Everybody Loves Tuscany

Drinks with a view in Florence If you are looking for drinks with a view, the Westin Excelsior Hotel offers an enclosed roof top terrace with a wonderful view of Florence. Bear in mind, you will be paying for the view as it is a bit pricey. We paid 51 euros for 3 glasses of […]

Aperitivo Time Restaurants in Italy do not open until about 7:30 so there are no early bird dinners.  However, there is aperitivo time!   Many bars in Italy offer free food when you purchase an aperitivo during this pre-dinner time.  Some bars have a whole buffet of snacks available that guests can help themselves to […]

How to be Italian – Fausto Puglisi Fashion designer Fausto Puglisi demonstrates how to be Italian in this hysterical video. Fausto Puglisi was born in Messina, Sicily where his love for fashion came to light. He initially began his when he designed a collection that Messina’s local tailors produced for him. His work was spotted […]

Il Porcellino Il Porcellino is located at Mercato Nuovo or Porcellino Market and is a major tourist attraction in Florence. Il Porcellino means piglet, but this bronze fountain is actually a boar. Millions of travelers from all over stop by for photos and to rub the boar’s snout which is said to bring good luck. […]

How to validate train tickets in France & Italy If you plan on taking the train in specifically France & Italy, you must validate your train ticket before boarding or you will be faced with a hefty fine.  However, not all train tickets must be validated.  Watch this video to learn which tickets must be […]

Visions of Sicily Sicily is the largest island in the Mediterranean Sea; along with surrounding minor islands, it constitutes an autonomous region of Italy officially referred to as Regione Siciliana. Sicily is located in the central Mediterranean. It extends from the tip of the Apennine peninsula, from which it is separated only by the narrow […]

Visions of Lucca Lucca is a city and comune in Tuscany, Central Italy, situated on the river Serchio in a fertile plain near the Tyrrhenian Sea. It is the capital city of the province of Lucca. It is famous among other things for its intact Renaissance-era city walls. The walls encircling the old town remain […]

View from Piazzale Michelangelo Piazzale Michelangelo offers a stunning panoramic view of Florence. The view from this location includes the Duomo, Santa Croce, Palazzo Vecchio and the bridges along the Arno including the Ponte Vecchio. The Square can easily be reached by buses 12 or 13 , car from Viale Michelangelo or an uphill walk. It is […]

Impruneta My friend asked me to join her in Impruneta for an annual market. The main purpose of our trip was for the pollo. She has been going to this annual market since she was a child and assured me that the chicken was something special. Impruneta, known for it’s Tuscan terracotta, is about a […]

TUSCANY – Where art and good wine are born Tuscany is a region in central Italy with an area of about 23,000 square kilometres (8,900 sq mi) and a population of about 3.8 million inhabitants (2013). The regional capital is Florence (Firenze). Tuscany is known for its landscapes, traditions, history, artistic legacy and its influence […]