The countryside is pretty cool. Everyone talks about it, wants to take a trip there and eat good, locally sourced food. But most people end up satisfying themselves with a poor imitation of genuine, unadulterated food thinking that it’s not so important if it really is genuine, just that it seems to be.

If I were to make a list of all the things that stick most in my mind from my journey of discovery around the countryside, the faces of real farmers would definitely be in first place. Many of these faces tell their own stories without making a sound.

Until 20 years ago, it was almost glamorous to taste a pineapple and within 10 years, it will be a luxury to eat a medlar. Sounds crazy? Maybe, but we all need to start thinking more about where the world is going.

To hold a kid goat in your arms is amazing. To eat warm homemade bread results in satisfied noises of delight.

Before we started our search for a star, the solution literally came straight at us, tails wagging. Of course, our hosts would be the Agriturismi dogs!

Many people dream of sleeping in an Agriturismo made of stone and wood, rustic through and through. A rustic, country-style environment is fascinating, especially because it’s becoming increasingly rare. Where now can you find these kinds of buildings among today’s modern construction?

Lucia, owner of Agriturismo Alberese, sent us this photo that she took while driving on a very quiet road towards Asciano in Tuscany. 2012 isn’t far away… maybe Maya is right about the 2012 phenomenon? The sheep are preparing to revolt!

A new hotel chain has introduced a system of electromagnetic waves that, when activated by the concierge, simultaneously switches off all the buildings’ lights within a five-kilometre radius.

We’re used to seeing bags of frozen fruits in supermarket freezers or red fruit-flavoured yogurts. But those found in shops rarely have any taste to them and cost the earth.

I’d personally love to spend a day at the thermal baths in October, the crisp air making it much more enjoyable that during the hot summer, splashing about in the hot water with a smattering of rain outside making it an experience to remember.