Tuscany Wonders
A day spent between Florence and San Gimignano
Since I’ve started my travel diary here on Substack, I’ve not shared yet any story about my beloved Tuscany, so this week will be dedicated to my region, that impresses everyone who visits for the first time.
Back to 2020, when we were stuck due to the pandemic, I’ve started to have some daily trips with my dear ones during my holidays at home. We used to create one day itinerary, take the car and start driving across the beautiful countryside, stopping here and there, discovering so many little villages, authentic local restaurants and enjoying boundless views. For this first chapter, I’ll focus on country life, that I’ve appreciated a bit later in my life, but I love the most now, sharing few travel suggestions about Chianti and Val d’Orcia, but, if you’ve never visited Tuscany before, Florence could definitely not be missed too.
My very first suggestion is not to be based in Florence, I would spend just one night there or, even better, rent a beautiful country house and drive there each and every time you want, for a museum or a special meal. I feel that skip traffic and tourists will elevate your holiday to a different level. The nicest place to enjoy Chianti and Florence but still experiencing slow life with recharging coffee talks or wine nights is my friends’s cottage Il Poderino, a renovated old barn in the middle of countryside, 1 hour driving to Florence and 1 hour walking to San Gimignano, ideal for morning exercise in the nature.
Your beautiful tuscan trip will start in Florence, where we’ll spend first half of the day. My ideal plan starts with a breakfast a Gilli in Piazza della Repubblica, standing at the counter, never seated (as Italian used to have breakfast), followed by a visit at Uffizi, I would say in my top 3 Italian museums list, that keeps the wider collection of art from 13th to 18th century (never miss Botticelli’s paintings), and ends with the most authentic lunch at Osteria da Mario, an old inn with a very short menu of tasty typical dishes (if you love meat, you’ll try the best fiorentina steak here).
San Gimignano is our afternoon destination, a small medieval village built on a hill, famous for its twelve towers and a beautiful view on Tuscan countryside. Walking through the village is lovely, but do not miss Galleria Continua, an international contemporary art gallery located in a former cinema.
If you want to have dinner in San Gimignano, my best suggestion is San Martino 26 or you can drive to Colle Val d’Elsa and try Bis Osteria Contemporanea (if you arrive at sunset, you will experience an incredible sunset on Chianti hills from their terrace), both intimate locations with delicious food and a wide selection of wines.
You’ll come back home tired with full heart and belly, tea talks and deep sleep will complete your recharge.
A.
Fiorentina da Mario 🤞🏻🔥