A two-hour walk in the beautiful hills of Florence Enjoy the peace of timeless lanes, and silvery olive trees beyond ancient stone walls. We will pass impressive Renaissance villas, and charming countryside churches, and pause to admire views of the Duomo far below. Depending which route we take, you will be able to see the villa where Galileo lived under house arrest, or
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The Casentino, A Secluded Corner of Tuscany
The Casentino area of Tuscany, stretching to the east of Florence, is often overlooked in favor of the more famous Chianti zone nearby. It's a secluded place, perfect for those who have already visited the well-known Tuscan towns and seek something different. Here the visitor can discover one of Europe’s purest forested areas, take in the spirituality of ancient monasteries,
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A Special Monastery in Tuscany
La Verna: a contemplative Tuscan sanctuary The Franciscan Sanctuary of La Verna is an enchanting place of refuge and tranquility, alive with the spirit of Saint Francis. Located north of Arezzo in Eastern Tuscany in the area called Casentino, the monastery is built on top of a rocky spur surrounded by woods with ample hiking trails. Saint Francis walked here from his
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Italy’s Prettiest Coastline
Liguria is my favorite region after Tuscany and it may have Italy's prettiest coastline. I usually go there to hike and swim but this time the draw is what my friends say are the best fireworks in Italy. My friends who come yearly to their ancestral home in Lucca's mountains, head to Rapallo every July to see the famous fireworks and I'm spontaneously going with them
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Special Places on the Via Francigena
The Via Francigena (fran-CHEE-jee-nah) is a pilgrimage route from the Middle Ages that starts in England and crosses France and Switzerland before entering Italy at the Gran San Bernardo Pass. Less known than the Spanish pilgrimage route, the Via Francigena was revived in the 1990s and is becoming more traversed each year. In the first week of my trek on the Via
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Florence off the Beaten Path — Try Fiesole
Follow my blog with Bloglovin Florence off the Beaten Path One of my recommendations for beating the crowds in Florence is to up to Fiesole---a small town of Etruscan origins above Florence. In spring and fall the Fiesole Tourist Board offers what they call "Hikes between Nature and Culture" which are free, guided hikes in the Fiesole hills. (Some are not actually hikes, but
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The Monti Sibillini: Italy’s Secret Corner
As much as I love Italy's fantastic "big three" cities, of Rome, Florence, and Venice, sometimes I have to get off the tourist track and go to a remote corner of Italy with gorgeous scenery where local life reigns and tourists are few. This I did in June when I went to the Monti Sibillini-- a place that feels like Italy's secret corner. The Monti Sibillini are mountains
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The Pathway of the Gods–Italy’s Most Stunning Hike
I arrive on the Amalfi Coast by bus from Salerno. It’s early October, and while high season has passed, the bus is over-packed with travelers; some are forced to stand in the aisle. Oh, but I’m lucky. I have a seat on the left side where I can view the dizzying drop straight from the bus window down hundreds of feet of sheer cliff to the sparkling sea. The bus driver,
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Italy’s Pilgrimage Route: How to Plan (part 2)
Packing lessons learned from walking the Via Francigena When I packed for my 40 day solo walk on Italy's pilgrimage route, I thought my pack could be a fifth of my body weight. Wrong. I had to eliminate 6 pounds from it to get it down to 13 pounds— a tenth of my body weight. So if you weigh 130 pounds, your pack shouldn’t be more than 13 pounds (in Kilos, a person weighing
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Italy’s Pilgrimage Route: How to Plan (part 1)
The length of the Via Francigena The Via Francigena is long! It starts in Canterbury England and goes to Rome Italy. In fact you can go beyond Rome, to the southern tip of the heel of Italy's boot, and on to Jerusalem. From Canterbury to Rome it is about 2,083 km (around 1,290 miles.) This will take about four months to walk. The part in Italy is about 944 Km ( 587 miles.) It
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