Let's Catch Up....

Ok, When, and Where? Done. Excited? See you there!

Essentially there are no rules to ''Catch Up''. Just agree (!) on a day, a place and a time, which serve as a springboard into the Catch Up Zone, and the rest is open to interpretation and improvisation.

ViT is off on a Catch Up, having just arrived in the UK from ViT-HQ, and is thoroughly looking forward to it all.

Pancake Day aka Shrove Tuesday is now long past (actually 2 days after Valentines Day), we're still in Lent (what have you given up??!!) and Easter is on it's way.

ViT has been recieving emails from people asking for suggestions as to where families and groups of friends can go in Tuscany to enjoy a change of scenery over the next few weeks.

New blogs will be along the lines of ''Easter in somewhere or other'', or ''Easter doing something or other'' etc. In fact, I will write about places people ask about most often first, so drop ViT a line if you'd like a blog on somewhere or something specific.

So, what to do and where to go over the Easter period....

There are many public celebrations to enjoy and Tuscany is a hive of activity; snow is still on the mountains and skiing is great; the days are longer and after 5.32pm GMT on 20 March we are officially in Spring - yeay!!; the sun's strength is perfect for that sun kissed look whilst sunbathing by the pool, and is not too strong for kids to have to be kept out of the sun during the middle of the day; temperatures are on the up and it's hot enough to start having all meals outside (the best way to start the day - breakfast outside under the sun taking in that panorama - oh yes!); Nature's colours are vibrant as flowers are opening up, crops are shooting up, and a new lease of life is bursting forth after the long hard winter we've all just experienced; birds will be in full  song, and little ones of all species will be trying out for the first time their legs or wings or fins or whatever.....!

Spring in Tuscany is a sure fire winner - the place is buzzing with energy, it's not too hot, it's not too cold, flights are cheap, and finally we can all get outdoors and breathe in deeply that fresh positively charged air whilst walking barefoot on the negatively charged grass or sand and really be perfectly in balance with nature and ourselves.

Tuscany comes to life again in full force and courses start up again as well, cooking, chocolate, wine tasting, to name but very few.

Golf, horse riding, paragliding, hot air ballooning, sports galore are accessible, and it's a great time to try something new...

What would you prefer?

A large house for everyone, pool and ample ground to chill out in. Maybe get a chef in for a few evening meals who can cook traditional Tuscan, international or whatever you wish. Maybe organise a masseusse, beautician and baby sitter to come round so the adults can be pampered and totally unwind whilst the kids are entertained.

A set of appartments with communal spaces within the same location, maybe an old farmhouse or very large villa for example, so that whilst everyone is all together there is still a high degree of independance.

All ViT accomodations have pools, bbq, and so much more, it just depends where you'd like to be situated too - completely out in the countryside or near to town.

There are farmhouses, country villas, estates, appartments that cater to all your requirements, so why don't you email me with your preferences and I will send you various options and information on what's going on in that area around the time of your Together-Time holiday.

I think you'll agree that whilst playing catch up in the UK at the moment, ViT is actually ahead of the game where Tuscany is concerned.

Life is good, Tuscany is great, ViT is a Tuscan winner!!

Sassetta

What a start to the week!!
Blue sky, warm sun, a trip to Sassetta and then off to the sea for lunch before heading back to ViT HQ.

About an hour from Pisa, Sassetta has everything - out of the madding crowd, but still close enough to shops, and 'life' to enjoy a bit of everything.
It's close to the sea, half an hour away, and up in the hills so you have an amazing view of the surrounding area.
ViT is sitting right now writing this from a sea front bar on an amazingly sunny day in mid February.
Probably a little cold to swim, but certainly not to paddle and enjoy the sea air and warm sun on my face!
Bliss!

Sassetta is a medieval town that sits right on top of a rock - pretty spectacular to see for the first time when you arrive.
It is steeped in history, and is a wonderful place to go for a wander around the winding alleyways and passageways, see the castle and stop for a drink in one of the bars.
The surrounding area is covered by oak and chestnut trees which give it that timeless feel and shade from the sun in the summer.

There is so much to see and do around here - Etruscan ruins, medieval fortress, the Island of Elba (Isola d'Elba), Populonia, diving, cycling, hiking, thermal baths and spa, then just relax and enjoy the wonderful cooking back at your accommodation.

The photo above was taken today, just before ViT's lunch, at Baratti-on-Sea (so to speak) on the ViT-phone, not bad eh?!

And here's a photo of ViT herself......

Sweetie for the first one to see the sea....!!!!

:D

Montepulciano - wine, spas and breathtaking panoramas.

So here ViT is in Montepulciano for a few days checking out the area for you, such a tough job!

It's not the greatest of weather by summer standards, but it's February and ViT doesn't mind at all visiting our published accommodation in this sort of weather.
In fact we appreciate that if a villa or farmhouse looks great in the rain, with no flowers etc around then it's going to be stunning when in full bloom, and both the villa and farmhouse were fabulous.
Both of them have amazing panoramic views.

The villa has an infinity pool and it's own fruit trees you can pick your breakfast off! The interior design and furnishings are definitely not your ordinary run of the mill, and the shower heads are those amazon rain forest types. No worries about pressure either, the whole set up was purpose built and everyone could have a tropical shower and not notice a difference.
Bliss!

The farmhouse is very cosy and well thought out. Different seating areas follow the shade, so you breakfast in one part, move 10 mt to lunch under another shaded area, and evening meals are around the bbq area. The pool is the longest I've seen and is so inviting for swimmers and those who like to sit in shallow water alike - one end of the pool is about 20 cms in depth and nice and wide so you can sit and cool off without having to waste energy keeping yourself afloat. Also great for small kids to paddle in, but they need to be supervised at all times as it does get deeper.

Driving around yesterday in the Castiglione D'Orcia area was just spectacular.
The fields are bright green at the moment, and there is snow on the higher up hills.
Unfortunately, someone forgot to charge up their photo phone so only a couple of photos before it shut down.
Today, we're fully charged up and ready to go.....

Nearby there is Monte Amiata where you can ski, and now is the perfect time.
More snow is forecast too.
After a hard days skiing with an empty bottle of red in your backpack you could head back to your farmhouse accommodation, apartment or villa (loads of choice around here) for an apres ski aperitivo already waiting for you, or go straight to the baths to avoid any muscle aches the morning after.
A day skiing, a day with your favourite wine, time in the baths, a day in Siena, Montalcino, then Pienza, and don't forget to visit S. Anna in Camprena.
With so much to do around this area you might have to prioritise unless your here for a couple of weeks.

Cin Cin!