Twelve years ago, RAS and I went to Italy for nearly two weeks, where we visited the Cinque Terre, Tuscany, and Rome. The middle part of Tuscany involved a self-guided bike tour, where we went to Radda in Chianti, Siena, San Gimignano, and Volterra, plus two days in Florence. The trip encouraged me to return to these places, and I did that just last week. I led a group from the Chamber of Commerce, which I belong to, in Tuscany, and although I’ve been to many of the places that were part of this tour, it was wonderful to return. This was an organized tour with Collette.

Our trip consisted of guided visits to Lucca and Pisa, which I had never been to before, and Florence, Siena, San Gimignano, and the Cinque Terre, which I had. We stayed in the spa town of Montecatini Terme, a centralized location, and we went out from there to all the destinations. It was the ideal place to be because it never took more than two hours to ride to any of them.  

I focused more on the group and hoped they would have a peak travel experience. But I enjoyed myself, too, especially in the towns I hadn’t seen - and somehow overcame my tiredness from Japan. Here is just a quick rundown of the tour, city-by-city.

Lucca

Like many towns in Tuscany, this town built a wall around its centuries-old center to defend against enemies. But they eventually became part of its identity, and today it’s a public space with greenery and a well-paved trail. It now features impressive Renaissance architecture and public art. I enjoyed it for its lack of massive tourist crowds. Lucca is one of the least-visited places in Tuscany, and I hope it stays that way.

Florence

The problem with this wonderful city is the exact opposite of Lucca—there are too many visitors, even during the “off” season and in rainy weather. I visited Santa Croce, a beautiful cathedral I hadn’t visited the last time, and it was the highlight of my day. But I wanted to see the Uffizi Gallery—unfortunately, the lines were too long. It would have been good to know to reserve tickets in advance for this.

Siena

This is probably my favorite town in Tuscany because of all there is to see and appreciate. Our local guide deep dives into the city's contrada, or 17 neighborhoods, and Il Palio, the prestigious horse race held twice each summer.  I didn’t know how seriously the Sienese took this, but each contrada has a chapel, baptismal fountain, museum, and temporary stable dedicated to the horse representing them.

Pisa

RAS and I didn’t come here on our last trip, but in a sense, I’m glad we didn’t stay here. The only thing worth seeing is the Piazza del Duomo, which features the famous leaning tower, the cathedral, the baptistry and museums. Visitors can climb to the top of the tower, but I didn’t because my knees were hurting. Something to be aware of is vendors trying to sell items. They can be aggressive; the best thing to do is ignore them.

Cinque Terre

I loved this place, although we only stayed there one night in 2013. The candy-colored buildings perched on impossibly steep cliffs are the hallmark of all five villages. This time, we visited Manarola, a smaller fishing village surrounded by terraced vineyards. I also climbed a much smaller tower in Vernazza, the Doria Castle, because my knees cooperated that day. My group mates and I also had a fantastic seafood pasta lunch in Monterosso.

San Gimignano

This village of towers was memorable for its food, particularly its gelato from Gelateria Dondoli, which has earned worldwide acclaim.  This was where I just relaxed, sitting in a café with my glasses of the white Vernacchia and the red Brunello wine, a simple bruschetta of olive oil and garlic, then enjoying that gelato while it gently rained. It was a quiet moment but a treasured one.