We started our 8 hour + trek from Putignano, via Bari (to drop off the rental car) and an overnight break just off the Autostrade near Rome, towards our destination 1/2 an hour south east of Lucca. We had planned to take a 5 day break from constant travel, packing and unpacking, staying in one place but our southern Italian disruptions had threatened this. Thankfully our hosts were flexible and allowed us to push back the start of our stay by the three days we lost waiting for our car to be released to us. It was such a relief to arrive at this anticipated break and settle into our spacious self contained accommodation with stunning views over the valley, knowing we could settle and enjoy.

On our way, we revisited the lovely town of Orvieto, good to be out of the car and wandering these pretty and narrow streets earlier than the tour groups that seemed to arrive not far behind us and enjoying a good coffee break. We skirted Florence and its crazy traffic to reach our destination in good time, enjoying the views and relaxing. Being almost mid-October, the weather stayed in the mid-20’s and lounging beside (and in!) the pool was a good way to unwind from the stresses we had in getting here.

Being half an hour from Lucca, we were looking forward to discovering this ancient walled city, and it didn’t disappoint. Encircled by Renaissance walls, the city’s narrow streets and medieval architecture transported us back in time – introduced by our entrance via a walkway under the walls themselves. Our day was spent exploring ancient churches, hidden piazzas, and view points from towers.

Another day was dedicated to visiting San Gimignano and Volterra, last seen by us over 10 years ago and definitely worth a return trip. San Gimignano was busier than we remembered, it seems to be a theme for us; post C19, tourists are enjoying a longer season for exploring these ancient towns and villages. The world famous gelato shop had a long line of hopeful patrons stretching into the piazza, so I had to join it. It took around 20 minutes to reach the front of the queue, but the gelato was definitely worth it. We took in the sights over the course of the morning, wandering the narrow streets before heading to Volterra, another hilltop village famous for its alabaster as well as stunning views over the countryside beyond. We enjoyed a platter of meats and cheeses for lunch, shaded by umbrella’d seats along one of the many pedestrian streets. It was a good return to these beautiful towns, despite the busy-ness.

Less than 20 minutes from our accommodation was the town of Vinci, the birthplace of the genius, Leonardo. We enjoyed time in this pretty town, but the museum dedicated to his life and work was a treasure trove of knowledge, making you realise how far ahead of his time this engineer, mathematician, inventor and painter was.

All too soon, our Tuscan interlude was over; we had another housesit to reach in two days time so, sadly, we packed up once again to head off, this time towards France.