and I think to myself what a wonderful world

Once again it was love at first sight on the island of Burano…and this is now my third trip here. The first time I visited, I think I giggled for the first hour… its like entering a real-life rainbow or canvas that might have been painted by a fauvist…with brightly coloured houses bursting with flower pots and boxes, lining beautiful narrow canals. Picture the Venetian canals, but with fewer crowds, and facades bursting in every color you can imagine.

As someone obsessed with colour, this is my happy place…so I thought it deserved its own (short- I promise) blog.

Originally the bright colours were supposed to guide the fishermen home through thick fog but today they act more as a beacon for zealous happy snappy tourists like me! Despite the crowds, this rainbow oasis is amazing…and is another photographers dream…even laundry looks cute here (which is a good thing as it was hanging everywhere)?

It is also full of interesting shops… clothing, jewellery, artwork and the trademark lace the island is famous for.

Burano is a true fisherman’s island and so, has some of the best fish restaurants in the city…but as we were limited for time we just ate takeaway cones of freshly cooked fritto misto- so yum.

Pretty stunning, don’t you think?

It is, lol 😂

After a stressful trip and a lesson in assuming you can get a train ticket to where you want to go…when you want to go…we arrive in Venice….to grey skies and rain. But Karen has replaced her suitcase when her previous one died a natural death by cobblestone…so all is well in our world anyway.

I remember many years ago when I spent a couple of months in Italy as a 17 year old, I had wanted to visit Venice but it was badly flooded at the time so it wasn’t possible. It was many years later that this dream finally came true…and it was love at first sight. But who wouldn’t fall in love with a city whose streets are made of water, whose buses are boats and where the songs of gondaliers linger in the air. Arriving in Venice is like stepping into a surreal never-never land….there’s really nowhere else in the world like it.

Venice is magical and mysterious and floods the mind with an atmosphere of creative wonder. It’s a city of incredible architecture built solely on water where cars are replaced with teak boats and gondolas.

A labyrinth of colourful canals weaves its way through islands joined by romantic little bridges and open squares play classical music that echoes between Gothic palaces. Each twist and turn leads you to another great photo opportunity; faded pastel coloured palazzi rise from the waters like pillars of another era…cobblestone paths, church domes, a winding labyrinth of waterways, gondolas and bridges. This city has my heart.

Our apartment is in an amazing position, right on a little canal smack bang between Piazza San Marco and the Rialto bridge. We are constantly serenaded by the passing gondolas.

I once again rise early to take pictures before the city is inundated with the crush of tourists. Venice is a photographer’s paradise…with its magical and spectacular scenery…even in the rain- and I literally find something interesting to point the camera at wherever I walk.

I photograph everything from exotic doorknobs which recall the vast, global trade mecca that Venice once was…to black lacquered gondolas and brightly striped poles…bridges and crumbling buildings draped in flowers… colourful cottages with balconies full of flowers…windows and doors and winged lions and chichetti bars and dead-end streets which end in canals. And gorgeous streetlights…which I have become obsessed with photographing.

I am captivated and enchanted at every turn.

Mostly we just wander the quaint little streets, tiny piazzas and narrow footbridges… in the rain….not ideal but all of my three visits here have been the same. And there is still so much colour amidst the greyness… and the skies do clear eventually.

Exploring the little cobbled alleyways by foot is an essential part of visiting Venice and we are all excited as we pass from crowded alleyways to deserted squares. We get lost and seem to walk in circles and we laugh at the insanely nonsensical signs to the Rialto and St Marco which abound on every corner…we do eventually find our way…all part of the fun passing gorgeous little boutiques, cafes, gelato bars and so many shops selling masks to attract tourists…many mass-produced but some are still made here in the traditional way and the stores are an Alladin’s cave of theatricality… I am obsessed with them.

Easily the most renowned and famous building in Venice, St. Mark’s Basilica is a sublime piece of architecture and again I am in awe. I do just love big cathedrals!!!

