may still be paid by cash or major credit card. We will issue a receipt for this city tax and we will be expected to turn it over to the city every 3 months. Luciano and I have decided that this is the right thing to do for this year and we will re-evaluate at the end of 2012. It is said that change brings opportunity to rise to new challenges, adapt, evolve and become better. We appreciate the love that so many have expressed for Cortona and we hope that we will welcome back our guests and their family and friends for many years to come.

Carlotta's latest news updates

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-

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!

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!

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

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!

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.

A Season Filled with that Warm and Fuzzy Feeling

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!

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!