What could be more fun than a party in Tuscany with amazing girlfriends? I was so happy when Leslie Chalmers, Tammy Cane and Val Sartini decided on Tammy’s summer strand party patio to book a trip to visit us in Tuscany!
We decided that a great place to start was Florence and so our week of fun was born. Tammy, the travel consultant extraodinaire, arranged a great suite at the posh JK Place hotel right in the heart of Florence.
Keith and I had just flown in from Scotland to Florence and as we were loading ourselves into a taxi we heard, “Hey you guys”! And there was Val smiley as ever!
We met Tammy at JK Place a little later and our first night of drinks, dinning and laughing began. We ate at the delicious local osteria, Natalino, where authentic Italian cuisine is their speciality.
The next day, unfortunately, Keith found out that his mother had suffered a heart attack and he flew to Honolulu to meet his brother and organize moving his mother to a skilled nursing care facility and to hopefully improve her spirits.
Back in Florence, while waiting for Leslie to arrive we lunched at Hotel Lungarno and took in its stunning view of the Arno River. Leslie flew in from Rome just in time to join us for a great walking tour of the city. So much fun to explore the city with great pals.
That night, Tammy, of course, had booked a great restaurant, Osteria Del Cinghiale Blanc, with a secret speak easy type bar through a hidden door in the back of the kitchen. Great food especially the boar ragu, lots of laughs and a very exuberant waiter made for a great first night together.
The next day began with a luxurious breakfast at the hotel and then a bit of power shopping before driving to the Tuscan coast. Our Villa is situated in the quaint town of Camaiore. Val and I drove in one car and Tammy and Leslie in the other. My car could barely make it up the death-defying, narrow and unbelievably steep driveway to the villa. Val hopped out at the first sign of sliding as I had to rev the car up and snap the emergency brake to create enough speed to get up the hill – good decision on her part! I ended up driving that POS car back down to town and never attempted the hill with that clunker again! However, the view was worth the climb as the villa was gorgeous. The first night we enjoyed an authentic Italian dinner from the private chef, Romina. Thank you so much to my party pals!
Our week at the Villa was filled with excursions all over the Tuscany. Our first day we sailed to the local island from Marina di Carrara for a sumptuous lunch at Locanda Lorena. Great tunes, fine wines, sumptuous food and swimming in the Ligurian Sea; what more can I say, fun, fun, fun in the sun!
The next day we were in for a Tammy style treat. We drove to an absolutely stunning Relais & Chateaux hotel, Borgo San Pierrot, for an authentic private cooking class with the premier chef, Mama Olga. We learned the secrets to cooking three amazing pasta dishes from scratch and then thoroughly enjoyed our scrumptious creations.
We capped the afternoon with a scenic drive to San Gimignano where we climbed the town’s tower for the quintessential Tuscan view, shopped on the cobble stone streets and enjoyed our afternoon aperitif at a little cafe in the square.
Since we were close to the iconic city of Lucca, surrounded by tall walls built originally by the Romans in 180 BC, we decided to go there the following day and weren’t disappointed.
Later, Tammy and Val braved their way through Camaiore’s pepper festival to get us some cheese, charcuterie and yes more wine.
We had another great night watching the sunset from the villa, yes tough life!
The next day, Tammy worked her magic again and got us into Hotel Principe’s posh private beach club in Forte dei Marmi. We relished in a great day of laying in the sun, laughing, eating, and of course enjoying some more great Italian wine.
After relaxing, we walked and shopped on the ritzy streets of Forte dei Marmi, a great place to visit for sure. 
That evening, Tammy and Val and Leslie made a sumptuous dinner and we all enjoyed Keith traveling back to us after 30 hours of flying half way around the world.
I was so happy that Keith made it back in time to enjoy Val’s deluxe wine tour with a private car.
So far, we’d been very lucky with unseasonably warm weather. We dressed in light summer faire which turned out to be a big mistake because it was about 20 degrees cooler in Chianti. The wine guide at our first stop, Castello Dei Rampolla, helped us ward off the chill by having us taste their wine before touring the winery.
Nonetheless, we were still freezing, but after some great tastings, in a better mood, to appreciate this beautiful winery. Afterwards we had an incredible lunch – indoor – at Villa Borodini, very quaint and delicious.
After lunch we went to a special wine tour at another winery, Montefili. A picturesque property where tastings of wine and charcuterie are staged in a charming little stone room with endless view of the Tuscan hills.
The next day, at Leslie’s persistent urging, we decided to hike the famous Cinque Terra trail from Monterosso al Mare to Vernazza.
Since Val had run down and up our Villa’s steep and long driveway early each day she set the pace with ease. The Cinque Terra path is beautiful with some grueling steps at the beginning but as it plateaus, the cliff views of the Mediterranean are spectacular before dropping back down to the iconic seaside village of Vernazza.
We were happy that Leslie booked us a small boat for the return trip and we ended the day shopping at an amazing artisan pottery store.
Before we had time to blink, our trip together was coming to an end. The last day we decided to lunch and enjoyed a day hanging out at the villa.
Of course we opted for some “chick hearts” where the regular rules don’t apply but tons of joking and laughs are highly encouraged. That night we went into town for one last great Italian dinner at Le Monache. I can’t thank my party pals enough for coming all this way for a truly memorable and fantastic time. Many hugs and kisses to you all. 😍
Dear Ones,
Love vicariously touring with you. Your copious photos and notes make me almost feel like I’m a member of the party–and that’s a good feeling.
Very sorry to learn, Keith, that your Mom is now in a nursing facility, but glad to know that you and David were able to help her make the transition. Very proud of my Sons.
You left me in Vietnam–waiting for your next trip installment.