Feb 13
13
Valentine’s Day Under the Tuscan Sun
Wondering what to do on Valentine’s Day? We suggest a girls night in centered around life, love and Italy. Pop in the movie, Eat, Pray, Love or Under the Tuscan Sun, break out a bottle of Chianti and set out a spread of delectable sweets (our personal favorite is Nutella and strawberries.) Both movies promotes our two favorite kinds of love, self-love and the love of life! After watching these movies many women are inspired to travel in hopes of finding beauty, happiness, love and sometimes even themselves.
We here at Girls Fun Under The Tuscan Sun always feel Italy and the people who live there embrace life to the fullest and cherish those around them. So, we suggest if you want to have an adventure full of soul searching, beautiful sites, welcoming locals and amazing dining experiences, visit Tuscany. There’s no day like the present, live in the moment and plan your own Under the Tuscan Sun. In addition, stay two nights at a 5 star luxury hotel in Tuscany for free! How is this possible? Girls Fun Under The Tuscan Sun is offering you a chance to write in and tell us about your dream get away. So go ahead and make this Valentine’s Day all about you and your desires. We can’t wait to hear all about your ideal vacation in Tuscany!
Write in and tell us about your dream wedding, girls getaway or special trip to Italy. Enter your online submission at http://bit.ly/WHcmcP or send us an email to info@girlsfununderthetuscansun.com or info@weddingsunderthetuscansun.com for your chance to win the following:
~Two night stay at the 5 star luxury Hotel Villa La Vedetta Firenze with a breathtaking city view of Florence.
http://www.villalavedettahotel.com/en
~A Tuscan light lunch and wine tasting complete with thirteen wines to sample at Tenuta Torciano in San Gimignano.
http://www.torciano.com/USA/winery/
~A basket full of Italian wines exclusive to the Tuscan region.
The owner and team at Hotel Villa la Vedetta will assist in choosing the winner.
*Deadline to submit your entry is February 28th.
~Breakfast included in hotel stay.
Disclaimer: Airfare not included. Prizes redeemable through March 2014.
Feb 13
7
This Valentine’s Day, Give the Gift of Italy!
With Valentine’s Day right around the corner, we know everyone is looking for the perfect gift to get that special someone to show them how much you care. Well, we got to thinking, what better gift to get them the a trip to Italy? Of course we know you can’t take a trip to Tuscany next week, but you can start planning today and deliver the news of your upcoming travels as your gift to your significant other to take later in the year!
Although Girls Fun Under The Tuscan Sun was created to plan girls trips for you and your best gal pals to explore and experience Italy, it doesn’t mean we can’t plan the most romantic trip to Italy for you and your special someone. Couples travel to Italy to celebrate their anniversary, engagement, birthday’s or just to spend some quality time together in some of the most beautiful cities in the world. With wine tastings, sight seeing, 5-star villas, amazing food and some of the most incredible views you could ever imagine, this country has so much to offer!
If you think this would be the perfect gift to give to that special someone this year, give us a call and start planning your trip TODAY!
Have you heard about out “Create Your Own Masterpiece” contest featured in Orange Appeal Magazine?
Write in and tell us about your dream wedding, girls getaway or special trip to Italy. Enter your online submission HERE or send an email to info@girlsfununderthetuscansun.com or info@weddingsunderthetuscansun.com for your chance to win the following:
~Two night stay at the 5 star luxury hotel, Villa La Vedetta with a breathtaking city view of Florence.
~A Tuscan light lunch and wine tasting complete with thirteen wines to sample at Tenuta Torciano in San Gimignano.
~A basket full of Italian wines exclusive to the Tuscan region.
The owner and team at Hotel Villa la Vedetta will assist in choosing the winner.
*Deadline to submit your entry is February 28th.
~Breakfast included in hotel stay.
Disclaimer: Airfare not included. Prizes redeemable through March 2014.
Feb 13
4
#7 Tea With Mussolini
As we continue the countdown of our favorite Italian or Italy inspired movies we approach:
#7 Tea With Mussolini
It is a semi-autobiographical film directed by Franco Zeffirelli, telling the story of young Italian boy Luca’s upbringing by a circle of British and American women, before and during World War II.
