Blog 4: Tuscany, Florence, and Cinque Terre

 Tuscany, Florence and Cinque Terre were going to be the last three destinations we traveled to before heading back to the States. From Naples we drove 3 hours to Greve in Chianti, a town in Tuscany. In Greve we stayed at a local women’s home turned into hotel and cooking school. While staying at her house you can choose whether to sign up for the cooking classes in the evening. Tuscany is a place for laid-back individuals who like beautiful landscapes and wineries. We also explored Siena, and Montalcino while in Tuscany.

In Montalcino we drove about two hours to the Banfi Winery. Here they offer wine tastings as well as the option to purchase their wine. There are many wineries all over Tuscany, so pick one that seems to suit your personality the best. Most wineries will offer to ship your purchased wine back for you but we found it is cheaper to buy a new suitcase and pack it in there around softer items.

http://castellobanfi.com/en/our-hospitality/winery_visits.php

The town of Greve in Chianti is a small town where all the action surrounds the town’s central court yard. Here you will find hidden treasures, like shopping and many great restaurants. The pottery stores in Tuscany are absolutely to die for. There are hand crafted and are painted with great care and skill. I would recommend trying to find some pottery to bring home with you because it will last for a long time and they are just gorgeous.

Siena is another town like Greve in Chianti that offers great restaurants and shopping. There is also the Siena Cathedral, Torre del Mangia, Piazza del Campo, and much more. This town is larger and offers more to see while walking around here. The town is famous for the Palio di Siena, which are horse races that are held twice a year on July 2^nd and August 16^th. To learn more about attending the races check the hyperlink above.

http://www.operaduomo.siena.it

http://www.comune.siena.it/La-Citta/Cultura/Strutture-Museali/Torre-del-Mangia

http://www.comune.siena.it

http://www.ilpalio.org/palioenglish.htm

From Tuscany we went to Florence, which is known for its amazing art. Florence is also a place where you may not want to carry a purse unless completely necessary. The Grand Hotel Baglioni, is a high-end hotel located in the Piazza dell’Uniita Italiana and within walking distance to Piazza di Santa Maria Novella. This hotel has a central location to all the activities that are going on. In many of the Piazza’s you will find shopping and restaurants. Florence has a lot of high-end shopping if that interests you; but they also have less high-end stores.

The famous Ponte Vecchio Bridge is something you have to see while in Florence. The bridge is covered in shops and is something to experience that is unlike any other place. While there you should also go up to Fort Belvedere, do not plan on walking up to the Fort; it is a long uphill road, so it is best to catch a cab. There is a market called Mercato Nuovo, which is in the historic center of Florence. The Basilica di Santa Maria del Fiore offers daily tours; it is also one of Italy’s largest churches.

The Uffizi Gallery is an amazing art gallery that is a must see while in Florence. The Uffizi Gallery is one of the most famous art museums in Europe. The Basilica of San Lorenzo was the burial place of most of the Medici family and it is also known to be the oldest church in Florence. The Accademia Gallery is where the famous statue The David. Florence has so many places, churches, museums and stores to explore and it is truly an amazing city.

http://www.ilgrandemuseodelduomo.it

http://www.uffizi.org

http://www.polomuseale.firenze.it/musei/?m=accademia

http://www.basilicasanlorenzofirenze.com

The last stop of the trip was Cinque Terre, which is a collection of small beach towns. Parking here is very difficult so approach with caution. These towns are extremely small so you could explore many of them in one day. But these towns do attract tourist because of the bright blue water and there pretty beaches. I would recommend doing a day trip to Cinque Terre, because it so small and staying there you might run out of things to do. From Cinque Terre we drove back to Milan and stayed in a hotel before flying out the next morning.