A long first day in Bologna under blistering sun. So we were ready for a good meal and early bed.
Today we took things a little easier in the morning…
… visiting Puccini’s villa I Torre del Lago.
Then off to Pisa, resplendent with marble colonnades, gold byzantine mosaics and modern sculptures all vying to be admired.
All tired after a busy day in Pisa, but hungry. There are as many types of pasta as days in the year!
And no day would be complete without the gossip around a good bottiglia di vini!
Day 3, and with a steep hike to see Siena Cathedral and another to admire hilltop San Gimignano our intrepid voyagers were ready for a good supper and nightcap. Siena is splendid with its tortuous medieval streets and heaving shops.
The cathedral marries gothic and romanesque styles and houses frescoes by Pinturicchio illustrating the life of Pope Pius III
San Gimignano is a medieval town famous for its 16 towers, symbols of power.
In Piazza Della Signoria a copy of Michelangelo’s David draws the crowds. Firenze may be the home of Brunelleschi’s Duomo, the Palaccio Vecchio and Santa Croce, but the 300,000 scooters circumventing terrified tourists have pride of place too!
The best way to enjoy Firenze at leisure.
No Italian trip would be complete without savouring pizza and gelati!
Day 5 and it must be Lucca, birthplace of Puccini.
San Michele stands majestic in the central piazza; from the main square spreads a maze of narrow streets following the pattern of the former Roman colony of 180BC
Lunch and wine tasting at Fattoria il Poggio after a tour of the vineyard and olive groves
A final walk around Montecatini Terme, where we were staying, before a farewell drink and dinner
photos by Beryl Sinclair