Christianity, Europe, Italy, Religion, Travel

Planning vs Reality: 2018 Umbria & Tuscany Italy Trip

Planning vs Reality: 2018 Umbria & Tuscany Italy Trip

I recently went back to look at the blog posts I wrote while planning our winter trip to Italy. I never accomplish everything I put down on my lists (frankly, I don’t see that as the point of travel anyways) but I like to compare to see what we got done compared to what I researched. Below is the list from my books of what we could have accomplished while spending 10 days in Umbria, Tuscany, and Rome with my notes of what we actually did.

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assisi street unescounesco pienaunesco sienasan gimigano unesco signsan gimigano silloutetteunesco val d'orciaEtruscan tomb UNESCO sign

UNESCO

san gimigano wineSiena Cafe NanniniSiena Antico Pizzicheria de Miccoli

Food Journeys of a Lifetime: 500 Extraordinary Places to Eat Around the Globe

  • Top 10 historic food shops: Antico Pizzicheria de Miccoli, Siena
  • Campo dei Fiori, Rome
  • Carciofi alla Romana (Roman artichokes)
  • Tuscans Noble Food Tradition: Bistecca alla Fiorentina, Ribollita, Focaccia & Schiacciata bread, Pappardelle alle Lepre, Vin Santo, Crostini di Povertà, Trippa alla Fiorentina
  • Top ten extreme restaurants: Fortezza Medicea, Volterra
  • Sangiovese in Tuscany
  • Top 10 places to enjoy cafe society: Rome, Italy

Read more: Italian Food

santa maria maggioresan galganobasilica of st francis with will andEremo della Carceri buildings

Sacred Places of a Lifetime: 500 of the World’s Most Peaceful and Powerful Destinations

  • Top 10 mosaic interiors: Santa Maria Maggiore, Rome
  • Abbazia di San Galgano
  • Basilica of St. Francis, Assisi
  • Chapel of the Stigmata, la Verna (it was too far for a leisurely Sunday walk from Assisi but we ended up at another Franciscan hermitage…close enough)

Read moreTravel Tips: Visiting Catholic Churches

Pienza me and will kissing

Secret Journeys of a Lifetime: 500 of the World’s Best Hidden Travel Gems

  • Pienza
  • Top 10 sculpture parks and trails: Chianti Sculpture Park

Read more: 2018 Italy Planning: October Edition

Assisi hike Jess sillhouette

Journeys of a Lifetime: 500 of the World’s Greatest Trips

  • Walking in Umbria (we walked to the Eremo delle Carceri, a Franciscan hermitage)

Read more: Travel Tips: Keeping Active while Traveling

1,000 Foods to Eat Before You Die: A Food Lovers Life List

*Note: there is so much Italian food in this book! I only picked ones we would reasonably see in the season and location we were in.

  • Carciofi Romaneschi (Roman Artichoke)
  • Chestnuts
  • Crostini
  • Espresso
  • Lardo (Lard)
  • Pane (Bread)
  • Panforte di Siena
  • Parmigiano-Reggiano
  • Pasta
  • Pecorino Toscano
  • Pizza
  • Prosciutto di Cinghiale (Wild Boar Prosciutto)

1,000 Places to See Before you Die

  • The Hill Towns of Tuscany
  • Siena
  • Assisi and Gubbio
  • Il Duomo, Orvieto

Read more: 2018 Italy Planning: November Edition

etrsucan tomb of the triclinum

IMG_8071il gesu ceiling-edited

AP Art History Images

JMF

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