In this series of blogs we will highlight some of our favourite day trip destinations in Tuscany.

SAN GIMIGNANO

San Gimignano is a small hill-top town in Central Tuscany. It is a tourist magnet, but we love it just the same! Its famous towers (once numbering 72, now only 14 remain), its cobble-stoned streets, its setting surrounded by lush productive land all add up to make this an enchanting day trip destination.

Like many other enchanting towns in Tuscany, San Gimignano doesn't always feel enchanting when over-crowded with tourists who arrive in busloads. Best to visit early in the morning, or late in the afternoon (allow a half-day to fully explore the town). If you must visit during the busy period, we recommend you take a respite from the crowds and walk around the outside of the town's walls. This is a delightful way to spend an hour or so, while the crowds abate. Consider staying on for dinner, as the town takes on a magical peace and quiet unimaginable during the day.

In this series of blogs we will highlight some of our favourite day trip destinations in Tuscany.

CHIANTI

When we think of Tuscany, it is often the rolling hills, valleys and vineyards of the Chianti region that come to mind and deservedly so. The region's winding roads, small towns, beautiful scenery and rows and rows of grape vines make it one of our top destinations in Tuscany. There are four main towns to visit, and two small hamlets. You will need to allow at least one full day to explore this region. A full week would be ideal...

In this series of blogs we will highlight some of our favourite day trip destinations in Tuscany. Today's destination is the beautiful Renaissance town of Pienza.

PIENZA

Pienza is a tiny town in the middle of the Val d'Orcia region of Tuscany. It's ideal for a morning or afternoon visit. The centre of Pienza was almost completely re-designed in the fifteenth century by Pope Pius II. He was born in the village, when it was known as Corsignano, and when elected Pope he had his birthplace rebuilt a year later - renaming it Pienza in his own honour.

In this series of blogs we will highlight some of our favourite day trip destinations in Tuscany.

Whilst in no particular order, we will start with one of the prettiest places in Tuscany - Bagno Vignoni.

BAGNO VIGNONI

I have been visiting this tiny, tiny place for almost twenty years. What's so special?

Let me share...

Bagno Vignoni is a thermal spring, dating back to Ancient Roman times. Whilst no longer in use, the thermal pool forms almost a "piazza" in which the stone buildings ripple in the reflections. It is a delightfully pretty scene.

Like most places in Tuscany, Bagno Vignoni is hardly "undiscovered" so you will need to be prepared for the occasional bus load of tourists you may find there. The trick is to go early in the morning, or late in the afternoon, or stay for lunch and ride out the waves of the visitors. Eventually Bagno Vignoni will become as calm as the waters in the pool.

This tiny hamlet has a cafe, two restaurants (both recommended) and a handful of shops (including a bottega for supplies). It also has a spa establishment offering thermal treatments.

If you don't want to book yourself in for spa treatments, you can still get to experience the mildly sulphurous waters - a trickle runs down the hill outside the hamlet (near the carpark). Take off your shoes and enjoy...

So, where is Bagno Vignoni?

Approximately 50 kilometres south of Siena - not easily reached by public transport, so a car is essential. Parking is available in a carpark and is well sign-posted. Bagno Vignoni is located in the incredibly scenic Val d'Orcia - so the drive is equally as enjoyable. The nearest town in San Quirico d'Orcia.

Where to stay?

We highly recommend our beautiful Villas near Siena, on a large wine estate. The estate is situated on the top of a hill with 360 degree views, and is a place you will never want to leave. This borgo is one of Passion for Italy's favourite places in Tuscany - a place to live for a week under the Tuscan sun.

Stay tuned for our next day trip destination in Tuscany... the beautiful Renaissance town of Pienza.

Not many visitors to the eternal city know that the real Saint Valentine was a Roman priest in the third century AD, during the rule of Emperor Claudius II. (More about Valentine at the end of the blog.)

So to commemorate the city's special connection to love and romance, we thought we would share our perfect Valentine's Day in Rome...

But first, an aside... as you wander the streets and sights of Rome, keep an eye out for padlocks - you'll see them on fences, gates, lamposts - anywhere they can be attached. These have become the modern city's symbol of love, and started after the release of a hugely popular movie in 2006 in which the main characters wrote their names on a padlock, locked it on to a lamp post on one of Rome's bridges and threw the key into the Tiber.

Back to our perfect Valentine's Day in Rome...

- Wake up in one of the city's most romantic guesthouses, our favourite is near the Spanish Steps. Become a Passion For Italy client and choose from our hand-picked selection of romantic b&b's and guesthouses.

- Visit the Pantheon early in the morning, before the crowds - having this amazing place to yourselves is a special experience.

- Wander Via del Governo Vecchio, and let it take you to Via della Pace and then on Via dei Coronari - all lovely cobblestoned streets filled with eclectique boutiques, artisans, quiet churches and cloisters, antiques - our favourite streets in Rome! Stop at one of the gorgeous cafes and restaurants for lunch. Passion For Italy clients get our full list of recommended restaurants, cafes and bars.

- After lunch consider a spot of window shopping in the famous streets around the Spanish Steps.