It is one of the best-known surviving examples of Italian Byzantine architecture…. bringing a bit of the East over to the West at a time when Venice was a major port and therefore a crossroads between the two worlds. As if to emphasize the city’s position as an important stop on the trade routes, the front of the Basilica is decorated with mis-matched columns which were all stolen from elsewhere and brought back to Venice as trophies…just gorgeous!

Every aspect of this church is fantastic… from the ornate detail, sculptures, reliefs, mosaics and artwork of the front facade, to the beautifully painted frescos and Byzantine works of art on the inside of the domed ceiling.

Known for its opulent design and gilded mosaics it is fondly called “Chiesa d’Oro” which translates to “Church of Gold” as the 8000 square metres of mosaics that cover pretty much everything and took over 8 centuries were done mostly in gold. The result is astonishing!

We cross the Bridge of Sighs and I explain to the girls that its name does not come from inspiring gasps of admiration from tourists. The bridge was the traditional route for prisoners making their way from Doges Palace into Venice’s old jail, or even to execution in St Marks square and legend has it that the sighs of the prisoners could be heard as they passed over the bridge, catching their last glimpse of Venice’s beauty and freedom. So, its whole significance is the views it gives out over Venice, not the other way around. Tourists are looking the wrong way!

We visit the small island of San Giorgio…

…to climb the bell tower of San Giorgio Maggiore (actually it’s a lift…although I wish it wasn’t…need to get those steps up!) for sensational panoramic views of the whole of Venice island including the campanile.

Obsessed with views and high places I book a time at T Fondaco…an exclusive shopping centre right at the Rialto bridge….to visit their rooftop terrace with a stunning view of the Canale Grande. So amazing and I can’t help wonder why this magnificent city with its spectacular vistas and golden sunsets, has no rooftop bars.

As the sunset covers the enchanting floating city in a golden veil, Venice continues to cast its captivating spell. as I obsessively take photos of the magnificent sunset….

…the girls wait for me in a lovely little bar/restaurant that we discovered, with amazing food, wine and service and return to for the second night in a row. I have the most delicious gnocchi I have ever eaten.

So sad to think that beautiful Venice is sinking; its delicate foundations being destroyed by the passage of cruise ships, by rising tides and climate change and human damage.

Leaving our beautiful seaside Lerici on route to Florence, we had time for one more gorgeous hill town….in an unknown corner of mountain landscapes and villages in the Tuscan Apennines called “the land of a hundred castles” and you cant miss them as you travel through the surrounding hamlets and countryside. Bagnone is a dramatic looking stone village with a castle and a watch tower looming above, giving it that ancient timeless old world atmosphere.

The stone streets and old buildings make it a charming spot.

The town straddles the Bagnone stream, with some little foamy cascades and a medieval bridge that spans it.

It feels like something out of a storybook.

We drive on to Florence and with great relief, return our hire car in one piece- it has been a constant source of stress and tension. We then proceed to drag our suitcases over what feels like several kilometres of very cobbled roads to find our hotel. Google maps is once again confused and we walk in circles in great frustration and exhaustion. But we are in Florence! No trip to Italy, let alone Tuscany would be complete without a stop in Florence. It is beautiful, colourful and delicious… and jam packed full with gorgeous sights, beautiful buildings and views that are just too good to miss. The city has been charming viitors since the Renaissance.

There is an energy here…indescribable… different to anywhere we had been so far… teeming with life (and tourists). It was fast-paced, yet slow…historic yet modern…and incredibly charming with friendly people….and amazing food and wine.

I rise early as I usually do while travelling, to beat the crowds and take some photos. Every corner bears new treasures, every cobblestone a gem.

The artistry in the sculptures, the landscapes, the architecture is beyond compare. I feel a sense of humility and awe walking along these ancient streets, which have served as witness to countless revolutions, tread upon for so many centuries by artists and martyrs and geniuses alike. Where else can you stroll the same pedestrian streets walked by Michelangelo, Leonardo, and Botticelli while savoring the world’s best gelato (although I’ll get to that later). It is an open-air museum…the stones are infused with history and culture and knowledge: You can feel it…the presence of generations…the weight of history.

