Tuscany: A deep kind of love that involves nakedness

Cathedral at Pisa

I have fallen in a deep kind of love with Tuscany. The kind of love that makes you question everything you know and wonder if the sky really is blue. Is it? Are you sure it’s blue not some constant hazy grey? What is happening to me.

The moment I stepped off the train at Firenze S. M. Novella station into the crisp morning Florentine air on what was supposed to be the tail the end of winter, I knew. Tuscany was about to steal my heart and it would never give it back.

If you arrive Florence early in the morning, the first the you want to do is grab an espresso and head to Pisa. Hop on a bus or a train and spend your morning marveling the cathedral (duomo) at the square. This same square houses the leaning tower and the Baptistery. In the cathedral you will be transported to days long gone and beauty that can only be described as true commitment to art, religion and love.

When you’ve had a gelato and bought some jewelry crafted from utensils head back to Florence. There you will be greeted by yet another heartbreakingly beautiful duomo and the tiny Florentine streets that pay homage to the days of the House of Medici, rich merchants and castle lords. A short walk away from the duomo you are encouraged to take in a moment with David, where he stands in the academic gallery in all his well sculpted and naked glory.

David

When you find yourself on the other side of the river that divides Florence, Michaelangelo’s Piazza is the perfect spot for reflection. There you will gaze on the whole city and its iconic red rooftops. As the day draws to a close it is best to head off to Siena for one of the most enchanting sunsets you will ever see, accompanied by a fine glass of the best Chianti classic you can find.

The food here tastes like the perfect alchemy of skill, ingredients, passion and nature. You can taste the story of your pizza, the strength that went into kneading every bump in the dough. You savour how your pasta came to be, with every mouthful the intensity of the sauce plays on your palette. You imagine the chef in a tomato field selecting the perfect, juiciest and sweetest ones for the task. It is glorious love affair.

Tuscany has a certain charm that I can’t seem to find the right words to describe out loud. If you will indulge me for a moment: close your eyes and listen to the sound of silence. Then imagine the smell of olives and freshly cut tomatoes, then hear the sound of laughter, real boisterous laughter that comes from the depth of your soul. Then I want you to taste the Chianti classic from grapes grown just three meters from your feet, you can taste the forest and the land that it came from. You can feel the air gently caress your skin, it’s sweet kiss hello and welcome home. When you open your eyes and you see the beauty of Tuscany before the blood orange sunset that burns in the horizon. This is Tuscany, it is a deep kind of love the one that you can get’s get away from and you don’t want to.

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