Salsa in Toscana - Organised by LeuvenSalsa!

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Salsa holidays in Tuscany: what's so specific about them?
There are many salsa holidays around organized by many different promotors. With this note i'd like to indicate what's specific or different in our 'salsa holidays in Tuscany'. Doesn't mean at all that they are better than the others, each formula has its specificities. Here are some of 'ours'.

To me the salsa in Toscana holidays are all about enjoying. Salsa of course and bachata and more. Classes & parties.

But it can be much much more: the great Italian FOOD for instance ... Should be a pity not to enjoy this honest, simple, tasty, fantastic kitchen ... The holidays take place in an area of Tuscany that is not so turistic which is an even bigger garantee for good meals (relatively cheap and in general great quality). And what about for instance doing a cookery class? Attending a class with a small group to learn some of the principles of cooking and then presenting the results to the whole group of participants of our holidays ... Let me know if you are interested!
And here's a selection of restaurants, pizzerie, osterie in the area that are great. I'm sure there are more but those are the ones i got to know through the many years i've visited this area.
- pizzeria: pizzeria Il Gabellino / pizzeria in Boccheggiano (La Tana dell'Upo) / pizzeria on the main square of Massa Marittima (those are already three excellent ones)
- restaurants & osterie ('osteria' used to indicate a cheaper restaurant or even a bar, now the distinction is less clear): Frutteto (in Boccheggiano), Il Cantuccio (Puntone, Scarlino,near Cala Violina beach) if you like fish, in Massa Marittima in the higher part volunteers are cooking on a terrace with beautiful view (house is property of the church but there's no real name. Basically every small osteria or restaurant will give you great pasta or fish or meat. Forget the idea that Italian food is just pasta and pizza, their vegetables, meat,fish, fruit is excellent as well.

Then apart from the mouth there's also the EYE that can be pleased easily around there: Massa Marittima is a beautiful medieval city (only 10km from Gabellino), the abbey of San Galgano is closeby too (have a stop at the agriturismo next to it, good kitchen!). The small villages in the neighbourhood are simple and nice: Prata, Boccheggiano, Scarlino alto, ... A bit further there are very beautiful places like Siena, like Pienza (the Val d'Orcia area!), like Montepulciano. And then there's Firenze that is two hours away (can be a good idea for a day trip during the free day that you'll have in the middle of every salsa holiday). In general i would certainly recommend to TAKE IT EASY and enjoy the simple things, the best idea is often to visit just one place, have a dinner, walk around, enjoy the sun instead of seeing a lot and being hours in the car .... I try in general also to avoid turistic places or restaurants ...

If you want to see the seaside, the closest city is Follonica, nothing special really but it's easy and you'll find beaches, shops, bars, ... and salsa parties ;-). There's a very beautiful beach on the south of Follonica, called 'Cala Violina', there's a fine city on the sea called 'Castiglione della Pescaia'. There is Populonia with its Etrusk wall and tombs and a fantastic view on the sea (direction of Piombino). You could even go to the island of Elba, although i believe the continent is just as good. What could be great as a day trip is to take the boat that goes from Piombino or Castiglione della Pescaia to some small islands (called the Tuscan Archipel, the islands are for instance Giannutri or Giglio). They offer dinner on the boat and let you stop and visit the island for a while.

Tuscany is an 'attack' on all senses, the climate (especially where we will be, close to the sea) is simply ideal in summer, there's a lot of beauty around, the nature, the smells, the food and friendly people of course. It'll be our pleasure to help you discover it and have a great time. We will for instance bring you for sure to Cala Violina beach, to Massa Marittima, to the Regional Park of the Maremma, a professional guide will show you some parts of the Maremma area (which is the name of the area of Tuscany we are in) ...

If you want, at least in the period i'm there of course ;-), we could do a speed beginner's class of Italian, after all i was an Italian teacher for many years ;-).

And how about the salsa?? ;-) As these holidays are after all in the first place 'salsa holidays' ... Well, we've selected for every period some great, enthusiastic, creative, patient and experienced instructors forming a balanced staff for each of the three periods. The groups of participants are quite small, so you'll have quite an intense and constant contact with the teachers, prepare your questions already! Meeting people from other dance schools or countries is also a nice experience, both for the dancing and for the fact of simply meeting people from different places and countries ...