Florence is known for its cultural vibes that fill the streets. These vibes give you a feeling of overwhelming happiness. It’s a city of color; the intricately designed buildings are filled with hand-carved details and frescoes.

Every few steps you will be taken by the smells wafting from the trattorias, osterias, cafes and pizzerias. You will be surrounded by the sounds of the lively conversations in one of the most beautiful languages in the world.

We are staying in Piazza Republica- most noted for the carousel in the middle of the action.

It is a great place to explore by day or night…with tons of vendors selling authentic Italian leather products, gorgeous jewellery and the ever present souvenirs….and street performers and singers aplenty… you never know what you might see when you walk through and from our room it sounded like a constant carnival.

This city is full of Italy’s finest Renaissance art, history and architecture… but rising above all these masterpieces, both literally, and some would argue figuratively, is the colossal Florence Duomo. The duomo is one of the most magnificent and largest cathedrals ever built and has been a symbol of grandeur since the time of its construction. The enormous red-tiled dome – the biggest brick and mortar dome in the world…and one of the most significant architectural achievements of the Renaissance is both a product and a symbol of the incredibly creative culture that defined the city for over 500 years.

Easily the largest church of its time, it was intended as a way to publicise the city’s wealth and power, and stand out from the cathedrals of rival cities Siena and Pisa. It towers above the narrow streets of the city centre, and is clearly visible from every direction, including the surrounding hills. No matter where you walk in Florence, chances are you will spot the famous Duomo… a defining element of the city’s history, geography, and identity…towering above. I am totally in awe no matter how many times I see it. I climb Giottos tower…

…to examine Brunelleschi’s dome (which I climbed on a previous trip), from the best angle…and marvel at its size and beauty.

Later in the day I visit the Pallazzo Vecchia…prettiest town hall in the world with its beautiful courtyard from where you can admire the frescoes which illustrate scenes from home for one of the Medici brides.

I then climb the tower for views of the Duomo, Santa Croce church and Ponte Vecchio

We had heard how good the gelato was here and planned to devour our weight in it! I spied a gelato bar and proceeded to order a cone with coconut and mixed berry gelato. I asked the price several times and she just kept putting her finger up to wait. She then asks me for 10€. OMG- a $15 ice cream- definitely the most expensive I have even eaten. But it was delicious.

We take the steep cobblestoned walk to the nineteenth-century Piazza Michelangelo- for uninterrupted views of the Florentine skyline.

We noticed a little doorway on the way up, set into the wall on the side and we wandered in and found this rather lovely little garden- Giardino delle Rose. There is a sculpture of a hollowed out suitcase and if you stand in the right spot, you get a gorgeous view of the city’s skyline framed by the suitcase sides…just perfect!

We continue to the top… grab a wine and jostle for position on the steps to watch the setting sun to the sounds of live music from a street performer.

Here, usually the play of light paints the city and its famed waterway, the Arno river, a palette embracing every known shade of soft pink, orange and fiery amber. Forever the girl chasing the perfect sunset, i have been privileged to see it several times…but sadly colour did not really want to come and play tonight and the sunset is almost nonexistent.

We have a seafood dinner overlooking the Ponte Vecchio to farewell Anne who leaves us in the early hours of tomorrow morning. Thank you for being all things lovely… It has been three weeks of laughs and challenges (hello driving on the wrong side of the road) wrapped up in so many beautiful memories. You will be really missed.

While the internationally renowned Cinque Terre are spectacular places to visit on the Ligurian coast of Italy, they are overrun with tourists. So much so, that stepping onto a carriage on the train that runs between the villages can feel like a can of sardines. And the more I travel, the more I hate tourists. I know, I know… I am one too but I definitely like the road less travelled.

