Customer Reviews

Inside The Tuscan Hills

5 star:		(12)
4 star:		(5)
3 star:		(2)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

I am a Tuscan villa rental agent with Tuscan Dream and I purchased this DVD to see if there were any secrets I wasn't in on and of course to look at the beautiful scenery. I thought it might be like any other travel show, but this is different. Inside the Tuscan Hills REALLY reflects the way of life for people who live in Tuscany. There are some great secrets and tips included in the videos which I will be sure to tell my clients. If you want to be transported to Tuscany at any time of the year instead of buying the ticket, buy this video.

`Inside the Tuscan Hills' is a good value. You receive two DVDs with three twenty-six minute episodes on each. The six episodes take you on a scenic journey through the Tuscan hills and villages. As each episode shifts from one Tuscan village to the next the transition is filled with the incredible vistas of the Tuscan countryside. This captures all the beauty of the countryside. At every stop in Tuscany, the narrator focuses on agriturismo, small restaurants and their chefs, and the artisans of the area. You will get a real feel for the people and their uniquely wonderful way of life. You can almost imagine being there.

I think that the DVD is well worth the price and I recommend it for someone who loves anything Tuscan or has never visited and is planning a trip to the area. The only low spot is the narrator. The narrator's tone is flat and she never comes across with warmth or charm. My sense of it is that she is inexperienced. Because of the narrator, this series does not match the quality of other popular PBS travel documentaries. More accurately this video series can be likened to an incredibly well done home movie of a visit to Tuscany.

This is a beautifully-shot video that is the next best thing to going there. The rich and sumptuous images really give a sense of the beauty of Tuscany, and there is a lot of "local" cultural and historical information that you won't get from a guidebook.

Most of all, the video is fun to watch. And it that's not only because of the beautiful host!

The only drawback is that it focuses on the smaller towns, so you won't get an overview of the major tourist sites. But you see the "real" Tuscany, I recommend this one over the others available.

Firstly the DVD sound & picture is of high quality.The presenter, Camille I think is very friendly.I enjoyed absolutly everything on this DVD,from picking grapes in Chiati to restaurants, making knives with horn handles,pots,cuisine, preserved meats, jewellery, making shoes, Oh! yes one of the reason I would like to go to Italy is to purchase hand crafted Italian shoes, & of course a silky tie, the list is endless.The Italian people are vey friendly.One gets to know the cultural activities as well.I also enjoyed the beautiful Italian castles and scenery and background information on various cities.there are also recommendations on the best places to stay.It's a pity my wife want ot visit Paris first before visiting this enchanting place.

To me, Tuscany is all about beautiful, beautiful countryside. It has always been my wish to visit Tuscany. So when I got a new Italian student, I couldn't wait to quiz her about Tuscany. "Oh, it's boring place!" was her reply. Needless to say, I was a bit disheartened.

So this video is very enlightening and showcases the various craftsmen that live in Tuscany. The level of their craftsmanship and the passion and committment to their craft is really awesome. I enjoyed the grape-making segment too!

Overall, the video gives a very good insight into the kind of life that the Tuscans live. And you see that your student was really only partially right - it's beautiful and quaint, it can be boring, but it's a different league of its own - like what life would be if you have time travelled to medival Europe. The presenter can speak Italian and I really can't fault her research and information, but she comes across as a little bland. Samantha Brown on the other hand is a lot more lively.

So I went away feeling happy that I've got to know the real Tuscany - not the picturesque Tuscany from coffee table books, not the Tuscany that would put a child to sleep, but a Tuscany that is vibrant with its own time-respected crafts and traditions. Sure that kind of life may not be your cup of tea and I'm sure if I had been really gone to Tuscany, I'm be prowling for an Internet cafe to connect up to the world, but if you like time honored traditions, it's the best way to be zap back to medival europe.

Purchased this DVD as a precursor to vacationing in Tuscany. The material is very nicely presented and very educational as well as entertaining! Camille has a style about her that is wonderfully comfortable and you feel like you are there with her.

The DVD presents Tuscany in a very flattering way, taking you throughout the region and visiting small towns as well as some of the larger ones. All in all I thought this was well worth the price.

This is the highest quality DVD I have ever seen. It clearly seems to have been formatted for HDTV. The colors and clarity are mouth dropping & eye popping! I'd highly recommend it to anyone, especially if you want to see what the future of video will look like. This is it! By the way, you don't need a High Definition TV to appreciate the video. I don't have one yet. It is also the first DVD I've ever gotten where they used both sides of the same disc. Confused me at first, but I figured it out quickly enough.

I have enjoyed this DVD as much as any that I have ever ordered. The hostess is one of the most charming people that you could ever hope to tour Tuscany with. She has that rare quality of truly seeming interested in the people and subject that she is covering. Lastly, she doesn't seem like one of those tourists who would ignore a fellow countryman because she is so far above her homeland. (This is a strange statement to anybody who hasn't run into such people)
I was raised on orchards in Washington State and sometimes I really miss that life. I enlisted in the Marines at 18, and after my enlistment, attended and graduated Business School. Every once in a while I like a little escapism back to my rustic roots before I jumped into modern society with both feet. The makers of this DVD have done this for me. Thanks.

This video is a virtual vacation. It highlights the deep cultural heritage of the area and the craftsmanship of the people of Tuscany. If you want to see what is off the beaten path, then invest in this video. You'll watch it time and again.

Fast service. Excellent DVD. Brings back a lot of memories. Wish I would have bought it before we went to Tuscany. Lots of good ideas.