A day in Siena

The drive from Volterra to Siena was scenic as usual with rolling hills, olive groves and little villages along the way.



We got to Siena in just under an hour and managed to get parked reasonably easily, which was lucky, considering the huge number of cars and the lack of spaces. After a short walk through some narrow streets, one of the streets opened out on to the Piazza del Campo and we were faced with a magnificant view of the shell shaped Piazza and the Torre del Mangia, surrounded by beautiful buildings.



We wandered round the Piazza del Campo, basking in the sunshined and taking photos at every possible angle, then found a great seat at one of the restaurants and ordered a Pizza and a beer with one of the best views of the holiday.

Here's a photo of the view from our seat:



This is definitely a sight that would easily rival any of the places in Florence.

After lunch we decided to burn off the pizza by climbing the 505 steps to the top of the Torre del Mangia. Although the number of steps here was much more than the Cupola in Florence's Duomo, it didn't seem as difficult a climb. The view from the top was superb. The sky was blue and we could see for miles across the city and over the Tuscan countryside.



After the tower we visited the Duomo. It wasn't as impressive as Florence's Duomo and the facade was covered up as it was being renovated, but it was still very impressive.




We spent the remainder of the afternoon wandering round the city, looking in shops, taking photos and just soaking up the atmosphere.

I loved Siena and could have easily spent a couple of days here. Perhaps next time!

If you want to stay in Siena you can find Reviews of hotels in Siena here.

Volterra

We made an effort today and got out of bed before 8am to hit the road and spend a morning in Volterra.

As usual the journey was filled with the contrasts of beautiful Italian countryside and psycho Italian drivers :-)



We managed to get to Volterra in one piece within an hour despite stop when a double decker bus and a tourist bus from Germany tried to squeeze past each other on a road that was barely wide enough for one bus. 10 minutes later after lots of reversing, with a big queue of traffic behind us they finally made it through without toppling.

The road to Volterra was steep and winding as expected as it is situated over 1700 feet above sea level up on a Plateau. We managed to get parked a little easier than we had done in San Gimignano and walked up some steps through to the main part of town.

Volterra is a pretty small town and you can easily walk across it in twenty minutes or less, but it is a nice place to stop and spend an hour or two. The town is filled with narrow winding alleyways and tiny little streets. If it wasn't so small it would be easy to get lost here.

We spent an hour or so just wandering about the town and the main square, through lots of little alleyways that often opened out to places giving beautiful vistas of the Tuscan countryside.



Before leaving we stopped at a little Pasteleria for a coffee and a pastry, after which Stuart was shocked that I'd spent 3 Euros 30 on a can of diet coke, then it was back to the car to continue on to Siena.

I'd highly recommend Volterra for a 2 hour stop off during a day trip.



If you'd like to stay longer in Volterra you can read reviews of Volterra Hotels here.

Chilling out at the Villa

For the first time of our holiday we spent two whole days by the villa doing absolutely nothing. Bliss!

We were blessed with two days of beautiful weather - blue skies and sunshine and we spent a couple of days just chilling out and relaxing by the pool.

It was Stuart's 29th Birthday on Tuesday 13th September so I made him dinner - ensalada caprese followed by chicken and mushroom risotta, washed down with a bottle of Tattinger champagne (brought from home). We spent the two days eating, reading, relaxing, drinking Chianti and Italian Beer and having long lies.

Renting a villa is in my opinion one of the best ways to enjoy your time in Italy. Interchanging lazy days by the pool with daytrips to go sightseeing in the nearby towns and villages is an ideal way to spend your time.

When planning a trip to Florence or Tuscany, a useful website regarding villa rentals in tuscany is Tuscany-Villas.it. They have a good selection of villa, farmhouse and apartment rentals throughout Tuscany. They also offer many luxury villas and apartments with pools for rent by the week.

Views of San Gimignano

We were a bit lazy today and didn't manage to get up as early as planned. We had decided the day before to visit both San Gimignano and Volterra in the one day, but since we never managed to leave the villa till around 11am we decided to visit only San Gimignano.

Unfortunately the weather was a little bit gloomy and rainy once again, but the drive from our villa to San Gimignano was full of beautiful views of rolling Tuscan countryside.

It took around an hour and a half to reach San Gimignano and before we arrived we caught a glimpse of the medieval towers on a hill in the distance.