So, as our last nights stop before Florence, I chose two of the prettiest places in Northern Italy (or all of Italy), conveniently located next to each other…Lerici and Tellaro…perhaps lovelier than the better known Cinque Terre towns nearby…but far less well known and as a result, far less crowded.

Lovely Lerici is a small fishing village located on the Golfo dei Poeti (Gulf of Poets), so called because its beauty enticed the likes of Mary Shelley and Percy Bysshe Shelley, who had a home near Lerici, and Lord Byron, who also lived in nearby. It has pretty colorful houses overlooking the picturesque harbor, and a magnificent 12th century castle that stands old and forgotten and towers over the town and  bay.

We certainly couldn’t fault the view from our hotel room!

We took a stroll on the colourful seaside promenade, wowed by the breathtaking views – everything makes this place look lovely and adorable. We sat right on the water and sadly ate the worst sandwiches ever made in Italy 😂.

Anne and I decided to take the spectacular coastal walk…

…to one of the prettiest places in Liguria… maybe even Italy and was even voted as one of the most beautiful hamlets…the tiny fishing hamlet of Tellaro (pity about the scaffolding… the bane of a travellers existence),.. …perched on a cliff with pink and orange houses cluttered about narrow lanes and tiny squares.

We meet up with the others for dinner and as the sun sets we just soaked in the beauty of this old village with it beautiful colours and soft golden light.

Once again, we are sad to move on and felt we needed more time to really enjoy this area which is so different to anywhere we have visited in this trip. Like so many small Italian towns it has somehow maintained its essence in the modern age… unpretentious, open, gentle, hospitable- life feels beautiful here…slow moving and full of substance.

Italy is home to some of the most spectacular, art-filled cities anywhere, but I believe the country’s true charm lies in the countryside, where life revolves around the piazza and the sweetness of doing nothing too much reigns supreme. Overflowing with old-world romance and gorgeous medieval architecture, these delightful little spots seem made for meandering along time-worn cobbled lanes framed by ivy, feasting on sublime pasta and local wine in tiny, unpretentious trattorias, and watching the world go by in picturesque grapevine-shaded squares. Our happy place!

Today we travelled through the Val D’Orcia… one of the most beautiful regions in Italy (if not the whole world)..a World Heritage site that offers miles and miles of barely touched landscape with picturesque villages and ancient castles and fortresses. It is home to landscapes that are seen on postcards and recognised everywhere …tall pointed cypress trees line the way as they sway in the breeze over rolling hills covered in vines

… rambling farmhouses… and plenty of those charming hilltop towns with ancient cobbled streets overlooking the countryside…exactly the way we dream of Tuscany.

Our first stop of the day, sitting atop a hillside (where else?) San Quirico d’Orcia is one of those charming medieval towns of the Orcia valley.

Often overlooked for its more well-known neighbouring towns, it is not crowded with tourists…and we enjoy a leisurely stroll

We move onto Pienza…which In a region blessed with so much beauty, is a town that will stay with me long after I leave.

Sitting high on a hill, the town overlooks the Val D’Orcia and there are spectacular views at almost every turn… even over some of the other famous hilltop towns Montepulciano and Montechiello in the distance (where we would have visited if time allowed).

Pienza is the ideal Renaissance town, built to spec by Pope Pius Il and is a UNESCO world heritage site because of his revolutionary vision on urban space.

One of the most beautiful towns in Tuscany, history hangs over the cobbled lanes, medieval piazzas and churches. Ivy draped walls and perfectly potted plants frame doorways…

…cats slink around looking for a place to lounge in the sun and people chat over coffee or over lunch at cafes and restaurants everywhere. It’s cobbled streets lead to pretty piazzas, an impressive Duomo, and a grand palazzo. This pretty town is one of those places where the best activity is to wander and soak up the atmosphere… impossibly trying to avoid being tempted by gorgeous little boutiques selling linen, macrame, jewellery and local produce.

