helloworld TUSCANY We stayed in the village of VICOPISANO which is just 30 mins drive from Pisa and 60 mins to Florence- a fantastic base for getting around Tuscany. Vicopisano and Buti has a range of accommodation from homely B&Bs to stand-alone casas (homes) and gorgeous upmarket villas. Under the village castle is a square where we sat each night with the locals drinking aperitifs. During our week in Vicopisano we explored each day with our B&B hosts Jon & Massimo also local guides who showed us the highlights of Tuscany as well as less-visited areas. We loved chasing a Truffle dog through the forest on a hunt for the nobbly "gold" buried under trees, and especially the delicious Tuscan lunch infused with truffle, which followed. During our hands-on cooking class in a centuries old villa we made a mouth-watering menu of Tuscan ragu, homemade Ravioli with Ricotta cheese and spinach and Torta d'Erbi (a traditional cake with herbs and pecorino cheese). Our favourite Tuscan towns were: Volterra a gorgeous town situated high up in the hills with fascinating Medieval and Etruscan history, famous for its panaforte, alabaster and glassware Lajatico an arty village set amidst rolling Tuscan hills where Andre Bocelli was born and where he holds an annual outdoor concert. Cinque Terre on a day trip we visited Portovenere and Monterosso famous for their colourful multi-storied skinny houses, unusual pastas, pesto, anchovies, linen and scenic clifftop walks. SWITZERLAND From Tuscany we took the train through to Interlaken and spent 3 days exploring the lakes, mountains and towns around Grindelwald and Lauterbrunnen. If you love walking and jaw-dropping scenery, I can highly recommend Interlaken as a perfect base. There is a good range of accommodation and it is easy to train, gondola, bike, walk or cruise around Marie says: If you are planning a visit to Tuscany, I can assist in designing an itinerary to suit you with accommodation and sightseeing included Proudly locally owned and operated for 41 years helloworld Cambridge Cr Victoria & Duke Streets (07)827 5100 EG Qmarie.coles@helloworld.co.nz helloworld.co.nz Fly Buys