About the Trip
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To say that a trip to Italy is a trip of a lifetime is an understatement. I had always dreamed of going - especially to Tuscany - but never thought it would become a reality. Then one day in 2016, my coworker Pam told me about a Tuscan Villa Tour offered by David McGuffin's Exploring Europe in Summer 2017. Pam is well-traveled and has toured with David many times before, so I took her advice and looked into it. She said "If you go, then I'll go" and that was that. Having never traveled internationally before, I was relieved to have her as a travel partner.
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Before we knew it, we were taking off for Rome. The Tuscan Villa Tour technically begins in Florence, Italy, but we opted to add on a 2-day extension to Rome and I'm glad that we did. It was there that we met 3 others in our group - Donna, Betty, & Charlotte (David's wife). Betty is Donna's mother and they are related to David, so we immediately felt apart of the family. We met our other tour members, married couple Tammy & John, when we arrived in Florence, and the final couple, Adam & Jamie, in Pisa. Having a small tour group - only 10 people, including David & his wife - was the perfect way to enjoy this vacation. We all got to know each other well and were able to be more flexible with the schedule. While we were given plenty of free time to go where we wanted throughout the trip, we ended up spending most of our time together.
David McGuffin's Exploring Europe
When doing research for this trip, it became very clear that David McGuffin was the perfect tour guide for me to travel with. There were several important elements for me in enjoying a trip to Italy, and David's tours seemed to cover all of them - a small travel group, ample amount of free time, and, of course, good quality food. During the trip, he was able to educate us on each location but also used excellent third-party tour guides for larger tour sites. The Tuscan Villa Tour is purposefully planned to be a relaxing trip, but the itinerary allowed us to see as much of the Tuscan region as possible. It was the perfect combination of sight-seeing and relaxing.
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I couldn't have picked a better trip or tour guide to be my first overseas vacation. I'm already looking forward to my next one!
Travel Tidbits
Packing: Before the trip, David sends lots of tips and advice to help plan your trip. One thing he emphasizes is PACKING LIGHT! While I initially thought "There is no way!", he gave a good argument and I decided it was worth the attempt. So I did a lot of research on how to pack for a 12-day trip with carry-on luggage only and I actually made it work. It was nice to have a minimal amount of things to keep up with, but I will admit that I was definitely ready for some different clothes by the end of the trip. I'll also note that attempting to re-wear clothes after sweating in the summer heat for a few days is not ideal. But all-in-all, I plan to pack light for my next trip and would recommend it to anyone else.
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Hotels: I'll be the first to admit that I'm picky about hotels. So I was especially concerned about the international hotel experience. What would the bathrooms be like? Are the beds comfortable? Would it be clean? But every hotel that we stayed in was comfortable, clean, safe, and had all of the standard luxuries that we've become accustomed to. David did a great job of picking hotels that had a good combination of modernity and local ambiance. I would recommend any of the hotels that we stayed in to anyone travelling to these areas.
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Staying Safe: Since this was my first international trip, I did a lot of research on how to keep my belongings safe and secure. I purchased a good quality crossover bag to carry everything I needed during the day and made sure to keep the few valuables that I had tucked away in the hotel. The most stressful part of the entire trip was making sure that I always had my passport and wallet. But, I kept them both in my crossover bag and instinctively kept one hand on the bag at all times. I rarely kept anything in my pants pockets and periodically checked my bag to make sure that everything was there. I also kept a copy of our travel itinerary with hotel names and addresses in my bag in case I got separated from the group. Being diligent about these things gave me a sense of security so that I could enjoy the trip without feeling uncertain.
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Flying First Class: As the old saying goes, "If you're going to do it, then do it right!". Pam & I decided to fly first class on this trip and it was an excellent decision. Our seats laid all the way down and the food & drink were plentiful and delicious. We arrived to Rome refreshed and ready to go. Because this was my first international flight, I decided it was worth the money to ensure that I had a comfortable flight and I am so glad that I did.
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My Camera: I like photography but am hardly a photographer. So I need a camera that will do most of the work for me. That is what the Canon PowerShot SX530 digital camera does. I have a fancy DSLR camera with lenses, but it is cumbersome and not ideal for travelling. So I knew I needed a good point-and-shoot camera to take to picturesque Italy. The Canon SX530 was the perfect choice. It takes beautiful photos with little effort. The 50x optical zoom lens allows you to really focus in on details but it's compact and light enough to carry with you. It has several settings, including one with "Instagram filters", but they're easy to navigate and it's fun to use. I would highly recommend the Canon SX530 to any traveler.