Tag: Italy

Your Itinerary For a Luxury Break in Tuscany

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I am a self-proffessed Europhile and have spent the best part of the last 6 years touring around the continent looking for adventure, beauty and excitement. A friend of mine from back home was asking me recently if I could suggest a great place for a luxury break for him and his wife. He had wanted to go to a part of Europe that he hadn’t seen before and indulge a little for their anniversary. I didn’t need to think about the answer for very long and pointed him in the direction of luxury accommodations in Tuscany in a heartbeat.

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The thing about Tuscany is that it was one of the first places I went to when I started traveling Europe and it is also the only place other than Paris that I have been back to again, and again, and again. There is so much to love about Tuscany and I was able to give my buddy an itinerary which I thought he could follow in order to make the most of the Italian region. I wanted to share the same itinerary with you should you decide to go and see this beautiful part of Europe, in style.

Val d’Orcia

The best place for you to start your luxury break in Tuscany is in the Val d’Orcia or the Orcia Valley as us non-Italian speakers know it. This region is the purest of Italian countryside that you are likely to see, rolling green meadows, quaint towns in between where you can get to the heart of Tuscan cuisine and when you realize that the entire valley is considered as a World Heritage site by UNESCO, you know that you are in a very special place indeed.

Vineyard Tour

One thing that Tuscany does best is wine and you can enjoy a private wine tour of some of the finest vineyards in the Chianti region of Tuscany. Here you will learn about what goes into the win-making process, how the grapes are harvested and if you are lucky then you may even be able to have a go yourself of crushing the grapes that will later go into a beautiful bottle of Tuscan Chianti. Finish your tour in the best way possible, a sampling session and believe me, there are few better places in the World to sample wine than in this Italian region.

Spend a Night in Siena

Siena makes for a perfectly luxurious night, surrounded by gothic and medieval-style buildings with sculptures seemingly on every street corner, the city also makes for the perfect place for a romantic stroll. There are lots of high grade hotels here which will treat you with excellent Italian hospitality and this laid back city will be the perfect place for you to relax for a night and enjoy your partner’s company.

A Trip to Florence

Nothing screams luxury than wandering through fine art museums, taking in the largest collection of renaissance art that can be found anywhere in the World and that’s exactly what you can do in the capital of Tuscany, Florence. A city with so many art museums and so much fine art to see would never be boring and nor is Florence, beautiful architecture throughout the city, large squares filled with Italian restaurants, bars and cafes and the jewel in the crown is the stunning Duomo cathedral. Just being in Florence makes you feel that sense of luxury, it is classy, elegant, artistic and stylish and if possible I would recommend at least 2 nights here.

See The Best of The Coast

The Tuscan coastline is beautiful an I would recommend that you start in Pisa, the city that has become famous the World over for its iconic leaning tower. Pisa offers far more than just its accidentally formed bell tower and in all honesty it feels like a city which has never seen the need to reinvent itself, still offering all of the remnants of when it was a powerhouse in the middle ages. Following your trip to Pisa, head down the coast to the city of Livorno, a bustling port city with some of the finest seafood in the entire country. Livorno is a real classy place for you to stay for a couple of days and has some beautiful coastal walks which you can take, traversing the cliff faces as you watch the ships come in and out of port.

Finish in Style

Livorno is where most ferries leave to head out to the islands on the Tuscan archipelago and of them all I would recommend that you finish your trip in Elba. This island offers beaches, hiking and cycling tours as well as beautiful sea-front restaurants with a backdrop of jagged cliffs and that beautiful Mediterranean sunshine. If you want to finish your luxury trip to Tuscany in style, then Elba is where you should go.

The Best Luxury Trip: Sardinia

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If you haven’t visited the Sardinia yet then it is time to put it on your list of places to take a vacation. The Italian island sits in the turquoise waters of the Mediterranean Sea around 500 km from the mainland. Sardinia is an extraordinary island that comprises of alpine-esque forests and snow white beaches along with picturesque scenery and it’s own beautiful style of Italian culture and cuisine.

Food from Heaven

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Italian food in general is some of the most beautiful in the World, the way they fuse flavours, the wide variety of breads that they bake, their pizza, cheese and ice-cream and of course their variety of pastas are known and enjoyed the World over. In Sardinia they offer traditional Italian cuisine and add their own variation to it. From succulent roasted piglet, locally made aubergine soup to Sardinia’s famous seafood dish with small balls of pasta similar to gnocchi, the food here is beautiful and you’ll feel as though you’re dining like royalty. The Sardinian way of dining is slow and steady, they prefer to savour their food over a long period of time, many meals comprise of 4 or more dishes and sharing is a must. This relaxed way of dining, especially in the warm Sardinian climate, is done best with a glass or two of the local wine and with friends, old or new.

Luxury on the Island

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If luxury is what you are searching for then look no further than Sardinia. The island’s coastline is like something from a postcard and spending some time on Sardinia’s beaches and looking out into that azure blue sea will give you the feeling of pure comfort and relaxation. The island has countless beautiful private rental houses and 5-star hotels that embody luxury. Many of the best places to stay sit on the coast and offer amazing views in classy and comfortable surroundings.

 

Fun to be Had

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Sardinia isn’t just about eating and lazing around, although this is important, there are also lots of fun to be had on the island. The coastal trails make for beautiful walks and the island features lots of wildlife from  free-roaming horses to indigenous birds and albino-donkeys which can be spotted when walking the shores. Another option is to hit the water for some real fun, kayaking tours around the island’s hidden bays and surfing on the waves of the Med are a great deal of fun. You can rent a surf online before you travel and you’ll be hitting the waves in no time, there are schools available for beginners to learn how to surf and who will tell you the best times and places to hit the waves. Rock-climbing, segway tours and boat trips are also on offer in Sardinia and whatever type of activity you enjoy, you can be sure that the island will provide it.

D.H. Lawrence said, simply, that “Sardinia is different,” the brevity of this statement perfectly sums up the island, from it’s landscape, people, culture, cuisine and it’s way of life, the island is a beautiful and very different place to enjoy your next luxury vacation.