AMA Insider Spring 2017 | Page 41

NUMERO DUE : LONG-STAY VACATION
far and wide during the day , then make your way back to Lecce , where you can always enjoy an evening promenade and another slice of pizza — and maybe a street musician or wedding party .
Gallipoli : vololibero / iStock ; trulli : SiSlavio / iStock ; Shop : kaiSerSoSa67 / iStock
NUMERO DUE : LONG-STAY VACATION
PerhaPs we ’ ve been conditioned by countless movies , books or Italy ’ s own tourism bureau , but pretty much everyone ’ s ideal Italian vacation includes time at a country villa . You wake with the sun pouring through the windows of a 500-year-old stone house , pick fresh basil to toss in your morning omelette and then wander to the village to gather more ingredients for dinner , throwing out a few buon giornos to the locals as you go .
No wonder long-stay vacations are so popular . Instead of rushing around ticking sights off your bucket list ( the Uffizi — check !), you have time for things you didn ’ t even know were on that list , like looking down a quiet street to see kids expertly kicking around a soccer ball .
You have time to relax , to get to know your neighbours and the local way of life . From rustic lodgings to stylish apartments in the centre of town , you can pick what suits your lifestyle and budget . But the first thing is to pick your spot . Italy has plenty ; here are two in particular to get you started .
Tuscany
Arguably the country ’ s best-known province , its diverse landscape boasts
Le Marche ’ s famed shopping ; Ostuni ’ s trulli ( right )
Seaside near Gallipoli ’ s 14th-century walls
everything from mountains to rolling hills to beaches . If you decide to venture away from your quiet courtyard , you can take in the Leaning Tower of Pisa as well as hundreds of medieval villages , churches and castles .
You can also , of course , drink plenty of vino . Chianti , Montalcino and
Montepulciano are all areas of Tuscany well known for their red wines . No matter your home base , you can head off in almost any direction and find a winery ( or farm that makes wine ) offering casual tours and bottles to take back for dinner .
Or you can drink in culture — Tuscany being the birthplace of the Italian Renaissance , after all . Take a day to venture into Florence to see Botticelli ’ s Birth of Venus up close in the Uffizi and Michelangelo ’ s David ( a copy in the Palazzo Vecchio or the real deal at Accademia Gallery ). Or simply wander into any of the hundreds of old churches in the region : You may find a Renaissance fresco or two .
Le Marche
To the east of Tuscany lies Le Marche , a region cradled between the Apennine Mountains and Adriatic Sea . The latter means coastal towns and beaches abound . Whether you want to lounge at a beach club or bring a towel and find your own spot of sand , you ’ ll have plenty of options for seaside rest and relaxation . Head inland , though , if you ’ d rather spend some time off your feet : The Italian shoe industry is scattered in the mountains of Le Marche . Footwear fetishists can score bargains at the outlet stores of Prada , Tods and other famous brands . »
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