I went by myself, in the dead of winter, speak only about 50 words of French, didn't go to any of the charming villages, trained only...and yep, I still loved it. (But then again, I'm pretty fun.)

For what it's worth, I prefer Umbria to Tuscany anyway.

Are you committed to Italy this spring? I personally prefer one-country-only trips because I can relax with the language a little bit. And that helps me relax more altogether.

You can't go wrong with Provence, though. That is, it it's someplace that really appeals to *you*.