Follow the link for a taste of bella Lake Como and some of the surrounding Lake District!
November 3, 2011
November in Italy
autumn in Tuscan woodlands
All Saints Day is celebrated November 1 and is a national holiday in Italy. On All Souls Day, November 2, Italians bring flowers to cemeteries to honor deceased relatives. During November you’ll find some music and cultural festivals and performing arts seasons are starting.
Truffles are the star of November Festivals in Italy. Many truffle fairs are held in northern (Piedmonte for one) and central Italy. You’ll also find chestnut festivals in many towns and villages during November. Restaurants will often have special meals highlighting truffles, chestnuts, or wild mushrooms especially on Sundays. Fall is a great time for eating in Italy !!! Yum Yum.
San Miniato Truffle Fair – La Sagra del Tartufo Bianco, a truffle fair, is held in the medieval hill town of San Miniato in the Pisa Province of Tuscany on the second, third and fourth weekends in November. 25% of Italy’s white truffles are produced in this territory and November is the heart of truffle gathering season. There will be food and craft stands and entertainment and restaurants will feature truffle menus. If you haven’t had truffles, this is a great place to get an introduction.
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If traveling to Tuscany or Liguria…please be aware that shortly after flooding in Rome, now unusually heavy rains have flooded parts of Liguria and northern Tuscany, including the popular Cinque Terre villages. Roads washed away leaving two of the villages, Monterosso and Vernazza, cut off, according to news reports. Parts of the A12 and A15 autostrada are currently closed as well as other roads in the area and the rail line is closed between la Spezia and Genoa.
Cinque Terre hiking trails are likely to be closed for awhile, too, so check the Cinque Terre National Park web site for updates before you go.
