7-Nights Tuscany and the Italian Riviera

Tuscany

Tuscany is a charmed land, equally blessed by the genius of man and nature, and often by the combined efforts of both. Think of the vineyards: rows of baby green vines that manage somehow to march in arrow-straight formation up the gently rolling hillsides, bounded by single files of darker green cypress trees, snaking sandy roads leading to rust-colored farmhouses and moss-coated castles, symmetrically rounded hilltops surmounted by towns so homogeneous as to seem one single building. Every inch of land has been sculpted, first by the elements and then by generations of inhabitants whose goals were always twofold: make the land produce as much as possible, make the land as beautiful as possible. Tuscany enchants us today because it holds together as a region, from the tiniest hamlet to Florence the Magnificent. For the living proof, take a short walk one day along the sides of the Belvedere in Florence: you will leave behind the traffic and suddenly find yourself strolling down quiet lanes bounded by tall stone walls, cypress trees and creamy-colored villas.

La Spezia

Turin

Italians say that Turin (Torino), the major city of the western Alps, seems more French than Italian. Its wide boulevards in a grid pattern and its 17th- and 18th-century architecture do bear more resemblance to Paris than Florence. A stroll about the city center provides architectural enthusiasts examples of Renaissance, baroque, turn-of-the-century and modern buildings. The city is also distinguished by miles/kilometers of 18th-century colonnades.

Turin is the capital of Piedmont, a region that even Italians consider to have the best food in Italy. Many years of French occupation have left a mark on Piedmontese cuisine, which includes more cheese dishes and sauces than is common in traditional Italian cooking. The Piedmontese are an independent-minded people who have invented their own style of cuisine that is neither French nor Italian, but incorporates the best of both. Turin also has a well-deserved international reputation for its coffee and claims to have invented chocolate, or at least gianduiotto, the delicious confection made from chocolate and hazelnut. Temptation beckons in every window, so it is best to leave your diet at home.