10 Things That Make Our Tuscany Tour Spectacular
Female Foodie Friday Vol. 25
Our spring 2025 Female Foodie Tours are done tomorrow, and my heart is totally and completely full.
This week marks the 10th tour I’ve hosted and our 12th total tour completed. Hard to believe!
Hard to even imagine back in December 2019 when someone randomly sent me a DM telling me I should host a girls trip to Italy, and my husband said, “you should do it!”
As our group was driving back from Siena to Florence tonight, I couldn’t help but tell our super kind and genuine van driver how much I loved his country: the slow 2-hour meals, the sassy and loving nonnas, the passion, and of course the pasta!
Italy is quintessentially magical, but there’s so much I gain every time.
On this tour, I gained a little confidence from several Italians who told me I had a good accent when I tried to speak Italian.
On this tour, I became even more familiar Florence, and it’s feeling more and more like the back of my hand.
On this tour, I re-learned compassion as I heard stories from our guests, tour partners, and locals and their joys and sorrows. It’s an incredible privilege to get to know them on such a personal level.
And of course, on this tour, I gained even more appreciation for the things I love most about Italy, but also for the things that I love and enjoy most at home: my husband, my 3 kids, and our simple, wonderful life.
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10 Things That Make Our Tuscany Tour Spectacular
I can’t believe it’s been almost a month since I wrote this little tribute to our Rome Tour (also at 1 in the morning, also in the middle of one of our tours, and also with very similar concepts), but here’s my latest version for our beloved Tuscany Tour.
The food. Need I say more? We consume Tuscan specialties like the pici, Tuscan steak, ragu with papardelle, Panzanella, and sandwiches made with schiacciata. We devour bite-sized delicacies on our walking food tour, and of course, we consume endless cups and cones of gelato—sometimes two or three times per day.
The hidden gems. Each time I visit Florence (or anywhere in Italy for that matter), I try to make sure and see a handful of things that are brand new to me. This tour’s hidden gems: a magical jewelry store filled with custom charms and bracelets/necklaces, the Bardini gardens with wisteria in bloom, and the Gucci museum (Gucci’s flagship store and birthplace are here in Florence).
Giuliano Ricchi and his sweet wife Maria helping me put together my custom charm bracelet! The flowers. *Especially* in the springtime, Florence is a sight to behold. The wisteria is fragrant and picturesque, the irises are regal and symbolic, and the spring blossoms make Italy feel truly magical.
Wisteria at the Bardini Gardens. The art. Seeing Michelangelo’s David, one of his three pietas, Da Vinci’s “Adoration of the Magi”, and Botticelli’s “Birth of Venus” simply does not get old. I particularly love anything of Michelangelo’s—the more I learn about him the more I am fascinated.
The hotel AND villa breakfast. Is there anything that feels more regal than a good hotel breakfast?
The locals. Our tour simply wouldn’t be even close to what it is without the people who make it special. Cue: the incredible tour guides, vivacious restauranteurs, personable cooking instructors, and so many others that I’m endlessly grateful for.
Just a few of the wonderful people we love here in Florence: hilarious & stylish van drivers Gabriel and Bepe, our extraordinary tour guide Cristina, and Alessandro our phenomenal pizzaiolo The stunningly gorgeous villa. It’s historic, elegant, and wonderfully close to the heart of Florence (15 mins away!). I love the little details that make this place special.
The pasta making class and our cooking class with Juls’ Kitchen. Taking the skill of cooking home with you is such a gift.
We adore our cooking class with Giulia (she has a substack, too!) The monastery. I knew Certosa di Maggiano was a very special place after I stayed there with Cody in 2023, and I’m thrilled we’ve been able to incorporate a special experience there for our Tuscany Tour.
Our guests. Now that I’ve hosted 10 tours, I know with confidence at the start of each tour just how incredible our guests are. They all have a story and they all shape each of our tours in an important and meaningful way. To host them (sometimes two or three times!) is such a privilege, and it’s always hard to say goodbye. 💛
Can’t wait to get the details for next years trip!! 🥰🤩
I CAN NOT WAIT for October! So excited! 🇮🇹