Postcards from Tuscany is a free space where I share stories, and you’re welcome to leave your comments and experiences too. I’m the other 50% of Juls' Kitchen—Giulia’s husband, the photographer behind all the images you see here and in our latest cookbook Cucina Povera. I also handle videos, podcasts, and all things technical. If you’d like to catch up on previous postcards, you can find them here. Enjoy the read!

Postcards from Tuscany

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Ever since I moved from Florence, RCR has been a constant presence in our lives. My father-in-law worked there for over 40 years, and through him, we have experienced many of the company’s milestones. We’ve seen product drafts before they hit the market, gifted RCR glasses at Christmas, and even felt the weight of the company’s struggles during tougher times. There was even a period when Giulia and I took photos of their products for a project. And, of course, our house is filled with RCR glasses—we have boxes even under the bed! 😄

So, when I finally had the chance to visit the factory, it felt like a dream come true. I’ve always been curious to see how these beautiful pieces of glassware are made, but to be honest, I didn’t know what to expect. I couldn’t imagine how glasses were produced on such a large scale. When we think of how glass is worked, we all have in mind a drop of molten glass blown by mouth with a reed, and then transformed into a beautiful piece of artisanal art. Like the Murano glass for example.

Walking through the factory, I was completely blown away by the process. For a few moments, as we stood inside, I felt like I was in The Matrix—you know, the movie with Keanu Reeves. There was this repetitive hum of machines, loud noises, steam rising around us, grease-streaked pipes, and mechanical arms moving in perfect sync. It was an overwhelming and fascinating experience.

RCR’s story is deeply rooted in tradition, dating back to 1967, when a group of local artisans united to produce lead crystal. Seeing this legacy firsthand, through the same factory where Giulia’s father spent much of his career, gave me a profound sense of connection to this Tuscan company. But what surprised me most was how RCR has adapted over the years, moving from its golden age in the ‘80s and ‘90s to a time of crisis when lead crystal production faced bans.

In 2007, they reinvented themselves with Luxion®—an eco-friendly, lead-free crystal glass that’s 100% recyclable. The factory I visited was full of innovative, sustainable solutions, from solar panels to electric furnaces that run non-stop but use clean energy. It’s a fascinating blend of old-world craftsmanship and modern sustainability.

And the production process—wow. Whether it’s blown glass, pressed glass for ornate pieces, or a combination of techniques for bottles, every step of the way requires precision. Seeing a single drop of molten glass turn into an intricately designed glass was mesmerizing. It reminded me of just how much effort and artistry goes into something we often take for granted.

Today, RCR is no longer just a name tied to giftware—it has entered the world of fine dining and mixology, with their glassware being used in top restaurants and cocktail bars around the world. Their goal is clear: to make crystal not just something you keep in a display case, but something you use and enjoy every day.

We proudly use RCR’s beautiful wine glasses for aperitivo and lunch, and their liquor glasses when we finish our meals with a little limoncello. Supporting local businesses like RCR isn’t just a choice—it’s a way to honor and celebrate the rich craftsmanship of our region.

If you find yourself passing near Colle di Val d'Elsa and there is still room in your suitcase, near the RCR factory you can also find the factory store where you can buy the glasses you like best at a discounted price.

Have you ever visited a factory like RCR? I’d love to hear about your experiences! Whether it’s a glass factory, a vineyard, or any other place where craftsmanship comes to life, share your stories in the comments. What surprised you the most? Let’s chat about the behind-the-scenes magic that often goes unnoticed!

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Postcards from Tuscany is a section of our main newsletter, Letters from Tuscany. Postcards is a free column, where everyone can leave a comment and share a story.

I am Tommaso, the 50% of Juls' Kitchen, Giulia's husband, the photographer of everything you see here and of our latest cookbook Cucina Povera, but also the one in charge of videos, podcasts, and everything related to the technical aspects of our business. If you want to catch up on previous postcards, you can find them here. Happy reading!

Postcards from Tuscany

In the last year off from Postcards from Tuscany, my creativity has not had much momentum. We have been on a routine that didn’t invite photography: day after day at home, behind a computer or loading the dishwasher, our most exciting
day trip a visit to a neighboring town.

