The drive from Villa Gioli‘s tranquil grounds to Pisa’s historic center takes just thirty minutes. Spend a day between Renaissance masterpieces and hidden local spots. Morning at Piazza dei Miracoli Best visit Piazza dei Miracoli in the morning (8:30am) to beat the crowds. You’ll be rewarded for the early start as the Leaning Tower, Cathedral, […]

The historic Vasari Corridor, a 750-metre elevated passageway that runs above the Ponte Vecchio linking the Uffizi Museum and the Boboli gardens, welcomes visitors again. After eight years of restoration, the Uffizi reopens the corridor on December 21st. When I explored this passageway years ago, it served as a portrait gallery. Now something just as […]

Several years ago, I booked a winery tour in Montalcino that turned out to be as entertaining as it was enlightening. Laura R. Gray, an Oxford literature graduate turned wine expert, had me laughing while learning – her wit and wisdom about Brunello matched only by her treasure trove of cultural insights. Laura’s book, The […]