Carrera

20 years ago - #Tuscany

After Pisa, we drove up to Carrera (the place with the marble!). Once again, quaint medieval town. Unfortunately, most everything was closed there. We saw some workers carving marble and took a picture. They let us know that that was not cool. Obviously, we looked like tourists, so they weren't too worried, but I did put the camera away.

A view of the mountainside. That's marble you're seeing on the side - not snow.

A statue dedicated to workers that died in the marble mines

The picture we weren't supposed to take.

After Carrera, we took the scenic route to our next stop. That meant driving up and over one of the Italian Alps. The views were fantastic. We didn't take any pictures. The road was dotted with occasional road-side hotels, but for the most part, there was absolutely no one around.

Next: Lucca

I feel repetitive saying that this Lucca is a beautiful, medieval town. All of these towns have their own personality and should be experienced. This town has a cosmoploitan heart to it. Once we hit the main area, we found that it was full of small streets with shops galore.

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Garfagnana

As we came out of the mountains, we settled into an area called the Garfagnana. This is where I want my Italian home. It was serene, luscious, the homes were beautiful, and we were close to Lucca for shopping.

Sienna

Although I'd be hard-pressed to pick a favorite city in Tuscany, a couple of people told me that they thought Sienna to be one of the most beautiful cities they've ever been to. It certainly ranks quite high. We set today to be almost exclusively dedicated to Sienna. There's a breathtaking cathedral, wonderul shops, local cuisine, and great history.

San Gemignano

After two days of touring Florence, we were ready to hit the road and see more of Tuscany. In general, I found the Tuscans drove quickly, but fairly. Of course, we wouldn't dare driving in the actual towns. Usually, the goal was to park just outside the medieval walls and walk in. San Gemignano is built on a hill and looks like a small mideival Manhattan with towering spires. They had one main church with incredible murals, but one is not allowed to take photographs.