Today started with a sunrise walk around Florence, included a visit to a walled Tuscan hill town, and ended with a delicious dinner and sunset walk.
Florence 2026: Day 6
Tuscany
Florence 2026: Day 5
Today I was off to explore the Chianti region of Tuscany, specifically a little town called Greve-in-Chianti. This was one of the days I was most looking forward to on this trip. Not Greve itself, but the little borgo of Montefioralle, about 2 kilometers away, up in the hills above Greve.
Florence 2026: Day 4
Fiesole is a small town just 5 miles outside of Florence, located in the hills above the city. Comprising a couple of churches, a central piazza, and an archaeological area (along with a couple of more commercial streets), it makes a perfect half-day trip outside the city. Despite the dreary weather and overcast skies, this was the type of day I was picturing in my mind. Less busy, plenty of opportunities for walking off the beaten path, and views of the rolling hills of Tuscany.
Florence 2026: Day 3
Tuscany. Just the name evokes images of rolling hills, vineyards, and roads lined with cypress trees. Today was my first day exploring one of the many tiny villages and hill towns that dot the Tuscan countryside. Colle di Val d’Elsa wasn’t even on my radar and didn’t appear in any of my searches for “quiet Tuscan hill towns”. Instead, I found it by accident on YouTube, where I watched a video of a couple exploring the town in mid-August (prime tourist season) with nary another person in the video. My kind of place. (As it turns out, it may have been a little too quiet for my taste.)
Traveling with Laura 