Garfagnana

20 years ago - #Tuscany

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.

The Serchio River

A medieval bridge known as "The Devil's Bridge" for its odd shape

After this area, we went to some villas in the area, but we decided to come back to the is area for dinner and ate along the river.

Next: Carrera

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.

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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.