Tuscany/ Florence
Day 10- Day One in Tuscany
Day Run-Down
-Hotel Check Out and Back on the Bus- Goodbye Venice, Hello Tuscany
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It was very sad to say goodbye to Venice :(
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Lunch Stop at Eataly World
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An incredible, giant indoor Italian market with various restaurants as well as different activities and exhibits.
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Drove through the beautiful Italian countryside including through Emilia Romagna and Bologna
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Total Time on Bus: 4 hours
-Arrival at Villa il Crocicchio in Tuscany!
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A classic family-owned Tuscan villa with an incredibly nice, welcoming staff
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My favorite hotel of the entire tour- it was like out of a movie!
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The surrounding scenery was gorgeous- we were surrounded by dramatic mountains, vineyards, fields of olive trees- exactly how I pictured Tuscany would be!
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Check into hotel, room assignments
-Down Time to Get Settled In
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I wandered the vineyards and olive trees.
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Many of us sat by the backyard pool, just relaxing and enjoying the view.
-Cooking Demonstration by Chef at the Villa
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Demonstrated how to make the dishes we were having for dinner that night.
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Amazing cultural experience!
-Outdoor Dinner at the Villa
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My favorite dinner setting- eating outside in Tuscany under the trees, surrounded by mountains, beside a villa, it felt like we were in a movie. So lovely and scenic.
Sights We Saw
Eataly World
Memorable Moments
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Cooking demonstration- It was amazing to see these Italian dishes made by a real Italian chef. We all loved learning how to make the dishes and were even given the recipes to take home. The owner of the villa was there too, explaining the process, the recipe, answering any questions. It was activities such as this that were a great part of understanding the culture, I really cherished them.
Overall
A very nice, relaxing day. It was great to escape to the tranquil, gorgeous landscapes of Tuscany.
Day 11-Day Two in Tuscany with Visit to Florence
Day Run-Down
-Hopped on the Bus to Florence for the day!
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Total Time on Bus: 2 hours (Florence was only 1 hour away from our villa)
-Walking Tour of Florence and the Uffizi Gallery with Local Guides
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We had two local guides, so, while we all stayed together, our group was split into two.
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Included a brief stop at a cafe in the Uffizi Gallery for a snack.
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We were able to learn more about this artistic, historic city, and see its major sites and the world-renowned pieces of art housed in the Uffizi Gallery
-Free Time in Florence
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Walked along the Arno, past the Ponte Vecchio
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Stopped for lunch with some group members.
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Visited the markets in the Piazza di Mercato Centrale- such a cool, fun experience! One of my favorite parts of Florence!
-Re-grouped for Tour of the Accademia Gallery Led by Colleen
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Saw Michelangelo's David!- a true masterpiece
-Hopped Back on the Bus, Headed Back to Our Villa, but Not Before...
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SURPRISE VISIT TO PIAZZALE MICHELANGELO!
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One of the most memorable moments of the entire trip!
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The most incredible view of all of Florence!
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Group photo
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-Downtime at Villa
-Outdoor Dinner Together at Villa with Surprise Musical Guests!
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Colleen surprised us with musicians to play for us during dinner. The musical guests included a fantastic guitarist and a former contestant from The Voice of Italy.
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It was a night of dancing and singing along to familiar songs!
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One of my absolute favorite nights of the entire tour, one that I will remember for the rest of my life! We had so much fun as a group!
Sights We Saw
Uffizi Gallery, Piazza della Santissima Annunziata, S.S. Annunziata di Firenze, Hospital of Innocents, Cattedrale di Santa Maria del Fiore with Brunelleschi’s dome and Giotto’s campanile, Baptistery of St. John with a copy of the famous Gates of Paradise, Via dei Calzaiuoli, Chiesa e Museo di Orsanmichele,Piazza della Signoria, Palazzo Vecchio, Loggia dei Lanzi, Ponte Vecchio, Arch of Triumph in Florence, Basilica di San Lorenzo, the markets in the Piazza di Mercato Centrale, Basilica and Monument a Giovanni delle Bande Nere, Accademia Gallery, San Marco Square, Piazza del Duomo, Piazza della Repubblica, the Autorita Di Bacino Del Fiume Arno, Piazzale Michelangelo, Arno River
Memorable Moments
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Brunelleschi's Dome- an iconic symbol of Florence
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Seeing Primavera and the Birth of Venus both by Botticelli, as well as works by Michelangelo, Raphael, and Da Vinci- it was amazing to see such masterpieces
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Visiting the Markets in Florence-it was row upon row of stalls selling different goods. Such a cool experience! One of my group members helped me bargain! It was really fun!
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Seeing Michelangelo's David- such a masterpiece. It is amazing to think a human could create something so life/human-like and beautiful. So surreal to see in person.
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Piazzale Michelangelo- the most unbelievable view of entire city of Florence. We could spot the famous sites among a sea of roofs surrounded by beautiful hills.
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Dinner as a Group with Musical Guests- It was such a fun night! I truly had a huge smile on my face the entire night to the point where my face hurt. It was such a great bonding experience, us all dancing and laughing together. Most of our group members got up to dance (two of our group members put on the masks they bought in Venice!) and they even got me up to dance for the last song! It was truly great, one of my favorite memories and nights from the tour! I was just so happy, and it was one of those moments in life where you are genuinely happy. I was in an amazing place with amazing people doing amazing things, just enjoying life.
Overall
Such a fun day! Florence as a city is iconic and so unique and beautiful; full of masterpieces in art and architecture. We saw so many famous sites and had some amazing times as a group! It was a fantastic day and night!
