Have just got back from Tuscany and was completely hooked the moment we landed, dont get me wrong i have been to italy several times, have stayed in Rome, and spent a week in Sardinia last year so if you like mountains, spectacular views of valleys, awesome art, and just fantastic italiain food then it doesnt get better than this. We booked last october for this trip for a 10 bed villa with no pool built so you can imagine there was a bit of apprehension as this was the owners first proper paying customers season.
Day 1: landed at 11am at Perugia airport and what a dream, it was a small regional airport where there was only ever 1 plane every hour so passports and baggage was a doddle. the heat was already hitting the mid 30s and felt good and it was only a 2 hour flight from the uk, we got the hire cars and drove to Lake Tressimino as we couldnt get into the villa till 4 so we had something to eat and drink here and savour the view at Passiagiano de Trassemino, fantastic views of the lake and the islands and all within 30mins of the airport and 30 mins of our villa, we then drove to our villa which was high up in the mountains and hard to find but eventually we got to Cassaccia, and WHAT a stunning view, from the pool you could look down on the whole of the Niccone Valley and look across at the Appenine Mountains. The evening was spent eating and drinking and frolicking in and out of the pool till late.
Day 2: was spent around the villa as everybody wanted to catch the sun and just chill, we ventured out to the local shops and found out they were closed and stephen and i had to drive around to Umbertide and then to Cita Di Castello to get food for the evening, 3hours later we got back after a great mountain drive, in the evening we went to a local festival in Mercatale where all the village were dancing and drinking and eating and it was a very enjoyable night.
Day 3: Was sunday and everything was shut and this was the day we needed a pharmacy as stephen had been bitten quite badly and he couldnt see out of his eye and our own medication wasnt working. so Jennie and I had some quality time alone for 2 hours getting food for the night and looking for a pharmacy. we stayed around the villa most of the day everybody just enjoying the sun and the pool and the drink!!
Day 4: We went to Citta di Castello for lunch and a bit of a wander and and then played games and got very drunk that evening with Ian and Jennie in charge of food it was fantastic not to worry about anything.
Day 5: We drove to Florence as this was one of the trips that we all wanted to do since it was only an hour and half away, this was my wifes favourite location and she wanted to see it especially, and after seeing rome i was pleasantly suprised, for me it was all about Ponte Vecchio and Michelangelo and Raphael and Da Vinchi as this was what i liked to look at but instead i couldnt help wonder at how pretty it was and old and history just around every corner, the kids wont understand this until they are older but for me florence was beautiful, nothing new, just lots of stories to be told, like david the statue of michelangelo, or the last bridge never to be blown up on hitlers orders - the ponte vecchio, or the story of Pinnocchios and where it originated from , every street and and every sight steeped in history and stories and how i wish we had longer here, we planned to drive to Pisa that same day as it was 45 mins from florence so it was silly not to, and wow I cant describe the sight of the leaning tower of Pisa, i remember as a small boy reading about a magical tower that leaned and thought it extraordinary that it didnt fall down but seeing it in real life was just as good as seeing the collisium, it stood there pure white in the bright blue clear sky majestically and hypnotic, I have seen many great things in my life so far like the Mona Lisa, the collisium, the eiffel tower, the bellagio, and many more and this stood up there impressive as all the others and was well worth the drive just to see it, we got back late that evening but the dinner was surrounded with conversation about the day and how brilliant it was, we ate and drunk lots that night and eventually got to bed about 4 in the morning after much dancing, games, drinking
Day 6: we got up quite late, about 10 after a very late evening and everybody wanted to sit around the house and chill which was understandable, after lunch stephen and i decided to go to Assisi where St Francis was buried and where the Basilica was with numerous frescos, it was only 45 mins away and was hot - 40 degrees, but worth it, there are many things you should see in life and this was one, Assisi is twinned with Bethlehem and is the buriel place of Patron Saint of Italy, it was a simple hill top town, but beautiful, with the cathedral at the peak, you could not take pictures inside any of the churches or cathedrals so words cannot explain how decorative the architecture was of how the stories of St Francis' frescos unfolded but you had to be there to appreciate it. On the way back we drove around Lake Tressimino as it was on our way and was such a fantastic mountain drive like one that would be on top gear.
Day 7: and the boys went to Siena which was about an hour away and i spent the day with the kids just messing about and then looking at the landscape which was better than the lake district and with all the heat. reflecting on whether to come back and answer to that would be a resounding yes. as it is the most beautiful part of Italy that i have ever seen and I would strongly recommend anyone going there.
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