Wafts of pungent Pecorino cheese follow us around every corner and it is no wonder Italians come from far and wide to visit the town to try the cheese… also an area where you’ll find some of Italy’s finest wines.

There are so many delicious places to eat and we stop for lunch in a beautiful restaurant …

..and enjoy the local wine and pasta…

..overlooking the magnificent valley below…

It seems many people fall in love with Pienza…and its hard not to…but just to make sure I notice that even the streets have amorous names like Via dell’Amore- street of love- and Via del bacio- kiss street…a lovely little touch to add to the romance.

We have passed so many sunflower fields… disappointingly all dead. It is past sunflower season- finished a month ago! But God is good and suddenly ahead we see the dazzling yellow of enormous live blossoms. Great excitement reigns and we jump out to take some pictures. A few people honk at us and one even shakes his finger. We, of course, ignore them…this is a moment we have been waiting for. It is only on leaving that I notice a sign that, in my limited Italian, says something about electrocution….

By the way…did you know that sunflowers follow the sun…but when it is cloudy and grey they face each other and share their energy! How cool is that!

Our plan to enjoy life on a gelato diet was not going well and we were well behind in the planned daily consumption…San Gimignano seemed the perfect place to remedy this breach…the best gelato in the world???

Amongst its many other offerings San Gimignano is home to Gelateria Dondoli… where we forced ourselves to indulge in award winning, world championship inventive flavours like cream with saffron and pine nuts or pink grapefruit with prosecco. Also the best pistachio ever! We sit and eat our gelato and are entertained by some amazing street performers in the main piazza late into the evening. Had they had a CD for sale, I would have bought one- creative and chilled.

Besides gelato, San Gimignano (great name hey?) is perhaps the most well-known Tuscan village. Like many others, it started life as an Etruscan village….and still transports visitors to the medieval era…you can feel what it would have been like as you walk past stone towers…

Besides gelato, San Gimignano (great name hey?) is perhaps the most well-known Tuscan village. Like many others, it started life as an Etruscan village….and still transports visitors to the medieval era…you can feel what it would have been like as you walk past stone towers… ancient buildings and architecture.

History hangs over the cobbled lanes, medieval piazzas and churches of this cinematically beautiful city and the first look of those stone towers rising atop a hill, and you realize why San Gimignano was put on UNESCO’s World Architectural Heritage list.

In its heyday, it had 72 towers- built by its important families in order to display their wealth and power- peeking into the blue Tuscan sky and making the most of its uninterrupted views of green hills. Today the city has just 13 left still providing history, atmosphere and a taste of the rural Italy of old.

I decide to climb San Gimignano’s tallest tower Torre Grossa for stunning views of the Tuscan landscape

…and to get my daily steps up…necessary for life on a gelato diet. Well worth the effort…although I don’t understand why I am so drawn to the high places when I am actually terrified of heights.

SEEN from afar, the turreted skyline of San Gimignano has often been cast as a medieval Manhattan. The biggest negative is that as a result, it seems, pedestrian traffic can also seem like Grand Central Station at rush hour. I guess it’s always a challenge to balance the cultural cravings of tourists with the impact such popularity has on the town, and I felt a little like Santorini…that despite its amazing ness, I probably wouldn’t choose to return.

There are roads that are not measured in kilometres, but in emotions… that offer picturesque scenery and so much more, embracing the rolling hills and the stone villages that dot them… the grapevines….the olive groves. We have finally reached Tuscany …and these are those roads. Listening to Ed Sheeran, Anne’s tears are close to the surface…her longtime dream come true. We arrive at our winery (after a beautiful, but at times stressful drive) where we will stay the next couple of days…all part of the dream. We buy delicious local produce to make a grazing platter and with a glass of wine (that we have been carrying half way around Italy) we watch the sun slowly sink into the Tuscan hills.

Planning a road trip through Tuscany is no small task. It is awash with idyllic charm…everything from the architecture to the landscape is captivating….

