We woke up bright and early the next day, ready for our tour of the Tuscan countryside. This tour, ‘The Best of Tuscany’ would turn out to be my favorite of the trip and I would highly recommend it (and the ArtViva Tour Company) for anyone looking for a fun day trip from Florence. The tour took us through three Tuscan hilltop towns; San Gimignano (My favorite!), Monteriggioni and Sienna and a winery tour, tasting and lunch…talk about bang for your buck!
San Gimignano was our first stop, surrounded by walls and famous for its many towers it was utterly charming.
Walking through it’s medieval gate felt a bit like stepping back in time.
Adorable shops lined the streets, including one that sold the most delicious wild boar salami that we couldn’t resist sampling.
We explored the small town’s architecture and took in the incredible views from it’s highest point.
On our way back through town we stopped for a gelato from the shop that had won “Best Gelato” in all of Italy for several years running!
After leaving San Gimignano we headed for the Palagetto Winery Estate.
We arrived in Florence via train and after a series of somewhat confusing bus rides, finally made our way to our hostel, the Tasso Hostel in the Oltrarno quarter.
The hostel was within walking distance to everything we wanted to see in the city. It was also very clean, had a full bar and a stage where local musicians and actors sometimes performed and a wonderful outdoor patio with a nightly happy hour.
We opted to stay in a three person room to save on costs. Our mystery roommates (we ended up with two throughout our 5 night stay) could have gone either way but both ended up being lovely people who we became fast friends with, but more on them later. After becoming acquainted with the hostel, we wasted no time hitting the streets of Florence to do a little exploring!
I quickly got the impression that Florence is a city that always has a lot going on and thus quite fun to visit at all times. Several big events were taking place during our time there, the first of which was one of the tri-annual Calcio Fiorentino (historic football) matches. A team from each quartiere of the city is represented, each with their own specific colors/emblems etc.
Apparently the matches can become really violent with choking, punching and head butting all being allowed, but before the games, everyone takes to the streets for a very civilized parade.
We enjoyed the parade but opted out of the match and did a little evening sightseeing around the Duomo instead.
Our sightseeing was interrupted by yet another parade, this one seemingly with Hindu origins?
After parade number two our stomachs were rumbling and we decided to find a restaurant nearby. We opted for the Ristorante Caffe Giotto, a reasonably priced pizza/pasta restaurant just outside of the Duomo.
My younger sister and I both love to travel and decided that when we both happened to have the summer off a few years ago, (my first year working for a school and her junior year of college) we should take full advantage. With the help of Fodors and a cousin who had lived in Florence for a few years, we planned a trip to Italy and hit the airport the day school let out!
We flew into Venice, and from there our itinerary took us to Florence, Rome, and finally the Amalfi Coast with day trips to Tuscany, Pisa, Pompeii and Naples thrown in for good measure.
Venice is certainly a city unlike any other I’ve ever visited. It’s breathtakingly beautiful, especially in the evening, sometimes a little smelly, but undeniably magical being surrounded by water and traveling everywhere by boat. We took a vaporetto (water bus) from the airport to our hotel. This was not only the cheapest transportation option, but it made several stops along the line, just like a regular bus, so we were able to do a little sight seeing as soon as we arrived.
Our hotel was located just outside of the Piazza San Marco (St. Mark’s Square), Venice’s main public square.
The downside to this location was that it was quite crowded with tourists at all times, but the plus was that it was a very easy landmark, and as we soon found out, navigating the twisty alleyways and streets of Venice is not for the faint of heart!
Happy New Year! Well technically happy 7th day of the new year. Hope everyone enjoyed a special holiday season with friends and loved ones (and of course lots of yummy food for good measure). Robert and I had a rainy, yet wonderful and relaxing Christmas at home with my family, 2016 started off on the right foot as Robert and I attended the wedding of two dear friends on New Years Eve!
Ryan and Dayna, a veteran and a special education teacher (and my favorite co-worker!) are the epitome of wonderful human beings and I am so proud to call them my friends and so happy to have gotten to share in the start of their new life together!
Now we are both back at work and back in the swing of things. It was so nice to have a break but I can’t say I’m not a little excited to get back into a routine (less eating, more exercising, stat).