San Gimignano is set on a 334m high hill and dates back to the 10th century. The town originally had 72 tower houses, some which were as high as 50 metres. These towers were a symbol of wealth and only 14 remain today.





The town is known as "San Gimignano delle belle Torri" and is a UNESCO world heritage site.

We spent a couple of hours just wandering aimlessly round the streets of San Gimignano and had an enjoyable time, despite the fact that for most of the time it was absolutely pouring with rain (see the photo below)





In the afternoon we climbed to the top of the Torre Grossa and were rewarded with amazing views of San Gimignano. Luckilly for me and my camera the rain had cleared up by this time and it turned into a beautiful sunny day. Here are some of the photos that I took from the top of the Torre Grossa:






Above you can see a view of the Piazza in San Gimignano and below a view of one of the towers and the streets below.





If you'd like to spend a little longer in San Gimignano you can read reviews of San Gimignano hotels and things to do in San Gimignano

A Villa in Vitolini

It didn't take long to get from Florence airport to our villa in Vitolini, near Vinci. The instructions were excellent and it took us just over an hour including a stop in the supermarket to stock up on all the essentials like food, water and of course some vino and a few beers.

The villa, called "Il Mulinetto del Lica" was gorgeous, set in a valley, surrounded by greenery with a lovely pool and sundeck. The inside of the villa was really modern and split on two levels with the kitchen and living room area on the ground floor and steps up to the bedroom area, which had a huge arched window looking out on to the countryside. There was also a door which led straight out to the pool area from the bedroom.





The caretaker of the villa, Tina was really friendly and helpful. She spoke great English (luckily, as our Italian isn't up to much) and showed us around the place, then invited us to join her, the owner and a couple of others for a glass of wine and some bread and cheese, which was nice.

On Sunday we had a lazy day by the pool, relaxing in the sun, eating pizza, pasta, bread and olives and drinking Italian wine and beer.





We both had a swim in the pool - our first and last swim of the holiday as it was absolutely freezing! I've been in cold pools before, but this one literally took your breath away.

Unfortunately we found that our location wasn't as perfect as we originally thought it was when we realised that the evening before both of us had been eaten alive by mosquitos.

For the remainder of our stay we burned mosquito coils, coated ourself in insect repellent from the late afternoon onwards and stayed inside as soon as the sun went down. At the end of the first few days I counted a total of 20 bites, including one that was almost the size of the palm of my hand on the back of my leg.

Despite the villa and the stting being absolutely lovely, this is one reason that I wouldn't come back again. I've travelled through areas in the world that have malaria, but never have I been bitten as much as I have this week. Arghhh! Perhaps it was due to the fact that it was more wet & humid in this area of Italy in September than usual and because it was in a valley surrounded by trees.

Our Hertz Nightmare

After checking out of the hotel we took a taxi to the airport (12 Euros) and went to pick up our hire car from Hertz. Easier said than done! First we went straight to the car hire office in the car park, but were told that we had to pick the car keys up from the terminal building. I stood with the cases in the sweltering hot sun while Stuart picked up the keys - easy enough.

Unfortunately when we found the right number in the Hertz parking lot, the space was empty - no car! Stuart went back to the Hertz office in the parking lot to ask the woman where the car was. She came out of her office and wandered aimlessly around the parking lot for the next 15 minutes looking for the car, without success. She then told Stuart that he would have to walk back to the terminal building again and speak to the staff there. So he did, and came back a few minutes later with some new car keys.

We had booked the car through Expedia and selected the second car size up, which had room for two adults, two children and two suitcases. Much to our dismay, the keys that Stuart had been given were for a Fiat Panda - with a boot barely big enough to fit one suitcase.

The next half hour was spent with Stuart arguing with the Hertz staff, who refused to budge and wouldn't give us a car of the size that we'd ordered, despite the fact that there were a couple of hundred other Hertz cars in the parking lot and some of them weren't due to be picked up until the following day. Hertz refused to take responsibility for the car that they had lost.

In the end we had to make do with the pile of s**t known as the Fiat Panda . The Hertz guy actually had the audacity to tell us that we should think ourselves lucky, as this car was an upgrade from what we had previously ordered. Nothing like putting the customer first!

Last Morning in Florence

We decided to make the most of our last morning in Florence and took a walk to San Miniato al Monte, perched high on a hill with fantastic views of Florence.

