FAO of The Wild Colonial Bhoy, Il Bomber Destro, other forum Italians and any Italian experts

[QUOTE=“Bandage, post: 941870, member: 9”]Update: Going to Tuscany via Rome first up. The hope when booking was that I’d be in the eternal city the weekend we defeated Juve to blow the title race wide open but it’s not to be.

Heading onwards to Florence on a fast train and intend to stay there for a couple of nights. Itinerary is then open until return flight from Pisa so have 5 or 6 days to fill in and plan to book things as we go along.

One day will likely be in Pisa itself before coming home but various people have recommended nearby towns like Lucca. Others say Siena is a must visit with some wine tasting in the Chianti region. Any other Tuscany specific recommendations?[/QUOTE]

anywhere in Italy is beautiful mate, don’t get bogged down with specifics & itineraries .

You’re a calm and reassuring Pirloesque presence on this thread, pal.

Talk to @mickee321 about taking in a Euroleague fixture mate. A Montepaschi Siena match in their home arena would be a real treat.

Anybody work in an off licence? Would love to get some wine recommendations also.

you have to hire a car in Tuscany.

if you are going to see things in florence get up early and go. you will lose the will to live queuing for things otherwise.

also drive up into the hills around the villages. thats where you will find the best restaurants and the best value for money.
[SIZE=6]Casprini Da Omero [/SIZE]
this place is very cheap in chianti. the wife is a lovely person and the breakfast is very nice. the place was clean but old with fcuk all facilities and there was a grand small pool out the back. there was also a nice restaurant down the hill from the place beside a winery but the best part of the whole thing for me was that the man of the house gave a classic italian welcome. he assumed we were english and so behaved like an utter cunt until the final moments when we were leaving. very traditional

san gimignano is a must see for me.
greve in chianti is also a nice place to visit
monteriggioni is worth an hour for a look around and a nice lunch.

tuscany is a food and wine destination more than anything so if i was you i would book one spot and drive out each day for a couple of hours but keep an eye out for restaurants in secluded spots or very small villages.
if a restaurant is surviving in the middle of nowhere it is because people are travelling to it.

only if you are a shallow cunt that can`t relax and get away from the things you normally crave. Stick to lanzarote where they serve a nice fry up in the morning

[QUOTE=“Bandage, post: 941870, member: 9”]Update: Going to Tuscany via Rome first up. The hope when booking was that I’d be in the eternal city the weekend we defeated Juve to blow the title race wide open but it’s not to be.

Heading onwards to Florence on a fast train and intend to stay there for a couple of nights. Itinerary is then open until return flight from Pisa so have 5 or 6 days to fill in and plan to book things as we go along.

One day will likely be in Pisa itself before coming home but various people have recommended nearby towns like Lucca. Others say Siena is a must visit with some wine tasting in the Chianti region. Any other Tuscany specific recommendations?[/QUOTE]

You’ll like Siena, basically a walled pedestrian town with a stunning town centre. It feels quite small though. Go to the Church of St Catherine of Siena, you can see her relics. Pity you won’t be going around the time of the Palio, the horse race around the town centre.

The best thing about Siena is that you can leave your doors open at night - there’s almost zero crime in the town. It’s been a city of the rich since the time of De Midici. With Europe’s oldest bank originating there.

[QUOTE=“twiceasnice97, post: 941945, member: 1061”]you have to hire a car in Tuscany.

if you are going to see things in florence get up early and go. you will lose the will to live queuing for things otherwise.

also drive up into the hills around the villages. thats where you will find the best restaurants and the best value for money.
[SIZE=6]Casprini Da Omero [/SIZE]
this place is very cheap in chianti. the wife is a lovely person and the breakfast is very nice. the place was clean but old with fcuk all facilities and there was a grand small pool out the back. there was also a nice restaurant down the hill from the place beside a winery but the best part of the whole thing for me was that the man of the house gave a classic italian welcome. he assumed we were english and so behaved like an utter cunt until the final moments when we were leaving. very traditional

san gimignano is a must see for me.
greve in chianti is also a nice place to visit
monteriggioni is worth an hour for a look around and a nice lunch.

tuscany is a food and wine destination more than anything so if i was you i would book one spot and drive out each day for a couple of hours but keep an eye out for restaurants in secluded spots or very small villages.
if a restaurant is surviving in the middle of nowhere it is because people are travelling to it.[/QUOTE]

Very informative, thanks. That said, it’s more likely the man of the house thought you were an utter cunt and his mood improved/softened because you were leaving.

