La Macina Affordable charming villa rental with gorgeous sea views in Palermo Sicilia

La Macina Affordable charming villa rental with gorgeous sea views in Palermo Sicilia

La Macina is a stone country home set high on the hills overlooking the Mediterranean sea with its endless shades of blue.

Placed above the village of Aliminusa, La Macina enjoys a very private and secluded position with panoramas stretching 360° round and yet is a mere kilometer from amenities.

Outside is a large garden hosting an ancient millstone, hence the name '"Macina'" an inviting fruit orchard and a vegetable garden guests are welcome to use. At the back of the house sits a lovingly tendered vineyard and olive grove.

The house develops over two floors. The groud floor hosts a spacious kitchen tiled with colourful local ceramics, a full bathroom and a welcoming lounge with fireplace, sat tv, hi-fi system, 2 armchairs and a sofa-bed.

Off the lounge, an elegant wooden staircase leads to the first floor. Here are two single and one double bedrooms enjoying magnificen views.

Outside the kitchen a wide pergola hosts a wood oven and a table seating up to 18 guests - very reminiscent of Sicilian feasts!

All in all we really liked this place for its genuinity, the attention to detail, the marvellous views and the lovely people in the village.

You can't miss a visit local farmers who produce fantastic sheep and goat cheeses as well as the famous sheep's ricotta, traditional remedy to any ailment!

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Green, Eco Friendly Holidays

Green, Eco Friendly Holidays

As the world’s population embraces green issues more and more, there are increasing opportunities for travellers to take exciting eco friendly holidays around the globe. One of those fantastic destinations is Italy, where millions of tourists have flocked to hotels and villas but have not necessarily been aware of eco-tourism.

The views in much of Italy are amazing, whether it is the heart of the Tuscan countryside, the coastal cities such as Naples or the mountainous ski resorts in the north. A good example of eco friendly holidays is Tuscany learning farm holidays. These are terrific experiences for all tourists very keen to understand more about green issues.

Not only do tourists get the chance to stay in comfortable accommodation in a beautiful part of Italy, but they can also get hands on experience of farm life. Whilst enjoying the panoramic views, guests may have the opportunity to feed the farm animals, make cheese or even get some cooking lessons.

There can be few better ways to experience the Italian countryside than by taking Siena organic farm holidays. Siena is a beautiful area in the region of Tuscany in the northern half of the country and is handily located for fun days out to one of the many vineyards. Italy is so blessed with wine making regions that a visit to some of the vineyards is highly recommended.

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A Pure Green (Living) Magazine

We found an amazing online magazine with a nice "green" twist to it. Celine MacKay of the blog Pure Green has produced Pure Green Magazine, an off-shoot of her blog featuring eco-style picks, new products and ideas, DIY projects, green homes, travel, organic recipes and more! This 3rd issue is all about green holiday ideas and destinations. The pictures are blissful, and the tips are very inspiring and useful. Enjoy the read!

Sott' Olio - The perfect Gift!

It may seem a little early to think about home-made holiday gifts, but with nature’s autumnal bounty, now is the perfect time to start making pretty jars of preserved vegetables. They make terrific, delicious gifts that feed the heart as well as the stomach!

A very common method of vegetable preservation in Italy is sott'olio, which means "under oil". Vegetables are "canned" this way to keep them through the winter; everything from rapini to carrots to grilled pumpkin can be preserved in olive oil. Grilled eggplant can be rolled up and tucked into jars, and roasted garlic cloves can be submerged, too.

To properly preserve vegetables using this method, olive oil must completely cover the vegetables, and you should run a knife through the jar to release all air bubbles. It is a simple process to keep food fresh, nearly "foolproof", as the oil blocks air from getting in and spoiling the goods.

Following are two recipes for enjoying yourself or giving away.

Cipollini Sott'olio
Baby onions take on a sweeter essence when left to linger this way.

• Baby onions
• White wine
• 2-3 cloves of garlic
• Zest of 1 lemon or 1 orange (peels not grated zest)
• salt, pepper, red chile flakes, bay leaf - any combination of herbs you desire
• Extra Virgin Olive Oil
• canning jars (I prefer jars with rubber gaskets and metal closures)

Peel the baby onions and put them in a saucepan. Add about 1 cup or so of white wine, along with the seasonings of your choice. Bring to a boil and simmer about 7 minutes. Drain and cool completely. Remove the garlic and lemon peels.

Once they're cool, put them in a jar with a tight-sealing lid. Pack them in fairly tightly up to the top of the container, but not into the neck. Pour the olive oil over top to cover them completely. Run a knife through the jar to release the air bubbles. Seal the jars and store in a cool, dry place.

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Pure and Authentic goes on a 12 month tour of Italy

After years of thinking about it, we've finally taken the plunge and here we are in Castiglion Fiorentino (between Arezzo and Cortona) volunteering on the olive harvest in an organic farm.

The project started in October 2009, when I took my trip to the Peruvian Amazon and visited some self sufficient idyllic villages. I so much enjoyed being in the most Pure & Authentic of natural settings that I started thinking how I could bring a little of this sensation in my daily living without having to drastically change my life.

On return I enroled on a foundation course in horticulture and talked Simone into volunteering part time in an organic farm near home... we ended up adoring the experience (thanks to our first host Alessandro) and joined the Italian WWOOF organisation (World Wide Opportunities in Organic Farming) with the idea of discovering the organic side of Italy.

It took 6 months before we found the farms we were looking for and on 7 October we rented out our city home in Northern Italy and a with a heavily loaded car we ventured South to settle into our first farm in Castiglion Fiorentino (Arezzo) where we came to house and dog sit first and then help with the harvest of 400 olive trees - what a marvellous (and exhausting) experience. Read more