A Driving Holiday in Tuscany

This part of our trip is the continuation of our onward journey from Tirano to Florence after holidaying for a week in Switzerland. (My blog : The Bernina Express). I am excited writing this blog because I am reliving my birthday celebration with my friends in Florence. Of course, it goes without saying this was one of my most cherished and memorable birthdays. Speaking of birthdays, I am not ashamed to admit I feel like ‘Birthday Blues’ a couple of days earlier but then gradually feel quite excited thanks to my lovely friends and family. So a birthday celebration in Tuscany was a dream come true.

The Italian leg of our trip began in Tirano, a town in the Italian region of Lombardy. It is located in the Valtellina valley in northern Italy. Tirano for centuries has been one of the most important Alpine crossings. The valley still benefits from the cross border trade and is known for its famed cheese, hams and ski resorts. We arrived in Tirano from Chur on the Bernina express and stayed a night at Ostello del Castello which we had pre-booked on Booking.com. Surrounded by tall mountains, we walked around the city square passing through heritage buildings and faded mansions as the town grew on us. We had the famous Margherita and Gelato and chatted a couple of hours with the owner of our hotel who shared great stories of his hotels’ glorious past. We tucked ourselves in by 10 pm as we had an early start the following morning. We were to meet our friends in Florence at around two in the afternoon so we booked ourselves on the 7:30 am train from Tirano to Milan followed by a connecting train from Milan to Florence.

The train ride from Tirano to Milan is breathtaking. During the train ride we passed through the eastern side of Lake Como which is less explored. The lake has featured the most in James Bond movies and Casino Royale was filmed here. One could imagine Ferraris buzzing around the small streets of pretty villages and glamorous hotels. Even a glimpse of Lake Como felt expensive! After about two and a half hours we were approaching Milan and the vibes were of a fast paced Metropolis with abundance of creativity and the city of Milan is the epicentre of Italian fashion and design. Milan, one of the leading fashion capitals of the world, is home to Prada, Valentino, Dolce and Gabbana, Armani and many more.

Florence, Capital of Tuscany

The train from Milan to Florence took about two and a half hours. My heart was racing as we were strolling the streets of the capital of Tuscany. We stayed for three nights at an apartment hotel called Borgo Guelfo Patio. The apartments were huge with 2 bedrooms, a massive living room and a terrace where we lazed around with a morning cuppa of exquisite Italian coffee. So finally we had arrived at this magical moment of meeting my friends from Mumbai and celebrating my D-Day the 4th of May together. This overwhelming rush of adrenaline was a first of its kind and as soon as we friends met we were screaming, dancing and singing on the streets of Florence which my husband and daughter found embarrassing. Being vegetarian, we headed for a scrumptious Italian meal of pasta, pizza, risotto and the best of wines for a lovely evening. We went bar hopping and tried the Italian favourite Aperol Spritz.

We ended the previous evening on a high and with great spirits we headed off to explore Florence. Florence is home to many masterpieces of Renaissance art and architecture. Our first stop was the Uffizi gallery. We had pre purchased our tickets on GetyourGuide.com. The process is very simple and the collection of tickets is just outside the museum near the entrance. The Uffizi is a spectacular gallery that is home to an outstanding collection of ancient sculptures and paintings. ‘The Birth of Venus’ by Sandro Botticelli is the most famous piece of work. The Uffizi is one of the oldest museums in Europe and most of the exhibits are of the Renaissance Era. The audio guides are excellent and well detailed making the experience absolutely beautiful.

Next we headed to the Piazza del Duomo. It is located in the heart of Florence and is one of the most visited places in Europe and the world. It is listed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site. The dome is a majestic structure from where we enjoyed some great views of the city and the historic monuments such as The basilica of Santa Maria del Fiore which is a Gothic masterpiece, the Baptistery of San Giovanni Battista which is a Romanesque jewel with bronze doors and along the facade is the Giottos’ Bell Tower.

In the Central Square you will find a small cafe that serves some great desserts and the Tiramisu is to die for. Vivoli Gelataria is the oldest Gelato store in Florence. It is situated on the Via Isola delle Stinche.