There has been one regular moment that has continued to mark my weeks, though: a visit to the weekly market in Gracciano, a neighborhood of Colle Val d’Elsa, our hometown. Those who have attended one of our cooking classes know that every Wednesday from March till the end of October we teach a market-to-table cooking class that gathers people from all over the world in our small town.

We start with breakfast—espresso, cappuccino, or macchiato and a selection of pastries—at the local café, and we decide together which will be the menu of the day. With a tentative list of ingredients in mind, we go shopping at the market for fruit, vegetables, and cheese, and from there we take a short walk to the butcher.

That is why for today's Postcard I decided to pick some of the most beautiful shots taken on this occasion.

What are your favorite vegetables to buy at the market? Do you have a favorite season for market visits? I'd love to hear your stories.

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Ciao, this is Postcards from Tuscany, a section of the main newsletter Letters from Tuscany. Postcards is weekly, free and everyone can leave a comment.
If you want to catch up on previous ones, you can find them here. Happy reading!

This newsletter is only possible because of readers' support. If you like what you read, feel free to share it, and if you would like to support this project, you can subscribe with a monthly or annual fee.

Thank you to everyone who has already subscribed, it is also thanks to you that we are always here to write and share new contents.

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Let me begin with a confession: I am a traitor. After 38 years of summer beach holidays in Salento (Puglia), I betrayed the caribbean beaches of the south with the rustic coast of Abruzzo.

Being on the opposite coast from Tuscany, with the Apennines in between, I never found Abruzzo on my way.
The route to Puglia has always been Florence - Rome - Caserta - Bari - Lecce.
Only a few years ago we decided with Giulia to take a different route via Perugia to get to the Adriatic coast, and then down all the way straight to our destination.

At first we did the whole trip in one day (10 hours by car). Since Livia has arrived, though, we decided to make a stop halfway. The first time we stopped at a beautiful winery, Emidio Pepe, in the Marche region. The second time we stopped at a B&B near Montesilvano, in Abruzzo. This is where we decided that "next time" we should have had our summer holidays in Abruzzo. And we kept our promise, because a year later, here we are.

This year we betrayed Salento to spend a week in a family hotel in Abruzzo, full board, with a shaded pine forest and beach resort included. We embraced a new routine immediately, something designed for our almost 3 year old girl, and in one week I pulled the car out of the hotel garage only once, for a dinner at a farmhouse in the hills.

While Livia took her afternoon nap, I went out twice for a walk around the hotel and took a few pictures.

This year's experience absolutely won us over and we will definitely repeat it next year: same beach, same sea.

[SAVE THE DATE] We're coming back with a Cook Along!

Giulia will share all the details next week, but…

We will meet SUNDAY, July 9th at 9.30 pm CET - 3.30 pm EDT - 12.30 pm PDT. This is an event designed for those who subscribed to Letters from Tuscany.

As always it is a moment when we cook together, but you can join just to have a chat, or a laugh, to ask questions, share stories, or simply listen while having a good cup of tea.

If you missed our previous newsletters about Abruzzo:

This newsletter is a reader-supported publication. We’re trying to keep things as free as possible, but if you enjoy what I write and want access to exclusive weekly recipes, and if you are at a point in your life to support our newsletter, please consider becoming a paid subscriber. Thank you!

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It has been a long time since I last sent a Postcard from Tuscany, so probably now many new subscribers who have arrived in the meantime are probably wondering what the heck it is!

Postcards from Tuscany is a section of the main newsletter Letters from Tuscany. Postcards arrives on Sundays, it is free and everyone can leave a comment. I am Tommaso, the 50% of Juls' Kitchen, Giulia's husband, the photographer of everything you see here, but also the one in charge of videos, podcasts, and everything related to the technical aspects of our business. If you want to catch up on previous postcards, you can find them here. If you want to read more about me, you can do so here. Happy reading!

Postcards from Tuscany

In these months off from Postcards from Tuscany, my creativity has not had much momentum: we have been sick a lot, it has rained even more, and we have been indoors most of the time. It's a routine that doesn't invite photography so much.

Spring this year is not exactly beautiful. After so much rain, Nature is ready to burst and bloom into summer with the first ray of sunshine.

Note to reading geeks: this winter I finally decided to take the plunge and ditched my SLR camera in favor of a lighter and more compact mirrorless. What's more, I also decided to migrate to a completely new ecosystem for me. After many years of Canon (my first Canon was a film camera) I chose to switch to Fujifilm.

