Siena
Sam Gimignano
Duomo, Florence
Palazzo Vecchio, Florence
Certaldo
Ponte Vecchio, Florence
The lavenders and butterflies outside our door
Siena, Cathedral
Siena
Restaurant in San Gimignano
Bagno Vignoni
Our house
Tuscany does not look like it’s real. It looks like it is painted or handcrafted. The first morning, when I went in the garden and saw the butterflies and the lavenders I thought: "This is photoshopped". There were bunnies, squirrels and partridges in our garden and as city people we were amazed.
I have seen beautiful landscapes but there, everything is in perfect proportion. The sun is bright but not too bright, the skies are the perfect blue, the hills are not steep nor are they bare, there is always a castle, a church or a farmhouse on top, the cypress trees look like guards, protecting you in the dark. Endless sunflower fields, fragrant olive groves, lavender everywhere, harvest fields filled with hayrolls, the grass smelling so fresh, vineyards everywhere, everything tells you this is the land of abundance.
My Tuscany top 11
The villages: Monteriggioni, Montalcino, Montepulciano, Certaldo, Colle di Val d’ Else, San Gimignano
Siena, the Piazza del Campo
Pienza, one of the most romantic towns ever
Gelato, especially the one in San Gimignano
The cheese, the red wine, the fresh pasta, truffle oil, porcinis and the thin-crust pizza
The castles, cathedrals and farmhouses
The place we stayed in, the wonderful views from there and the huge garden
The Duomo in Florence: So huge but so divine
Plazza dei Miracoli in Pisa
The Ufizzi: Renaissance art that touches the soul
Leonard Cohen in Lucca. He was the sweetest
What I did not like
Florence: It was too crowded, too dirty, too smelly
The bread in restaurants
The fact that you can’t ask for tap water anywhere.
People were often rude, or rather, blunt.
I am glad to be back. I walked so much I need a vacation to rest from this vacation. I will leave again at the end of the week for southern Greece first and a northern area then. Before that I am going to check all your blogs. When I got back and checked my email and found all your messages and comments I thought "It’s great to be reading nice emails first thing when you return home". I’d like you to feel the same way when you get back from your holidays too.
August 5th, 2008 at 1:05 am
Here I am, the stalker!
*huge, huge sigh*
it’s lovely. There’s beauty everywhere you look. I love that angel underneath the window. And wonder of wonders, I have the Siena cathedral in a small folder in my image section called: places. It was such a strange recognition. It’s an absolutely fab cathedral!
Oh you’re going away again! I’m only going on holiday in late September, in Autumn!, for God’s sake. At least I get to travel through your postcards…
Thumbs up on the blog design.
August 5th, 2008 at 1:33 am
why so late this year? aren’t you going to Algarve this summer?
August 5th, 2008 at 2:36 am
Yes, I think I am, but due to some work that needs to be done in my house, I’ll have to leave only when the builders want me to. The fascists. Still, if the weather is good, it should be less crowded and mild, not so bad.
August 5th, 2008 at 6:23 am
Those photos make me want to visit Italy! Glad you’re back.
August 5th, 2008 at 2:36 pm
Beautiful my lovely friend.
Blessings
Your photographs are always amazing and I love the fact how you describe each place from your Heart.
Love Jeanne ^j^
August 6th, 2008 at 8:31 pm
Wonderful photos. My impressions of Tuscany are like yours. It’s almost too perfect to be true.
August 6th, 2008 at 11:18 pm
Reminds me how much I love Tuscany. I agree with your thoughts on Firenze - I’d like to go in the “off season” but there probably isn’t one for such a tourist mecca. I stayed in a small town 30km south for a two-week Italian language school. I was pathetic but it was heaven. Now, after seeing your beautiful pix, I want more than ever to return. Soon.
August 7th, 2008 at 2:59 am
Beautiful photos. . . Tuscany sounds like a fairy tale; sun, perfect blue skies, cypress trees (love these), sunflower fields, olive groves, lavender, fields of hay, vineyards. . .
August 7th, 2008 at 6:58 pm
oh my. oh dear. i am weeping over here. i just adore tuscany so much and seeing your photos brought all these emotions rushing up in me. {yes perhaps intensified by being 7 mo’s pregnant, but still…} what a beautiful place you got to stay in and what gorgeous photos you have to remember it all by. thanks for sharing it with us. xo!
August 7th, 2008 at 7:23 pm
Amazing pictures!!
I love your blog!
August 7th, 2008 at 11:27 pm
Off to Southern and Northern Greece now are we? Some people have it so good
xo
August 8th, 2008 at 3:27 pm
I-am-so-jealous! I ‘ve only been in Sicily…
August 8th, 2008 at 4:56 pm
My favourite is all the rolled bales of hay
And - is blunt rude? I think I am guilty of that often here. :S
August 8th, 2008 at 6:47 pm
Those photos are marvellous - it’s good to have sunshine pouring out of my computer screen!
August 8th, 2008 at 7:06 pm
So beautiful. I can’t believe this place is real. You got some amazing shots but I suppose it helps to have a subject that’s already photoshopped for you! Did you eat enough gelato? I’m glad you got to see Leonard Cohen. Welcome back!
August 8th, 2008 at 9:43 pm
ahhh. i wish i could see what you see when you go on vacation.
August 11th, 2008 at 3:31 pm
Your photos are amazing: some of the msot lovely I’ve seen!
I wish it wasn’t so far for us: it would be a lovely place to go…loads of hugs and kisses,
Cathy
August 12th, 2008 at 12:41 pm
fabulous photography…
August 16th, 2008 at 12:58 pm
Each and every one of your photographs are beautiful. You have such talent for capturing the perfect shot.
Love the vivid colors.
Hope you are doing well.
I did get a PT Cruiser. I finally bought a car for myself that I just liked cause it was cute!!!! Always bought sensible in the past.
Wish you were here so we could go for a ride…lol
Take care.
Hugs,
August 17th, 2008 at 1:58 pm
Great photos, useful comments!
I hope you relax in the next vacation!
xxxx
August 18th, 2008 at 5:32 am
these pics are gorgous!! thanks for sharing..i’ve been home all summer so it makes me feel like i’ve just came back from a wonderful trip.
the things you didn’t like sounds like the things i didn’t like about new york city!
August 21st, 2008 at 10:21 pm
you definitely captured tuscany in everyway… water, sky, fields, the color and architecture… thank you… traveling overseas is really an adventure we should all experience if we have the opportunity…
August 26th, 2008 at 1:58 am
I LOVE LOVE LOVE YOUR PICS!!!!!
ahhh glorious. really, the bread wasnt good? hmph. i would have been very disappointed with that teeny aspect, but that scenery would have made it better : )