The Piazzale Michelangelo is located on a hill which is a short walk up just east of the centre of the city. It has one of the best panoramic views of Florence. It is a magnificent square overlooking the Arno River. In 1873, a copy of Michelangelo’s David was taken to the square and the monument occupies a great position as if to guard this artistic city. The original statue of David which is created in Marble as a masterpiece of Renaissance sculpture is located in the Academia Gallery of Florence.

A Road Trip in Tuscany

It was from Florence that we rented a car to explore the quaint ancient villages of the Tuscany region of Italy. I just love driving. For the past 25 years I have been driving on narrow and pot holed roads of Mumbai which are super chaotic. Driving in Italy was a whole new experience which I so enjoyed. The signs were well laid out and the navigation system in the car was great. Adjusting from a right hand drive to a left hand drive was super easy. An International driving licence along with the Indian driving license is absolutely mandatory. The International driving licence can be acquired from any RTO in Mumbai. It is also important to book a car with full insurance so you are fully covered for any sort of small mishaps and scratches on the car. Here are 2 ways to experience a great driving trip.

1. Take the highway or expressway which are not very scenic but are easy to drive and gets you to your destination faster.
2. Go through the smaller roads and pass through the scenic countryside with quaint villages and cafes and absorb the local vibes.

You can decide on which option to go for depending on the traffic conditions. We took option 2 and drove to a small medieval town, San Gimignano. We took about 1.5 hours. We stayed at a beautiful villa in the countryside called Fattorie Di Santo Pietro. Located 5 kms away from San Gimignano, the views from the villa were stunning. Swimming amongst the vineyards and sipping some Chianti was a great one of the kind Tuscan experience. The villa had a rustic decor typical to the Tuscany region. It had 3 bedrooms with attached bathrooms a living room with a fire place and an open kitchen.

Glamorous San Gimignano

San Gimignano is a medieval hill town in the Tuscan region. Located between Florence and Siena it is beautifully preserved and has a glamorous feel. Even though it is a tourist-trap it must be a part of your Italian itinerary. A stroll down the historic city centre contains masterpieces of Italian art from the 14th and 15th century. It is also known as the city of towers though only 14 out of the 72 have survived. Shopping in San Gimignano is a very pleasant experience. There are lots of pretty boutique stores selling local hand made stuff. They are a bit pricy though. The town can get very crowded during the day so a stroll in the evening will be a more enjoyable experience. Gelataria Dondoli is a world champion in gelato. There are long queues but its totally worth the wait. We strolled through the pretty lanes and by-lanes and enjoyed some great views.

The Walled City Of Lucca

Next morning we drove to a very cute walled town, Lucca. It is around 1.5 hours by car from San Gimignano. If you want to escape the touristy towns then Lucca is worth an explore. The preserved walled area of old town is a wonderful promenade where you can take a bike ride or just stroll the beautiful gardens or relax on the benches having Gelato. The walls are the only ones in entire Italy. It is a 4 km stretch with panoramic views of the city of Lucca. Lucca is also known as the city of 100 churches and is home to lots of Italian masterpieces and architecture.

Volterra

A 45 minute drive from San Gimignano is a historic town called Volterra. This is a super scenic drive. Driving through the lovely vineyards, we absolutely fell in love with the rolling hills of the countryside. We saw lots of cyclists and got excited. Our passion for cycling got us to rent road bikes and ride a couple of hours which is quite tough if you are not super fit. The region is quite hilly so you need good stamina and practice. Nevertheless it was quite an experience. This Etruscan city has been continuously habited since 800 BCE! People have been living here so long that there may be so many countries in todays time that may not have existed back then! We took a short walk up to the Roman Amphitheatre which was built around 2000 years ago and alongside the amphitheatre there are ruins of the Roman baths and the Roman Forum. Since it is a hilltop town, the views are magnificent. Volterra has some lovely cafes and we had one of the most delicious Panini and Gnocchi.

Tuscany is where the urban landscape and the agrarian countryside blends for some phenomenal photographs. Medieval towns that have been long preserved, sensational cuisine that nourishes the soul and great wine experiences make for an incredible Tuscan journey. After spending almost a week in Tuscany we drove back to Florence. Most of Tuscany still remains un explored and is on top of our bucket list to head back for more of exotic Italy.