Steve Reed in front of the Leaning Tower of Pisa.

The Post recently traveled to the Tuscany region of Italy, with Steve and Judy Reed, of Cedar Springs.

The couple flew into Milan and then stayed in Montecatini and visited several cities and villages throughout the region. They took one day and explored the ancient walled city of Lucca and visited the town of Pisa, where they saw the Leaning Tower of Pisa and other attractions. Another day they drove to the Chianti region, where Chianti wines are made and visited the town of Greve and tried the area’s wine and olive oils. They also took the train to Florence, where they visited the Uffizi Gallery and saw many works of art from well-known Renaissance artists, including Leonardo DaVinci, Michaelangelo, Botticelli, Caraveggio, and others. Towards the end of the week they took the funiculare (cable car) to the top of Montecatini Alto, a mountaintop village that sits high above Montecatini Terme (where they stayed). On their way back to Milan, they visited the city of Parma, the home of Parmesan cheese and Parma ham (prosciutto).

Some of the buildings in the ancient walled city of Lucca.

Besides visiting the ancient towns and villages, the Reeds also loved trying the different types of dishes at the many pizzerias and Italian restaurants in the region, especially the trattorias (family-owned restaurants).

“We had a great time,” they said. “The people were nice, the food was excellent, and it was amazing to see many of the buildings and artifacts from a time in history that we’ve only read about.”

Thank you to the Reeds for taking us with you!

Are you going on vacation? Take the Post with you and snap some photos. Then send them to us with some info to news@cedarspringspost.com or mail them to Post travels, PO Box 370, Cedar Springs, MI 49319. We will be looking for yours!