Renly’s resolution: More cuddling
Last year Robert and I spent New Years in San Francisco and made a whole list of resolutions that we typed into our phones and promptly forgot about. Whoops.
I found the list a few days before the new year and we decided that rather than make a new list that would more than likely suffer the same fate as the last, we’d better just skip the whole “resolution” thing for 2016.
Never fear, we are still on the never ending quest to become kinder/smarter/more thoughtful/thinner/enlightened/insert random positive adjective here human beings, but instead of making a list, we decided to start making plans. Travel plans to be exact.
Ice skating in the 70 degree Christmas 2015 weather
Robert’s included a trip to Arizona to see Clemson play in the National Championship, if they made the cut on New Years Eve. Spoiler alert: THEY DID! We balked (several times) at the price of plane tickets but decided that it was a potential once in a lifetime event that he simply couldn’t miss. So he’s going! Renly and I will be happily cheering the Tigers on from the couch and hopefully booking the next big plan: Thailand!
Happy Friday! And a happy two year engagement anniversary to me As I stated a few posts ago, Robert and I got engaged two years ago today in the one and only Las Vegas and it was hands down the most fun few days of my entire life! Getting engaged is exciting enough on its own, but a surprise engagement in sin city surrounded by loved ones took it to another level. I’m excited to share it here with all of you and have it all in writing to re-live indefinitely!
My parents had been planning a mini family vacation to Las Vegas for about a year before we ever actually went, so it never even occurred to me that this would be where we got engaged.
I should mention that this would be my second time in Las Vegas. I had already been once when I went with 3 girlfriends for my 21st birthday. At that time, Robert and I had been dating for a few months and when we arrived at our hotel the concierge informed me that a spa day had been booked for me for the next morning. Sneaky Robert had gotten the name of our hotel from one of my girlfriends and decided to surprise me. It was such a thoughtful gesture and I will never forget my mom telling me he was “a keeper” when I called to tell her She was right about that!
So it seemed fitting that Robert and I has just started dating during my first time in Vegas, and here we were five years later planning to go back together! We used points to book our plane tickets and Robert told me that it was going to take less points for us to fly in a day ahead of my family. Since the trip was right before my birthday, he said that we would get a nice room and go out to a nice dinner to celebrate early before my parents and sister arrived the following day. He picked out a much nicer than necessary room at the Aria (the newest hotel/casino at the time) and made reservations at an expensive restaurant. I am definitely the more conservative spender in our relationship and I told him we really didn’t need to do either of those things, but he insisted that since it was his first time in Las Vegas he wanted to splurge for one night and get the whole experience. Couldn’t argue with that!
Airplane Selfie
Our flight got delayed twice on the way, so we pushed back our dinner reservations as soon as we got to the Aria so we wouldn’t be rushed. This was very stressful for Robert, more on that in a minute, but he played it very cool and I had no idea. The Aria was gorgeous and our room was incredible, everything was automatic, including the TV which turned on when we walked in the room and flashed a welcome message with our names across the screen. Fancy.
Robert had made us dinner reservations at the Top of the World Restaurant which is located on the 106th floor of the Stratosphere Tower. The restaurant revolves which gives you 360 degree views of the Las Vegas Strip. It was certainly a blessing in disguise that we were eating so late, because the view of all the lights along the strip at night was incredible.
The food and service were both impeccable (and expensive) and we witnessed a few daring sky jumpers falling flying by the window as we revolved.
Robert got a little quiet towards the end of dinner but I attributed this to the fact that it was after midnight our time and he had been up since 4 A.M. When we were half way through dessert (and fresh out of wine) Robert stood up, put his hand on the table and said “Well Laurin….” and THAT is the exact moment I knew he was going to propose. I figured the only other alternative was that he was going to say “Well Laurin….I’m going to the bathroom” and that seemed like an unlikely announcement. He got down on one knee (duh) and said a lot of sweet wonderful things and of course the answer was yes
As I stated a few posts ago, Robert and I got engaged two years ago today in the one and only Las Vegas and it was hands down the most fun few days of my entire life! Getting engaged is exciting enough on its own, but a surprise engagement in sin city surrounded by loved ones took it to another level. I’m excited to share it here with all of you and have it all in writing to re-live indefinitely!
Atastytrip 