And what does a new camera have to do with spring? A few days ago I bought a new lens: a macro, a lens that allows you to take (also) very close shots of your subjects. So far I have only taken a few quick shots in the garden, of my mother-in-law's roses mainly, but I can't wait to try it on food as well.

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Thank you to everyone who has already subscribed, it is also thanks to you that we are always here to write and share new contents.

This newsletter is only possible because of readers' support. If you like what you read, feel free to share it, and if you would like to support this project, you can subscribe with a monthly or annual fee.

Thank you to everyone who has already subscribed, it is also thanks to you that we are always here to write and share new contents.

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Does it happen to you too that you know beautiful places to visit close to home and never get to visit them?

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So, here it is, the salt mines in Volterra had been on my list of places to visit for a very long time, and I finally managed to do it!
Salt mines in Volterra? That's right, I wrote correctly.

Hidden beneath the delicate hills that can be seen along the road to Volterra, there is a vast deposit of sea salt, which have been used since Etruscan times.

Volterra's salt, as it is an underground deposit protected by layers of impermeable clay, is 99.99 percent pure. Paradoxically, the "sea" salt we use every day, which is extracted by evaporation from seawater, is less pure because the seawater is... heavily polluted! Despite the majority of impurities being chemically removed during the production process, the quality of Volterra salt, which is found to be the purest salt in Italy, cannot be achieved.

The visit includes:

• Visit to the salt museum and video projections

• Visit to the salt waterfall in the pavilion designed by Pier Luigi Nervi (a famous Italian architect)

• Visit to the Salt Emporium

PS. You may wonder, "what on earth can the salt emporium sell?" Well, lots of things made from salt, from beer to chocolate and beauty products. But the most interesting thing are the "salt pearls" that are used to salt pasta cooking water to perfection. We bought four boxes of them!

On the website of Saline di Volterra there is all the information to book a visit, even in English.

In the past week, we had planned to take a few days off and go to Genoa. Then, the week before we had planned to leave, Livia got sick and spent the whole week at home. Since she has made a huge growth spurt in the last few months, including relational growth with her peers, we canceled the trip so she could go back to the daycare, where she harvested olives and baked a cake for Halloween. Giulia and I, though, still took a couple of days to rest, a staycation.

In the past week, we had planned to take a few days off and go to Genoa. Then, the week before we had planned to leave, Livia got sick and spent the whole week at home. Since she has made a huge growth spurt in the last few months, including relational growth with her peers, we canceled the trip so she could go back to the daycare, where she harvested olives and baked a cake for Halloween. Giulia and I, though, still took a couple of days to rest, a staycation.

We spent the first day in the olive grove, picking olives. Yes, let's say it's not exactly relaxing (and I hate picking olives), but it's still an activity that is good for the soul. We also made a small video of the olive harvest, showing the short journey of extra virgin olive oil, from the tree to the bottle.

On the second day, we enjoyed a day at the coast. I wouldn't even call it "winter seaside trip”, as it was 25 degrees and some people were even swimming, but the seaside experienced during this time of year is good for the soul, too. We went to San Vincenzo, which I had already mentioned in a postcard a few weeks ago, with the intention of eating some seafood.

Now I'll make a confession: I’m not particularly keen on fish and seafood.

I eat some but if I have a choice I prefer something else. On our honeymoon in Scotland I sat back and watched as Giulia ordered oysters for two and ate my portion as well.

If I have to intentionally eat seafood, then I only eat it at La Perla del Mare, prepared by chef Deborah Corsi.

It had been a few years since we had last visited Deborah's to eat, but the memory was still fresh.

Now no more words and I’ll just share some pictures. Yes, it's more of a photo gallery than a postcard this time, but I couldn't resist taking pictures of the dishes we ordered, because in addition to all of them being delicious they were also beautiful to look at, with careful plating in both shapes and colors.

What is your favorite restaurant? The one you go to when you need to feed your soul as well as your taste buds.

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Here at home the weather is quite strange: it is so warm that during the last cooking classes we even had lunch outside, under the olive trees. The temperatures even reached 24°C during the day. In the evening, though, it begins to be cooler, more humid, and in the morning we often wake up surrounded by a thick blanket of fog. Is this autumn? Or is it spring? Maybe the seasons don't really exist anymore… but surely this is mushroom time!

