30th Birthday Celebrations in Tuscany

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I don’t usually celebrate my birthday in an extravagant way but this year I turned 30 so I decided to go all out. My husband and I invited our closest friends and family and we easily found a luxurious villa to accommodate us all. It came with personal catering, a private pool, and each couple had their own private room. The rates per night were quite reasonable split between the twelve of us. We all rented separate vehicles so that we could come and go from the villa as we pleased.

On our first day in Tuscany , my sister and I joined a cooking class that included a tour of local gardens that had the finest produce available. The chef was quite knowledgeable and we learned how to cook fabulous meals and when to pick vegetables to enjoy them at their peak taste. We cooked with locally grown meat and freshly caught seafood to create a sumptuous feast. We got to sample what we cooked and the meals were paired with fabulous locally made wines. My sister and I were pleased with our decision not to join the rest of the group who decided to spend the day exploring the surrounding countryside on a bus tour.

Tuscany is a stunning region in Italy and no trip is complete without a trip to Florence. We all headed into the city on the second day and we spent the day gazing at beautiful art, shopping at fabulous stores, and enjoying the beauty of this ancient yet modern city. We headed home after a long day to find that our personal chef had outdone himself and created a fabulous dinner and brought in several samples of locally prepared wine for us to enjoy.

On the third day there we all headed out for a day of exploring the countryside. We drove past miles of stunning purple lavender fields, olive groves, and stopped to sample wine at several wineries. Our chef packed us a picnic lunch which we enjoyed on one of the many free beaches in Pietrasanta. We spent the evening swimming in the pool and gazing at the stars before we headed inside and slept after our exhausting day.

I am a huge architecture buff so a trip to Pisa to see the Leaning Tower of Pisa is something that has always been on my bucket list. The Tower did not disappoint and it was one of the most memorable experiences of my life.

The rest of the trip passed quickly in a blur of fabulous meals, breathtaking sights, and exciting fun-filled days. We took a ton of pictures, bought many bottles of wine, and thoroughly enjoyed the trip with family and friends.



At first we were a bit worried about how the twelve of us would handle sharing accommodations but each couple having their own vehicle really made a difference. No one ever felt like they had to do something that they didn’t want to and no conflicts arose at all.

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