Under a Tuscan sun!

Wonderful weather, stunning scenery, fabulous food and wine, and a plethora of beautiful towns and cities to visit.

We stayed in a farmhouse on the outskirts of the walled hilltop city of Volterra – a one and a half hour drive from Pisa.

Volterra occupies a breathtaking position overlooking the famous Tuscan landscape and although it is not as well-known as some of its neighbours (and therefore bustling with locals and Florentines rather than coach parties) still offers a wealth of historical treasures and wonderful architecture. These include two beautiful castles, a well-preserved Roman amphitheatre and boasts a beautiful domed cathedral built in a Romanesque style.

The vineyards of the Chianti region are also not far away, and we drove through some picturesque vineyards en route to San Gimignano. A UNESCO World Heritage Site, ‘San Gimi’ is a fortified marvel with 14 high ancient towers affording unrivalled panoramas of the surrounding countryside. We could not resist a day in Siena - another stunning medieval town famous for its magnificent Piazza del Campo in the heart of the city where the famous Palio takes place – a crazy, bareback horse race. The city’s main sights, including the extraordinary black and white striped cathedral, plus shops, ice cream parlours (to die for!) and restaurants, are housed in a maze of narrow medieval streets.

We spent a morning on the coast at Baratti beach followed by another leisurely lunch at Populania - all a bit demanding as you can imagine!

Sadly, we weren’t in Tuscany long enough to visit other places such as Lucca or Florence – after all, the pool beckoned and those long leisurely lunches at the farmhouse sampling the local bread, olives, meats and local cheeses not to mention those aromatic Italian cafes and gelato cafes.....are all part of the Tuscan experience!

We shall return!