The Great Debate: Umbria or Tuscany?

Hi NextTriber,

There seem to be as many opinions about “the best travel destinations” as there are travelers. When it comes to Italy, you’ve got your Lake Como lovers and your Puglia fanatics. Also, “there’s no place like Rome!” women, and Positano purists. Venice is so beloved, the city is starting to charge a fee to enter on a day trip to mitigate over-tourism.

And then there’s the great debate: Umbria or Tuscany?

Tuscany is the most famous of the two regions; Umbria the hidden gem. Fortunately, we don’t make you decide. We offer trips to both.

Our creativity retreat in Umbria sells out quickly every year. Our guests rave about the private villa we stay in (owned by a NextTriber!) and the overall experience: exploring our creativity together, and venturing out into the villages nearby.

Both Umbria and Tuscany have fantastic food.

Duh. It’s Italy!

Both are close to Florence (Firenze), which, if you know, you know. You can’t miss it if you’ve never visited, even if just for a day!

Both have beautiful scenery: gently rolling hills, vineyards, olive groves, ancient towns and lots of nature.

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It’s so hard to choose just one.

Tuscany, though, has a coastline on the Ligurian and Tyrrhenian Seas, so it can get quite crowded in summer. But in winter, Siena, Pisa, Lucca and even Firenze have fewer visitors and for that reason, it can be a lot more fun.

NextTribe is offering a curated, small group trip to Tuscany and Florence in December, with a super-fun artist/art historian (a woman our age) as our guide.

At the holidays, Tuscan cities and towns are filled with the aroma of roasting chestnuts, holiday lights and music, and incredible shopping.

“Cuando a Roma van, fai como vedrai.” When in Rome, we do as the Romans do. At banquets in Ancient Rome, instead of bringing a bottle of wine guests would bring their own napkin to use during dinner and as a doggy bag for leftovers.

We don’t have to do that today, but we do walk a lot, laugh a lot, and have great food and wine, just like in the good old days of the Empire, except we don’t eat reclining on a couch with someone fanning us.

But a girl can dream, can’t she?

When in Tuscany at the holidays we’ll bring an extra bag (but not a doggy bag) because, as you know, Italians really know how to make beautiful things, and some of the most treasured are never exported except in a suitcase.

Plus these days a lot of the family-owned leather factories in Tuscany—the ones that make bags for luxury brands—really need support since their biggest clients (Gucci, Prada) have slashed orders in the last year. We expect the prices in the markets to be better than last year, and we do love supporting the local economy wherever we go.

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Siena: A UNESCO World Heritage Site

If I had endless years left on the planet and a bottomless bank account I would travel to all of the UNESCO World Heritage Sites because whoever is giving out these designations has excellent taste. I have never been to one yet that didn’t knock my socks off (hello San Miguel!) and fill me with a sense of awe—an appreciation for historic preservation, knowing that maybe one day my great-grandchildren will re-trace my footsteps, as I’m tracing the steps of many before me.

Other cities in Italy may get the spotlight, but every July 2 Siena shines as each of the neighborhoods chooses a horse to race in the Palio. The winning neighborhood, called a “contrade” secures a place of honor in the spectacular cathedral until the next year’s race. The oldest continuous horse race in the world (the current course was set up in 1659!) The Palio was featured in a segment on ESPN and you can watch it here.

When we’re in Tuscany, we’ll take a day trip to both Siena and nearby San Gimignano. We’ll also take excursions to villages surrounding Florence for an all-day cooking class with a bonafide “nonna” (grandmother) and a winery visit.

The lure of affordable housing is tempting to retirees, and more North Americans are putting down roots in Italian towns and villages. But even if you’re not ready to make that commitment just yet, maybe a little shopping trip is in order. One in which your creatives juices will flow, you’ll learn a little art history, drink some great wine (if that’s your thing) and see how the locals live.

Oh yes, and as with all NextTribe trips, you’ll be doing it with a few other bold women!

“Dai chiudi, gli occhi e vai.” (Close your eyes, and just GO!)

Ciao, bella.

Jeannie Edmunds, Chief Operating Officer