Next on the European adventure was 48 hours in Tuscany. Here we are heading through Florence, Siena, San Gimignano, Monteriggioni and going wine tasting. So here we go, where to visit in Tuscany…
Florence is where I based myself during my time in Tuscany (mostly for easy transport and central location for activities). I confess… I didn’t explore much of Florence itself – partly due to time and other activities and partly due to illness.
I stayed at Hostel Archi Rossi – it cost me £78 for 3 nights. It was comfortable and the location was great (about 5 minutes walk from the train/tram station. Please note that there are no kitchen or laundry facilities at this hostel.
Siena is very different from Florence in its traditions, culture, food and language. It is built on 3 hills and split into 17 districts (each has an animal as it’s symbol and this is depicted on the district flags). It was a really cute city and I wish I’d had a little more time to explore. Siena is most famous for its religious festival Palio di Siena. This is essentially a horse racing event held in July and again in August. Districts are represented by a horse and jockey and they compete by racing around the Piazza del Campo. It’s extremely popular, with around 25,000 spectators turning up to the Piazza to watch the event.
San Gimignano is one of the towns on the pilgrimage road from Canterbury to Rome. It was built in the Middle Ages and has been well preserved since then. In 1348, during the Black Death years, it is thought that around 60% of residents perished from the plague. The town is famous for its many towers – there are currently 14 standing but there used to be more. It’s a really pretty town with cobbled streets and sweet little shops.
Monteriggioni is home to a medieval walled town and fortress built in the 13th century. The walled town is a cute place with a few cafes and boutique shops. There is a wider area on Monteriggioni but the walled town is the main attraction. There are lovely views of the surrounding area from the town.
Wine tasting at Poggio ai Laghi was one of the highlights of my time in Tuscany! Tuscany, particularly the Chianti region, is incredible for delicious wine and if you don’t drink wine, just go to see the vineyards which are vast and beautiful. At the wine tasting I went to, we tried 4 different wines, balsamic vinegar, olive oil, and chili oil pasta. It was really interesting hearing about the differences between the wines, how they are produced and how different wines influence the taste of other things. The group tried a white wine followed by 2 red wines and finally a rosé - the second red wine we tried enhanced the FIRE in my mouth from the chili oil pasta but the rosé completely calmed the inferno. It was great fun!
It was a fun couple of days in Tuscany. Absolutely loved wine tasting and eating good food. Hopefully, one day I’ll go back and have more time to explore.
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