Journeys Far and Wide: Tuscany, Pisa and Florence

(Ponte Vecchio, Florence)

Earlier in the year, my Mum and Dad managed to fulfil one of their long time holiday dreams and drove through Europe down to Tuscany, Italy. They were away for just over three weeks and Nick and I flew out to join them for five days. It was a pretty spontaneous trip on our part, which was one of the reasons why it was so good! Nick and me had been booked to go to Venice at the end of May but unfortunately, due to a number of circumstances we had to cancel the trip so, in a moment of pity, my Mum asked if we wanted to go to stay with them in Tuscany whilst they were there as they had a spare room in their accommodation. Needless to say I organised my Annual Leave immediately and we booked our flights the next day!

As I said, we were only there for five days (two of which were marred by the journey there and back) so time was limited. The main reason for us wanting to go (aside from the gorgeous countryside, abundance of Chianti and amazing food), was the chance to visit Florence. It was about a thirty minute car ride from where we were staying and was top of our list of things to do. As long as we got to go there we weren't particularly bothered about what else we did. But as it worked out we actually flew into Pisa so we got to do a bit of exploration there too.

Pisa is pretty small so we managed to see quite a lot in a short space of time (although, other than the tower, there's not much going on), plus we arrived on a Sunday and sadly all the shops were shut :( walking around seeing all the Italian cosmetic shops on the main street with their doors shut and lights off was particularly disappointing for me. I had to keep telling myself I was there for the culture not for the make up.

(Our shameless 'leaning tower' selfie with complementary scaffolding)

Florence, on the other hand is huuuuuge. We didn't see a fraction of the place. It was bustling, vibrant and very very welcoming, I would recommend going to anyone.

The culture there is just amazing. Now, I'm not going to pretend I'm an art buff or even that interested in art generally, but it's hard to be in a place like Florence and not feel like you're experiencing something amazing. Sadly we didn't have time to go in any galleries (massive queues everywhere and we had no idea where to start) but we did visit Il Duomo de Firenze (or Basilica di Santa Maria del Fiore, if you want to use it's real name) which was a sight in itself. It's free and gives you a good taste of what to expect of Florence. I would have liked to have visited a few of the galleries and gardens, but with one day you really can't scratch the surface of a place like Florence. And, just walking around is like being in an art gallery in itself. The architecture alone is awe inspiring. You can walk around without even looking at the people around you, or where you're going because the whole time you're craning your neck to look at the buildings. Florence is definitely on my list of places to go back to when I have an excess of time and money (probably when I'm retired then... depressing!) Again, during my time in Florence I kept on reminding myself that our being there was a cultural experience, not a shopping trip. But when we stumbled across a leather market I could't resist having a look. And ended up coming away with one of my favourite purchases of the year; a cat shaped shoulder bag. What more could you want in a bag??

After visiting Florence and Pisa, we only actually had two other full days, which were spent by the amazing pool at our accommodation.

One of the best things about Tuscany is that the scenery is 100% amazing, and it is just so green. I'm not used to going to warm countries and seeing fields and fields of lush greenery so I was quite enamoured with the fact that it could be such beautiful weather, but also not be barren and a mass of beige coloured shrubs that you often get in hotter European countries. Being at the pool and being surrounded by such lovely countryside was an experience in itself. The view from the pool out over the hills was not something I was expecting.

In conclusion, Tuscany is one of the most beautiful places I have ever visited. And once Venice has been ticked off the travel bucket list (we're planning to re-book our trip for the next few months), I think Tuscany will be revisited.

Also, on a side note, we found the price of food and alcohol to be very reasonable. Almost every time any one mentions holidaying in Italy it's met with "ooh but it's just so expensive". I'm happy to report that we didn't feel this anywhere, not even in Florence (although we didn't eat out there) so it's not too bad for the purse strings. Our flights over were also quite well priced (we flew with Jet2 from Manchester) although they always get you with paying extra for online check in and luggage which leaves me feeling pretty miffed every time! I can't comment on the accommodation as that was a perk of staying with my parents for the duration but I understand that was a relatively good price as well. All in all, not one to utterly break the bank!

Until next time :)