Extra! Extra!
I was lucky enough to travel on 2 Rick Steves Europe tours in 2022 - a celebration gift to myself for finishing my doctorate! Here are a few of my favorite moments from my Best of Tuscany in 12 Days tour in September - October.
Pre-Tour Activities in Florence:
A room with a view (sort of)!
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Fountain of Neptune at dusk
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Proud accomplishment of the trip:
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Climbing the Duomo in Florence!
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All 463 steps of it!
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Passages can be tight & steep
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But what a view!
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Other Florence suggestions not included in the Best of Tuscany tour:
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The Santa Croce Cloisters
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Day 2: Renaissance & Everyday Florence
Michelangelo's David... *sigh*
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Our guide, Lucia, demonstrates how wine windows work
Botticelli's Birth of Venus
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Day 3: Florentine Treasures & Chianti
Donatello's David & St. George and the Dragon at the Bargello
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Visiting the Florence American Cemetery honoring WWII soldiers
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I Mosaici di Lastrucci Mosaic Workshop - Wow!
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Soldiers who were killed or missing in action
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Day 4: Savoring Siena
Torre del Mangia
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Our local guide, Roberto Becchi, was definitely the highlight of the day for me!
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Ah, the Cathedral floors! Only uncovered for a few weeks each year.
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Day 5: Tuscany's Val d'Orcia
La Foce Gardens with a dramatic view
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Our luncheon view from a winery near Montalcino
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Abbey of Monte Olivetto di Maggiore
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Roberto's narration of Sodoma's frescos was most entertaining!
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Big treat! David's band surprised us for dinner.
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Day 6: Farm-to-Table & Pienza
Our dramatic "view" of the Val d'Orcia from Pienza
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Don't worry - it cleared up so we could actually see!
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Pienza
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Exploring our hotel, La Moscadella
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Pici-making lesson - yum!
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Day 7: Hill Towns & Via Cava
Pitigliano
Dramatic countryside views from the bus
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Etruscan Via Cava
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Day 8: Maremma's Old West
Butteri (not cowboys!)
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Herding the Maremmana cattle
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Day 9: Napoleon's Island of Elba
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View of Portoferraio from the fortress
Day 10: Charming Volterra
I just loved Volterra!
To avoid the Nazis destroying this ancient gate, the Volterrani blocked it up with pavement stones during WWII.
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Best moment: Running into my first RS tour guide, Patricia, in Volterra while she was guiding a Heart of Italy tour!
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Day 11: Puccini's Lucca
Stacy and I walked the whole length around the city on a beautiful fall day!
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I loved the Lucca walls! They reminded me Ferrara where I studied abroad.
Piazza Anfiteatro - it's round because it's built into an old Roman amphitheater.
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Tour Yummies!
If you've been paying attention, you know I love food. Here are some of the highlights from Italy.
And for dessert? Gelato of course!
Tour Funnies
Amazing that ancient art is still relevant today. My feelings in the Uffizi crowds captured perfectly in sculpture. I thought reserving one of the last timings of the day would be less crowded, but sadly no!
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Cosimo has been unsaddled for restoration.
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Mary looks positively thrilled at the "good news"
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Why is this man standing on baby heads?
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The Pienza Cathedral is collapsing. The floor has a distinctive tilt!
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The world's largest baby!
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Blub street art in Lucca
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Blub street art in Florence. RIP
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I also really enjoyed searching for CLET's clever street art on traffic signs throughout Florence!
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Ciao for Now!
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