Tuscan Essentials |
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GettinG around : Depending on where you decide to stay , you may wish to rent a car . in urban areas , public transit and the occasional taxi may be sufficient for your needs . in more rural areas , it may be quite a hike from the train station to the farmhouse . Day trips to Florence are best done via train : you ’ ll avoid the stress of navigating the city ’ s restricted-traffic zones and dodging its swarms of scooters .
GettinG fed : cooking for yourself is a necessity during a long-stay vacation , but you ’ ll want to splurge for at least one night by hiring a private chef to prepare an italian feast . Many also give cooking lessons so you can pick up a few tricks to impress at your next dinner party — such as pouring a c of olive oil into the pan ( never an s ) and only using unsalted butter and a wooden spoon when making risotto .
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Tuscany ’ s pastoral rolling hills
NUMERO TRE : SAIL THROUGH THE SIGHTS Whether you sail to Sicily for the markets of Catania or stop in Livorno en route to the Ponte Vecchio in Florence , a cruise is the ideal way to get the most out of the country .
The Ponte Vecchio in Florence
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The creature comforts of cruising are well documented — it really is a luxury to fall asleep in the same bed each night but wake up in a different place every morning — and life onboard can be just as exciting as excursions to Mount Vesuvius or Rome ’ s Colosseum . Loads of activities and entertainment are covered in the cost of the cruise , as well as meals and some beverages . That means you can save your money to go shopping for Italy ’ s famous leather bags and shoes when you ’ re in port .
Cruises also enable you to meet many people who share your interests . Hit up the nightly disco , roll up your sleeves in an Italian cooking class or partake in a lecture on Renaissance art : You ’ ll be joined by like-minded voyageurs from all over Canada , the U . S . and beyond .
Both Celebrity and Holland America cruise lines offer routes around the Mediterranean that focus on or include stops in Italy . Here ’ s a pair to ponder .
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Tuscany : bluejayphoTo / isTock ; ponTe Vecchio : Trigga / isTock |