“Slow Travel”, above all, means to explore your destination at a speed which is natural to the human species. The human mind did not evolve to process impressions when hurled along at the speed of a car or a coach. So if you want to give your travel experiences a chance to penetrate the mere…
You probably have heard about the concept of slow travel. If so, you will have a broad understanding of its principles. After all, up to a point, the movement’s name is self-explanatory: if you intend to “travel slowly”, don’t rush. Take your time and take it easy. So far for general principles. It is a…
In Tuscany, landscape and urbanity are so closely interwoven that they create one large tapestry of culture which is governed by consistent aesthetic, economic and historical principles. While the Renaissance town palazzi reflect the pride and the wealth of the landowning families (it is said that Florentine rulers never ate or served anything in their…
I don’t know to what extent we have become experts in Tuscan art and landscapes (there is simply too much of either to see and to experience). Our recent trip has certainly improved our expertise in one specific area: Italian food, more particularly Tuscan dishes. How We Enjoyed Eating in Tuscany We now know that…
Once the Pilgrim’s Progress has led him to Siena, the Pilgrim may be excused for thinking that it will not get much better than this For nearly a thousand years, the 2 km stretch of the Via Francigena that cuts through the city of Siena has been the highlight of the trail. Imagine: most of…
The half-stage to Monteriggioni delivers a good lesson in authenticity –and the key to unlocking the treasures of the Via Francigena If you have neither the time for a full trip down the Via Francigena from Canterbury to Rome (a journey of 2000 km that features 80 stages and crossings of both the Channel and…
San Gimignano, the New York of the Middle Ages Truly great hiking trails are a mix of four elements, and the Via Francigena – stretching for nearly 2000 km from Canterbury to Rome – has them all. Firstly and secondly, the Francigena Way features beautiful landscapes and variety: the combination that defines any “good” hiking…
Columns and cupolas in search of nervous excitement Montecatini prides itself, with a certain justification, on its reputation as a “city of the arts”. The Montecatini Contemporary Art Museum is well stocked and the proud owner of a large-scale work by Joan Mirò, and for as long as anybody can remember, artists have always loved the resort….
Tuscany is where two of Europe’s foremost cultural routes cross, one an ancient pilgrim’s path to Rome and the other a network of spa towns across the continent. Such a crossing may be a great starting point, but eventually, you have to decide which way you are going – or, at the very least, which…
Tuscany: Home to the Cultural Routes of Europe Now don’t get me wrong: I have absolutely nothing against the grand majestic landscapes of our planet, the Grand Canyon and Utah’s Monument Valley, or the barren rocks and icey cliffs of the high mountains, and I am as much in awe of the “the graceful indifference…