Sabbatical in Tuscany
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Sabbatical in Tuscany
My husband and I are in our early 60's. We are pretty active and are very interested in history, beautiful scenery and architecture. We are planning on staying in Europe approx. 5 weeks in October. Initially we thought about doing, Italy, south of France and Spain but were advised against this by Fodorites. To make things easier we have decided to fly into Rome and do maybe 4-5 days there and then find a central spot in Tuscany near Florence. We like to stay in the peaceful country. Then we thought we could do day trips and overnight trips from that location and have just one main base after Rome. The more I look, the more beautiful things I want to see. My main question right now is - does this sound feasible - or should we plan on two bases. Would there be enough to keep us busy staying in one area for 4 week? We will be renting a car. Would appreciate information on areas that would be interesting to us. Thanks.
#2
I envy you - we spent a glorious week in Tuscany last September, and hope to return. I prefer more than one base (even if that means packing/unpacking) to move forward rather than backtracking to a base city - and Tuscany is a large area. We used Montalcino (you cant go wrong with Pienza or San Quirico or anywhere else) as base for the Val D'Orcia region and Siena (you could use any of the villages like Castellina as well) for the Chianti region.
We found Fodorite Stu Dudley's itinerary very useful as also this link http://www.slowtrav.com/italy/tuscany/hs_planning.htm
We found Fodorite Stu Dudley's itinerary very useful as also this link http://www.slowtrav.com/italy/tuscany/hs_planning.htm
#4
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We loved this place, a short 5 minute drive out of Montepulciano
http://www.santantonio.it/en-ww/tuscan-resort.aspx
http://www.santantonio.it/en-ww/tuscan-resort.aspx
#5
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I also prefer to move base but I am not yet as old as you are ;-)
Your approach is very sound to select places in smaller towns rather than big cities where car would be a hindrance.
Perso I would select one base per week.
But that is me !
Your approach is very sound to select places in smaller towns rather than big cities where car would be a hindrance.
Perso I would select one base per week.
But that is me !
#6
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What do you plan to do on a daily basis? Do you want to see places everyday or will you be content to stay in your apartment many days and just read or whatever. You say 'sabbatical' - is this a working sabbatical, will you be needing to do research, etc.? If so, one base could make sense. But if you plan day trips (and overnights) almost every day then no, I wouldn't stay in one spot for a whole month. The distances would be too great, too much back tracking, why pay for accommodations twice for the same night? Unless you rent something on a monthly basis and therefore it's considerably cheaper than a hotel/B&B. I'd certainly spend a week (as opposed to one or two nights)in a 'base' but with five weeks I would think you could do at least 3 or 4 'bases' and not be at all rushed.
There are plenty of places in Italy to do this (for example: Sicily, Tuscany, the Veneto, the Dolomites, Puglia, Valle d'Aosta - many more - but the idea is that these are all distinct regions where you could base and do day trips. Still wouldn't see everything by a long shot. BUT - if you desire to see the south of France and/or Spain there is no reason not to pick two or three bases in Italy and then spend a week or so somewhere in one of those countries.
I think what people may have been advising you not to do is plan an itinerary that involves moving to a different hotel every 2 or 3 nights for five weeks.
There are plenty of places in Italy to do this (for example: Sicily, Tuscany, the Veneto, the Dolomites, Puglia, Valle d'Aosta - many more - but the idea is that these are all distinct regions where you could base and do day trips. Still wouldn't see everything by a long shot. BUT - if you desire to see the south of France and/or Spain there is no reason not to pick two or three bases in Italy and then spend a week or so somewhere in one of those countries.
I think what people may have been advising you not to do is plan an itinerary that involves moving to a different hotel every 2 or 3 nights for five weeks.
#7
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Great ideas. I think I agree with moving around bases a bit. Anyone know how I can get Stu Dudley's itinerary? He has helped me out in the past before. We are planning on sightseeing daily - not just sitting around reading, although I like the option of having a couple rest days here and there. We generally stay in B&B's and not in hotels.
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>>Anyone know how I can get Stu Dudley's itinerary? He has helped me out in the past before<<
E-mail me at [email protected] & I'll attach a copy of my Italy itinerary to the reply e-mail. Specify that you want the Italy itinerary - I have others.
We'll be in San Quirico in the lovely Val d'Orcia the last 2 weeks of Sept this year. We've spent around 9 weeks in San Quirico, mainly for 2 reasons:
1. Our best friends owned an apartment there until about 5 years ago, & we mooched off them
2. It's the prettiest countryside we've ever experienced.
We were last there for 2 weeks in 2013, and we stayed at the same place where we're staying this year.
http://www.casaosenna.com/
If you stay there for 4 weeks, when you depart you will probably wish you could have stayed longer. On one of our many trips, we drove our car to Buonoconvento, parked it, and took a train to Florence where we stayed for 2 nights. San Quirico is 45 mins by car from the Porta Romano in Siena.
My wife's Shutterfly book from our trip to Tuscany.
https://stududley.shutterfly.com/39
The Tuscany section starts on page 26. Click "full screen". Because of Shutterfly software problems, captions are often missing or truncated.
Stu Dudley
E-mail me at [email protected] & I'll attach a copy of my Italy itinerary to the reply e-mail. Specify that you want the Italy itinerary - I have others.