Dotted amongst the undulating landscape there are so many tiny stone towns whose foundations go back to the Etruscans. Each sits on a hill with stunning views of the surrounding countryside, and many still have castles and towers. There are cypress lined roads, fields of sunflowers (sadly mostly dead at this time) and gorgeous churches… how can you possibly see them all? Each town has something special…which ones do you choose and how many stops can you fit into one day before you lose the relaxation and slow pace of life that Tuscany effuses.

Ihere is no better way to enjoy the myriad of wonders of the region than leisurely dalliances amongst hill-towns, quiet days exploring villages and evenings enjoying the good food and wine Tuscany is so well famed for. It is always tempting to linger …but my FOMO kicks in and my constant search for another perfect village…another perfect picture will likely take us deep into the countryside. Rejuvenating yet adventurous is my hope….but I know my gauge is not like everyone else’s.

It is September when the often talked about and photographed green hills are not a reality…supple hills are revealed to be already-turned dirt, waiting for the fallow winter, readying again for spring planting, while vineyards are just coming to the critical point of harvest… their vines laden with ripe bunches of grapes.

The girls need a break from my constant slave driving pace, so we spend a relaxation day at our BnB doing not much more than enjoy the amazing, constantly changing view.

As Tuscany is a place where the wine flows freely…and we are staying at a working winery we decide to partake in a little tasting… but the staff are nowhere to be found so we head into ‘town’ (Seggiano)…

…for pizza (probably didn’t need one each 😂) and wine…

…and then home to watch that soft golden sunset that covers the rows of vine covered hills in 50 whimsical shades of blush and gold… constantly changing…the picture perfect Eden we all dream Tuscany to be

Before modern civilization…before the Romans, and even before the Etruscans, the god Saturn had enough with the men on earth who were constantly at war with one another. He decided to fling a thunder bolt at them which created a huge crater and a stream of warm, sulphurous water. This water shot into the air and then covered everything, which quieted down the warring populations. The men who were born in that place afterwards were wiser and happier…or so the story goes.

Our only stop today and first in Tuscany was for a therapeutic and relaxing soak in the sulphurous thermal springs in Saturnia… possibly the world’s most famous FREE hot spring. The thermal waters flow from a volcano called Monte Amiata, which is also apparently a great ski resort. The water is heated underground and pops up right under the pools of the Terme di Saturnia hotel. From here the hot water continues on its way through a field or two before gushing down a natural waterfall…the Cascate del Mulino. Cascate means Waterfall in Italian and Mulino is Mill. In the past the waterfall was used to power a grain mill and you can still see the main building today.

Visually these falls really live up to their reputation. Ancient steaming powder blue water thunders down the rocks and cascades down natural travertine pools… …carved over centuries by the constant pressure of the water…and cascading into the Tuscan countryside. It’s seriously ridiculous that something so beautiful is free…but we’re not complaining.

We change in the public car park (a first for some 😂) and make our way down to the pools. After a quick stop for some delicious crostini…mistakenly ordered thinking it was panini…we don our water shoes and after a bit of manuvering over slick rocks and rushing water we relaxed in the pebble filled pools and high fived over finding a place that’s so naturally perfect and unique, and of course free. The “rotten egg” sulfury smell is not pleasant but we quickly got used to it.

The thermal waters are rich in mineral deposits, particularly sulphur, with a constant temperature of 37.5°C…just the way I like it…even in the heat that has been pretty much our constant companion since leaving Australia. But visitors don’t just flock to the Saturnia hot springs for the warm water. It is also thought to have curative properties….in fact, it has been thought to be curing locals since the time of the Roman Empire…thanks mostly to something called Thermal Plankton. These microscopic organisms are great for the respiratory system, muscles and skin.

These organisms were not the only ones to share the pools with us. There are worms! Tiny red worms! The falls are infested with them. Apparently they are harmless…so we laugh and ignore them because worms or no worms, it’s still beautiful

We continued on through beautiful Umbria to Orvieto. Sitting on a cliff above fields streaked with vines, and olive and cypress trees, this town presents one of the most dramatic postcard like Italian hilltop towns and is gorgeous from first sight.

