The Trip Heard Round the World: Our Time in Tuscany

Spending time in Tuscany was not in the original plan (or budget), but it occurred to me, Jen, that it would be really nice for all of us to spend some down time in the country especially after so much urban sightseeing. And we would be so close to Tuscany that it made sense to go there and check it out. Pickings on Airbnb are slim for mid-August when you are booking in early August, so I surfed over to VRBO. I found a great little place that seemed -- and was!! -- just perfect for the three of us. We highly highly recommend it (and they can accommodate larger parties on the property as well)!

View from our bedroom. So gorgeous!

We picked up our small Fiat at the Florence airport and zipped off, making a side trip to Pisa. We headed over to a well-reviewed veg resto that was closed due to proximity to Ferroagosto, the Italian holiday in the middle of the month which many Italians extend for weeks or the entire month. Knowing when to throw the towel in, we stopped for pizza/pasta at tourist trap a few meters from the tower. Whether it was the low blood sugar or the hot sun or the travel fatigue remains unknown, but our family unit had a meltdown at the tourist trap. It was neither the first nor the last. Post lunch, we dragged ourselves over to the tower and crankily viewed it and the plaza for all of 10 minutes before pressing on. A pleasant drive through the countryside helped us regain our good spirits and we arrived at our place in a better frame of mind, eager to see what Tuscany held.

No one would even do any funny poses with me.

We had grand designs in terms for our few days in Tuscany, like maybe going out and hitting some wineries, olive oil pressing places and perhaps a castle or two.
Instead, we went for walks, swam in the pool overlooking rolling hills, made our own dinners, drank the local chianti, ate a LOT of pasta, did laundry, sat outside and looked at the view, read, read, read and read some more, watched the full moon rise, took a day trip and generally enjoyed a little more relaxed pace than we'd been keeping. I also did a good deal of work because I was working on deadline for a grant for my employer Hackensack Riverkeeper.
Photos don't do it justice but here are some anyway. This experience was a highlight of our trip to Italy, which I don't think I need to tell you, is saying quite a bit because there was stiff competition!