We started from the Ponte Vecchio and walked up a steep road, past the former home of Galileo Galilei and up to Forte Belvedere.






The walk took us up a steep hill then almost all the way down again, then up towards the church - San Miniato al Monte (below).






Once we reached the top we were rewarded with a magnificant view at a viewpoint just below the church, with the whole of Florence laid out before us. Yet another photo opportunity. Below you can see a photo of of the view.

If you are planning on spending a few days in Florence you can read independent reviews of all the Florence Hotels here.

Florence Sightseeing on a Rainy Day

I'm writing this while lying in my bed in the hotel room in Florence. It's Friday 9th September, September being the fourth least rainy time of year in Florence.

It's just after 9.30am, I've been for breakfast and I'm all ready for a day of sightseeing in Florence, but its absolutely pissing it down outside! Not only that, it's almost completely dark and the rain is bouncing off the ground, there's loud thunder and fork lightning. It's the sort of rain I've only seen in the Tropics.

I was expecting beautiful blue sky and sunshine for most of my vacation, since the average temperature in Florence in September is 79 degrees, but hopefully this will be the one and only day of bad weather!

We decided to stay in the hotel for a while in the hope that there would be a break in the rain. Finally after almost an hour the rain eased off enough for us to venture outside. Jeans, a jumper and an umbrella was not what I expected to be wearing for my Florence Sightseeing!

It's about a 20 minute walk from our hotel to the Duomo and if it hadn't been raining we would have taken the picturesque route beside the River Arno. Instead we walked through the narrow streets to get as much shelter from the rain as possible.

We arrived at the Duomo just after 11am and the queue was tiny compared to yesterday. We paid 6 Euros for entry to the Duomo's Cupola (Dome) and started the journey up the 463 steps to the top.





This climb is definitely not recommended if you're feeling tired or in any way unfit. I felt reasonably fit and had been going to the gym and Yoga 3-4 times a week for the last couple of months, but I found the steps pretty challenging. Lots of narrow winding staircases and steps that became more and more like ladders as you climb to the top of the Dome.

Half way up we came to a long balcony like walkway that went all the round the Cupola. This is not the place to go if you suffer from Vertigo! Luckily I don't but stil felt a slight rush of fear when I glanced down and saw the tiny people below. I was glad of the plastic pane in front of my, preventing me from accidentally toppling over.

463 steps later, we reached the top of the Duomo and were rewarded for our effort with a spectacular view of Florence in all directions.





As it was raining slightly when we got to the top the marble floor was a little slippy, which was quite worrying as the barrier wasn't very high. Despite this, I found it less scary than standing on the inside of the Dome.

After taking lots of photos from every possible angle and Stuart refusing the offer of a photo of us together (as he was too scared of toppling over the edge :-) we began our descent back to the bottom.

I don't think I would have liked to do this on a hot July day, as it was stuffy enough on a September day with the rain pouring down outside.

One the way down we walked round the inside of the Dome again, this time on a higher walkway than before. After a quick stop to take a photo and admire the "Last Judgement" frescoes by Vasari on the roof, we quickly continued our journey down the steps. I'm sure that everything was perfectly safe, but walking around the top of a building that was completed nearly 600 years ago made me slightly nervous!

After our trip to the Duomo, we wandered to the nearby Piazza Della Signoria and stopped for a bit longer this time to take some photos of the statue of David and Neptune's Fountain. We also wandered around the outdoor Sculpture gallery, which contains statues such as the Loggia dei Lanzi (1382) and the Rape of the Sabine Women (1583), which was carved from a single block of Flawed marble.





By this time it was absolutely pouring with rain, so we found a restaurant with some indoor seating and had another Pasta lunch.

After lunch the rain had calmed slightly so we took a walk over the River Arno via the famous Ponte Vecchio. This bridge was built in 1345 and is the only bridge over the Arno that wasn't destroyed during the second world war. Originally the workshops overhanging the bridge were used by blacksmiths and butchers, but due to the noise and the smell they were evicted and the bridge is now filled with jewellery shops.

