From Bologna, you can visit Florence and Pisa. Pisa has little to see except the obligatory tower. From here on, southwards you can start seeing a large Bangladeshi population that has been steadily expanding in Italy. They run pretty much all the souvenir stalls, and you’d be hard pressed to find a local. From Florence, you can also go on a drive in the Tuscan countryside, and enjoy the vineyards. If you’re lucky, book ahead for a tour. We turned up at one of the vineyards unannounced, and found a deserted village. That was one of the most creepy moments in the trip – imagine landing up at a place, with cottages, hotels and churches, but not a soul in sight. Yet it was obvious that people live there, we could clearly see traces of habitation, even a laptop on a table in a hotel with an open front door. But despite our hollering, not a soul appeared. Most likely, they had gone off with some tour group, yet somehow, the scene reminded me of some of the old horror movies I used to watch. It was with a bit of relief that we headed out of the village, and into the medieval town of Sienna. This is a great place to spend a lazy afternoon, walking on the old cobbled roads, taking in the town square, and enjoying great risotto and pasta ala funghi.
And what of Florence, the birthplace of the Renaissance? For starters, don’t try to see everything. You’ll never be able to. Be happy to see the replica of the statues they have in the central square – Piazza Signoria, and unless you’re a really BIG history buff, skip the museum visit to see the real David. What else to see – the Duomo, Giottos Tower, Palazzo Vecchio and Santa Maria Novella. Take a walk up Piazzale Michelangelo, enjoy the street performances, check out the local markets, and dine in style at Ristorante Da Vinci.
Random Musings of a Wanderer 