We live surrounded by woods: a large one made of oaks and beeches, the very same one we see every morning when opening the bathroom windows (the most instagrammed view of the house that our friends recognize immediately), and a pine forest a little further on, a destination for autumn walks.

Marcella, Giulia's grandmother, has the instinct of a mushroom hunter in her blood, a passion for delving into the scrub. The craving for finding mushrooms has always surpassed that of eating them. For her, the fun was in the woods, not in the kitchen.

Now that, given her age, she no longer ventures into the thick of the woods, it is Felice, my father-in-law, who has inherited the role of mushroom hunter.

I don't remember the last time I went mushroom hunting, certainly more than 20 years ago. This year, for the first time since I moved here, we all ventured into the woods in search of mushrooms. More than mushrooms, though, I found photo opportunities of some beautiful no-edible mushrooms, even if for the first time I also managed to find two porcini mushrooms!

Have you ever been mushroom hunting? Or do you prefer to rely on the stalls of a market?

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[REMINDER] See you later for the October Cook Along. Everyone is welcome, if you don't want to cook just come over to say ciao or have a chat. You’ll find the recipe, the ingredients and the link to join in the link below. The Cook Along is reserved for subscribers.

Letters from Tuscany

October Cook Along. The ingredients and the link!

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3 years ago · 2 likes · 8 comments · Giulia Scarpaleggia

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You have probably heard the news about two young activists who threw tomato sauce on one of the paintings from Van Gogh's 'Sunflowers' series at the National Gallery in London.

The canvas was fortunately protected by glass and the painting was returned to its place after only six hours.

Everyone is free to think as they like, but should such an aggressive action really serve to make the World aware of climate change? In my opinion, no, in fact, it damages our chances of access to Culture even more. Climate change is a serious matter. Are we underestimating it? Yes. But, as Gandhi said, 'be the change you want to see in the world', so let's roll up our sleeves!

Anyway, this event made me think of the last visit we made to the Uffizi Gallery, today's postcard.

It was 17 January 2019 and we had booked the first entrance, the 8:15.

We were practically alone in the museum, we could enjoy all the masterpieces in a very unusual calm and empty museum.

What is your favorite museum? Which masterpiece would you stand in front of for hours?

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October Cook Along, and the next online events

[SNEAK PEEK] After the summer, the busy high season of classes, and a Covid break, we’re back with Cook Along online events!

The first one will be on SUNDAY the 23rd of October at 9 pm CEST - 3 pm EDT - 12 pm PDT. This is an event designed for those who subscribed to Letters from Tuscany.

In the next newsletter Giulia will give you more details about the recipe you’re going to cook together. And mark your calendar! These are the dates next online events:

November 20th | 9 pm CEST - 3 pm EDT - 12 pm PDT
December 18th | 9 pm CEST - 3 pm EDT - 12 pm PDT
January 22nd | 9 pm CEST - 3 pm EDT - 12 pm PDT

Letters from Tuscany is a reader-supported publication. To receive new recipes and support our work, consider becoming a paid subscriber.

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To choose this postcard, I worked out a complicated algorithm: I opened the photo archive on my phone, scrolled my finger very quickly, and then stop it on a random photo! Here is the chosen photo. 😬

Joking aside, I'm sorry, but after 12 days of COVID, locked indoors in quarantine, my creativity is at an all-time low.

As luck would have it, though, I randomly picked a photo that perfectly represents my mood now: the sea in winter, a sunset in San Vincenzo (LI). The sea in winter always gives me beautiful emotions, and, at the same time, it makes you pensive and relaxed.

If I remember correctly, I took this photo on 1 January 2017, my first time visiting the town. I have always enjoyed taking a trip out to the coast on the first day of the year as if it were a ritual to start anew. And this is exactly what I need now.

A visit to San Vincenzo is always a good excuse to eat at La Perla del Mare, Deborah Corsi's restaurant. I generally don't eat fish, except that prepared by Deborah. 😁 [Giulia is not very happy about this!]

Rummaging my archive, I also retrieved two photos from that wonderful lunch.

If I've got you in the mood, we also have a little guide to the Costa degli Etruschi on the blog.

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If you have ever participated in one of our cooking classes, you know how much Giulia and I love Volterra, and we probably suggested you visit it after the class instead of San Gimignano.

