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Italy was all that and more…. In fact, during our adventure in Tuscany we had a number of unexpected moments that were unforgettable. By now most of you have already read my blog entitled “Chianti’s Best Kept Secret”, but luckily for us our day with Arianna and Alessio form kmzerotours wasn’t the end of our adventures in this most beautiful place in the world.
Initially, I had booked us to stay in Florence for another night after our day with Arianna and Alessio, but with a week or so to go before our departure for Italy had decided to re-think our plan and find a villa in the heart of Tuscany as a surprise for Aimee.
Unfortunately for the hotel in Florence, they weren’t able to accommodate any changes and so I cancelled the reservation and found another more central hotel with all the amenities that I was looking for including the dates, which allowed us to spend a night in the countryside rather than drive back to the city.
Indelible Tip #1: For the best accommodation choices and deals always cross check two or three sites. However, before you start answer these questions: Do you need air conditioning? How important is parking? What about proximity to attractions or transportation hubs (metro/subway/ferry/airport...)? I always use Trip Advisor to identify target hotels, then I review their rankings against the other competing hotels in the city, town or region that you’re visiting - always looking for 9+ if possible. Next, I balance this against pricing from a couple of different sources to get the best deal. For my personal recommendations on your next trip email me at terence@indelible-adventures.com for insider places to stay.
By the time we had bid our farewells to Arianna and Alessio in San Casciano the GPS told us that our Villa in Radda in Chianti was about an hours drive. Now under normal circumstances, and especially in the light of day that would have been true, not to mention a spectacular drive through the heart of Tuscany.
However, if you’ve ever ventured into Tuscany, you understand that like many parts of Italy once you get off the Autostrada the roads become…let’s say “twisty and meandering” not to mention exceptionally narrow. So it was with this information that our trusty GPS was telling us that it was an hour to our destination. Now that would have been perfect, but after 20 minutes of driving switchback corners the GPS was still saying that the GPS was almost an hour away. Oi vey mate!!!
Our drive was in complete darkness by this stage and on an unknown road that added to the nervousness of the driver (namely me). ☺ By the time we arrived at Villa Campomaggio we were tired and ready for something to eat, although by the time we checked in it was already past 9:00 pm so weren’t hopeful.
To our complete surprise the front desk supervisor welcomed us to the hotel, provided us with our room key, accompanied us to our room and said that they would be happy to keep the kitchen open for us. Check, check and checkity-check!
As she opened the room for us we were greeted by a palatially large room, with enormous bed, bathroom and adjoining private deck. Aimee’s first question to me was after she’d left was “did they get us mixed up with someone else?”
After taking a quick look around including checking out the huge, and I mean huge private deck, which led, off our bedroom we headed to the dining room. Dinner was delightful, served with a half litre of locally grown red wine we adjourned to our room for a good night's sleep.
My internal alarm clock woke me at around 6:00 am, and after having decided to go for an early morning explore the night before I had laid out all of my clothes and camera gear on the floor next to the bed (anal – yes!). Dressing quietly I slipped out the door into the pre-dawn light.
Indelible Tip #2: Sunrise is the best time of day to explore! I always take a camera (nope, it doesn’t have to be a fancy DSLR – it could be your smartphone) because at that time of day there are no other tourists and little traffic to speak of. So wherever I am, irrespective of country I like to rise early and head out for a walk soon after sunrise. Trust me you’ll be glad you did!
Exiting the front door to the Villa I was greeted with the most spectacular sights as the sun was just peeking its way up over the distant hills. Arriving so late the night before it was impossible to see what lay around the Villa, but it was clear that I had been transported to the most magical place. All I could do was gawk in awe as I began my circuitous exploration around the grounds of the Villa and indeed the vineyards and Olive groves that surround this beautiful place. And for the next hour I strolled, and stumbled upon vista after vista that teased every sense…
When I got back to the room Aimee was just starting to wake, and she asked what I had seen but I wasn't able to form the right words to adequately described the innate beauty that I had witnessed, so I let the natural canvas speak for itself. I walked to the large double, floor to ceiling doors that were in front of the bed and swung them open...
She was speechless with the beauty of the view from our room, which overlooked the fountain, pool and endless vista of vineyards and olive groves all bathed in a deep blue and cloudless sky, sunrays igniting the colors of the flowers and trees that surrounded the gorgeous property. The air was crisp and clean and had the aroma of fresh fruit and flowers opening to a new day - seriously this was as close as I've come to paradise.
