Our first trip to Tuscany was in 2009. We are going to be very honest here, we both brought our kids. Seven in all! We are in agreement that the experience had a profound effect on their view of the world. However, looking back we could have done things differently to make THEIR vacation more enjoyable. It's amazing how selfish we parents can be! Why wouldn't an 8 year old boy appreciate the alabaster in Volterra along with the craftsmanship behind all the wonderful pieces of art? Oh, because he is 8!If you are taking your kids on your next trip to Tuscany, you MUST contact our friend Molly McIlwrath. Her specialty (among many) is conducting workshops for kids centered around art in Florence. A mother of a five year old girl, Molly makes Florence come alive for the young and even the not so young.  Using her vast educational background in Italian literature and art to customize an experience the whole family can remember. Not only will you and your children learn something, you might create a masterpiece!

Molly grew up in Stockton, California but she really has been an Italian at heart since the age of 12 when she first visited on a family vacation.  How big of an influence was the trip? Well she started studying the Italian language in high school then eventually studied abroad in college. One thing led to another and as you will hear in this podcast, Molly met her husband in Italy and they are now living just outside of Florence. 

Her latest project is the launch of her new website, letterartemente.com. If you are looking at it and trying to pronounce it, good luck! We won't even make you listen to the the podcast to decode it. LetterArteMente translates to literary, artistic, landcapes.  Molly takes a short train ride from her home in Pistoia to Florence and as she says on her website, it is this Tuscan landscape where LetterArteMente begins and draws its inspiration.We hope this podcast inspires you and we look forward to your comments, please take a moment to tell us what you   think by leaving your comments below.