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In this city, I have found freelance writing to be my career and through my writing and research behind my stories, I uncover a new side of Florence, and of Tuscany, almost every week. The emotions behind life here—the true realness of how life can be lived here—the focus is on family, on food, on taking time to enjoy everything. Here, all are human first, and that is where life differs from the States.
Our anniversary comes the day after the biggest summer holiday, called Ferragosto, which makes it difficult to find anywhere to celebrate that isn't already crowded. With that and the summer heat, we knew we couldn't stay in the city.
We turned off the highway by Modena and followed the river through the forest. Switchback roads led up into the remote Apennine mountains. This range runs the length of Italy—a jagged zipper on the boot-shaped country that cuts it in half—from Piemonte to Sicily.
“You can’t dislike your job when you’re riding across the Ponte Vecchio on your bike with a Shitzu in the basket,” explains Maryanne Day, the founder and owner of TuscanHound.