The film begins in Florence, Italy in 1935, where a group of cultured expatriate English women called by the Italians “the Scorpioni“ meet for tea every afternoon. They earned this nickname for their piercing wit and humor.
Luca is a boy living in Florence whose family situation is precarious at best; his mother has died and his father has
little time for him. Fortunately, he’s a welcome guest with Mary, an English woman visiting Italy to soak up European culture. Mary and her friends, which includes, high-toned Lady Hester, pretentious Arabella, American art collector Elsa and cheerful archeologist Georgie. They all enjoy the cultured, creative atmosphere of life in Italy, and their initial response to the rise of fascism is to arrange a polite meeting with Mussolini to make sure he and his soldiers mean well.
This film is based on the true story of the “Scorpioni’s”. It seems as though women were traveling to Italy together to indulge in the culture and the lifestyle back in the 1930s-1940s.
As everything always comes full circle we have brought that concept back with “Girls Fun Under The Tuscan Sun”.
So take the plunge and escape to Tuscany with some of your best “Gal Pals” this summer.
We need a well-cultured group of women to schedule a tea with Silvio Berlusconi to confirm he will keep his promise to “hand back tax cash”. Then the studios can make a sequel called ” Tea with Berlusconi”
Jan 13
29
So Much Fun Under The Tuscan Sun!
Girls Fun Under The Tuscan Sun had a busy year planning some of their best trips yet! These trips included everything from wine tours to cooking classes, hotel and villa visits and so much more. Each of these trips were as magical as our travelers could have imagined.
The first Girls Fun Under The Tuscan Sun trip turned out to be more like Family Fun Under The Tuscan Sun. The challenge to create the perfect itinerary for a fun loving couple and their 5 year-old daughter was not an easy feat.
Girls Fun Under The Tuscan Sun pulled out all the stops, making sure each day planned for this family was filled with excitement, fun and also included kid friendly activities. From family cooking classes, pool time at the villa, early meals and moments of rest built in to each day, Girls Fun Under The Tuscan Sun planned the perfect itinerary going above and beyond their expectations.
The second Girls Fun Under The Tuscan Sun itinerary planned last year was much more fast paced, with a group of six couples and a 50th birthday to celebrate. There was never a dull moment on this fabulous trip! Six couples embarked on a cruise and docked in the beautiful city of Venice. After heading from Venice to Sienna, this group wanted a trip of non-stop fun.
Girls Fun Under The Tuscan Sun created an itinerary jam packed with memorable tours of Cortona, San Gimignano, wine tastings, private dinners and more. Girls Fun Under The Tuscan Sun coordinated a surprise birthday celebration and VIP treatment for this fun loving group and the birthday girl at every stop along the way.
After returning from this magical vacation, with 1,500 photos and more stories to tell than time to tell them, the birthday girl herself sent Tara a note saying:
“Tara – Thank you so much for the amazing job you did in making our Italy trip ‘that much more memorable.’ Your attention to detail and ability to create ‘experiences’ in every event is a special talent. We all loved it and appreciate you. God Bless Your Work. Thank you again.” Marla Silliman – CEO of Florida Hospital for Children
October was a busy month for Girls Fun Under The Tuscan Sun as owner; Tara Fontana was planning her own trip to Italy while coordinating three other trips that were scheduled in October. A couple heading over to find the perfect venue for their upcoming wedding, a trip for a couple celebrating their 10th anniversary and an all girls trip for two sisters looking to have some fun under the Tuscan sun.
Laura and Jason, the wedding couple, were anxious to see all of the most fabulous villas in Florence and Tuscany, looking for the perfect venue for their upcoming wedding in October 2013. Not only were they looking for a venue, they also had a photo shoot lined up with wardrobe changes, make up, hair and an amazing photographer who happens to be one of Tara’s dearest friends, Silio Dante. These photos were later used for Laura and Jason’s save the dates sent out in late December.
After their trip, Jason and Laura sent Tara a message saying “Thank you for everything, the whole entire week and introducing us to Silio. He is a great person and we are happy that you surround yourself with great people! You are one of a kind. Seeing the pictures totally reminded us how lucky we were to meet you and your awesome team, in Florida and in Italy. We thank you Tara for all the hard work you have done and you are our wedding angel! I can’t even imagine us trying to do all of this without you.”- Jason Vo.