The parties? Well, that's another specific thing for these holidays i believe. We will sometimes organize our 'own' parties, improvised or not. But we certainly will go a lot to the parties that are organized by the local dance scene. And trust me there's no need to look down on this scene, there are many dancers and these people know how to party and there are many great dancers!! So unlike some other salsa holidays we are not going to have just parties on our own, in our resort or something like it, we will mingle with the locals ;-).

Again, as i said at the start, this is not to say our stuff is better. No doubt some of my colleagues are proposing exciting salsa trips too ... But each one of them has its specific qualities and i've tried here to expose some of them. You'll find much more concrete info on the website http://www.leuvensalsa.com/. Feel free also to contact me at info@leuvensalsa.com or through +32/496.123.006.

Have a great day (and keep on dancing :-)),
Carl

HOUSING UPDATE: 30/04/2011 (14h00)
Here's a list of the housing possibilities in a clear scheme with the pluses and the minuses of every housing. It'll allow you to make a better choice (or to hesitate even more :-)).

1. HOTEL IL GABELLINO (hotel with 21 places in Gabellino)
www.gabellino.eu

No supplement to pay (at least if you're willing to share the room with someone else).
Central location (many participants will be staying in those blocks of houses that is called Il Gabellino; there's a pizzeria, a bar, an osteria (small restaurant), the house of the staff is litterally next door, the Poggiolo agriturismo is 200m away, there'll be a dance floor outdoors next to the hotel that we'll use for classes and parties).
You can have breakfast, lunch and supper in the restaurant (same managers as the hotel) at good prices (4 euro breakfast, 10 euro lunch and supper).

- Don't expect luxury, this is a clean and basic hotel that offers rooms (with or without bathroom) really.

- No garden (but you'll be more than welcome in the big garden around the staff's house next doors), no swimming pool (but seaside is half an hour away).

2. CASA SICA (house with three double rooms in Prata village)

No supplement to pay (again if you're willing to share).
Great comfort, can be called luxury rooms, with a bathroom for every room.
In the middle of a charming medieval village (600 inhabitants), with fantastic view on the seaside and area.
In the village you'll find all you need (bar, restaurant, some groceries)
Kitchen and living room (so possibility to cook or put something away in the fridge).

- No garden or swimming pool.

- There'll be classes in Prata and also parties, but for the rest the six persons staying in Casa Sica will be the only ones of the stage staying over there. But it's only 2 or 3km away from Il Gabellino (if you have a car or motorbike no problem). Click here for pictures.

3. FONTEVERDI AGRITURISMO (apartments for 2, 3 or 4 in the middle of nature)

Beautiful area around.
Swimming pool.
Apartments, so you'll be able to cook something.

- Not central, even though again it's only a few km away from Gabellino and from Boccheggiano village. You'll need to take the car when you want to go to a village, to the class etc. But on the other hand there can be up to 14 participants at Fonteverdi, so you won't certainly be alone.

- Supplement of 12 euro (per person per night) to pay.

4. POGGIOLO AGRITURISMO (apartments for 2 or 3 in Gabellino)www.poggiolo.com - Only available for 2nd and 3rd period of Salsa in Toscana!

Probably the best of all housing we are offering: central, nice rooms, swimming pool, garden, great breakfast, charming manager, great breakfast included in the price.

- Supplement of 22 euro to pay (per person per day). But breakfast is included.

5. IL FRUTTETO (apartments of 4 in Boccheggiano village) www.ilfruttetointoscana.it

Very nice comfort too, swimming pool, excellent restaurant next doors.
In the village of Boccheggiano, so you'll have one of the dance floors for the classes next doors (apart from some shops, a bar).

- Not so central if we consider Il Gabellino as the centre (because many participants will stay over there).

- Supplement to pay of 10 euro (per person per night).

6. SAN MICHELE AGRITURISMO

Becomes only interesting if we can book this for 4, 5 or 6 people. Swimming pool, beautiful area (almost same as Fonteverdi), garden.