After our 3 nights in Florence we headed out into the Tuscan countryside in our zippy little Smart car rental…. We had found the most amazing place to use as our base, Villa di Sotto. Our room was very simple but had a sweet patio with an incredible view over the vineyards – the perfect place for prosecco and pesto and parma ham sandwiches – all of which we stocked up on at the local grocery shop. A real experience.

We then enjoyed a few day trips into the surrounding towns and villages. First up was the city of Sienna followed by a day of wine and cheese tasting in Montepulciano and Montalcino. On another day we headed off in the direction of Lucca and Pisa and wound out way back via the hilltop town of San Gimignano, renowned for it’s “sky scrapers”.

We also took a trip to Cortona, the village made famous by the book that inspired my trip “Under the Tuscan Sun” and hopped over the state line to Arezzo and back again via some amazing hot springs for an afternoon of relaxation in a very Italian way! We adored Tuscany and can’t wait to return for a longer stint in our future as there is still so much to explore – we just scratched the surface!

Here is a selection of our photos from the Tuscan countryside and a few of the villages we visited. More will follow of the specific towns over the next few Mondays so be sure to come back soon to whet your appetite for all things Italy!

Have you visited Tuscany? Which was your favourite spot? See more of my travels in the Timeless Travels series.

Want to take a virtual holiday to Italy? See more of this beautiful country by coming along on my Italian holiday. Our itinerary will take us to Venice, Florence, Tuscany, Lucca, Pisa, Cortona, Positano on the Amalfi Coast, Capri, Rome, Bay of Poets, Milan and the Cinque Terre!

Images: Kathryn Rossiter

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