Tuscany, Italy - Bed and Breakfasts

Tuscany is a wonderful Italian destination with great bed and breakfasts

As the place where, in 1400, modern thought started, Tuscany has always had a call on travelers -- and even before then, Hannibal came as did lots and lots of Romans.

In the 18th and 19th centuries, it was the principle stop on "The Grand Tour," taken by all those wishing to expand their experience and knowledge, of greater importance than Rome and all other places. Today -- although Tuscany is steeped in history, art, music and culture -- it also lives readily in the modern world and has a modern outlook.

Tuscany isn't just a place of museums, art galleries, churches and endless pictures of saints (and sinners). Whilst having all those, plus the finest opera, in abundance, it may surprise some that, for instance:

• Lucca hosts concerts each year featuring such international stars as Elton John, Bob Dylan and Joe Cocker -- whilst "Pistoia Jazz" and the pop concerts at Viareggio are renowned.

• Tuscany's beaches are amongst the best in the Mediterranean.

• Tuscany produces a higher proportion of DOC and DOCG wines than any other part of Italy.

• The walks through the Tuscan hills and mountains are breathtaking.

One should never forget the wealth of festivals that take place, ranging from Viareggio's Carnivale in February/March to the Luminaria in Pisa to the world famous Palio in Siena, to mention just 3 out of perhaps 1,000 that happen each year in cities, towns and villages across the "Stato."

Tuscany is the land of Michelangelo, da Vinci, Giotto, Puccini, Boccaccio, and Gallileo -- but it is also more than that, if that could be possible. It hasn't just stopped and lived on its laurels; it remains vibrant and diverse, welcoming and enthralling.

It isn't possible here to give more than a brief impression of Tuscany -- there are a million books about the place, so what can I really say in a few paragraphs? Although it is in real terms a tiny place, with its huge cornucopia of goodies, it's like the biggest sweetshop one has ever dreamed of! It really does have something for everyone.

If you're into painting, sculpture, or architecture: Tuscany's got it in spades!

If you're into rambling and viewing the countryside, Tuscany has the glories of the undulating hills of the south and the spectacular craggy cliffs of the north.

If you're into wine and food, Tuscany is unsurpassed. Chianti, Brunello, Vino Nobile, the Ruffinas -- all go down splendidly with Porcini mushrooms, truffles, bistecca or whatever.

If you're into churches and history, it all happened in Tuscany from 800 AD when Pisa was one of the three most important cities in the world, to Savaranola's Bonfire of the Vanities in 1497, taking in on the way the Medicis and the rest. And, of course, Napoleon stayed for a bit on the Tuscan Archipelago at Elba.

If you want wonderful cities, can anywhere challenge Florence, Pisa, Siena or Lucca? Except perhaps Arezzo and Sansepulcro?

If you want smaller towns, Montepulciano, San Gimignano, Pienza, Barga and Montalcino are but a few stunning places to visit.

If you like tiny villages on top of hills, Tuscany has them by the thousand.

If you want classical music, nowhere has opera like Tuscany (well, it was invented here in 1250 or so), whilst concerts abound everywhere.

If you want to take to the waters, the spas of Montecatini, Chianciano and Bagni di Lucca, have the complete range from mud to liver restoring mineral water plus the massage that goes with it.

If your thing is beaches and sunshine, the Tuscan Riviera is at least 150 miles long.

Garden lovers need go no further. The Tuscan Villas near Florence Lucca and Siena often are featured in authoratative books on garden design.

Need I go on? I could, very easily.

The real point is that Tuscany isn't simply "Florence." Florence is an important and admirable place, but if you just go there, you will have seen only a very minor proportion of what there is to see and do here.

My singular greatest pleasure in Tuscany is its almost unique ability to surprise me. I've lived here now for more than 10 years, I used to come here on holidays before then, and I still continually find new and delightful places.

One drives around and, willy-nilly, takes a left and arrives at the most superb view, or lovely little village, or incredible house/villa, or monastery with some masterpiece, or even some local Festa, which can be the most enormous fun and in which it would be churlish not to join. The mountains and the sunsets near where I live are an ever-changing and ever-pleasing source of fascination.

I'm often sorry for people who've only had the time, or the presence of mind, just to visit Florence and believe they've been to Tuscany. That's rather like eating only the cherry on the top of an ice cream sundae, when those with experience know the best bit is the syrup at the bottom!

This article was written and submitted by Philip Henderson, proprietor of the bed and breakfast Mulino dell'Opera.