Whether it’s those gastronomic delights savoured just that bit longer, the lush rolling hills that seem to go on forever or the deep-rooted heritage, Tuscany is simply irresistible. Frequently viewed as one of the most beautiful regions in Italy, its Renaissance is reflected in its architecture, sculptures, paintings and museums. We take a look at some of the highlights from our visits to Siena and Florence with Bookings For You.
Located in the Vendée region of France, Puy du Fou is France’s second largest theme park but there’s not a single ride. Instead, visitors are treated to the most extraordinary daytime and evening shows, each inspired by moments in French history. These remarkable spectacles provide a fully immersive experience designed to excite, enthral and delight. With mind-boggling special effects, incredible scenery and sensational performances, the shows are astonishing. And the jaw-dropping La Cinéscénie, the show Puy du Fou is famed for, is ranked the greatest night show in the world.
Much as we love independent holidays and exploring off the beaten track, there are times we want someone else to do it all for us. Package holidays have been around for decades and while some might view them as a cheerful alternative to ‘real travel’, there really is no one size fits all. We’ve been on a jungle trek to Angel Falls, canoed down the Churún River and walked behind the waterfall in Last of the Mohicans in the past. Hardly a trip you’d categorise as a package holiday. But having flights, transfers, accommodation and meals organised is convenient, especially for time-poor parents. Mark Warner is well known for its activity holidays which are great for families especially as you can do as much (or as little) as you like. For our family, it’s all about grabbing the bull by the horns and doing things we might not normally do, creating very special moments along the way.
If you’ve not heard of Puy du Fou, it’s a historical ‘theme park’ situated in the Vendée region of France. There are no rides. Instead, the entertainment comes in the form of spectacular shows which take place during the day and in the evening. Four-period villages add to the authenticity of this truly remarkable park which 2.2 million visit every year. It’s no surprise Puy du Fou is voted the best theme park in the world. Rightly so, there’s nothing like it anywhere else.
Situated just off the beautiful Piazza delle Erbe is the Torre dei Lamberti – the tallest of Verona’s towers. It was built by the powerful Lamberti family in 1172 and belongs to a group of towers next to the Palazzo della Ragione. Overlooking the historic city, this 84-metre high tower boasts 360-degree views for those brave enough to reach the terrace and belfry.
Famed for its association with Stephenie Meyer’s Twilight novels, Volterra is a walled town situated in the Pisa province, not far from Siena and Florence. It’s believed the author wanted a fictional city “Volturin” in Tuscany that had a square and clock tower from which to set the series. It’s understood Volterra was used in the Twilight series but for the New Moon film, the Volterra scenes were actually filmed in Montepulciano in Italy.
We’d travelled for years before POD arrived one snowy Christmas Day. While our holidays have changed since she was born back in 2010 (jungle sleepovers are definitely out), POD is just as much of an adventurer are we are. Suffice to say, we always travel together unless one of us has a press or work-based trip. We didn’t even realise until recently but over the past 7 years, we’ve never been away as a couple. While this is partly because we don’t have childcare locally, we genuinely enjoy going away as a family of three. Recently, however, we got to go to Verona in Northern Italy without the small one. Don’t get me wrong we missed her like crazy and it was weird at times but we had a good time. It turns out you can squeeze an awful lot into a weekend without a small one in tow too.
One of the things we love about travelling is discovering places that are largely untouched by tourism. Driving around Asturias for two weeks, and Cantabria a few months prior to that, we explored many beautiful villages and towns. You might think this kind of trip isn’t suitable for kids but six-year-old POD relishes being an adventurer whether she’s collecting water from a spring, exploring a mountaintop or wild swimming with the locals.
While we were in Tuscany, when we stayed at the stunning Villa Le Capanne from Bookings For You, we drove over to Florence. It was just over 1.5 hours away from our wonderful villa and somewhere we’d wanted to spend a day exploring. Some of us had visited before and others hadn’t but we were all keen to discover more of this beautiful city. We had two tours organised with LivItaly, the first was a private food tour and gelato making class. The other (to be covered in another post) a walking tour of the city which included a visit to the David.
I’ve recently returned from the most brilliant long weekend in Tuscany with 12 of my fellow family travel bloggers. We’d travelled there to review Country Relais and Spa Le Capanne (Villa Le Capanne) which is a magnificent property from Bookings For You set in the Tuscan countryside. We knew we’d have an incredible weekend but I don’t think any of us anticipated quite how great a trip it would be. The Giovannini family made us feel relaxed from the off, their hospitality and kindness exceptional, their Tuscan cuisine exquisite and their attention to detail impeccable. If that wasn’t enough, we laughed until our sides ached and our cheeks hurt, we danced and we sang. We packed a lot in too, exploring the likes of Volterra, Siena and Florence during our four-day stay. We had a truly memorable trip to Tuscany which was pretty much perfect from beginning to the end.
