Tuscany is so beautiful. It's just like in the movies and the commercials on TV. It is purely rural and peaceful, until a crazy Italian driver with his wing mirror hanging off swerves past in the middle of the road, and then tranquility resumes. There is something very soothing about driving on a road bend after bend once you get accustomed to moving with the car rather than resisting the movement. I'm obviously not referring to the white gravel roads. No matter how beautiful a place is there is always some things that make you miss the familiarity of home and in the case of Tuscany, it's those bloody roads. And the numerous occasions I fancied something from the store but was brutally reminded that Italians close up shop from 1pm til 4pm each day to take shelter from the heat. Sheesh.

But the bascity of the amenities and the mental drivers and the shitty roads are some of the most integral parts of Tuscany's character and you just have to embrace it rather than complain about it. Find the funny side in how much your car depreciates in value each time you drive into the village, give the locals a run for their money when it comes to crazy driving and take the opportunity in the afternoons to also relax with a book. I am ashamed to admit that I read 3 books in 2 weeks in Tuscany, which is more than I have read in the last year at home.

I don't want to sound like a travel agent, because they tend to talk shite and rip you off, but whether you're with family, friends, a loved one or just yourself, the setting is a perfect one to relax, re-connect and make great memories. When I first arrived, it was daunting to think of 14 days somewhere so remote but it turned out to be simply lovely.