Once over the bridge we wandered through the winding streets and into the Palazzo Pitti. I wanted to visit the Boboli gardens as well as the Palentine gallery and the Royal Appartments, but unfortunately the Boboli Gardens were closed, perhaps due to the excessive rain. We just bought a combined ticket for the Palentine Galleries and the Royal apartments and spent an hour or so wandering through the different rooms and admiring the paintings and the ceilings which were ornately decorated with gold and frescoes. I'm definitely not educated in art, but I really enjoyed wandering around the rooms and imagining the people who once stayed there.

After our visit to the Gallery we (stupidly) bought what was probably the most expensive ice cream in Florence from a Gelateria next to the Ponte Vecchio - 6 Euros each for a small tub! If we had walked a few blocks away we would have got one for less than half the price, but never mind, I enjoyed eating it all the same, despite getting it all over my hands and face.

We crossed the River via the Ponte alla Grazie, which is the next bridge along from the Ponte Vecchio and took the opportunitity to take a few photos of the bridge.





That evening we had a great dinner in a place called La Bussola (58/R Via Porto Rossa). It was slightly expensive at almost 100 Euros for the two of us, but it was very nice. We both had pasta to start with and I had Languistines in a curried sauce with rice, while Stuart had Sole with a side dish of Melanzani Parmigiana, washed down with a half bottle of Ruffino of Chardonnay for me and a half bottle of Chianti for Stuart. A very nice way to finish off a busy day!

You can read more about things to do in Florence here.

Our first evening in Florence

After spending a couple of hours chilling out in our room we took a walk alongside the River Arno and over the Ponte Vespucci, which is a few bridges up from the Ponte Vecchio, and into the area on the other side of the bridge known as Oltrarno. We stopped for a beer in a bar called Dolce Vita, which was nice, but at 6 Euros for a medium beer it would be easy to rack up a huge bill.

After that we wandered around a bit and stopped for a drink in the Santo Spirito area, then wandered back over a different bridge and into the central historical part of Florence. We had dinner at a little restaurant and ate some Steak washed down by a nice bottle of Chianti. One word of warning - if you like your steak well done, don't bother ordering one while you're in Italy! I had asked for my steak to be well done, but it was pink and still a little bloody inside. I hate to think what it would have been like if I hadn't asked for it to be well done!

Overall the restaurant was quite nice with steaks served with potatoes and veg for 15 Euros, Pasta dishes for 8-12 Euros and a large selection of other main dishes.

Review of the Anglo American Hotel, Florence

It can be really difficult to find a good hotel in Florence for a reasonable price. Due to the popularity of Florence, it makes sense to book your hotel as far in advance as possible.

I've put together some Tips on Booking Hotels in Florence

We ended up booking the Anglo American Hotel in Florence because it looked nice in the photos and got good reviews in TripAdvisor. The cost for us was 143 Euros for a double room per night.

Overall it turned out to be a great place to stay. The Hotel is on a quiet street about 10 minutes walk from the Railway station and a 20 minute walk to the historical centre of Florence i.e. the Ponte Vecchio and the Piazza della Signoria etc. Although its a 20 minute walk away, its a very pleasant walk, by the River Arno.

When we checked in we were lucky enough to get an upgraded room that was more like a suite, with a little living room as well as a separate bedroom. You can see a couple of piccies of the room below:





And here's a picture of our little living room:





We were very happy with our room - it was very spacious, comfortable and clean and the bathroom was pretty big.

The staff in the hotel were very friendly and helpful and the breakfast (included in the price) was quite decent and included lots of pastries, fruit juice, meats, cheeses, cerals, yoghurts and even some scrambled eggs & sausages.

Overall I'd recommend the Anglo American hotel, unless you don't fancy the 20 minute walk in and out of the centre of Florence.

You can see more reviews of the Anglo American Hotel here

Florence

It's pretty easy to get from Pisa to Florence
. The trains are frequent - around three per hour during the day, it costs just 5 Euros and takes about an hour.

We arrived in Florence at 11.30am and managed to find our hotel - the 4* Anglo American Hotel in less than 10 minutes - an easy walk from the Santa Novella Train Station, on Via Garibaldi.

Our rooms weren't ready when we arrived so we took a stroll along the Lungarno, by the banks of the River Arno, towards the famous ponte Vecchio. It was a dreary, wet day - a bit like a typical Scottish day, with dark clouds, threatening to rain, but the city still managed to look amazingly picturesque.





