Italy consists of a mountainous peninsula in southern Europe extending into the Mediterranean Sea and includes the islands of Sicily, Sardinia, and about 70 other smaller islands.

Italy Trip

North Tuscany, Sept-Oct 2004

Enjoy a beautiful, colorful Tuscan countryside with vineyards, olive orchards, terraced slopes beaming with Italian livelihood. Walk the walled cities with medieval treasures; view the old Roman architecture and the museums with ancient history and character. Drive the narrow, winding roads for they hold grandiose surprises at the top….such perfect vistas. But most of all, enjoy the food and the gelato! You will see bell towers (in medieval days, they were town status symbols); strong wooden windows with double shutters in homes, apartments, hotels; cyclists with elegant modern day gear ambitiously climbing the mountain roads at high speeds, as well as on the autostrada. You will find driving in North Tuscany can be a challenge.

We rented a spacious apartment in an Italian family's home (a few miles from Lucca and close to Pisa) in a lovely area with a beautiful yard and pool, a dog and four cats. They greeted us every morning when we left and every evening when we returned. Our Italian family spoke no English, but with a little Spanish, we managed. When we got lost, which was often, we were able to get direction from others.

Food shopping at the Italian market is an experience. The fun part is learning what to do with produce. As Americans, we are used to someone else weighing our produce. If you don't select it with a plastic glove, weigh it in grams, and mark it with a label, you don't buy it! We ate lunches and dinners out, but we ate breakfast in the apartment.

Places we loved:

Volterra

A beautiful walled city built by the Etruscans (Romans) over 2000 years ago and very intact. Go through the 2nd century Etruscan Museum ruins (interior and exterior). Walking is easy, although there are some steep hills. This is the alabaster city, so shopping for gifts and treasures will be fun. Driving into Volterra is a scenic ride for it has such incredible views. The landscape so represents Tuscany with its colors, farmlands, olive orchards, grape vineyards and hillsides covered with small trees and cypresses everywhere. It is not as touristy as other places.

Calci

Up, up, and further up on a very narrow, winding road with just barely enough room for two cars to pass, the spectacular views are worth driving to this small village. And, on the ride down, look for the best restaurant find ... Il Conventino...a 12th century convent turned into a small, fantastic restaurant where the locals go…the best homemade pasta with walnut sauce and superb tiramisu. You will return again!

Lucca

Another favorite…..lovely, graceful medieval walled city dating back to Roman times. The renaissance walls are dotted with trees, so walking the wall is a pleasant experience. The piazzas, duomos, towers, narrow streets, Puccini Museum, trattorias, kiosks, cafes ….all were great!

Pisa

Pisa was greatly destroyed by WWII bombing; however, it has gloriously been restored. The Piazza de Miracoli is not to be missed. The Leaning Tower of Pisa, duomo, baptistery are magnificent. Go late afternoon for the tour groups flock here in the morning. Take a river cruise up the Arno River to see the Renaissance buildings. Note the architecture of Santa Maria Della Spina, the 11th century church…untouched by war.

Collodi

Take a ride up the hills to the home of Pinocchio author, Carlo Lorenzini. Enjoy a short stop here; walk around the gardens and parks.. Pinocchio souvenirs abound! A fun place for kids…small Disneyland. There is a restaurant on premises.

Montecatini Terme and.Montecatini Alto

Great international spa spot….upscale resort, but small town. Take the funicular to Alto Montecatini for spectacular views. It is very quaint, picturesque and a neat little spot…. More winding roads that go straight up!

On the main street at a panini (bread) shop, we found the best pizza or torte de verdura we ever had. In fact, it was so good that we returned again. The crust was incredibly thin, covered with oil, topped with very thin slices of tomato covered with oil and cheese, topped with broccoli rabe, then covered with oil and put under the broiler just to top off……the best!!

Barga

Lovely medieval town with narrow winding streets….beautiful views of the Apuan Alps and Serchio valley….very inspirational.

San Gimignano

Surrounded with ancient walls, there are thirteen surviving medieval towers. It has been called a miniature medieval Manhattan skyline. There are unspoiled streets, and the location is a beautiful hill-top setting. Find an art gallery and fresco-swathed churches. The village is tiny, but everything worth seeing is within walking distance. It is touristy but worth seeing. Tour groups pull in early morning, so afternoon is a better time to go.

Cinque Terre

What a fairy-tale setting! The highlight of a trip. These five enchanting villages with their pastel exteriors (regulated by ordinance) exist between terraced vineyards and stone walls high above the Ligurian sea. The steep terraces slope down into the sea, with the waves lapping over. The coastline is incredibly breathtaking with its covered vineyards and olive orchards. You can follow the tiny streets down to the sea.

Parking is not allowed in any of the villages….even the residents have to park outside. The residents are families who have lived here for centuries. They work the land, live off their crops, wine, etc. Tourists visit, but the villages are small. Only a few hundred people live here. The largest and most tourist-inclined is Monterosso with its beach area. There are footpaths if you want to walk the villages; some are easier than others, but you can take the boat, rewarding you with most captivating views. There is also a train station in Rio Maggiore, one of the villages.

We were able to get a bed and breakfast apartment in Manarola on the internet, and we were very happy with it (we could park free at the top of the hill). It was spacious and clean and at the very top of the hill. It is a steep village and getting into town and to the restaurants and boat is an easy walk down but a tough haul back up. The food is tasty, freshly made from the land, wine included. They are famous for their delicious pesto.

Cinque Terre is a national park and recognized by UNESCO. Protecting this great cultural heritage is of major importance. It is a gem!

Portovenere

If you are in this area, stop at Portovenere. This is another most beautiful port with a marina filled with colorful boats. The little village is very charming with medieval stone walls and fortresses and a church which appears to grow out of the rocks. We happened by a wedding in this little church, so we stayed for some photo shots. On our way out, we stopped in Lerici.

Lerici

This is a good-sized port city…also known as the Bay of Poets, an area where Byron and Shelly frequented and swam. Have lunch in the charming square and mosey around the harbor area.

Carrara

Stop off at the marble quarry….up and away again on the narrow steep roads. The marble mountains are huge. This is the origin of the marble used by Michelangelo for the sculpture of David. There are some great buys in marble in the little shops up the mountain.

Siena

The former capital of Tuscany has a splendid and most remarkable piazza, IL Campo, in the shape of a huge sea shell. It is located in the heart of the city. Every year the Palio Horse Race is held here (each of the 13 districts in the city enter a horse to run the piazza), so you can imagine its size. The Palio is a very colorful affair with flags and costumes representing each district; it draws great crowds. The piazza is surrounded by shops, bakeries, restaurants, cafes, and the center fills up with tourists, students, children playing…it is always busy.

Don't miss the fabulous 13th century striped duomo with marvelous mosaics; its facade is covered with tiny sculptures.

Florence

A must see in this great Renaissance city: (You may need to get tickets in advance to see "David" at the Academia, or to go to the Uffizi Museum)

• Michelangelo's David in the Accademia
• The Uffizi Renaissance Museum with masterpieces
• Piazza Del Duomo
• Santa Croce where Michelangelo, Galileo and Machiavelli are buried
• Santa Maria Novella with 15th century facade
• San Lorenzo Duomo
• Palazzo Della Signoria
• Ponte Vecchio with the 14th century shops
• Giardino di Boboli…the beautiful Italian gardens
• Pitti Palace

Italy Photo Gallery

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