This is my final post about my trip to Europe last fall.  (If you missed any of the posts or you’re planning your own trip, all of the links are below.) During the car ride from Barga to Florence, I was feeling ready to go home.  I would’ve been completely okay with going straight to the airport.  But, after checking in at the Piazza Pitti Palace, shopping at a 163-year-old pen & paper shop, and being introduced to a gold & silversmith by our enthusiastic guide, I wanted just one more day.  Maybe two.  I was regretting the decision I made months earlier to spend just an afternoon in Florence. But, the flight was booked, so I needed to make the most of this time and soak it all in. We left the artisan workshop and Vanessa, our guide, led us through non-touristy narrow streets.  These streets were still bustling

My unenthusiastic start to our day in Florence was quickly turned around by our warm welcome at the Piazza Pitti Palace and meeting the delightful uncle/niece pair at the pen and paper shop that has been in their family for 163 years.  I was energized and excited to see what else Florence had to offer.  We met with our guide, Vanessa, in front of our hotel at 4:00 for a walking tour of Florence and to see Michaelangelo’s David. We were referred to Vanessa by several friends and we could tell right off the bat that they didn’t lead us astray.  She was energetic and passionate about sharing the history of Florence with us.  And, beyond that, she understood that we didn’t just want the typical tourist experience.  We didn’t want to elbow our way through thick crowds just for a picture.  We wanted to be shown her Florence, to

When I was planning out the final leg of our Europe trip, there was no doubt that my mom and I wanted to stay at the Piazza Pitti Palace in Florence again.  We made a last-minute hotel change last year and it was one of the best surprises of the trip.  Not only does the hotel have amazing rooms, but the staff is friendly, and it’s in a quiet location that’s still just a short walk from the main tourist attractions.  (And this isn’t a sponsored post.) The room we stayed in last year (you can see it HERE)was going to be tough to beat, but this room was just as beautiful. The most striking thing about the room is the huge antique original oil paintings on three of the walls.  It was like staying in a museum, but this was our room.  Nothing was roped off. Look at the

On our last full day in Barga, we went to tour and have lunch at a classic Tuscan vineyard and visited the small hilltop town of Montecarlo.  We went to the same vineyard last year and I was eagerly looking forward to the delicious lunch and the beautiful scenery.  Just walking up to the vineyard is a treat.  The gravel path is covered by a canopy of trees and dappled with shade and a smattering of sunbeams. The tables are beautifully set under open-air structures.  It’s a dream setting and it was a perfect day to visit this venue.  It was warm and sunny, but not too hot. Fattoria Il Poggio, the vineyard revisited, was the perfect balance between being high-end and having a comfortable family feel. Since I already toured the vineyard last year, I decided to sit on a bench in the shade to write in my journal