We'll be in San Quirico in the lovely Val d'Orcia the last 2 weeks of Sept this year. We've spent around 9 weeks in San Quirico, mainly for 2 reasons:
1. Our best friends owned an apartment there until about 5 years ago, & we mooched off them
2. It's the prettiest countryside we've ever experienced.
We were last there for 2 weeks in 2013, and we stayed at the same place where we're staying this year.
http://www.casaosenna.com/
If you stay there for 4 weeks, when you depart you will probably wish you could have stayed longer. On one of our many trips, we drove our car to Buonoconvento, parked it, and took a train to Florence where we stayed for 2 nights. San Quirico is 45 mins by car from the Porta Romano in Siena.
My wife's Shutterfly book from our trip to Tuscany.
https://stududley.shutterfly.com/39
The Tuscany section starts on page 26. Click "full screen". Because of Shutterfly software problems, captions are often missing or truncated.
Stu Dudley
#11
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Thank you Stu. Sent you an email. We are thinking about a couple weeks south of Florence and maybe some time north of Florence. Are there areas north toward Milan or Venice or Lake Como that are as amazing as Tuscany?
#12
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>> Are there areas north toward Milan or Venice or Lake Como that are as amazing as Tuscany?<<
Maybe. But we spend 2 months in France most every year - with a couple of ventures into Italy. We've never spent time in a more scenic and interesting area than the Val d'Orcia.
Stu Dudley
Maybe. But we spend 2 months in France most every year - with a couple of ventures into Italy. We've never spent time in a more scenic and interesting area than the Val d'Orcia.
Stu Dudley
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Yellowrose,
This may help http://www.slowtrav.com/italy/tuscany/hs_planning.htm
This may help http://www.slowtrav.com/italy/tuscany/hs_planning.htm
#14
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There are some very beautiful places in the Dolomites, in Alto Adige, and in the Val d'Aosta, but October is maybe not the best time for that area.
In central Italy, Le Marche (Where I live) is one of the most beautiful areas in Italy. Umbria and Abruzzo are also beautiful, but Le Marche has more variety.
In central Italy, Le Marche (Where I live) is one of the most beautiful areas in Italy. Umbria and Abruzzo are also beautiful, but Le Marche has more variety.
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Having done sabbaticals in Italy, I have the same quetsion as isabel. Does your choice of Italy have anything to do with your professional work, or is it incidental? You say you are interested in history, but is there some particular aspect of it that interests you more than others?
Every region of Italy has stunningly scenic or visually charming areas, including scenic vineyards if that is what you like best, and every region has artistic capitals and profound connections to many key moments in history. That said, travel destinations in Italy have, over recent years, begun to somewhat sort themselves between those whoe appeal is almost entirely scenic and sybaritic (and generally outdoorsy), and those that are intensely interesting as cultural destinations, with marvelous interiors and political history to unfold.
For cultural treasure, northern Italy, north of Florence, is Inexhaustible. I personally think most areas of it more "amazing" than southern Tuscany (I might say that about much of Umbria as well) but if it is mainly scenic vineyards you want to see out your car window, only a few areas north of Florence qualify, mainly in Piemonte and the pretty white wine producing areas north of Venice..
However, if your taste in rural scenery also embraces jaw-dropping mountains or unforgettably colorful seascapes, there are areas of incomparable beauty in northern Italy. All have fascinating cultural treasure within reach.
If panoramas of calendar-worthy scenery are less important than architecture and art, then everything within a radius of Bologna, everything within a radius of Mantova, everything within a radius of Parma, everything within a radius of Padova, everything within a radius of Trento, everything within a radius of Trieste, everything within a radius of Torino will be "amazing."
Every region of Italy has stunningly scenic or visually charming areas, including scenic vineyards if that is what you like best, and every region has artistic capitals and profound connections to many key moments in history. That said, travel destinations in Italy have, over recent years, begun to somewhat sort themselves between those whoe appeal is almost entirely scenic and sybaritic (and generally outdoorsy), and those that are intensely interesting as cultural destinations, with marvelous interiors and political history to unfold.
For cultural treasure, northern Italy, north of Florence, is Inexhaustible. I personally think most areas of it more "amazing" than southern Tuscany (I might say that about much of Umbria as well) but if it is mainly scenic vineyards you want to see out your car window, only a few areas north of Florence qualify, mainly in Piemonte and the pretty white wine producing areas north of Venice..
However, if your taste in rural scenery also embraces jaw-dropping mountains or unforgettably colorful seascapes, there are areas of incomparable beauty in northern Italy. All have fascinating cultural treasure within reach.
If panoramas of calendar-worthy scenery are less important than architecture and art, then everything within a radius of Bologna, everything within a radius of Mantova, everything within a radius of Parma, everything within a radius of Padova, everything within a radius of Trento, everything within a radius of Trieste, everything within a radius of Torino will be "amazing."
#17
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The sabbatical really doesn't have anything to do with the decision to visit Italy. I love the scenic seascapes and vineyards and my husband loves the history. I also love to see the wonderful churches and cathedrals and the architecture. So I believe that overall the historical aspect of Italy is what would be of the most interest with a smattering of rural Tuscany. We are thinking about spending about a week in Rome and then finding some lodging in the country around the Sienna area thinking that we could do day trips to Florence, Sienna, Lucca, etc. Then moving to the north of Florence and from there up toward Lake Garda. I am sort of flummoxed as to what is an absolute "must see" but I am doing a lot of research. There appears to be wonders to behold around every turn. We are planning on about 5 weeks. Any more information would be wonderfully appreciated.
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Have a VRBO apartment picked out in Rome and in San Gimignano. Thinking about going to Padua for a while as well so we can see Venice and some of northern Italy. Would like to pop over into Slovenia and Croatia as well. Would going someplace like Piran and then driving down the coast a ways in Croatia give us a little sense of that culture? We would like to add a couple of new countries to our list.