My husband surprised me with a trip to Tuscany to celebrate a "big" birthday. We had been watching movies and travel shows on TV for a while and knew that we wanted to walk the wall in Lucca for sure. We looked at many accommodations in the area, and decided that our key decision factors would be: (1) a place that looks and feel like Tuscany, where we could relax with a glass of wine at the end of the day, (2) proximity to restaurants, (3) conveniently located to travel the area. This house was a perfect match. Enjoying Italian meats and cheeses at the table, or sitting in the sofa, was exactly what we were looking for. The architecture details of the house and the exquisite furniture and decoration made our trip a success. The underpass to town was closed the first day, so we drove to the best pizzas we ever tasted. You need to try the "crudo, mascarpone, ruccola" pizza. Just divine! For the rest of our stay, we could walk to town in no time. Be careful about reservations though. Restaurants seem to fill up as we near the weekend. It was easy to drive to Pisa, Lucca and San Gimignano. We absolutely loved all 3 destinations. We decided not to go to Florence on this trip and to go again another time. San Gimignano wins the awards for the best views. If you have dreamt of rolling hills covered with vineyards, this is the place for you. Each and every city takes you back in time. It was fantastic. One added bonus for this location was the proximity to stores. I did not intend on shopping on our trip, but when I entered the Globo store, I could not stop. I bought 3 pairs of shoes! It was paradise! We could not have been happier with our host. We asked for a few recommendations now and then and he was always prompt to send us directions, always with a smile. That makes a difference too :-)
