The Missing Tree
Florence was obviously a must, but we had also heard a lot of good things about Lucca. And so, that was where we would start our Tuscan adventure.
We landed in Pisa, and without even a glance at that leaning tower (yeah, you know which one I'm talking about), we hopped on a train for Lucca. It turned out to be one of our favorite stops of the trip.
There is so much to explore in the old town, and so many good things to eat... way too much...
A few things I would highly recommend while in Lucca : rent a bike and ride on the ramparts around the old town; climb to the top of a tower or two or three... etc... ; grab a drink on a piazza ; and wander around and get lost. This is the only way you will be able to get off the touristic beaten track. And don't forget to buy yourself una copeta di gelato (ice cream). There is an amazing focaccia shop you just have to try, Forno a vapore Amedeo Giusti. We tried to find a similar focaccia shop in Tuscany, but unfortunately none were as good...
There is so much to explore in the old town, and so many good things to eat... way too much...
A few things I would highly recommend while in Lucca : rent a bike and ride on the ramparts around the old town; climb to the top of a tower or two or three... etc... ; grab a drink on a piazza ; and wander around and get lost. This is the only way you will be able to get off the touristic beaten track. And don't forget to buy yourself una copeta di gelato (ice cream). There is an amazing focaccia shop you just have to try, Forno a vapore Amedeo Giusti. We tried to find a similar focaccia shop in Tuscany, but unfortunately none were as good...
Tunnel of Love
The Turn
The Stroll
The Angry Wife
Yellow
Lucca Layers
Biking Through Lucca
Next stop, Firenze (Florence). We once again hopped on a train for a short ride to the center of Florence. At 1st we had planned on renting a car in Pisa airport, but we are extremely glad we changed our minds. Travelling between these 3 cities is very easy and cheap.
A lot more cultural visits were on our agenda here. Possibly too many, but man there is so much to see. From Michelangelo's David to Boticcelli's Birth of Venus, and a few Caravagio's along the way, how can you not give these a glance. And what about all the famous monuments in Florence: the Ponte Vecchio (check out the sunset from piazzale Michelangelo), the Santa Maria del Fiore Cathedral (ladies, don't forget your long pants and sleeves), the Palazzos Vecchio and Pitti...
I also loved walking around the narrow streets (a must in pretty much every town and city in Italy) to play around with the incredible summer light and the very dark shadows.
A lot more cultural visits were on our agenda here. Possibly too many, but man there is so much to see. From Michelangelo's David to Boticcelli's Birth of Venus, and a few Caravagio's along the way, how can you not give these a glance. And what about all the famous monuments in Florence: the Ponte Vecchio (check out the sunset from piazzale Michelangelo), the Santa Maria del Fiore Cathedral (ladies, don't forget your long pants and sleeves), the Palazzos Vecchio and Pitti...
I also loved walking around the narrow streets (a must in pretty much every town and city in Italy) to play around with the incredible summer light and the very dark shadows.
Frames
Just Married...
Silhouette on a Bike
View of Firenze
Blue on a Bike
The Firenze Nun
Shadow Play
The Rapt
Il Boboli Waiter
Il Ponte Vecchio
Once our 4 days of Museum hopping was over, it was finally time to rent a car. The rest of the trip was going to be difficult without one. We were going to leave the big cities of Tuscany to explore it's valleys and rolling hills, and the fastest way to travel between San Gimignano, Pienza, Montepulciano, Arezzo could only be done by car.
After a lunch in Grevé in Chianti, we made a wine tasting stop in the Castello di Querceto winery. The wine was great and the surrounding area as well. A few peacocks wandered around, and graced us with their presence on the terrace while we were sipping from our wine glasses.
No time to waste, we got back in the rental and headed to San Gimignano where we had booked an Agriturismo just outside of the city walls. It was nightime so we had to wait the next morning to admire the view. And later on of course, march up to the old town walls and its 14 towers (it is said that there were 72). The owners built their towers as a way of displaying their wealth and as always, when it comes to men, the bigger the better. Some of the towers are said to have been destroyed because of the rivalries between these families. It is possible to visit a few of these towers as well as climb up and admire the view from the top.
San Gimignano Look Down
San Gimignano Look Up
It was then time to say goodbye to San Gimignano, as well as the many cats in our Agriturismo. We were now headed to our last lodging, another Agriturismo (with a pool !!!) in the Val d'Orcia countryside, and situated just a 10 minute drive away from Pienza. We stayed a little less than a week here, most days, taking the car to visit the nearby towns, Montepulciano, Montecchiello, Montalcino, Arrezo (a bit further off) and many others. Like I said, a car is a must when travelling in these parts. We checked out a few highly instagrammable spots like the Madonna church, the cypres trees lanes, and the cypres tree patch. Unfortunately, the area around the church was being restored, and the grounds around the tree patch were burnt with the heat. I believe spring would be a better time to visit the area.
Morning Light
Hand in Hand in Monticchiello
Pecorino cheese shop in Pienza
Montalcino Enoteca
Grocery Shopping in Montepulciano
Arezzo
Arezzo Farmacia
Men at Work
The Ladies of the Well
Sunflower Fields
On the way back, a little stop in Volterra (where scenes from a Twilight movie were shot) and Pisa and it was time to take our plane back to Paris.
All photos taken by Sylvain Duchêne