Don't get me wrong, San Gimignano is beautiful, but as often happens mass tourism has completely transformed it. With the exception of a couple of places, you only find the classic tourist stuff: wooden cutting boards, plastic magnets, wild boar puppets, packages of pasta, cookies, etc... San Gimignano really benefits from a low-season visit.

Volterra, on the other hand, continues to maintain its authenticity over the centuries. It has been able to make its isolation a strong point: although it continues to attract tourists from all over the world, it remains a town on a human scale, where the stores are still frequented by the locals: on Sundays, people buy pastries to take to their relatives for lunch. Here the little cafés and clubs are still the meeting point for young and old people.

The road to Volterra is neither for weak stomachs (a good dose of curvy roads) nor for the faint of heart (the scenery takes the breath away, especially in the fall and spring).

Leave your car at La Dogana Parking Lot, and as soon as you exit onto Piazza dei Martiri della Libertà, you can admire the beauty of the landscape all around. If you are lucky enough to find a sunny day, you will be able to spot the silvery strip of the sea of the Tuscan coast in the distance.

Leaving the square, all you can do is get lost up and down the old streets; every corner might give you a surprise.

If you want to eat in Volterra, mark down these names:

• Enoteca del Duca

• Ristorante da Beppino

• La Vecchia Lira

• La Carabaccia

When you are planning a trip, do you prefer to visit the best-known cities or explore the less famous ones? What is the hidden gem you discovered? Let me know in the comments!

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It is that time of year again: the grape harvest has begun.

The hills come alive, in the vineyards between the rows of vines the tractors go back and forth with full carts. In the morning with Livia, while driving her to daycare, we play a game: we count all the tractors we encounter, trying to find the biggest one.

Until recently, grape harvesting was also the first paid job that young people had, as it usually takes place just before university classes begin. I did my first harvest in 2008: I remember it as an intense, tiring time, but rewarded by the deep connection one has with Nature. Now, unfortunately, harvesting is mostly mechanized (except on a few rare occasions when it is done by experienced harvesters).

In Tuscany, then, vendemmia is synonymous with schiacciata con l'uva, grape focaccia, another important dish of the Italian cucina povera. In the past, the focaccia was prepared simply with part of the week's bread dough, to which sugar and grapes were added. It was also used used to check the temperature in the wood-fired oven before baking the bread.

As often happens in Italian cooking, every family has its own recipe version: one layer of dough, two layers, rosemary, anise or fennel seeds... on Giulia's Instagram profile there is a short video I shot just as she was making her schiacciata. She's been working on the recipe for years trying to find the right balance between dough and grapes, and this single-layer version with rosemary will be in our next cookbook!

If you don't want to wait, you can already find the recipe for the double-layer schiacciata with grapes on the blog.

What's your favourite dessert to celebrate Autumn? Let me know in the comments!

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I immediately ran to get my camera to capture the moment.

After taking a few shots and turning off the camera, I had a sudden thought: this summer is almost over, and this year we have never been outside at night to look at the stars. Before, we used to do it all the time.

Usually, during the summer, we often have dinner at the big table we have in the garden, my mother-in-law sets the table, and we bring the leftovers from the cooking class.

We would always end the meal with a small cup of ice cream, a store-bought ice cream, with such flavors that would horrify any dietician! But we like it this way!

Then my father-in-law picks up the phone, opens one of his favorite apps, and begins: "Look that plane goes to Milan, that one to London, that one to Catania... there's the International Space Station"!"

Then darkness comes and the sky is adorned with stars. When you live in a small, isolated village you get used to looking for the silver lining. There is very little light pollution here, and with a bit of eye training, you can spend hours looking at constellations.

Years ago I also inherited a small astronomical telescope, but unfortunately, the instructions were lost, so we could only manage to see a blurry moon after two hours of trials.

When was the last time you stopped to look at the stars? I find it relaxing and I really realize how tiny we are (and how most of our problems are insignificant).

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Located in the Chianti Classico area, Il Querceto di Castellina is a little corner of heaven, an organic agriturismo and winery near Castellina in Chianti.

