Travel,guide,Tuscany,Not,far,f travel,insurance Travel guide to Tuscany
Torres del Paine is among the biggest of Chiles national parks, occupying almost 600,000 acres (242,000 ha) of land in the south on the border with Argentina. It is also among the most important, receiving a significant proportion of domes Like any American, traveling occasionally is just what I love doing and I bet you share the same stuff with me. But traveling does not mean that you would be safe. Escaping from our job and other stressful activities is just something that w
Not far from Siena, and only50 kilometers or so south of Florence in the heart of Tuscan Italy, youwill find the medieval precursors of skyscrapers in this gem of awalled hilltop city overlooking the Elsa valley.Actually,the numerous tall stone towers are only around 50 meters high, and ofthe 70 or more originally built by the wealthy residents in the 14thcentury, only about 14 remain. But in their context, they stand outimpressively and create a unique architectural curiosity with apeaceful ambience, both as landmarks to view from a distance and towalk around or explore up close.Inside many of thesevertical embellishments to the skyline, which are often extensions of achurch, are preserved treasures of early Renaissance art. The main onesto visit are the Collegiata, which was originally a cathedral, and SantAgostino, where you will stumble delightedly upon frescoes and earlypaintings by a range of Italy's most famous artists. There is also anofficial Town Gallery in the former Palacio Comunale off the mainPiazza Cisterna, where by following in Dante's footsteps through hisHall, you may view works by Lippi, Pinturicchio, and Pier FrancescoFiorentino to name but a few. From here, you can also access thelargest tower, or Torre Grosso.There is not a great deal else to do except enjoy walking around the narrow cobbled lanes, soaking up the pervasive sense of history and culture,and investigating some of these hidden charms. But you may well wish totaste some of the local produce, and especially the now-famousVernaccia white wine, which goes down a treat with fish and seafoodcooked up in the romantic and intimate local eateries. Try, forinstance, the Antica Taverna up by the San Matteo Gate, orDulcisinfundo in Via degli Innocenti near the center, which also haslive jazz music and panoramic views. A good way to combine all thesepastimes and gastronomic delights is to sign up for a guidedwine-tasting tour, taking in lunch outside the city followed by a walking tour of the main squares and a limousine home.Finally,you may well want to rest and relax at the end of a long day, or stayovernight as a break in your journey from Florence to Rome as theancient pilgrims did, and there are a number of good accommodation options for you to choose from, including rooms in villa hotels,apartments in the historical centre, or bed and breakfast in farmhousesnearby, most of which retain the original fetaures of old buildings butcompletely refurbished to a high standard inside. For example, tryBusini Rossi Carla, with its wonderfully restored rooms and apartmentslocated in a back alley right in the center, or Il Girasole, afamily-run farmhouse just 5kms away with a view back towards the citytowers, where you can enjoy the local produce and wine, and which evencomes complete with a swimming pool.All in all, SanGimignano is an essential if brief part of a tour of Tuscany, where youshould not fear to tread (as it was the setting for E. M. Forster'snovel of that name in 1905) and will not forget easily - not only forits strange and imposing towers, but because it is steeped in thehistory of poets and artists, their patrons and religious leaders fromthe time of our civilization's re-birth
Travel,guide,Tuscany,Not,far,f