♫ Bella bella ♫ Toscana!

As the Eurostar train pulled out of Venice's Santa Lucia Station, there was one passenger who was so sad to leave Venice and at the same time so thrilled to arrive at the next destination. Tuscany! I knew I would love the Tuscan region even before I got there. I was planning to visit Florence, Pisa, Sienna, Lucca and San Gimigniano. My first stop was Florence of course. A friend recommended that I stay at Hostel Archi Rossi, which was really reasonable and close to the train station and right in the centre of everything. I would recommend all to stay here because they organise free walking tours, the staff are friendly, the rooms are so huge and clean and they have internet and serve a huge free breakfast! The area around Santa Maria Novella Train Station is a bit sketchy and I wouldn't recommend wandering here at night. The first thing I noticed about this area was the throng of Indian and African men. And they were not being too decent. I did hear a lot of whistles as I passed by but TIP: I  never make eye contact, always keep my back upright, shoulders straight, put on my "don't mess with me" face and walk briskly. After travelling alone I've realized hooligans always look for easy targets i.e. women who CAN BE victimised. 

One my first day here, I had no map or itinerary. So I decided to follow the multitudes of tourists outside my hostel Sure enough, all crowds lead to Duomo, which is undoubtedly Florence's most important landmarks! This is a 13th century cathedral and the dome is one of the biggest in the world.

I think it's just stunning and it was the second thing I love among the only two things I love about Florence. From afar it looks like a little doll's house but as you draw near, you can see the various shades of green and white and pink so beautifully pieced together and you wonder if this gigantic structure is actually made of marble or just cardboard! 

Most people are well dressed in Florence and it has an aristocratic air about it. The city is a buzz with cafés and leather markets, beautiful building and ofcourse Gelatarias! Some exciting ice cream flavours can be found in Florence. I recommened the mascarpone and fragole mix! Don't be shy to indulge! ;)

I am really glad I joined the walking tour or else I would never have heard the most charming love story of Florence. It involves the above bridge. King Cosimo lived on the left bank of the River Arno and the love of his life lived in the Pitti Palace on the opposite side. In order to stay connected to her, the King buys up her palace and builds a bridge to connect his residence to hers. Now the strange thing is that the bridge is in the form of a long corridor which runs through people's houses and shops! It has stood the test of time (nine centuries!) and coincidentally this was the only bridge that survived the German bombing during World War 2. Sigh!

Many people speak highly of Florence but I was a little disappointed with the city. For art lovers, this is definitely the meeting point but since I am no connoisseur of the arts, I was a bit underwhelmed. I love the region of Toscana and I feel there are certain other cities one should not miss out! 

Florence and Italy has so many vintage cars, I was overjoyed at the sight!

So here is the first and best thing I love about Florence! It's the bird eye view of the city from Piazza Michaelangelo. You can take the bus (number 12 or 13) next to the railway station that head's up the hill and trust me, you will never regret it. If I ever return to Firenze, it will be only to take in this view. Try and get there before sunset so you can witness the panorama of the sun's rays dancing against the steeples and yellow buildings of Florence! Then wait for the streetlights and bulbs to light up in every house in the city. Mesmerising! 

These are scarves from the Hermes museum in the town of Lucca. Lucca is a charming little town nestled in the Tuscan hills and you can fit a trip to Pisa and Lucca in a single day. 

PISA

It was easter day when I went to Pisa. The transport system in Italy keeps up with the French one during holidays. So nothing really functions. Fortunately there were a few trains going to Pisa and I was happy to make it in time for mass at the Pisa church. I'm not too religious but I did it for my mom who had called early in the morning to wish me. To see the leaning tower was among the important things to do before I die. So I was h-appy! It is quite a sight and scientists are still trying to figure out why it's leaning. Most say, there used to be a branch of the River Arno running through the area and now the water has turned the sand soggy and hence is slowing sinking!

I didn't spend much time in Pisa because I wanted to fit in the town of Lucca as well. I should have stayed longer because Pisa was really beautiful and I'm pretty sure I would want to go back again to discover more of this really clean and magnificent city!

LUCCA

Lucca is 40 minutes away from Pisa by train. The train passes through lush countryside and even though it was pouring, the place just mesmerized me! I went in search of the Tuscan sun and instead I found a beautiful mist in the hills! Lucca was quite deserted. There was lots of greenery and the most interesting thing about the city was that it was walled with a garden on top of it. So you actually cover the entire city while walking on top of it. Lucca was devoid of tourists and there were so many charming streets to explore. I couldn't do much because of the rain, I guess May is not the best time for everyone :(

SIENA

I made a huge mistake taking the train to Siena. Because you need to take another bus from the train station to get to the city of Siena and this "centro-bus" will have you waiting a long while! There are direct buses from Florence-Siena and back, which is recommended! Plus Siena train station is not user-friendly and you need to descend two levels underground to get on the "centro-bus" and purchase your ticket before getting on because you can't buy one from the conductor!

Once you're in Siena, you're in another world entirely! I spent an entire day here and had such an amazing time exploring this hill station and appreciating it's sky high Renaissance buildings. Again! I wish I had more time to explore the place entirely but I could only fit in the main sites.

Il Campo is one of the most famous squares in the world. Each year the commune organises the Palio, a world famous horse racing competition where all neighbourhoods are called in to compete! 

Restaurants in Siena weren't so expensive and I given tried some of that famous Chianti wine which I warn you is as strong as Prosaic! :D I later relished my Tiramisu and Biscotte gelato in the drizzle. I did not use a map in Siena and I wouldn't recommend buying one. Just wandering around those quiet unfamiliar streets was pleasurable to the senses! At every turn, something phenomenal awaited me. 

The Duomo/Church of Siena, has the most beautiful façade of any church I have ever seen in Italy! I stayed there for a long time with my arms folded and my head taking in the miniature carvings and intricate details of the monument! One should also visit the Church of Saint Catherine which has a lot of importance for Catholics since it holds the actual head of Saint Catherina of Siena! 

I loved every thing about Siena and I felt that it reflected the Tuscan region more than any other city I visited here. There was many tourists but not an annoyingly high number. I took the bus from Siena (SITA company) back to Firenze. The bus gives you a chance to admire the countryside and as I was leaving Siena, the Tuscan sun slowly came out to bid me farewell and the sky turned into an extraordinary shade of blue which I have never seen again in my life. I tried my level best to capture it on my camera but in my mind's eye, it's still the most distinctive, inimitable shade of blue ever created. Beautiful beautiful Toscana, how I miss your exceptional beauty!