- Late afternoon walk up to the Pincio, and wander the gardens. These gardens are filled with tree-lined avenues - perfect for strolling - and rose-sellers (the gardens are popular with lovers). After buying a beautiful single rose stop at a romantic bar for a pre-dinner glass of prosecco to watch the sun set over the rooftops of Rome.  

- After dinner at one of our favourite romantic restaurants, wander to the Campidoglio for the view over the Roman Forum lit up at night. Such an evocative sight.

- Join the locals for the late evening passegiata and gelati.

- End the night at the Trevi Fountain and throw a coin in - guaranteeing your return to Rome.

To finish the story of Saint Valentine... poor fellow, he had his head chopped off by the displeased Emperor Claudius - legend has it that the priest was secretly marrying young Christian couples which upset the Christian-persecuting emperor - and now you can see Saint Valentine's head on display inside Santa Maria in Cosmedin. (We wouldn't include this on our list of things to do on Valentine's Day, but it is quite interesting nonetheless...)

Happy Valentine's Day from Passion For Italy!

If you're visiting Rome between March and September this year, ensure you visit the Capitoline museums for a not-to-be-missed exhibition.

Called "Lux in arcana - The Vatican Secret Archives reveals itself", the exhibition has on display one hundred original and historically significant documents from the Vatican archives spanning twelve centuries. These documents have never left the archives before, and include

* Galileo Galilei's heresy conviction

* Henry VIII's appeal to the Pope (signed by Cardinal Thomas Wolsey and nearly 70% of the House of Lords) for the annulment of his marriage to Catherine of Aragon

* The dogma of the Immaculate Conception

* The Queen of Scotland's last letter to the Pope (professing her Catholic faith again) before she was executed in 1587 by her rival Queen Elizabeth of England

The Capitoline museums are located next to the Roman Forum. Closed Mondays.

Become a Passion For Italy Platinum client, and let us book your tickets to this unique exhibition.

For more information - http://www.luxinarcana.org/en

WHEN IS THE BEST TIME TO VISIT ITALY?

Spring, Summer, Autumn (Fall) or Winter?

Each season in Italy has its benefits and drawbacks – our 4-part blog will give you ideas and information on how best to enjoy Italy, no matter the season.

SPRING – PRIMAVERA

March, April, May

Spring is a beautiful time in Italy. Flowers and gardens are in bloom, and the whole country comes out of its winter hibernation with numerous festivals and events.

Typically these months offer more pleasant temperatures and somewhat fewer crowds than summer, although Holy Week (Easter) in many Italian cities can be crowded and we suggest you book well in advance.

Ravello is one of the most magical towns in Italy. It had been four years since my last visit, so returning in September this year was a delight - and it reminded me just what I love about Ravello... its quaint piazza, pedestrian-only streets, the quiet and calm found nowhere else on the Amalfi Coast, beautiful villas and gardens, breathtaking views.

Unfortunately the Ravello Festival had finished a week before my visit, so I wasn't able to enjoy the incredible music this town is famous for. For anyone visiting in July and August attending an open-air performance during the festival is an absolute must-do, contact us for accommodation and festival ticket bookings. The festival is also known as the Wagner Festival, as his music is at the core of each year's programme (Wagner found inspiration in Ravello for his opera Parsifal).

Another Ravello highlight is Villa Cimbrone. For me, nothing can compete with the views from its Terrace of Infinity. Simply stunning. It is very easy to lose track of time here as you wander through the gardens - often you will see weddings in the cloisters and gardens. Ravello is a very romantic place.

Whether you choose to spend a number of relaxing days in Ravello, or just visit for the day, Ravello is a Passion For Italy highly recommended destination.

Click here to see our beautiful Ravello hotels. Click here for our Ravello cooking class.

During my visit to Italy last month I spent 4 days in beautiful Taormina. From the terrace in the main square there is a fabulous view of the ever-present and, for this year at least, the ever-active Mt Etna… 18 eruptions in 2011 and counting!

On the afternoon of October 8^th, Etna had a brief but violent eruption. The next morning my travelling companion and I decided to “play tourist” and drive out to Etna to take the cable-car to the top.

I travelled to Rome, Amalfi Coast, Tuscany, Venice and Sicily on my recent visit to Italy in September and October. Over my 5 week stay, my travelling companion and I spent, on average, 40 euro between us when eating out for lunch or dinner.

We ate only in local trattoria (no fine dining experiences or Michelin Star restaurants), and normally ordered

- a pasta or main each

- a salad to share

- a large bottle of water to share

- a quarter or half litre of house wine to share (which in most cases was very enjoyable)

- a dessert to share

and more often than not the bill came to just under 40 euro, 20 euro per person – we would then normally round up the bill to leave a small tip.

Of course we sometimes splurged a little and had a dessert each, or if we were starving after a big day of sightseeing we may have had a pasta and a main each, or we had to order a second bottle of water (the weather was unseasonally hot during our visit – click here to read our blog entry for more details on travelling in Italy in Autumn), which meant the price was closer to 50 euro for the two of us.

A note on tipping:

Tipping is certainly not compulsory in Italy, although if the service and food has been good you may choose to. That said, you may see written on some menus that service isn’t included and in that case you should tip as much as the service warrants based on your dining experience.

We hope this helps with your trip planning and budgeting. When you become a Passion For Italy client we provide you with travel guides and restaurant information for all the destinations you are visiting.