A visit around Florence and Tuscany region

Italy is one of the European countries within the Mediterranean . It's capital city is Rome, also home to the Vatican City. Two popular cities in Italy that one might visit are Florence; the city of art, artisanship and glorious food and Milan; Italy's fashion capital

We went to Italy at the beginning of December. The weather is usually chilly to cold ranging between 10 to 15 degrees Celsius. This time round, we visited some places around the region of Tuscany including some days in  Florence and Pisa. Although we were there in mid December, we were slightly let down by the lack of Christmas decorations along the streets, restaurants and in windows.  The Christmas spirit wasn't that evident. 

Around Florence

We started our trip visiting the best of Florence; around the Duomo and Battistero. Adjacent to the back entrance of the Duomo is where you can purchase tickets. There are many different tours which one can look at they can be group tours, individual tours and guided tours. Also prices are differ depending on the tour package you select.  You can also purchase tickets online to skip ques. I highly suggest visiting the Duomo, Bell Tower (forming part of the cathedral) and Gallaria degli Uffizi. Both the Duomo and Bell Tower, have a lot of steps which need to be climbed up to reach either the Cupola del Brunelleschi and also the Campanile di Giotto and each step is a pretty high one (the old building way) therefore climbing up is not for the faint hearted. However when you reach the top both views are magnificent. Make sure you capture a lot of pictures :) 

We started the trip in the magnificent city of Florence. Florence is a true gem, rich in architecture and art masterpieces. For any art enthusiasts Florence is definitely the city to visit, as this is where Michelangelo has lived.  One famous evidence of this is the David statue in Piazza della Signoria, which is a replica of the original statue sculpted in marble by Michelangelo, and is now found in Accademia Gallery.  Florence also boasts of a good number of museums. The roads of Florence are like a trip back to the past, narrow roads and old stunning buildings.  All this beauty does not come cheap, as Florence in fact is rather on the expensive side, from hotels and taxis to drinks and food.  

View from Bell Tower

While there since it was Christmas we also managed to find a Christmas market. There are several Christmas markets around Florence, however the biggest one is assembled in Piazza Santa Croce. Piazza Santa Croce originated from the Basilica found in that square, which is called Basilica Santa Croce. Within the market one can find, food stalls, stalls selling handmade Christmas decorations and also some small kitchen utensils. Another thing which can be found is small ornaments of tiny wooden houses.

Christmas Market stall

One must also make sure to visit the Ponte Vecchio (which in English means Old Bridge). Back in 1218 this was the only bridge across the Arno river in Tuscany. This was also the only bridge that during the second World war wasn’t broken. The bridge that one sees today had to be re-built as there were some floods. One can see a number of shops along sides of the bridge, small tiny cute shops, with rather expensive items.

While in Florence we also got the chance to view Palazzo Pitti and Baboli Gardens If you are one who loves history these two places are to go to.  Palazzo Pitti goes back all the way to 1458, it now serves mostly as a museum where one can see fine pieces of royal tableware and how fashion evolved from back in the days. The Baboli Gardens, is a huge park behind the Pitti Palace where one can see stunning views and a lot of sculptures and fountains. You can walk for hours withing this park as it is huge

Different kinds of wedding dresses from different periods of time

Babboli Gardens

 While walking along the streets of the beautiful city one will notice a lot of small cafeterias and small restaurants. As I mentioned in the beginning Florence is known for the food and I can truly say that the food is delicious. I will add that is is a bit on the expensive side but your tummy will never be disappointed. We ate different things from Italian pasta to meat which was cooked perfectly. One thing is to make sure , is to try is the Bisteccha Fiorentina, mouth watering steak.  I do suggest finding a small restaurant on one of the side streets, rather than going into the large ones which are usually fast food for tourists and not authentic. What we found out is that the smaller restaurants are usually owned by the chefs, so they make the extra effort. For chocolate lovers on the right hand side of the Duomo you will be able to find a shop dedicated for Lindor, in it you will find all the types of Lindt chocolate flavours which you never taught existed.

Tuscany region (San Gimignano, Voltera and Corsagna)

To tour the region of Tuscany I suggest hiring a car. Driving on the north of Italy is not insane it is quite easily to drive. There are good amount of signs, one shouldn't be intimidated by the level of impatience in Italian drivers. 

We visited three different small villages; San Gimignano, Voltera and Corsagna.  I will start with the one that truly caught my eye...San Gimignano. This little town on a hill, which is enclosed and surrounded by medieval walls. Walking though this town is a true joy, quite narrow windy roads. One can notice the medieval architecture throughout this town. On the side streets on can find these small shops where you can taste cheese and their strong rich olive oil. 

Walking through San Gimignano

Our next stop was Volterra, for any Twilight fans this is where the Volturri resided and where Edward was going to expose himself during a celebration in the square. Volterra is also sitting on a mountain top hill and is circled with medivial walls.  

Our last stop was Corsagna, driving towards Corsagna one notices an amazing bridge called 'Ponte della Maddalena' which is crossing the Sericho river near a town called Borgo a Mozzano. 

Ponte della Maddalena

To arrive to Corsagna one has to drive through a tiny narrow two way lane up to the mountain top. The drive is slightly stressful, however when you arrive there is it truly a mesmerizing town with the most amazing characteristics. Small townhouses, beautiful views and serenity in the narrow roads. 

Driving through the narrow roads we found this bench overlooking Corsagna town

Pisa 

Our last place visited during this trip was Pisa. We crossed from Florence to Pisa via a train. The ride is around one and a half hour, if you take a direct train.  Pisa is slightly cheaper than Florence; hotels, food and drinks. In Pisa there isn't much to see apart from the leaning tower. This is the main reason why Pisa is a now a famous attraction to tourists. The Pisa tower is also open for you to climb up on and see the whole of Pisa beneath you.  In the same square their is also the cathedral of Pisa and the Baptistery. For some good food I suggest skipping Piazza dei Miracoli as their are a lot of tourist restaurants which are not authentic and yet not cheap and continue walking down. There are  some nice small restaurants where food is rather good. 

Italy is a lovely country with a lot of charm, people are friendly however you shouldn't expect a lot of people in the heart of the city that they will speak English. Florence is unbelievably beautiful with extraordinary food and would love to go back. Pisa struck me a bit less as it lacks the charm and characteristics. I will always suggest that if you tour Tuscany you should definitely hire a car. You should definitely make it to Tuscany as it is extraordinary, the tiny villages are a breath of fresh air and the charm is never ending. What are your thoughts about Tuscany, which is the nicest parts of it that you have visited?

Hope you enjoyed reading this blog. In the coming few days I will be posting about our trip to Slovenia... Keep tuned :)