Archive for 'Pretty Views'

Florence is a city of remarkable art and galleries, with wondrous examples to be found at every turn, but those who find a luxury villa in Florence will quickly discover that it is also a city of rather spectacular gardens. We have mentioned many of them previously – from the breathtaking sculptural marvels of the Boboli Gardens to the heavenly aromas and wide spectrum of shades of the Rose Garden – but if you are planning to find a Tuscany villa or a villa in Florence itself in May and you have an interest in gardens and blooms then one of the gardens that should top your list of things to see and do in the region has to be the Giardino Dell’Iris, or Iris Garden.

Poised in a panoramic position, east of the Piazzale Michelangelo, boasting truly incredible views over the lovely and iconic skyline of Florence, this unique gem of a garden is only actually open to the general public during the month of May (though visits can be arranged outside this month by appointment or on a guided tour), during the international iris show and competition organized by the Società italiana dell'iris, or Iris Society of Italy. 

You may have noticed a type of wine increasingly in stores and restaurants in the last few years, in particular, that seems new and strange to you: orange wine. These wines are actually part of a very old tradition of wine-making that has been revitalised in recent years and basically involves the macerating of white wines with their skins and the treating of white grapes as one would red ones. While white wine is usually made by pressing the grapes, separating the juice from the skins, and then fermenting this juice, orange wine (or, sometimes, called amber, ramato, macerated, or skin-contact wines) is made by allowing both the skins and juice to ferment together.

Ranging from a golden hue to a richer, redder colour, orange wines have the complex flavour profile and tannins of a red wine but are similarly refreshing to white wine. It is a type of flavour that some find strange at first but it is worth familiarising oneself with as it is a perfect summer drink to enjoy while visiting a vineyard or to pair with a wide variety of meals and foods while dining in the region. And, while the region is not the first that comes to mind in Italy when thinking of orange wine, those who have found a villa with pool in Tuscany or a Tuscany villa will find that many wineries throughout Tuscany are producing wonderful orange wines. 

There is a vast wealth of attractions to draw visitors to the lovely historic city of Pisa but there is also plenty to be seen across the wider region by those who find a villa with a swimming pool in Pisa and are looking ahead for things to see and do during their holiday in Tuscany and while enjoying a Tuscany villa. Boasting a landscape that features those famous rolling hills and pastoral views for which Tuscany is so well-known, a whole host of wineries to be visited, great hiking routes to choose from, pretty little villages waiting to be explored, some exceptionally lovely gardens to wander, and much more besides, this is a particularly scenic part of the world that utterly abounds in natural bounty and beauty.

However, while the whole region features charming scenery and great swathes of unblemished natural splendour, there are several protected areas where nature remains largely completely untouched and these make for the perfect spots to get out and get active and leave the stresses of the modern world behind for a time. One such area is the Natural Park of Migliarino San Rossore Massaciuccoli, or Parco Regionale Migliarino, San Rossore, Massaciuccoli, a truly extraordinary nature park that is located just a few kilometres from the city of Pisa and extends along the coast, taking in parts of the municipalities of Pisa, Viareggio, San Giuliano Terme, Vecchiano, Massarosa, and Livorno. With much to see and do and plenty to keep kids and kids at heart alike happy, it is the perfect place to enjoy outdoor pursuits and to immerse oneself in the calming surroundings of Mother Nature.

As spring draws closer, many look forward to the blooming of flowers and, though it may not be the first place that comes to mind when thinking of famous destinations to enjoy spring blooms, Tuscany is actually an ideal place for those who like to wander in gardens and enjoy the scents and colours of life being breathed back into the land once more. In fact, there are lots of truly spectacular gardens dotted all over the region, many of which are former pleasure grounds that were once part of the estates of the nobles who used their wealth to adorn the countryside, cities, churches, and museums of Tuscany with incredible buildings, flights of fancy, stunning works of art, and magical things made or tamed by human hands. There is the Giardino di Boboli with its astonishing arrangement of fountains, statuary from ancient Rome to the 18th century, nymphaea, temples, grottoes, and plants; Florence’s Rose Garden which was commissioned in 1865 as part of a plan to redevelop the city when it became Italy’s capital and which boasts astonishing views over Florence as well as a whopping 400 different species of roses; and the English-style garden and classic Italian-style garden filled with the scent of the lemons and a colourful riot of blooms ripened by the sun at the former Medici villa of Poggio a Caiano in Prato; to name but a handful of examples. However, if you are a planning a vacation in Tuscany this coming spring and you have a special fondness for camellia flowers, in particular, then you should make a point to head to the town and comune of Capannori in the province of Lucca...