Tuscany Roadtrip

We were thrilled when my mother announced she wanted to spend her 60th birthday in Tuscany, with us, and just us. Well you can't blame the girl for having exacting standards over perfect companionship, wot wot.

We haven't explored much of Italy, so this was a chance to see and taste a bit more of it. The agenda involved a roadtrip over the course of a week from Pisa, to Lucca, to Florence, to Sienna, to San Gimignano, and back to Pisa again. Having recently completed the South West Coast Path, we weren't in the mood for any long walks, so the agenda largely consisted of driving through the countryside, mooching around pretty cities, eating, drinking and loafing. Even the photography and video capture took a back seat. I only got the DSLR out when a scene really captured my interest.

Of the cities visited, Florence stood out as the one having the biggest atmosphere, the busiest piazzas and the most to do. Saying that, we're not generally fans of tourist haunts, but it was an enjoyable quick 2-day visit.

Sienna is smaller than Florence, but has a lot of character, and some pretty back streets which need to be explored. We journeyed out on a wine tasting tour to Montelpucino, which was good fun. Pretty countryside and some nice wines, although Gill wasn't keen on some of the flavours. Didn't stop my Dad and me chugging it down.

Probably the highlight for me was the visit to San Gimignano on the way back to Pisa. A postcard example of a Tuscany town, immaculately maintained, unusual shops, good restaurants, and gorgeous views from the top of the many towers. Definitely worth a vist.

Finally, the leaning tower of Pisa. Impressive and enjoyable to see in-person despite seeing it hundreds of times in other photos. And that concluded our whirlwind tour of Tuscany. Hopefully the photos below tell a little bit more of the story. Since we've been to Venice previously, our next destinations in Italy would probably be the south or the mountains. Looking forward to it. Ciao!