Orvieto was a major centre of the Etrucscan civilization and is a thriving city today. It’s most famous attraction, and the reason we are here is the Duomo of Orvieto which is a spectacular site that can be seen from some locations in the distance standing tall above the town. Few churches in Italy can hold a candle to its wedding cake of a Gothic cathedral, which elicited gasps of wonder at its layers of exquisite detail when I saw it a few years back.

I thought it one of the most beautiful I have ever seen and wanted the girls to see it…stunning inside and out!

Another hilltop town, Bagnoregio seems hewn from the rock on which it rests. Straight out of a fairytale book, it sits strikingly on its volcanic tuft of rock where the Etruscans founded the town more than 2500 years ago.

I was looking forward to this beautiful village perhaps more than anywhere else on this trip- it had called to me since I very first saw its picture. This stunning little gem has escaped the modern age mostly because of its topography, teetering atop a pinnacle rising high into the sky above a vast canyon ruled by wind and erosion. This amazing place is dying and will collapse in some years as earthquakes and erosion have caused the edges to give way which is irreversible. While this has sadly marked the fate of the village, on the other hand everything is complicit in creating a breathtaking and almost unreal landscape. Today only six locals live here and the only way in or out is by a narrow and very steep pedestrian footbridge, which certainly tested our fitness, carrying our bags. Supplies are ferried in on mopeds or the tiny little local trucks.

The main entrance is a huge stone passageway, cut by the Etruscans 2,500 years ago and decorated in the 12th century with a Romanesque arch. Passing through the portal, you enter another world- one stuck in the medieval Italy.

There is no list of attractions…it’s just Italy…an artist’s dream with each lane and footpath holding a surprise. Ivy drapes over arches and scrambles up walls of ancient houses decked with flower pots…

with its quaint, cobblestone streets Civita really does feel like walking into a fairytale…

…complete with friendly cats who follow you as you make your way through the tiny village- especially Karen who is like a cat pied piper.

Wild donkey races are held here in September, which I imagine would be interesting, but sadly, not while we are here

Today we bid farewell to the beautiful Puglia with its jagged Mediterranean coastline…its ancient stone towers and beaches with clear turquoise waters…its groves of ancient olive trees, and gorgeous little whitewashed towns carved into hillsides in tones of white and gold…and head for a new chapter in our adventure under the Tuscan sun.

We follow the stunning coastline of the Gargano peninsula before heading north and we excitedly notice a distinct change in the landscape and vegetation. There is great anticipation of the Tuscan leg of our trip…a huge dream come true for all…but that is still a couple of days away and today is our longest day of travelling, into the heart of Umbria.

Umbria is kind of like Tuscany’s poor cousin…except it’s not. Tourists just haven’t caught onto its amazing beauty…which can only be a good thing. Italy’s green heart, is a treasure trove of charming, medieval hilltop towns, many beautifully preserved and dramatically set. The Etruscans, Romans, feuding medieval families and Renaissance artists have all left an imprint. Everchanging, untouched landscapes…winding green valleys hills, mountains, hollows and plains, dense forests and lakes also make it a region that will never fail to amaze.

We break the trip with a detour to the tiny village of Castelluccio…

…dwarfed by the imposing Apennine Mountains…towering above the fantastic Piano Grande…that broad flat plain which is the valley that in springtime is literally covered in a mosaic of flowers. I would absolutely love to return and hike here during that season (I’ll just add it to my already ridiculously long bucket list)- photos care of Google.

But Castelluccio and it’s plains offer a magnificent landscape every moment of the year…

…and we enjoy the change of scenery before continuing on through Umbria to our destination for the night.

