January 2024 we went back to Italy. Kay’s Mom was like you’ve already been. Yes we had but there is just SO much to see and do. This time we didn’t try to do everything. We both agreed that other than the long flight (we had two layovers), the trip itself was perfect. I had mentioned before that Kay researches flights and it turned out that it was cheaper at that time to fly into Bologna. We wanted to base ourself in Florence and the train only takes 30 minutes so it was no big deal to get there.
She found the perfect Air BnB right across from the train station. So we were close to all things bus, train, taxi and food. We had a McDonald’s and a Burger King on each end of the block! Plus there was a small grocery store around the corner and a bakery on the block. We booked two tours. We both wanted to “see” Tuscany better. Kay found a driver that did photo stops so that you could take photographs of the beautiful terrain. He took us to a great little Mom and Pop restaurant where she had worked all morning making fresh pasta with a bolognese sauce. It was delicious! He took us almost 2 hours south to Pienza into the heart of the wine country. Pienza was this little hilltop magical little city. You could see from one spot in the city overlooking the valley the spot where Russell Crowe filmed the last scene of him walking through the wheat field.
Kay had planned for us to take a bus to Piazza Michelangelo at sunset to take pictures of the city. He said we can stop on our way in. So he saved us an extra trip. It was a very laid back wonderful day. He was pleasant and listened to what we were wanting to see.
We saw all the churches that we had missed on our first trip, we did all of those tours on our own at our own pace. We ate at “Instagram Famous” restaurants. However, when in Florence you can’t beat Central Market for any type of meal that you would like. It’s our go to place. We took our time, sometimes we were back early cooked us something for dinner and rested. It wasn’t a go, go, go trip it was very relaxed.
We thoroughly enjoyed this trip. We decided that a week was the perfect amount of time just to “BE” in Italy. It just feels like home. We know we will never make the move although we hope to stay longer once I retire. Maybe a month or two at a time. We had things we wanted to see and do each day and we did. We weren’t exhausted, no stress fractures or lost phones.
We finished our trip out in Bologna. Ate at another famous restaurant and the pasta was divine! Walked around the city and just spent a good bit of time lost! The streets are so narrow and confusing. It was difficult to navigate even with a map. The day before we flew out we took a tour at a dairy farm where they make Parmesan and another processing facility where they make Prosciutto. It was a small group tour with a great guide and a truly memorable experience. Since I’m a chef we are foodies. So maybe that’s one reason we love Italy.
The beautiful valleybelow Pienza, pizza Italy’s way. Choose your size they cut it weigh it and you pay. The church is Santa Maria Novella. The first picture it looks big but the picture of me by the column puts it into perspective the magnitude of this basilica.
One thing I have not brought up I don’t think is packing. I cover this in our guide but we pack SMALL! One reason is that some of the “hopper” flights we take to get into Italy from other airports have very strict rules on what you can carry on. We love eBags but I have discovered that Samsonite has bought them out and they are no more. I looked and found something similar to the size and style that we like to use. I’ve linked it below. We use packing cubes that really help with organizing and compression. It makes it easier on my back the less stuff I have. Kay has become a master at combining her clothes so a couple of shirts 1 pair of jean and 1 pair or black leggings are her go to wardrobe. We have some disposable raincoats we carry. I carry a very small “daypack” that we use for water and things we are out exploring. Initially when you are buying these things it adds up but Kay watched for Amazon sales and spread it our over time. We are getting excited we are 72 days away from our next visit. We are heading inhttps://amzn.to/3Cf7Bqgto definitely uncharted territory. The Puglia region which the the skinny “heel” of Italy.
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