Many would argue that Tuscany is one of the most romantic and beautiful places on earth…  Just breathing the word conjures up endless possibilities of slow lunches, fields of sunflowers and old world charm.  I have to admit, even just writing about it makes me feel homesick!  And I’m not even Italian!

No, there something about the feel of the air in Tuscany that makes you feel alive, but in a different way than you’re probably feeling today.  It’s sort of hard to describe but all I can say is that after visit you’ll never be quite the same again, you’ll come away with a different appreciation for living your life.

Living “la dolce vita” or the sweet life is not merely a saying in Italy…

Some of you may of heard the term “slow living”, interestingly the concept of slow living seems to have been created in Italy but more than any other place I’ve visited its deeply rooted in the Tuscan culture, and in many ways sets them apart from the other areas of Italy.

My friends Arianna & Alessio helped me understand that slow living is the only way to appreciate a full and complete life.

Firstly, they own the captivating guesthouse “Montrogoli” and have created not only a beautiful place to stay (set amongst the rolling hills of Chianti in the heart of Tuscany) but also provide their guests with an authentic Tuscan experience. They believe that to have an authentic experience, it has to be both educational and recreative at the same time.  Hence the experience is centered around interacting and engaging with local people as well as artisans.  This form of immersion in the local culture and traditions whether its art, food or wine is the center piece of slow living.

You’ll need to get used to meeting lots of locals during your stay, and not surprisingly they’ll quickly become friends over a glass of fabulous local wine.

This slow living lifestyle has enormous benefits, not only for your health but also for outlook on life.  Nothing is rushed, after all there is always tomorrow… 🙂

Unlike those of us that live in North America where life is conducted at a sprint for the most part, Italy and in particular Tuscany the opposite is almost true.  They believe that life is meant to be savored…and each moment enjoyed.  Whether its harvesting fresh vegetables from the garden, strolling in the village or perhaps having a glass of wine with friends in a cafe, each is appreciated for the connections that it brings.

No aspect of a Tuscan life is rushed…I don’t know about you but that’s my sort of lifestyle.

When I visit, it usually takes me a couple of days to unwind and slow down to a pace that’s closer to that of my local friends. A few afternoons of relaxing around a big kitchen table or under a grape dappled pergola, smelling the sweet fragrance of wild hydrangea with a glass of local red wine and nibbling on some local cheese and sausage sets me straight pretty quickly.  🙂

That’s my idea of a fabulous lifestyle – no place to be, no rush to be anywhere and more importantly surrounded by friends enjoying each others company….hhhmmm shouldn’t we all consider doing more of this irrespective of where we live?  Just sayin…

So when Arianna emailed me recently about a spring tour of Tuscany that they were arranging I was literally salivating! And although my personal calendar wasn’t able to accommodate the trip I wanted to spread the word amongst my friends, and followers.

Here’s just a snippet of what you’d experience…

April 22-29, 2017 Tuscan Spring Tour – celebrating Spring and its beautiful colors and flavors. The program is fully- inclusive and includes lodging in a beautiful country home in Chianti, daily breakfast, all lunches and dinners, visits to wine, olive oil, cashmere, honey and cheese producers, professional cooking course with a local chef, catered Tuscan dinners under the Tuscan stars, refreshing hikes in the nature and beautiful walks in some of the most stunning villages in Tuscany.

For a detailed itinerary and pricing check out this link – Tuscan Spring Tour

Absolutely spectacular if you ask me and I wish I was going to be able to spend the week in what many consider to be the absolute best time of year to visit Tuscany.

I have so many great memories of all my visits to Italy and so feeling a tad envious to be honest, but if you venture to Italy either now or some time in the future I can help you organize that itinerary of yours so that you get maximum enjoyment from your visit.

Although I can’t guarantee that you won’t fall head over heels in love with Italy like me, nor contemplate buying a place during your visit (yes, each and every visit I check out the houses, apartments and villas to buy – hey, we can all dream big!).   That said you will have one of the most romantic and memorable experiences of your life.

Now that I can guarantee!  🙂

Whose in???

 

 

 

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