Road trip Tuscany, Italy. (Sep 20)

We checked into a delightful Tuscan vineyard for two nights on our route back to northern Italy.
Sited midway between Sienna and Florence adjacent to the local hill top village of Radda in Chianti, this charming place is steeped in history, beauty and scenery!

Point the camera phone in any direction – picture postcard material with little effort required.
The organic vineyard we stayed in has a sideline Bed and Breakfast business which is possibly the best I’ve ever experienced – it is seriously off the scale in terms of quality.
The house- solid and rustic,
The views – mesmerising,
The breakfast (served lovingly by the owner) – outstanding. Everything on offer is as fresh, organic, cooked and prepared to perfection with a look and taste that stays with you for the rest of the day.

Nestled between olive trees and vines, the views from the swimming pool were stunning. And our trips into Siena and Florence were just a short hop away – and just like we did in Rome last week, Emma and I elected to cycle in after parking our car (for free) on the outskirts. Again no traffic and very few people which made it very special.
We managed to pack in quite a lot in the few days we were here, but we also had lots of time to unwind, both at the pool or in the local village where we ate outside in the comfortable evening heat again. Bringing the cycles on holiday was a great idea. We’ve used them more than I had thought we would. Both during the city breaks and evenings.

The final leg of the journey took us over the alps at the Brenner Pass, through the forbidden Austria and onto the Bavarian state of Germany where we stayed in a charming guesthouse in the scenic alpine town of Bad Tölz. After a typical hearty breakfast we ventured into the town for a long walk and coffee next to the river Isar. We have a late crossing booked so have plenty of time to kill just soaking up the atmosphere and enjoying the clear blue skies.