[QUOTE=“twiceasnice97, post: 941945, member: 1061”]you have to hire a car in Tuscany.

if you are going to see things in florence get up early and go. you will lose the will to live queuing for things otherwise.

also drive up into the hills around the villages. thats where you will find the best restaurants and the best value for money.
[SIZE=6]Casprini Da Omero [/SIZE]
this place is very cheap in chianti. the wife is a lovely person and the breakfast is very nice. the place was clean but old with fcuk all facilities and there was a grand small pool out the back. there was also a nice restaurant down the hill from the place beside a winery but the best part of the whole thing for me was that the man of the house gave a classic italian welcome. he assumed we were english and so behaved like an utter cunt until the final moments when we were leaving. very traditional

san gimignano is a must see for me.
greve in chianti is also a nice place to visit
monteriggioni is worth an hour for a look around and a nice lunch.

tuscany is a food and wine destination more than anything so if i was you i would book one spot and drive out each day for a couple of hours but keep an eye out for restaurants in secluded spots or very small villages.
if a restaurant is surviving in the middle of nowhere it is because people are travelling to it.[/QUOTE]

FFS, “the place was clean” is one of your holiday highlights

unfortunately Euro league is at final four stage that takes place in Milan of all places next weekend, macabi Tel Aviv, Barcelona , Real Madrid and CSKA make up the numbers.
Montepashi didnt feature at all in the Euroleage this season but i do believe they were involved in the Eurocup , the UEFA cup equivalent, i very much doubt that would be a treat.

@Bandage are you pottering off on your own on some “vacation” for a week?
Get yourself to Genoa, it’s an absolute shithole of a port city filled with brazzers and nasty dark pubs, you’ll look more normal there than sitting on your own and nervously fidgeting on your i phone behind the menu at a table like a paedo at some family run restaurant in a quaint Tuscan village

[QUOTE=“mickee321, post: 942065, member: 367”]@Bandage are you pottering off on your own on some “vacation” for a week?
Get yourself to Genoa, it’s an absolute shithole of a port city filled with brazzers and nasty dark pubs, you’ll look more normal there than sitting on your own and nervously fidgeting on your i phone behind the menu at a table like a paedo at some family run restaurant in a quaint Tuscan village[/QUOTE]

Going with the good lady, pal. It’ll be the longest we’ve ever been away together and I really can’t wait for it. How far is it to Genoa from Florence though?

mate, ditch calling florence florence

And a load of Africans selling shit on the side of the road

like their daughters?

Is that how you found your wife?

there is that.
not having engaged with the cunt other than to collect the key and pay him i don`t think i would have managed to irritate him specifically.

[QUOTE=“twiceasnice97, post: 942312, member: 1061”]there is that.
not having engaged with the cunt other than to collect the key and pay him i don`t think i would have managed to irritate him specifically.[/QUOTE]

you understate what an irritating cunt you are

Is there an Irish pub?

[QUOTE=“Bandage, post: 941870, member: 9”]Update: Going to Tuscany via Rome first up. The hope when booking was that I’d be in the eternal city the weekend we defeated Juve to blow the title race wide open but it’s not to be.

Heading onwards to Florence on a fast train and intend to stay there for a couple of nights. Itinerary is then open until return flight from Pisa so have 5 or 6 days to fill in and plan to book things as we go along.

One day will likely be in Pisa itself before coming home but various people have recommended nearby towns like Lucca. Others say Siena is a must visit with some wine tasting in the Chianti region. Any other Tuscany specific recommendations?[/QUOTE]

Drove to Tuscany last year. Stayed on the coast about 20 miles south of Livorno, not very far from where the Costa Concordia tragedy happened. We did day trips to Firenze, Pisa and Siena. Beautiful countryside. Lovely little towns also worth seeing like San Gimigiano and Volterra. Was there in July and it was mid 30s temperature so a bit tough to be in large cities. Very crowded. Firenze is beautiful, Siena is very interesting. Less to see in Pisa beyond the area near the Cathedral and the tower. Previouly I had been to Firenze in December and it was excellent, less tourists.