This wasn't a sightseeing break, or a busy walking holiday, it was simply an opportunity to see family who were staying nearby, escape the grey skies here and get some warmth on our skin, some brightness in our eyes and relax in the sunshine.  We booked three nights (wish it had been longer) to fit in around work commitments, we packed only cabin bags (unheard of for me), and booked an Airbnb with a sea view!  And it was fabulous, here is my mini guide to Tarifa on the Costa de la Luz in Southern Spain, including what I wore for our winter break.

We departed Lucca and as our next check-in wasn't until late afternoon, we decided to explore the Tuscan countryside first and headed up the hill we had been admiring from our accommodation, the winding road really took us off the beaten track and through the vineyards and olive groves.  We'd seen many cyclists passing us during our stay and it would be some steep climb on a bike but the views were worth it and it gave ua a closer insight into real life in Tuscany.

We then started the main part of our journey towards the Chianti region, we'd chosen this area as our final stop so we could do some wine tasting, and explore a different area of Tuscany.  We also thought that by this point in our break, we'd want some down time for relaxation and the house we chose was in a very sleepy village.

Missed part one and two, read them here, Florence and Lucca.

Next stop Lucca, a beautiful medieval walled town in Tuscany, it is about 1 hour from Florence and 30 minutes from the coast.  Many visitors take a day trip from either Florence or Pisa but we wanted to enjoy the countryside around Lucca as well as explore the town itself so decided on 4 nights staying just outside the ancient walls. 

We left Florence, picked up our Fiat 500 Convertible at Florence Airport then set off for the approx. one hour drive to our Airbnb.  We had decided on a traditional Tuscan farmhouse about ten minutes away from Lucca itself, nestled in the pretty hills and with fabulous views of the vineyards and olive groves, plus an inviting swimming pool, it was the perfect location to relax after the tourist hotspot of Florence.  The farmhouse was gorgeous but slightly more basic, it was very traditional, however we did find the bed very hard!

Missed my Florence post, read it here!

My husband celebrated turning 60 in August and this was his 60th birthday trip, for his 50th we did Vencie, so another Italian adventure seemed appropriate!  After months of planning, hours of reading Facebook group recommendations, lots of stressing over what to wear, what to pack and what man-bag my husband might agree to actually use, we finally made it to Tuscany, Italy.  And we loved every single moment (well maybe not every moment, there were downsides too) but yes we fell in love with Tuscany and absolutely want to go back! 

​I know planning holidays can be hard work, I literally did spend hours researching, drafting an itinerary, finding the perfect Airbnbs (keeping in mind a budget - ours isn't massive), finding the best and available tour guides, and then re-drafting the itinerary after I realised it was probably a bit full on!  I don't want all the hours of research to go to waste now we are back - so I am sharing three blog posts about our Italian road trip and I hope sharing a few useful tips and some inspiration for your own visit to Tuscany.

This is how we split up our Italy road trip:

Fly into Florence, Italy and spend 3 nights exploring the capital city of Tuscany.
Pick up a hire car and drive to Lucca for 4 nights.
Drive to the Chianti region for a final 4 nights of rest, relaxation and exploring.

​And my first blog post is all about the top things to do in Florence, this is how we organised our time, we tend to take it easy, preferring a slower pace rather than a full itinerary.