Girls Fun Under The Tuscan Sun also planned a trip for Ron and Kathleen, traveling to Italy to celebrate their 10th wedding anniversary. Their trip began in Rome where they toured all of the historic monuments.
Their next stop was Tuscany where they enjoyed the culture, shopping and all of the culinary experience the region is known for. While in Tuscany, Ron and Kathleen spent two nights in Villa Vignamaggio, which was also the birthplace of the woman who posed for one of the most famous works of art, The Mona Lisa. The couple also enjoyed dinner at Officina della Bistecca, a restaurant owned by Dario Cecchini, one of Italy’s most famous butchers. Their meals, as all meals there do, consisted of more beef in one meal than one could ever consume in one sitting. Their trip ended in Venice with a wine tour through Valpolicella including a delicious lunch with Paolo and Dana Penso, owners of Wine Indulgence.
The third itinerary Girls Fun Under The Tuscan Sun planned last October was a girl’s getaway for two fun loving sisters seeking the excitement of Tuscany. Chris and Paula wanted to do it all but still have fun. For this itinerary, Girls Fun Under The Tuscan Sun included cooking classes, wine tours and tastings and visits to all of the enchanting hill top towns in the region. Accompanied by Tara, this itinerary included plenty of time to enjoy the Tuscan culture making sure every moment was filled with memories to cherish and food to savor. After the trip, Chris wrote Tara a note saying: “We had such an amazing time and Tara you did an fantastic job making all the arrangements. I hate to call it a ‘job’ because it was so effortless looking! Love you!!!” and Paula said “We had an absolute blast! We can’t thank you enough Tara.”
Have you been dreaming of Italy yourself? Check out our Facebook page and website and take a look at all of the things this wonderful country has to offer. Also, you can take this opportunity to enter to win a Tuscan getaway including a two night stay at a 5 star villa, Villa La Vedetta, a lunch and wine tasting at Tenuta Torciano, and much more! Visit http://bit.ly/WHcmcP to enter your online submission for your chance to win!
Jan 13
28
#8 Much Ado About Nothing
To continue our countdown of our favorite Italy or Italian inspired movies, our number 8 pick is Much Ado About Nothing. This is a story involving two sets of lovers. The first Claudio and Hero, who are destined to be almost torn apart by the treachery of others.
The second, Benedick and Beatrice, who are almost kept apart by the treachery of their own hearts. After many twists and turns, true love finally prevails and our lovers find their happy ending with weddings included.
Much Ado About Nothing was filmed at the enchanting Villa Vignamaggio, in Greve, Chianti. The Villa serves as the perfect setting for a wedding “Under The Tuscan Sun” with it’s breathtaking Italian Garden divided in two parts by a row of 100 year old majestic cypress trees. It is also birth place to the woman who posed for one of the most famous works of art, The Mona Lisa. In 1479 Lisa Gherardini was born in the Villa then owned by the Gherardini family, later to painted by Italian artist Leonardo da Vinci. The Mona Lisa has been acclaimed as the “best known, most visited, most written about, most sung about and most parodied” work of art in the world.
When I visited this Villa in October looking for new wedding venues it was obvious that this special place served as the home to many memorable events in time.
Need To Get Away With The Girls?
Girls Fun Under The Tuscan Sun is a unique concierge travel service based in the United States. We have proudly established privileged relationships with private villas, boutique wineries, food and wine experts, superb restaurants, personal shoppers and other hidden gems of the Tuscan region to help create a custom travel itenerary perfect for your trip.
Perfect for Bachelorette Parties, Birthday Celebrations, Graduation Trips or just a getaway from everyday life for you and your friends.
Just a sample of what you can experience on your "girls week out."
- Incredible shopping trips to the best kept secrets in Florence and Tuscany
- Wine Tours and Tastings
- Helicopter Wine Tours
- Cooking Classes with the local experts
- Explore the country's famous sites and hidden gems.
- Indulge in Italy's most luxurious Spas
- Dine in the region's finest Trattoria's and 5 Star restaurants.
- Dance the night away in Florence's hottest nightclubs
The possibilities are endless. From the simple to the sublime, no request is out of reach.
*Luxury transportation is provided
