21 Feb 2008

The following is a highly personal list of small towns and villages in Tuscany that may be worth a visit.

LUCCA AREA

On your first day go to Pisa.  The hotel will direct you.  The Tower and campus is on the north side of the city and in my opinion is the only thing worth seeing in Pisa.  Just above the Tower (250 meters) are the restore offices of the local Diocese and the cloister and has been quite beautifully restored.

Bagni di Lucca.  This is a 19^th Century spa town that has been gently decaying over the last 100 years.  Surrounded by thickly wooded hills, it’s a pretty little place. It sits in a spectacular setting with the hills around it and the River Lima running through it.  The grace and elegance of this small town just adds to its romance.

Collodi.    This village is known for two things, the gardens of the Villa Garzoni and for being the home of the creator of Pinocchio.  Beyond the villa, climb the steep streets of the village to the church of San Bartolomeo housing 15^th century frescoes and terracotta statues.

Uzzano.   This is just a pretty little village and it enjoys breathtaking views of the region. 

A couple of kilometers higher are even better views from Monte Amiata and Monte Cimone. 

SIENA AREA

These towns are presented in no particular order but you may want to do them by direction, i.e. all those to the north on one day and those to the east on another day.

You should allow at least one day for Florence, which is 45 minutes north of Siena and another half day for Siena itself.

Radda (north of Siena).  Right in the middle of the wine route, Radda is the prototypical Chianti town.  It is a pretty little place with lots of history and lots of wine and a fair number of tourists.  There’s nothing spectacular, but Radda is just so typical of Tuscany.  It’s worth an hour or two.

Castellini in Chianti (north of Siena).   Fifteen minutes north of Siena, Castellini is the center of the Chianti Classico wine region.  It has a couple of good restaurants, an olive oil bottling plant with organized tours and great Gelato.

Monteriggioni   (10 km north of Siena)   A small walled town that is still in good conditions.  The restaurant in the hotel in the village is excellent.  Nothing spectacular, just a neat place.

San Gimignano (west)   Check out the guide books on this on this town. A historically significant town it’s worth a 3 hour visit.  It is quite popular with tourists and some of the views from the town walls are impressive.

Cortona  (east)  If you’ve read Frances Mayes book “Under the Tuscan Sun” you’re already familiar with this hill top town.  It sits a top a 1700 foot hill that offers dramatic vistas of the Tuscan and Umbian countryside.  Again, it’s a place to stop for lunch, wander around and do little shopping.  Two or three hours is enough time to get a good flavour of this charming town.

Montalcino   (south)   This is the home of Brunello di Montalcino wine – one of Tuscany’s great contributions to civilization.  If you plan to buy a bottle or two bring lots on money.  Another compact, hill-top fortress towns that looks as it did 400 years ago.  The climb can be challenging but it’s worth the trip, even if you’re not a wine lover.

Montepulciano  (south-east)  Sitting atop a ridge Montepulciano is known for its vistas and vino. Market day is Thursdays so this may be a good day to schedule your visit.  Head for the Piazza Grande as it’s the place to start in a small town that has a good collection of historic palazzos. 

19 Dec 2007

There is no doubt in my mind that most people would love to visit Italy as they perceive it as a place of history, romance and the good life.  The only thing stopping them is the price.  Many people think that Italy is only for the rich traveler and that it is very expensive.  I disagree.  Italy can be a reasonable priced place if you do it right.

22 Nov 2007

I love Italy.  I really love being in Italy with my wife in places like Lake Como and Sorrento.  During the last two summers we’ve enjoyed traveling with different couples each time.  I’ve had a great time with my wife’s family in Rome and Tuscany. But – and here’s the big “but”, each time you add more people to the party you need to work just a little bit harder to make sure things work out the way everybody will want them work. 

15 Nov 2007

A European Union investigation has ID'd 226 out of 447 Web sites selling airline tickets that don't meet their Consumer laws.  They now have 4 months to clean up their act or be forced to close down.  According to Reuters the sites include Ryanair and a number of other well known carriers.

09 Nov 2007

Again this coming spring Bon Voyage Holidays are offering 16 different stay and cruise departures.

Here's just a small sample;

Las Vegas - 3 nites Las Vegas, 3 nights cruising from CAD $ 659.

Anahiem - 3 nites Anahiem, 3 nights cruising from CAD $ 499. 

San Diego Plus Golf - 4 nites San Diego (with golf) 4 nights cruising from CAD $ 1099.

Palm Springs - 3 nights Palm Springs, 3 nights cruising from CAD $ 599.

All prices shown are per person based on double occupancy.  Call for Details

08 Nov 2007

Lake Como is a great place to take it easy, relax and enjoy the natural beauty of the Italian Lake District. If you have 2 full days on Lake Como, spend one around Varenna and split the other between Bellagio and Villa Carlotta on the western shore. Take your time, gear down and enjoy the quiet life. You’re well out of the rat race here. No need to worry about your blood pressure here.

07 Jun 2007

I’ve stayed in some pretty cruddy places in Europe. One place still had the blood from the last murder we think might have happened there! I’ve also been lucky enough to stay in one of the 10 best small hotels in the world. Yet most of the time my wife Kathy and I stay in small, family owned 2 star tourist class places that meet our key requirements.