I couldn't stop myself from being snap happy and taking photos from every bridge. Once we reached the Ponte Vecchio, about a 20 minute walk from out hotel, we took a walk by the Uffizzi Museum and into the Piazza Della Signoria, which was packed full of people. Stuart has been to Florence in July before and he said that the number of tourists were around double what they were today. I don't think that I would fancy coming here in July - the combination of the heat and the crowds would make it pretty tiring.

We spent a while wandering around the Piazza, looking at the amazing sculptures, which are huge in comparison to what they look like in photos, and looked around the Palazzo Vecchio (Old Town Hall), which appeared to be shut for the day.

We began our Italian dining experience in true style, at a table on the terrace of a restaurant on the Piazza della Signoria with a huge Pizza cooked in a Wood Fire oven - bellissimo!

After lunch we took a walk round to the Duomo (Cathedral), which is absolutely magnificent. I wanted to climb up the bell tower or the Cupola for some great views of Florence, but decided to wait until tomorrow, since the queues were pretty big and we'd just spent the last half hour stuffing ourselves with Pizza.





We spent the next half hour or so wandering around aimlessly, in the general direction of the hotel, but ended up nowhere near the hotel, thanks to Stuart's "Mystery Florence tour".

Flight to Pisa

Theoretically you could fly direct from Edinburgh to Pisa in around 3 hours, but in the name of saving money. we took one of the most indirect routes possible: Edinburgh to Frankfurt, then to Munich and finally on to Pisa. The reason for this madness was that I had enough airmiles to get both Stuart and I from Scotland to Italy, so the pain of an 8 hour journey was eased by the fact that we were paying nothing for the flights - only £50 or so for the airport tax.

We left Edinburgh at 1.15pm, arrived in Pisa at 10.45pm (an hour ahead of UK time) and managed to experience a flight on a 737, a 747 and a little propeller plane, drink a few beers and some vino, eat a burger and chips and a thai curry (not at the same time), see the sights of Edinburgh, Frankfurt and Munich airports and experience the services of Lufthansa and Air Dolimito (which before today sounded more like a pasta sauce than an airline).



Quite a busy day, so I found it very easy to collapse in bed in our Pisa Hotel at the end of the night.

We had decided to stay in Pisa rather than Florence on our first night, because we didn't want the hassle of making a train journey late at night after our day of so many airports and flights.

We stayed at the Terminus and Plaza Hotel, a 3 star hotel just 5 minutes in a taxi from Pisa airport (5 Euros) and about 50 metres from Pisa Train Station. The hotel was pretty basic, but did the job for a quick overnight night stay. The room was spacious, but a bit shabby and in need of a dust and a lick of paint, but the sheets and towels were clean and the air conditioning worked. It's a good enough place to stay if you are just at the beginning or end of a journey or want to get the train somewhere the next day, but it's at the opposite end of town from The leaning Tower of Pisa, so probably not ideal if you want to see the sights of Pisa without doing much walking.

If you are booking a hotel in Pisa, I recommend looking at Trip Advisor. They have user reviews of all the hotels and you can easily choose which one you like the best based on the price, location and user ratings. You can also find out more about discount flights to Pisa

My vacation in Tuscany - September 2005

I've just returned from a fantastic vacation in Tuscany.

My itinerary was:

7th-8th September - Pisa
8-10th September - Florence
10th-17th September - a villa in Vitolini near Vinci
12th September - A daytrip to San Gimignano
15th September - A daytrip to Volterra and Siena
17th-18th September - Lucca
18th-19th September - Pisa

I'll be posting a journal and photos of my trip over the next week, so come back and visit again!

Cheap flights to Italy

I was lucky enough to have enough airmiles to cover my flights from Edinburgh to Pisa for my trip to Florence and Tuscany in September of this year.

I've put together some tips on the best way to get cheap flights to Italy. Just click on the link below for the information:

How to Get Cheap Flights to Italy

Happy flight hunting!

Tuscany Map with Cities

When you start planning your trip to Tuscany the first thing you will probably say is "show me a map of Tuscany". From this you can then get a good idea of the cities and villages in the Tuscany region and start to plan your vacation.

Below you can see a map of Tuscany with cities. You can also look at a more detailed Tuscany Map here.

If you want to buy maps to take with you on your vacation try Maps.com

You can also find links to other online Maps of Tuscany & Florence at TripAdvisor.

