A little recap of our trip to Italy earlier this year.
For a few glorious days I lived in Tuscany. After the cold, damp weather in Paris, the sun was a welcome sight. I could see why all of the city dwellers came down here for a slice of heaven.
As my favorite shop owner told me, the days are slow here.
We stayed in Radda in Chianti. Here’s a view from the hill top city.
During the day, we often drove to a nearby town for lunch. Here is San Gimignano, an ancient walled city.
Afternoons were spent at our little converted barn. We had the whole house to ourselves, including a charming kitchen and an outdoor patio where we took many of our meals.
Below you can see my daughter Evie and moi.
After the hustle and bustle, and the crowds of Paris, Tuscany really felt like paradise.
Below is the view from our bedroom. You can see the vineyards and the olive trees below.
I mean really, how can you wake up to this view, and not smile?
So what did I learn in Tuscany?
1. Be nice to people, and most of the time, they will reciprocate.
2. Learning a few simple words in the native language like please, thank you, and excuse me, go a long way.
3. Slow down and enjoy the moment.
We loved Gimignano which was an afternoon excursion from our wonderful but fast tour with the Insight, Best of Italy tour last year. I just realized I never did a blog post on Gimignano but will share my Assisi post with you. http://livingwiththanksgiving.blogspot.com/2013/10/assisi-italy-birthplace-of-st-francis.html
I love the thought of relaxing at a farmhouse and taking in the views of Tuscany. Sorry, your weather was damp and cold in Paris. We were there in September and it was actually hot! I have been there in March and it was freezing. I used to think my pictures of Paris were awful until I realized it is dark and gray there many days of the year.
You are right about learning just a few words in the language where you are visiting. We also found people to be very friendly and went out of their way to help us.
Beautiful photos and beautiful moments!!!
Hi Anita,
Tuscany is on my bucket list! Thank you for wetting my appetite! Lovely pictures!
I love Italy when we were there in 2008. I hope to go back someday soon. Your pictures bring back memories.
Thank you for sharing those beautiful pictures. That’s on my list of places I want to go!
Anita,
I just love this post! We were in Tuscany earlier this year too, as my daughter was studying in Florence and we went to visit her. My son flew out from St. Louis to join us and rather than spending most of the time in the cities, we spent a wonderful long weekend in Tuscany. I know the exact spot you’re standing in San Gimignano… 🙂 It was such a pleasure to relax and enjoy the gorgeous countryside, and what a delight to go to an Italian wine tasting with our adult children! We stayed in Castelnuovo de Berardegna (I’m sure I spelled that wrong) but I did a post a month or so back on Pienza, the lovely village in the Val d’Orcia. San Gimignano was particularly resonant for my son, since it’s featured in one if his favorite video games (you have to be creative in trying to get your adult children to want to spend their vacation days with you! I did my research… ;-)) You photos are just stunning, especially over the ramparts in San Gimignano! What kind of camera do you travel with? I had gotten a G12 a few years back which is perfect for travel – I like its portability and on-the-go flexibility (you can use it on automatic for grabbing quick moments), but I wasn’t able to get as clear a shot of the valley. Do you travel with the same camera you use at home? Anyway, wonderful post, gorgeous photos and thanks for taking me back to some great memories! Btw, your daughter is lovely and she looks just like you!!
Best,
Lory
Oh my goodness how fun was that? We went to Italy in June, so maybe we were there at the same time!
Thanks for the compliment. I use a 5D Mark II at home, but with the camera and pro lens, the camera is too heavy to carry and too expensive to replace. I took my Rebel camera with me. I still wonder what happened to my battery and charger for my Rebel because I never found it a few months after I got home. It may still be in Italy.
As a gal not able to experience first hand, some of these wonderful locations, I really enjoy the input from others who do! Beautiful post, Anita. And how fantastic for your kids to travel along too!
It is beautiful there,i want to go someday Thanks for the view of the wonderful surroundings and have a great day.
My favourite country is Italy, and my favourite area is Tuscany. Your lovely photos reminded me of the times I have visited which seem so far away now. My sister-in-law has a place in Le Marche which is not as pretty as Tuscany but another lovely area to visit which is close to the coastline.
Italians know how to live, they don’t stress like we do (well in Tuscany they don’t). Once you get used to the fact that everything closes at noon and opens later in the day then you can really relax and enjoy their laid back lifestyle.
We live in NZ now, before we were in Abu Dhabi so only a 7 or so hour flight, now it takes around 26 hours so I doubt we will get back to Italy for some time.
Thank you for sharing and reminding me of my lovely trips there too.
Lee
What a wonderful vacation you had as for your title I thought you were posting something from the Movie ” Under the Tuscan Sun ” perhaps the villa, or her simple decor 🙂
So wish it were my vacation I was posting here, you look like you so enjoyed yourself, and I am sure it inspired a lot out of you.
Xx
Dore
italy, especially Tuscany, is my favorite place after Maine that is. Next spring I’ve rented an apartment in Florence for a month. I can’t wait!
Great pictures…Tuscany is a wonderful area. I just returned from Bologna, not quite as picturesque as the Tuscany Valley, but the food was great. Thanks for sharing.