A Taste of Tuscany

Many moons ago, when Helen and Robin first booked their European getaway, they invited us Londoners (Paul, Lauren, Gini and I) to join them for a long weekend in Tuscany. Without hesitation, the cheap flights were purchased, the Monday booked off work and the long wait begun.

Unfortunately, as what usually happens with such impeccable organising, something awful happened. Paul got sick. So sick that instead of joining us on our first European excursion since we'd settled down in London, he spent half of the weekend in hospital while they ran a few tests to diagnose a dehydrated kidney! The combination of heat and fun during a work conference / holiday to Vegas had taken its toll. Poor Paulie Paulie.

So the three of us flew off to Pisa, picked up our ug-mobile from the airport and after a wrong turn and twelve times round a northern suburb of Pisa, we made it to the city center.  We met up with Helen and Robin in the early hours of Saturday morning for night one - a tidy bed and breakfast (minus the breakfast) in the heart of Pisa.

This was my second trip to Pisa, the first was a number of years before while gallivanting through Europe on a Contiki. It made a difference having some time to relax and enjoy the town for what it was - not just a Leaning Tower and a horde of bartering moroccans, but a quaint little town, with crazy horses, busy streets and expensive parking (we neglected to buy a ticket - and so received a rather more expensive one from the wandering warden).

After a traditional breakfast of toasted panini, two tasty cappuccinos and a fragola gelato, we hi tailed out of there and winded and weaved our way towards our next destination. Sienna.

Sienna is a beautiful town, full of spectacular churches, cobblestone streets and an enormous square - where we sat and ate large slabs of pizza while watching the world flow by. The girls managed a bit of shopping while Robin absorbed the road map and I put back a few more caffè macchiatos. We also ventured inside the zebra striped marble church - absolutely stunning both inside and out.

With the sun cooling and our bodies getting weary, it was time to head to our final destination for the day - the beautiful Podere Le Cantine - a villa, separated into apartments, near Sinalunga in the heart of Tuscany.

The next two days were more of the same - gorging on delicious local cuisine of buffalo mozzarella, olive oils, the sweetest, juiciest tomatoes, prosciutto, red wine, gelato and other delights. Not to mention the coffee. The Italians pride themselves on their coffee, it is consistently the best tasting coffee I've ever had - and I've been tasting different coffee from different places for a while now!

Having a car made seeing all the surrounding villages aplomb.  We aimlessly wandered and caught a wedding party mid swing at Lucignano - which we decided to return to on our last night for a delicious rooftop feast. We climbed the tower and did a spot of shopping and some wine tasting at Montepulciano. We also wandered through the local township of Sinalunga and up to a cafe at the top, where we watched with amusement as an old guy and his little doggy took off on their scooter - doggy enjoying the ride at his feet! Had this Lubi sized dog had Lubi sized intentions, it would be covered in scrapes and bruises caused by every mid-journey cat chasing expedition.

On our last day, while returning to Pisa airport for a late flight out, we popped in on San Gimignano. Made famous for its many towers, this place was magical! If you could remove the hordes of tourists, and the tourist feeding shops, it would feel like a fantasy land, straight from your favourite fantasy novel. A place I would love to return to.

All in all a fantastic long weekend away.

T