Walking (or Biking) Tuscany Details
Treasures of Tuscany is either booked as a seven or 11-day tour with options to build in extra days or rest days. Before departure, Sherpa sends an exceptionally detailed route book with:
- Arrival and departure possibilities
- Comprehensive local train/bus schedules with approximate costs, where and how to purchase and validate tickets, etc.
- Enormous package of maps, one ( sometimes several) for each day, routes highlighted, (along with deviations if that is your preference)
- Recommended restaurants in each town
- Sights to see - museums, markets, etc.
- Hotel information for your stay with inclusions at each place (always breakfast, some dinners)
- Local contact information
Their trips also include luggage transport between hotels. All you carry is your daypack.
Treasures of Tuscany included:
- 2 nights Volterra
- 1 night San Gimignano
- 1 night Colle val D'Elsa
- 1 night Monteriggione
- 2 nights Siena (we added extra day to sightsee)
- 2 nights Radda in Chianti
- 1 night Panzano in Chianti
- 1 night Florence (end of trip)
Planning? Very little required other than air. We flew to Florence since the trip began and ended there. You can pick any day to start your independent Sherpa trip. Since each tour is individually booked per your specs...we chose the beginning of October, 2001...grape picking season (I had visions of Lucy and Ethel stomping the grapes in that vat)...not too hot...one of the best times to go.
We were going to begin the trip by meeting our son and daughter-in-law in Paris, but 9/11 took place two weeks before departure. They cancelled their plans, uncertain about leaving children at home. It was a depressing time to even think of traveling, but (with some minor changes) we decided to eliminate Paris - substituting Lucca, Italy, and carry on through Tuscany after that.
Our United flight over was almost completely empty, and everyone was extremely subdued. "Ex-Marine" and I worried whether this was the right thing, going abroad at this time. Our concerns were unnecessary. You had to see with your own eyes the immense outpouring of support for the United States all over Italy. Little towns and individual homes were flying American flags from windows and balconies, Florence and Siena merchants had signs in their windows showing solidarity and expressing condolences for that most terrible time in history. I cried each time we saw our flag waving proudly, and Italians coming directly to us, overflowing with love and sympathy. I choke up even writing about that experience.
We were on our way to Lucca....