Jacopo’s grandparents bought the place as a family vacation home in 1945. It has seen many changes. In 1997 the old vineyards were replanted. Since its first year of production in 1998, Querceto has been relying on sustainable techniques in both the vineyards and the cellars. In 2009 they began their move to organic production and were certified organic in 2012. Grapes are harvested by hand from the sloping vineyards about the estate, yet another example of the principle in action—that a great wine is born not in the cellar, but in the vineyard.

At Querceto, we have enjoyed late summer afternoons next to their pool, autumn festive meals on their terrace, and many a dreamy vineyard dinner. We have recommended a stay to all our friends, and they all have felt at home, and welcomed as part of the family.

Il Querceto is a place of peace and pleasure, where the welcome is warm and family-like and the wine is highly connected with food.

If you are visiting the Chianti area, be sure to book a visit and a wine tasting. The selection of wines is really interesting. Our favorite? The white wine Livia, of course! It is a unique blend of two French grapes and is named after the sole granddaughter in the family. The wine label features Livia's tiny footprint from when she was about two or three months old. The wine glints light gold in colour with subtle scents of white peach, apricot, and roses.

For those looking for something extra special, during summer they organize a series of candle-lit dinners in the Livia vineyard, that are truly a midsummer night’s dream. If you are a group of more than 8 people, you can also ask for a private vineyard dinner to celebrate a special occasion with family and friends!

Cheers! 🍷

**Discover more about Il Querceto here.**

Sometimes there is a tractor plowing the field in front of the house, sometimes there is Grandma Marcella's black cat chasing lizards, most often we just sit there watching the sunset together with our dog Noa.

This video is not perfect, this is the first time I have done such a video, it is made with 579 photos taken over 30 minutes. I hope you enjoy it and, most important, that it can give you some of the peacefulness we experience in that shared moment.

Unfortunately, the sunflower fields around here are already all dry, though. In fact, I can't remember the last time it rained properly this year.

This is a photo from July 2018.

This was our second time visiting a Parmigiano Reggiano dairy farm, but again we were amazed by the magic that happens every day in these special places. It is here that you realize that one of the most representative products of the Made in Italy brand, one of the best known, loved and imitated, is an artisanal product that encapsulates the essence of a territory, its scents, and its knowledge.

[SPOILER] Time to gather all the information, and in a few days a Letter from Giulia will tell you everything about the experience, and I am sure you will book a visit right afterwards! Yes, because the visits to the dairies are open to everyone.

Do you have questions regarding the Parmigiano Reggiano production and visit to the farms? We’ll try to answer your questions in the next Letter!

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Now I'll let you in on a secret: Giulia is a bit envious of all the comments you leave each time on my Postcards and not on her Letters 😁😜 so I invite you to comment on her recipes too. Don't worry, Giulia doesn't bite, and she will surely be very very pleased. The goal of this newsletter is to create a community, just as in a book club, so don't be shy! Have you already bought a box of squash blossoms to make risotto and baked stuffed squash blossoms from the latest newsletters?

But back to Postcard #6, the first round of Postcards from Tuscany I had in mind comes to the end: until now, we briefly visited the most significant places in my life.

From now on I will browse through my photo archive to dig up other places I have visited over the years.

If I could live in a different place, it would surely be the city of Lucca.

I can't remember the first time I visited Lucca, but it has always been one of my favorite towns, in Tuscany and maybe in Italy. Perhaps it is because I associate it with the favorite meeting point of a group of friends, where we spent many beautiful days together.

The main special feature of Lucca is undoubtedly the city walls. They are the greatest example in Europe of city walls that were built according to the principles of modern fortification and have been preserved completely intact in a large city. They are more than 4 kilometers long, forming a ring around the historic center of the city. In the 1800s they were converted from a defensive structure to a pedestrian promenade, so they are the perfect place to have a stroll with friends or ride a bike, run, have a picnic, or watch other people walk.

Lucca is positioned halfway between the coast of Versilia, the mountains of Garfagnana, and major art cities: Pisa, Livorno, Florence, Pistoia.

There are many stores, including handicrafts, which are very interesting. Every third Sunday of the month there is also an antiques market, where we often find some new dishes for photos.

Of course there is good food, too: the farmers' market and its recipes appear in our cookbook “From the Markets of Tuscany” and on the blog you can also find a small guide for a weekend in Garfagnana, but in the coming weeks we would like to work on a more complete guide to share here in Letters from Tuscany. In the meantime if you go to Lucca be sure to make a reservation to have lunch at Gigliola.
What do you think? Would you be interested in a Foodie Guide on Lucca? Let me know in the comments.