You know the romanticised version of Italy we’ve built up in our heads with the rolling hills, vineyards, charming old Tuscan homes, cobblestone paths and fresh olive oil in every restaurant? Yes, the picture that’s forming in your head right now…that’s Spello…although we are not quite in Tuscany yet.

It is an ancient hillside town still surrounded by Roman walls, among the most significant and intact in Italy. When you enter it’s ancient fortress walls, you step back in time…

…walking through medieval gateways…past Roman ruins… a higgledy-piggledy ensemble of rose-coloured stone houses with crumbling terra cotta roof tiles and weathered wooden doors…spilling down a hillside, guarded by three stout Roman gates and chess-piece towers.

When you follow the main street up the steep hill to the top of the town, the quiet lanes become impossibly picturesque…

and there are views of the rolling green hills of the Umbrian countryside through the many stone archways.

Vibrant flower pots bejewel balconies, walls and stairways and although they may not have been in full bloom in September it must be a riot of colour in spring. I would love to return for the Infiorata flower festival when the streets are covered with intricate flower designs.

Spello has been called ‘the prettiest town in Italy’ and it’s honestly perhaps the most beautiful town I’ve ever been to, and no photos could possibly do it justice…we are all totally under its spell. Of anywhere we have visited, this is where we did not feel ready to move on and would love to have stayed another night…or year….

We make a lunch stop in Trani- with its stylish cosmopolitan feel and marvellous pink hued cathedral by the sea. Known as the pearl of Puglia, beautiful Trani is an elegant seaside town and fishing port with a sophisticated feel.

Colourful fishing boats share the space with gleaming white yachts in the well-equipped harbour, while medieval buildings and piazzas decorate the polished limestone streets of its elegant old town centre. The harbor is huge and is packed with traditional fishing vessels…

…yachts, and private boats. Surrounding the harbor are restaurants, gelaterias, and cafes galore…and we choose a little trattoria to eat pizza and feed my buffalo mozzarella addiction with caprese salad…enjoying a mesmerising view of the beautiful cathedral over the sea.

We take a walk through the historic centre with its medieval churches, glossy limestone streets, historic Jewish quarter and faded yet charming palazzi to get a closer look at the cathedral…the town’s most arresting sight…pale against the deep-blue sea that is its backdrop. Once again we forget it is siesta time and it is of course, closed. So we head off for our last stop before we leave the beautiful Puglia.

As we drive north we are surrounded by thousands upon thousands of olive trees… an integral part of the Puglian landscape, particularly in this area. There’s over 60 million olive trees in the region that produce about 40% of Italy’s entire olive oil production and with trees over 500 years old, Puglia has some amazing olive oil.

The roadside is also lined with masses of prickly pears that have been a constant throughout the photogenic countryside of Puglia…and you’ll never see a prettier cactus- laden with plump pink and orange prickly pears in bloom.

Vieste is a clifftop beauty- sitting on a white cliffed peninsula jutting into the azure waters of the Adriatic Sea…pure Puglian magic, strategically placed atop the steep Pizzomunno cliffs between two sandy beaches.

The old town is, once again an atmospheric maze of narrow alleys…

…pretty cobblestone streets…colourful piazzas and blanched buildings with flower filled wrought iron balconies…steep staircases with washing dangling from the simple white houses…

…patrolled by slinking cats and the odd friendly dog…authentic small town Italy.

It’s the perfect place to just wander. Whitewashed limestone walls encircle the town, and there’s a wide sandy beach extending each side of its iconic 25m limestone monolith known as Pizzomunno. It’s lovely coastline is lined with sea caves, grottoes and secluded sun-drenched coves waiting to be explored. Sadly we have no time for beach exploration as we only arrive at sunset

…but we follow a recommendation and end up in a tiny trattoria tucked away in a picturesque narrow alley in the heart of the old town…with a cave like interior. We sit instead under a shady grape vine that may well be older than our combined ages. Great food and an even better dessert that is by no means traditional Italian.

Time for bed- our biggest travelling day tomorrow as we head north on the next stage of our big adventure