ROME in August is perhaps not everyones idea of fun and yes I guess if we didn’t have school age children we probably would have chosen a different month but I still absolutely loved it even in the scorching heat.
We stayed at the beautiful Gran Melia Rome and their swimming pool was a sanctuary in the mid-afternoon when sightseeing became too much of an effort! The mornings however were spent visiting the incredible historic sights that dominate the city – the Collosseum, The Vatican, The Borghese Gallery, St Peters Basilica and The Pantheon. They are all jaw-droppingly impressive to look at but we found that hiring a guide really added to the whole experience – particularly at the Colosseum where both my children were fascinated by tales of Gladiatorial battles and raucous spectators.
It goes without saying that the food here is fantastic but definitely try to get local recommendations rather than rely on your hotel or reading trip advisor. We found two gems this way that we would never have come across otherwise and tried to avoid the restaurants directly surrounding the big tourist attractions which were mostly overpriced and uninspiring.
Next stop Tuscany. We spent a week in the very beautiful Villa Ciggiano in Montaione in the rolling Tuscan hills. Only an hour from both Florence and Pisa and close to the famous San Gimignano it made for a great location for exploring. The countryside is stunning and driving around the local towns and stopping for an Aperol Spritz and some delicious antipasto – even the simplest bowl of tomato pasta tastes like heaven!
We took day trips to Florence and Sienna – both with enough sights to keep you there for a week – but managed to pack in seeing all the main attractions. The day we went to Sienna was the day of the infamous Palio Di Siena – a 90 second horse race held twice a year in the Piazza del Campo right in the heart of the city. The atmosphere is incredible with thousands of spectators from all around the world coming to watch. Ten horses and riders representing ten of the cities ‘contrade’ or city wards compete and the rivalry is intense!
Our final destination was the incredible Castello di Potentino – a castle built on an ancient Etruscan site which was not only a B&B but also a homestay where students from all over the world were given accommodation in exchange for working in the vineyard and on the olive groves. Every evening dinner was a wonderful communal affair made up of delicious (mostly home grown) food and prepared by all those staying. Needless to say we will go back to Italy again – the combination of great food, glorious countryside and warm hospitality makes hard to resist.
THE LUST FOR WONDER 