Indelible Tip #3: If you’re looking to stay in an exclusive 5 star Villa in Tuscany, look no further than the incredible Villa Campomaggio Resort and Spa. The owner, Alessio and his team will be more than happy to greet you as a member of the family and make your stay with them truly unforgettable! Tell them Terence from Indelible Adventures sent you. ☺
It was at that moment that we decided to stay for as long as we could that day and soak up the beauty that is Villa Campomaggio. In fact, I wrote my blog from the cabana by the pool that Friday...can you spell H.E.A.V.E.N? One day just wasn't enough!
I'm having serious withdrawl symptoms not being in Italy right now... just sayin!
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“Hanoi Posting”
You have a lot to learn about me Phuong, Bill said. Phuong lowered his eyes and shook his head, this man is such a fool he thought to himself. “I have a little job to do” he said, smiled broadly, turned and strode off. Phuong watched him as he crossed the busy street and disappeared into the sea of scooters back toward the office.
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Italy was all that and more…. In fact, during our adventure in Tuscany we had a number of unexpected moments that were unforgettable. By now most of you have already read my blog entitled “Chianti’s Best Kept Secret”, but luckily for us our day with Arianna and Alessio form kmzerotours wasn’t the end of our adventures in this most beautiful place in the world.
Initially, I had booked us to stay in Florence for another night after our day with Arianna and Alessio, but with a week or so to go before our departure for Italy had decided to re-think our plan and find a villa in the heart of Tuscany as a surprise for Aimee.
Unfortunately for the hotel in Florence, they weren’t able to accommodate any changes and so I cancelled the reservation and found another more central hotel with all the amenities that I was looking for including the dates, which allowed us to spend a night in the countryside rather than drive back to the city.
Indelible Tip #1: For the best accommodation choices and deals always cross check two or three sites. However, before you start answer these questions: Do you need air conditioning? How important is parking? What about proximity to attractions or transportation hubs (metro/subway/ferry/airport...)? I always use Trip Advisor to identify target hotels, then I review their rankings against the other competing hotels in the city, town or region that you’re visiting - always looking for 9+ if possible. Next, I balance this against pricing from a couple of different sources to get the best deal. For my personal recommendations on your next trip email me at terence@indelible-adventures.com for insider places to stay.
By the time we had bid our farewells to Arianna and Alessio in San Casciano the GPS told us that our Villa in Radda in Chianti was about an hours drive. Now under normal circumstances, and especially in the light of day that would have been true, not to mention a spectacular drive through the heart of Tuscany.
However, if you’ve ever ventured into Tuscany, you understand that like many parts of Italy once you get off the Autostrada the roads become…let’s say “twisty and meandering” not to mention exceptionally narrow. So it was with this information that our trusty GPS was telling us that it was an hour to our destination. Now that would have been perfect, but after 20 minutes of driving switchback corners the GPS was still saying that the GPS was almost an hour away. Oi vey mate!!!
Our drive was in complete darkness by this stage and on an unknown road that added to the nervousness of the driver (namely me). ☺ By the time we arrived at Villa Campomaggio we were tired and ready for something to eat, although by the time we checked in it was already past 9:00 pm so weren’t hopeful.
To our complete surprise the front desk supervisor welcomed us to the hotel, provided us with our room key, accompanied us to our room and said that they would be happy to keep the kitchen open for us. Check, check and checkity-check!
As she opened the room for us we were greeted by a palatially large room, with enormous bed, bathroom and adjoining private deck. Aimee’s first question to me was after she’d left was “did they get us mixed up with someone else?”
After taking a quick look around including checking out the huge, and I mean huge private deck, which led, off our bedroom we headed to the dining room. Dinner was delightful, served with a half litre of locally grown red wine we adjourned to our room for a good night's sleep.
My internal alarm clock woke me at around 6:00 am, and after having decided to go for an early morning explore the night before I had laid out all of my clothes and camera gear on the floor next to the bed (anal – yes!). Dressing quietly I slipped out the door into the pre-dawn light.
Indelible Tip #2: Sunrise is the best time of day to explore! I always take a camera (nope, it doesn’t have to be a fancy DSLR – it could be your smartphone) because at that time of day there are no other tourists and little traffic to speak of. So wherever I am, irrespective of country I like to rise early and head out for a walk soon after sunrise. Trust me you’ll be glad you did!
