January 30, 2013 by Mtaussig
| Tell us a little bit about your most recent UnTour.: |
Our most recent UnTour was to Tuscany and Rome. We enjoyed the food in both places and the history in Rome. We went to the Vatican and were able to see beautiful art there and also in Florence. We enjoyed our time in the little village of Montelcino and climbed hills for days. Our balcony at our apartment allowed us to sit and have a glass of wine after a day of sightseeing and just look out over the beautiful country. The stars at night were so close, you could touch them and it was magical. |
| Why did you choose to go there?: |
We wanted to experience life in Italy. We had heard that Tuscany was beautiful and since we loved Provence, we felt we would equally like Tuscany. The food was marvelous, the wines were great and our tour with Anna at her winery was great fun. Driving was a challenge not to be missed. Visiting local towns and riding to Florence on the train was great fun. We loved Rome. Everywhere you turned there was an ancient ruin. Aside from the most famous tourist attractions, we found other ones that fascinated us. A church built one on top of another through the ages, and St. Johns’ the previous seat of the Vatican was incredibly beautiful. The subway was easy to get around on, and twice Italian men got up and offered us a seat while riding there. We were impressed with the friendly nature and caring of the people we met. |
| What is your favorite UnTours memory?: |
There are too many favorites to pick just one!! We loved the cows coming down from the high pastures in Golling, riding over the 2000 year old Pont Julian near Gordes, eating ice cream cones with fresh whipped cream in Riquewihr, bloodless bullfights in St. Remy, mountaintop sunset with our landlord in Austria, Sunday market in Ile-sur-Sorge, WWII museum we found on a side street in Turckheim, and getting a haircut in Rome from a local barber. All of these were little side trips that we couldn’t have experienced if we had been on a regular tour. And when we were tired, we spent the days relaxing in our village and enjoying the life there. |
| How is taking an UnTour different from other ways of traveling?: |
NO SCHEDULES. We are able to go where we want to, when we want to go, and stay home if we choose. We enjoy planning trips to nearby cities and towns and taking in local festivals and interacting with the other residents of the towns on a daily basis. We love to shop in the town shops and converse with the natives in their language. We find that they are extra friendly if you just make the effort to fit into their culture. |
| If you could describe an UnTour in just 3 words, what would they be?: |
A Memorable Experience |