This map was provided courtesy of Map of Italy by Tourism maps

A villa in Tuscany

I'm feeling excited today! We've booked part of our holiday - a week in villa in the Tuscan countryside.

I've been on a villa holiday before and loved it - it's a great way to combine lazy days by the pool and barbeques with day trips to towns and villages in the surrounding countryside.

A villa usually works out to be very cost effective if you're travelling in a group of 4 or more people, but if there are only two of you it can be harder to find one at a reasonable price.

If you do a search in Google on "Tuscany villas" or something similar you will be faced with hundreds of villa websites - some of them are fantastic, with great search facilities, lots of details and pictures and online availability checks. Amongst the good sites there are also lots of bad sites - some with very few pictures - why would I book a villa that I'd never seen before? Or hundreds of villas but no meaningful search facility, so you could spend hours trying to find what you want.

In the end I found a lovely 1 bedroom cottage with a huge swimming pool an hour away from Pisa and 45 minutes from Florence. The cost was pretty reasonable - £520 for 1 week. The site we used for booking was Tuscany Now

Now I just have to sort out some flights and hotels for Florence and Pisa!

A Florence Hills Tour

A Florence Hills Tour
Copyright © Suzanne Morrison

Italy, a veritable treasure chest of culture and heritage - with its food, wine, culture and history, is always on the top of a European tour list. A tour to Italy would not be complete without going to Florence. This city is in the heart of Tuscany and is sometimes considered the birthplace of the Italian Renaissance. It is a place that is famous for its abundance of fine art and architecture and in the modern day, its fashion and leather goods.

If you are feeling a little tired out after a few days of sightseeing in Florence, a Florence hills tour can be a great way to relax and wind down. With a great ambience and an aura of solitude the hills of Florence are very popular and ideal for those who wish to take a break from the city.

If you only have a few hours to spare and don't want to venture too far from Florence, then a trip to the town of Fiesole is highly recommended. Set amongst the hills, just 5 miles from Florence, Fiesole makes a pleasant half-day trip from Florence and provides a wonderful view of the city. You can get there by bus from the centre of Florence in around 20 minutes.

If you're feeling more energetic or have a little more time to spare you can walk from the centre of Florence to Fiesole in around 2 hours. Once in Fiesole you can easily spend two or three hours wandering round, taking in the sights and the views of Florence and the valley below. Sights include a Roman Amphitheatre and baths dating from 1 BC, the Duomo and a few small museums.

If you have a full day to spare there are numerous tour companies that can organise day trips by bus, walking tours or biking trips. Alternatively you can hire a car and use a map to discover the delights of the Tuscan countryside for yourself.

A guided walking tour of the Florence hills will provide you with an insider's view of Florence & Tuscany - you can discover the hidden treasures and learn of great legends and stories, giving you a more intimate experience of the region of Tuscany. A walk through the Florence hills is invigorating and you can soak up the beauty of the surroundings as you breathe in the fresh air and bask in the warm sun. You'll also find plenty of photo opportunities as you pass by churches, castles, hill top towns and villages, olive trees and vineyards

If you're reasonably fit and have cycling experience you may want to take a Florence Hills Tour by bike. There are many tour companies that offer guided biking expeditions of the area. With these tours you will cover more ground than the walking tours and you will see many of the different terrains and landscapes that the Florence hills have to offer. Be sure to find out as much information as possible about the cycling route before you go, as many tours of the Florence hills by bike can be arduous because of the steep climbs that you have to make.

If you want to make the most of the peace and quiet and spend a few more days enjoying the countryside you may want to book a stay in one of the many bed and breakfasts, hotels or villas in the Tuscan hills. Hiring a car will allow you to venture just that little bit further afield and visit some of the beautiful Tuscan hill towns such as San Gimignano, Colle Val D'Elsa and Monteriggioni.

Regardless of how much time you have to spend there, a trip to the hills surrounding Florence will give you a taste of the Tuscan countryside that will help to make your trip just that little bit more special.

You can find out more about the Tuscany and Florence Italy Sights in the Ultimate Guide to Florence

(Note - you may publish this article as long as you retain the name of the author, copyright information and add a link to the site http://www.placestovisitinflorenceitaly.com)

Tuscany in September

Having just come back from a 2 week holiday in Cuba a couple of weeks ago I feel it's time to start thinking about the next holiday. You need something to keep you going at work - right? And I've been missing that holiday countdown that I had in big red writing in the corner of my whiteboard, for the 6 weeks before going to Cuba.

