Viva L'Italia! Part Seven: Central Italy
(Montespertoli, Vinci, Florence, Pisa, Lucca)
Region: Tuscany
* Please scroll to the bottom to find links to my other blogs related to this trip.
Day 42: Le Torre: Vacation Rental in Montespertoli
Le Torre was our home for the week, a much-desired destination that was the first accommodation that I booked when planning this trip. Tas and I had looked forward to resting and spending a whole week in one place.
As it was a chilly evening, we thoroughly enjoyed warming up by the fire, before dining with the other guests.
A homemade Tuscan buffet, cooked and prepared by Maria Pia, Gabriele's mother, is the sought-after welcome meal offered to guests from April to October.
Day 43:
Borrowing the bikes from Le Torri, we set out in search of food from the local store, and then rode around until we came upon an olive tree field, where we dined contently, until a dog chased us away.
Later, we drove the rental car to the local 'Olive Oil Festival', hoping we didn't stand out as tourists too much. Here we received a tutorial on the process of making olive oil.
Day 44:
Another 'local' type of day browsing and shopping at a market.
Day 45: Vinci
Visiting the Leoardo da Vinci museum in Vinci, his hometown, was a must-do after we saw and experienced so much of Leonardo Da Vinci on our trip.
Day 46:
Our trip to the Outlet shopping felt familiar, as it was similar to our outlet shopping back home. The highlight of the day was treating ourselves in the Lindt store.
Day 47: Florence
Driving to the train station that would take us into downtown Florence proved to be useless, as we couldn't find the station. Alternatively, we drove. Driving down one-way streets, not finding parking and getting lost filled our day. We managed to visit Galleria degli Uffizi, but I feel it's necessary that we return to fully enjoy this city.
Day 48:
One of the activities that Le Torre offers is horse back riding at a local farm. When my Aunt and Uncle blessed us with a monetary gift, I knew I wanted to spend it on something special. In our final Italian destination, Tuscany, a region also appreciated by my Aunt and Uncle, we treated ourselves to a trail ride through the colorful Tuscan fields. Thank you Aunt Arlene and Uncle Rod!
Day 49:
Through really faulty translations, we were sure that the closest town had Halloween festivities during the day and evening, only to discover, upon our arrival fully dressed in costumes, that they do not. Instead, an Italian chef, a jack-o-lantern and the Golden Girl drove right into the middle of a marathon- the sight of amusement for everyone, but us!
Day 50: Pisa
Arrival day was spent mostly looking for accommodations as we had not done the research ahead of time.
Day 51: Pisa
The Piazza del Duomo in Pisa houses four monuments: the cathedral, the baptistery, the campanile (the 'Leaning Tower') and the cemetery. Leaning Tower tickets must be booked online and you are given a time slot. As we were traveling in November, a slower tourist season, we managed to purchase our tickets for a later time that day.
Pisa is also home to a university, and a quaint shopping area, which gave the city a down to earth comfortable feel.
Day 52: Lucca
An absolute 'must-do' in Lucca is to rent bikes and ride atop the castle walls that surround the city.
Day 53: Depart Tuscany/Fly to England
A sad day as we went our separate ways: Tanjalee to Spain and Tas and I to England for a family visit.
Tuscany tourist website: https://www.visittuscany.com/en/
Tips:
1. Stay at a villa, like Le Torre, for a care-free stay.
2. Do not drive into Florence or Lucca. Take public transit instead and save yourself stress and money. *Upon arriving home, months later, I was delivered tickets from both Florence and Lucca for vehicle infractions that I was not aware I had committed. These were costly mistakes that could have been avoided had we taken public transit.
3. Book your accommodations ahead of time.
4. Book your Leaning Tower of Pisa tickets ahead of time.
Related Blogs:
Viva L'Italia! Part Seven: Central Italy
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