If you could live in a different place, which city in your country would you choose to live in?

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Having part of my family in Puglia, I have always spent my summer vacations after the end of school at the seaside in Porto Cesareo. In my mind, when I think about the sea, I think of the sea in Porto Cesareo. Since it is almost a 10-hour drive from Florence, there have always been few occasions to go there. The crystal blue sea, the kind that would make the best exotic islands envious, has always been a good reason.

Porto Cesareo for me is:

• walk barefoot to the beach

• a slice of fresh watermelon, dripping on your chin

• Leccese coffee (espresso, ice cubes, and almond syrup)

• taralli, pasticciotti e rustici (they are all goodies from Salento)

• lunches in the dim-light, spying on those passing by in the street through half-open shutters

• the morning routine: walk to the village to buy bread, newspaper, vegetables, and fresh fish

• the food market on Thursdays

• the afternoon nap after lunch

• the afternoon silence, interrupted only by the cicadas singing outside in the hot sunshine

• taking a swim in the morning and in the evening just before sunset

• a quick dinner, perhaps with leftovers from lunch, but mostly with friselle and tomatoes, mozzarella, or a rosetta bun with mortadella

• the evening routine: a quick dinner, and a walk downtown among the candy, souvenir, and trinket stalls

If you think about the sea, where are you imagining yourself? Let me know in the comments.

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If you missed the previous Postcards, you can catch up with it here!

Just like with real postcards, this one got lost and arrived a bit late. Strangely enough, this time it is not because of the Italian Mail Service, but of 850 km travelled in two days, of an almost two-year-old girl who needs to find her new routine in a new place, and of an extremely hot weather that leaves you grasping for breath. To cut a long story short, I had not really managed to plan this postcard before today.

As Giulia has already mentioned in Letters from Tuscany, we are in Salento to spend a few days at the seaside, and it seems the right moment to send a postcard from Lecce.

They call it the Florence of the South, but I see it as the city of light.

As is often happens when you visit your relatives for a few days in another region (especially in southern Italy), the opportunities to visit the city are rare, and even rarer is the chance to try new places, to have breakfast at a local café, or to dine out.

Here, I admit that in the 37 years I have been visiting Lecce, I have had breakfast in three pastry shops and eaten only twice in a restaurant.

Sooner or later we would really like to write a small foodie guide to Lecce, but in the meantime here you will find some tips we collected last year.

Tell me I am not the only one who had been visiting a city for a long time but never gets the opportunity to try new places. What is your 'unknown' city? Let me know in the comments.

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I lived in a small town near Florence for 18 years then, I must admit, after meeting Giulia my routine changed.

In recent years, pandemic excluded, we don't go to Florence very often. Mainly because it’s overcrowded with tourists. From Easter until October, the center of Florence is off limit

So, during the low season, we always visit a museum we haven't seen in a long time (a few years ago we visited the Uffizi in January, we were almost alone), we go out to try a new restaurant for dinner, or more simply to do some shopping.

Now more than before, when I arrive in Piazza Duomo that view takes my breath away. It is probably because I rarely go there, and it is like going there for the first time. Such majesty appears in front of you, and you are left speechless. 

Have you ever visited Florence? What was your reaction to seeing the Duomo? Does it also happen to you in your city to have your breath taken away when you visit a particular spot? Tell me about it in the comments.

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I am ready to bookmark on Google Maps all the places you will suggest to visit!

I have to tell you a secret: I have never climbed the Duomo nor the bell tower (Campanile di Giotto). In Florence, legend has it that if you climb the Duomo stairs when you are at the university, you won’t graduate. But I am not at risk anymore, so maybe next winter I will climb the 463 steps to admire the view from up there.

P.S. When I think that the Duomo has been there for more than 550 years, and we can't fix all the bumps in a road, it makes me laugh (not).

Secret #2: If you visit Florence in the next few months, stop for ice cream at La Sorbettiera, one of the best gelato shops in town. Our favorite flavors? Lemon and sage for me, or Catrame (dark chocolate) for Giulia!

P.S. #2: If you need a guide for a tour in Florence, you can contact our friend Molly McIlwrath: http://letterartemente.com