Hi folks,
I had a wonderful holiday in beautiful, scenic Tuscany, returning last Saturday (8th 0ct) The weather was lovely but not too hot, the highest it got to was about 26, so bearable. It was my first time on a plane and apart from a day trip to Belgium, it was my only proper time abroad. I wasn't at all nervous flying, maybe because of my terminal diagnosis anyway, or the fact I was with friends who are seasoned travellers and put me at ease. A bit of each I think.
Our first coach trip was to Pisa It certainly was the WOW factor walking through the archway to see those beautiful buildings. The Cathedral, Baptistry and of course the famous Leaning Tower. We were assured by our lovely guide Riccardo that thanks to repairs it would stand for another two hundred years plus. Good to know.
Florence was lovely, with equally beautiful architecture, though don't tell the people of Pisa that, as lots of rivalry between the two cities apparently! The Capital is very lively and busy with lots of street artists, pavement artists, all very talented. We didn't get to view the staue of David in the Accademia museum as the queues were too long so not enough time, though I did take a snap of the fine replica where the original once stood, though the scaffolding around it spoilt the view somewhat.
We visited some beautiful places such as San Gimignano where we indulged in a lovely chocolate and vanilla tub of ice cream. World famous ice cream apparently. I bought a few souvenirs from some of the lovely little shops here. Well worth a visit as as the inhabitants were very welcoming.
One of the highlights of the week was the wine tasting tour at Greve, though quite a few steps down to the cellars, still, all good exercise! The wine tasting was great with quite a few to sample, very generous helpings and varying qualities. We were given some lovely snack foods to accompany the tasting that went down well.
I especially enjoyed the trip to Lucca on our last day as it's the birth place of Puccini, one of my favourite composers and took a snap of his statue in the square. In the evening back in Montecatini Terme where we were staying, we were treated to a concert at a venue in the beautiful Spa park Three great tenors and a pianist accompanying. It was a fantastic evening and rounded off this super holiday beautifully.
The only downside was Heathrow airport which was a bit of a nightmare for reasons I won't go into, as it would take too long!