So, let the holiday countdown begin! We decided this weekend that we are definitely spending our next vacation in Tuscany.

Nothing has been booked yet, but it's looking like

- 3 nights in Florence
- A relaxing week in a villa somewhere in the countryside in Tuscany
- 1 or 2 nights in Pisa


So, as I research my holiday to Tuscany in September over the next month I'll update this blog with all the useful info that I find.

87 days to go...!!

Florence in a Day

Florence in a day
Copyright © Suzanne Morrison

Overflowing with history, art and culture, Florence is a city that’s very hard to do justice to in a single day. A visit to the Uffizi museum alone could easily eat a day or two into any itinerary.

If you’re fortunate enough to visit Florence for the first time, but unfortunate enough to have only a single day to savour the delights of this city, you will need to ensure that you have a plan.

So allow me be your guide for the day and take you on a whistle stop tour of the sights and sounds of Florence. I can’t promise you the Uffizi in a day, but hopefully at the end of the tour you’ll feel like you’ve seen the best of the city. Your only problem will be deciding when to come back for more!

The first thing you’ll need before you start your tour is a map of the city. The centre of Florence is pretty compact, so the best way to see it, without missing a thing is by foot. If you don’t have a map or a guidebook and you’re not the type that enjoys aimless wandering, make your first stop of the day one of the tourist offices where you can pick up a free map of Florence.

Starting off in the main Piazza, you’ll easily spot the famous Duomo, with its magnificent terracotta coloured cupola. If you are there early enough to avoid the crowds and feel you can face the 463 steps I’d recommend starting your tour by climbing up into dome for a spectacular view of the city. The Duomo is probably the most distinctive feature of Florence’s skyline and is the result of years of work spanning six centuries.

Once you’ve taken in the view, catch your breath with a leisurely stroll around the streets surrounding the Duomo, and then take a walk to the nearby Piazza della Signoria. Here you’ll find a unique outdoor gallery of sculptures, including Neptune’s Fountain and a copy of the famous Statue of David. You’ll also find the Palazzo Vecchio (the Old Palace) here. This was built in the early 14th century and is still used today for its original purpose, as a Town Hall.

Just beside the Palazzo you’ll find the Uffizi museum, with its unrivalled collection of Renaissance art. If you’re an art lover, you don’t want to miss the Uffizi, but it’s not something that can be easily covered in a short 2-hour visit!

Alongside the Uffizi you’ll find the River Arno, with its many bridges. If you take a right turn you’ll arrive at the Ponte Vecchio, the famed bridge that houses a multitude of goldsmiths and jewellery shops, with its medieval workshops overhanging the bridge. The bridge itself was built in 1345 and is the only bridge on the Arno that wasn’t destroyed in World War II.

Once you’ve crossed the bridge, you’ll arrive in the area called Oltrano, which literally means “Over the Arno”. Here you’ll find the Palazzo Pitti – a large 16th century palace. The palace was originally home to the Medici family who ruled Florence almost continuously between 1434 and 1743 and it now houses several important museums and galleries.






You may want to finish your day by taking a relaxing stroll in the Boboli gardens, which can be accessed through the Palazzo Pitti. These gardens were laid out in 1550 for the Medici a year after they bought the Palazzo Pitti and were opened to the public in 1766. Many parts of the gardens give stunning vistas over Florence and make a welcome retreat after a day of walking round the city.

If you have the time, it’s worth returning to view the Ponte Vecchio at sunset, followed by a walk along the bridge after dusk, when the lights on the bridge reflect on the River Arno and everything seems almost magical.

Finally, don’t forget to take a break from your sightseeing – stop for lunch or a drink in a pavement café, take some time to soak up the atmosphere and do a spot of people watching.

You can read more about the main attractions in Florence here.

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Welcome to my Florence Italy Blog

I'm Suzanne and I want to welcome you to my blog on Florence, Italy - one of the most amazing cities in Europe!

Why not grab a coffee (or a glass of vino), stop by for a few minutes, and let me share some stories and photos of Florence and various other places in Tuscany including San Gimignano, Pisa, Volterra, Lucca and Siena.

Ciao for now!