A few of my very favourite images from Tuscany. Whether out in the streets, in churches or in markets, it is the beauty of the little, everyday things that adds up to the Tuscan feel.
Flower boxes on window ledges. Narrow streets lined with medieval houses. Sun-baked, earthy colours on the walls. Shelter under leafy trees with delicate pink buds. Extraordinary frescoes in churches. Piles of freshly-baked biscotti in food markets.
Tuscany is extraordinarily beautiful. My days there felt truly happy and almost magical. Of course, the sunshine and the excellent food, wine, coffee, gelato and tiramisu helped too. So here are some snapshots of how I spent last week, and I have to say that it feels like a huge downgrade being back in cold, drizzly London eating cereal for dinner.
Exploring one of the many villas of the Medici, one of the most powerful families of Florence with a fascinating history. Looking at the portraits of the many unhappy marriages of this family inside the house. Taking a stroll in the garden, along the rows of cypress trees, taking in the view of the village and the hills below.
Getting lost in the narrow streets of Siena, walking in the shade of the medieval houses with flowers on the window sill. Imagining how Piazza del Campo looks during the Palio, the famous horse race with the crowds and the flags and the horses that don’t stop until they are well out of the city.
Trying to count the medieval towers in the most charming village of San Gimignano, a place that feels unchanged since the middle ages. Having a delicious lunch, naturally followed by gelato, at the lovely piazza with the ancient well in the middle. Staring, awestruck, at the beautiful Duomo of Florence. Taking a big breath and climbing the 460 odd steps to the top of the dome for a view of the whole city.
Buying fresh supplies at the Mercato Centrale of Florence and then taking a bus to Fiesole for a perfect picnic on the hills where Leonardo used to test his flying machines. From there, walking for 10 or so kilometers by the medieval tower at Vincigliata to end up back in Florence, tanned, tired and very very happy.
Do you have any favourite memories from places you’ve visited?
As I’ve mentioned on Twitter and briefly here, The Boy and I flew to Pisa for a week of exploring Tuscany. The sunshine, the picturesque countryside, the amazing food, the charming towns that feel like living museums, the countless gelato flavours, the excellent wine, it was all immensely enjoyable and I think I have a new crush.
We stayed in a sleepy little village up in the hills west of Florence; it more than made up for the inconvenience of being out of the way with incredible views of the surrounding countryside. Yes, it is just rolling hills of olive groves and vineyards with farmhouses and tiny, torpid villages sprinkled here and there. Our long walks from village to village made me wish I wasn’t useless with a paint brush, or that I could at least write a nice little poem. (Incidentally, in the village we were staying was what is probably my favourite restaurant in the world, where the owner’s mama cooks properly mouth-watering, traditional Tuscan dishes and he will often bring little home-made treats like rigatino to the table).
I was, naturally, armed with an extensive to-do list which included many, many visits to museums and art galleries and churches, most of them in Florence and Sienna. They are of course excellent, hosting some iconic art like Michelangelo’s David and Botticelli’s Birth of Venus. In fact, you could spend days upon days just in the Uffizi gallery in Florence. However, what I very quickly discovered was that just walking around in this great cities feels like being in a museum. Since we were only there for a few days, it felt almost wrong to stay inside a gallery when we could wander the streets, seeing and hearing and smelling the real city, taking in the stunning medieval architecture (and of course eating gelato). So in the end, we managed to find a balance, we visited a few of the major museums but made sure to leave time to get a feel of the place and maybe a glimpse of the life of its residents.
Have you ever visited Tuscany? What did you like the most?
A little adventure 
