Tuscany

I spent just under two glorious weeks in Tuscany, basing myself in Florence to explore the region.

Florence was the birthplace of the Renaissance, which is not surprising, as there were gorgeous art and architecture everywhere I looked.

Tuscany is even more beautiful in person; pictures don't do it justice. One day was spent biking in the countryside. Pro tip: unless you are a road cyclist, rent a vespa or car to get around. I'm in pretty decent shape but biking was painfully difficult, as the countryside was mainly made up of hills.

Unfortunately it was rainy and chilly for the majority of my visit, but that didn't stop me from being out and about.

But really, why did I return to Italy? It was all about the food.

I stuffed myself until I could eat no more. Some highlights: pizza with burrata, tiramisu (which I always ordered if it was on the menu), pasta with lamb (so good), stuffed pasta, and one kilogram of Florentine steak (shared with a friend). I'm not usually a steak person, especially when very rare, but it was extremely tender and juicy.

There was also a lot of wine consumption. I did a wine tasting with three different vintages of Chianti and it blew my mind that I was drinking wine from 1971. Other things I ate: deer prosciutto and many varieties of cheese.

Oh, Italy. You're always so dreamy and delicious. Arrivederci.