At the start of summer, Karen and I jetted off to Tuscany to surprise Karen’s Mom on her 60th birthday. Apart from spending time with family, we were really looking forward to exploring Tuscany’s countryside, towns and restaurants. We were not disappointed. Tuscany is a stunning part of the world. I feel in love with the scenery, the food and it’s people straight away. So much so that we vowed to return next year. Below are 30 images of Tuscany that make you swoon and hopefully make you want to go.
We landed in Pisa and loved our short stay there. It’s easy to walk about and discover all the amazing architecture and history. Most people just visit for the day so in the evening you will be surrounded by locals. Just how we like it.
Of course if we are going to talk about Pisa we have to include the ubiquitous shot of the leaning tower. It is one of the most iconic buildings in the world which is ironic considering the flaw in the original architects plans.
Most images of the tower are from the outside so I decided to take a few shots from the inside as I walked up. As you can see it does not look like it’s leaning from the inside. To book tickets to go up you can click this link: Leaning Tower of Pisa Tickets.
It was worth the walk up even though I almost died getting up there!
Pisa has much more to offer than just the tower. There are art pieces scattered around the city like the one of me above. (I wish I had those abs!)
As you can see, the tower is not the only beautiful building in Pisa and not the only one that leans. The history of Italy never stops astounding me.
Though Pisa was lovely, I could not wait to get out in the famous Tuscan countryside. We rented a beautiful Tuscan farmhouse overlooking vineyards and olive groves. We loved seeing the old and the new Fiat cinquecento sitting side by side.
I loved watching this typical Italian scene. I think we should all take a leaf out of the Italians book and just sit and chat, moan and gossip and I don’t mean on facebook!
Tuscany is full of medieval hilltop towns and villages. Some are very touristic like Siena and San Gimignano and others are very quiet but equally as beautiful.
You can’t write a post about Italy and not mention the food and wine. In the 6 days that we were in Tuscany we never had a bad meal. On the contrary, every meal we ate, was memorable. Normally I would recommend some places to eat but just in Tuscany I say just go with the flow and eat where the locals eat and you will not be disappointed.
We visited in late June and apart from a huge storm on one night, the weather was sunny and warm.
Siena is famous for its horse race called the Palio di Siena. It is held on July 2nd and August 16th. The race itself is held in a small piazza (for a horse race) called the Piazza del Campo. The buildings above are in the same piazza.
A love-locked wishing well.
We highly recommend hiring a car when you come to Tuscany to get to see the stunning countryside like above. We used Carrentals.co.uk to find the best deal.
I loved the reflection of the clouds in this window.
Even the walls in Tuscany are happy!
The lift up to this hilltop town looked like an alien object had landed.
We came across this river by accident. It was our last day in the countryside and was a perfect ending to our trip.
I was not sure what the tennis racket was for! Maybe whacking the fish? (I know it’s a net).
Tuscany is a must visit if you ever come to Italy. It has everything: Beautiful cities and towns, stunning countryside and amazing local food. I can’t wait to go back.
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