Exiting the front door to the Villa I was greeted with the most spectacular sights as the sun was just peeking its way up over the distant hills. Arriving so late the night before it was impossible to see what lay around the Villa, but it was clear that I had been transported to the most magical place. All I could do was gawk in awe as I began my circuitous exploration around the grounds of the Villa and indeed the vineyards and Olive groves that surround this beautiful place. And for the next hour I strolled, and stumbled upon vista after vista that teased every sense…
When I got back to the room Aimee was just starting to wake, and she asked what I had seen but I wasn't able to form the right words to adequately described the innate beauty that I had witnessed, so I let the natural canvas speak for itself. I walked to the large double, floor to ceiling doors that were in front of the bed and swung them open...
She was speechless with the beauty of the view from our room, which overlooked the fountain, pool and endless vista of vineyards and olive groves all bathed in a deep blue and cloudless sky, sunrays igniting the colors of the flowers and trees that surrounded the gorgeous property. The air was crisp and clean and had the aroma of fresh fruit and flowers opening to a new day - seriously this was as close as I've come to paradise.
Indelible Tip #3: If you’re looking to stay in an exclusive 5 star Villa in Tuscany, look no further than the incredible Villa Campomaggio Resort and Spa. The owner, Alessio and his team will be more than happy to greet you as a member of the family and make your stay with them truly unforgettable! Tell them Terence from Indelible Adventures sent you. ☺
It was at that moment that we decided to stay for as long as we could that day and soak up the beauty that is Villa Campomaggio. In fact, I wrote my blog from the cabana by the pool that Friday...can you spell H.E.A.V.E.N? One day just wasn't enough!
I'm having serious withdrawl symptoms not being in Italy right now... just sayin!
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“Hanoi Posting”
A series of micro-stories by Terence Wallis
Episode 13: Clear Warning
Bill was undeniably surprised with the speed with which Phuong had been able to secure the number for Mai or Hanoi Rose as he called her.
As they walked Phuong left nothing out as he provided Bill with a full briefing on Mai in a low but audible whisper as they walked. Bill was far from put off, in fact he was excited by the danger element that meeting Mai represented, especially now that he knew that Anh Giang Trung was possibly involved.
As Phuong continued, Bills mind began to piece together what he was saying. "Jesus christ" he thought to himself, Anh Thanh Van was supposed to be the gangland leader than controlled the Chợ Đồng Xuân and she was Mai's lover... He had seen the elusive Anh on many occasions in and around the Old Quarter, always admiring her beauty and cold, hard façade as she sat astride her white Vespa.
He played the image of Mai and Anh naked over in his mind and was physically excited by the very thought of their bodies intertwined. Distractedly he stopped and turned to look at Phuong who had a quizzical look on his face, they had reached the closest point to Tháp Rùa or Turtle Tower on Hoan Kiếm Lake, which was their normal turning point.
“What?” said Bill distractedly? “In Vietnamese” demanded Phuong giving him a hard look. “Những gì” Bill repeated.
Surely you’re not going to contact Hanoi Rose ? After all I’ve told you about her Phuong asked.
Next week: Episode 14: Contact
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An eclectic retrospective of photos from Italy just to help curb my sense of displacement from not being there. J Enjoy!
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| The old school chairs at the new breakfast spot in San Giovanni |
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| Ne-Ne cafe in San Giovanni - sweet spot for afternoon wine, yes they have outside tables too and five steps from our apartment! |
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| Yep, the chiesa (church) in San Giovanni is that old... |
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| Although newly refurbished - the morning bells are divine! |
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| The local ferry stop on the lake |
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| Bellagio in the distance - just far enough away from the maddening crowds to enjoy the lake |
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| Wall flower... |
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| Our favorite wine bar in Bellagio on the left (Aperitivi) with Brunello by the glass! |
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| Now you can see why I'm missing it so... |
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| Lots of little ferries that chug back and forth across the lake and takes you back to a bygone era |
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| So very "Grand Budapest" |
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| A bevy of swans on the lake in the late afternoon light... |
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| Bellagio - the jewel of the Lake |
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| The main piazza in Verona - with cyclists training |
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| The entrance to the old city of Verona |
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| Venezia and her gorgeous canals |
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| The Palace has been modernized over the centuries this was the loggia |
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| Not all of Venice is crowded |
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| Washing day is Friday in Venezia |
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| The official water taxi insignia and flag |
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| Looking around those pesky canal corners... |
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| The historic beauty of Venice at its finest |
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