August's sweltering heat and the Tuscan hillsides blazing with sunflowers have given way to a cooler Septmber. We are all grateful! I'm the perpetual student, and September is a time of new beginnings and new friends. It's a time for food festivals (sagre) in the countryside, porcini mushrooms, truffles, and fabulous soups. I love the fall! Starting September 8, Florence will celebrate the Guelfa e Ghibellina, the two political factions, followers of the Pope or the Emporer in the 1200s. The Bank reissues the original Florentine coin, the fiorino, to be used in shops or to save as a great collectible. Every Saturday, there will be a medieval parade in the city center, and the evening in the inner courtyard of the Church of Santa Maria Novella a medieval banquet for 200 with musicians, magicians, and dancers. (Cost L. 90.000) This September 22-23 and 29 will see the famous and rough Calcio in Costume, the Renaissance soccer game, a game more like rugby. I love the parade in the city with all the players, the government figures, and the soldiers in costume; it's breathtaking. The game is played on sand and is a very wild event! It's taken seriously, so don't wear the wrong colors! If you plan on attending, email me and I will give you advice! I've just added a city-by-city dining guide to the Chianti region. There are also features on new friends and plenty of new recipes. *****LATE BREAKING NEWS!***** My dear friends Antonio and Loredana Lisciandro of Gelateria Carabé had their first baby, a lovely boy named Tancredi. They also have a new web site produced by the same web gods who do my site. Stop by Carabé online and celebrate with a scoop upgrade as a special gift from the THREE Lisciandro's! NEWSLETTERS Life's Too Short [fall 2005] Pasqua [march 2005] Estate [summer 2004] Primavera [spring 2004] Tuscan Chocolate Valley [winter 2003] I Scream, U Scream, We All Scream for...Gelato! [summer 2003] Slow Food, Slow Travel [spring 2003] Sagre, Sagre, Sagre! [spring 2003] Tuscan Virgins [fall 2002] Fall Festivals [fall 2002] La Notte di San Lorenzo [summer 2002] Fireflies & Fireworks [summer 2002] I Love EWE! [spring 2002] Andrea's Christmas Dinner [winter 2001] Addio Bistecca alla Fiorentina! [summer 2001] Guelfa e Ghibellini [late summer 2001] Tartufi, Feste & Sagre [fall 2000] Piatti del Buon Ricordo [summer 2000] COMING SOON! Carrara: Marble & White Prosciutto