2023 Italy Travels
When Steve asked me last fall what I wanted to do to celebrate my 40th, I said, I wanted to go back to Florence, Italy. A place we had been to five years ago and a place I left wanting to visit again. Florence hit me with its realness yet relaxed atmosphere. The art and finding new areas of beauty around every corner just really lit something within me. I wanted to spend more time there and watch the world go by, of course with gelato and an Aperol Spritz.
We stopped in London along the way to see family and take in the sites. My birthday was spent exploring Southwark and having a very special meal at Bob Bob Ricard. London and the UK has become my other home country. It’s fun, and just a comfort to be in. I’ve included a couple snaps from this year’s visit.
To celebrate the milestone birthday, we had a couple good friends join us in Florence. We visited places we had seen before such as the Piti Palace and Boboli Gardens, as well as taking in some new sites. Such as San Lorenzo’s basilica as well as the Medici Chapel and crypts and the Museo San Marco We also ate some incredible food and drank wonderful wines. The shots linked below are all of various places in Florence.
After a few days in Florence, we rented a car and a small villa on a mountain top in the Chianti region. Along the way we visited the Colosso dell'Appennino. A strange yet fun statue in Parco Mediceo e Villa Demidoff a Pratolino. I’ve seen pictures of it and really wanted to see it in person. It’s solemn but incredible at the same time.
Afterwards we made our way to the villa. The views from the villa were beautiful. While staying in the area, we had another celebratory meal, this time lunch, at a Michelin Star winning restaurant. It was like going to the spa but with food. We left pampered and well fed.
The following days were spent driving through Tuscany visiting Siena and San Gimignano. I highly recommend both. These are cities frozen in time just with modern conveniences.
Wrapping up our time in Chianti, we said good bye to our friends and Steve and I headed to Cinque Terre. Which is just right outside of Tuscany. The beauty of this place is astounding. Five villages, all connected via train, boat, or by ancient food paths. The brightly painted houses and shops built into the side of terraced cliff sides along the seashore. It was incredible. We stayed in Riomaggiore, the most sourthern village. We hiked between two villages one day and then another hike between two other villages the second day. We also took the time to take leisurely lunches and then explore the villages as we went along.
Finally, on our last leg of our journey, we hopped on a train and made our way down to Pisa for our last two days. I’ve never thought about seeing the leaning tower of Pisa but we did. And the duomo and baptistery. All so beautiful. Climbing the tower was like entering a fun house because frankly, you’re climbing stairs at an angle. On our last day we walked the river path and visited various museums. One with a recovered Roman boat!
This trip was everything I had hoped for and more. We had plenty of time to relax but also were able to explore beautiful places, look at stunning artwork, and enjoy each others company. Now to plan the next holiday!