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06-12-2023

ITALY WITH COLLETTE SPOTLIGHT

I am freshly returned from a three –week holiday in Italy (during which I have became a complete and committed adherent of La Dolce Vita) and while the memory of Persimmon Gelato and Aperol Spritz are fresh I thought I would share some of the highlights from the trip.

My adventure began into Rome – the Eternal City. Nothing quite prepares you for the feeling of standing beneath the domed ceiling of the Pantheon, or brushing up against 2000 years of history in a Roman archaeological site. All those layers of history stacked in one place – and you a small part of it even now.
I was then lucky enough to spend a week sampling the many delights of Tuscany with Collette. Their tour, Spotlight on Tuscany, differs from the traditional coach touring format by taking a spoke and wheel approach. From our base in Montecatini Terme – a famous resort and spa town, we spent seven days discovering the surrounding region. From day trips to Siena, San Gimignano, Florence, Pisa and Lucca, to visits to local wineries, cheese makers, farms and cooking classes – we traversed the sprawling hillsides soaking in the history, culture and beauty with which Tuscany is so richly endowed. Good food, good company and lots of good wine made for a wonderful introduction to Toscana!
At the end of the tour, I reluctantly parted ways with my group of newfound friends but excitedly made my way to Bologna. Bologna is the capital of the Emilia – Romagna region (home of Parmigiano cheese, Modena Balsamic vinegar, Parma ham and much more). Best known for its elegant medieval architecture and rich gastronomic history – Bologna thoroughly charmed me. I spent days wandering the covered walkways of its city centre, sampling the many restaurants and food stalls tucked into its winding streets and stumbling onto all sorts of hidden treasures along the way. And of course, I ate so much pasta, pizza and prosciutto that I don’t know if I will ever be able to so much as look at them again (a condition which is guaranteed to pass).
From there I ventured north to Lugano, a beautiful town perched on the edge of a lake and ringed by towering snow-topped peaks. Lugano is in the Italian-speaking Ticino region of Switzerland and it was fascinating the see how the two cultures were enmeshed. The entire region was perhaps one of the most visually striking and spectacular places I have had the opportunity to visit thus far. While I was there, I was fortunate enough to be able to visit Valle Verzasca and to hike alongside the jade green waters of its glacial rivers, through autumnal forests and winding paths set against the magnificent backdrop of the Alps.
Drawn south to the cradle of the Renaissance, I ended my trip in Florence. I stayed in Oltrarno – a neighbourhood just across the river which is home to countless artisan bottegas and studios where you can watch leatherworkers, stonemasons, jewellers and artists working as you wander the streets. I roamed from gallery to museum to Osteria to garden.
Now back in Australia, I am already plotting my return, but savouring the memories I am so fortunate to have been able to make.
Arrivederci,
Sienna Gardner