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How's your week going?  I feel a surge of adventurous spirit kicking in. I would like to share with you my first backpacking trip and my first white water rafting experience.

• When :  4th April 2007, Wednesday
• Where:  Kaituna River, Rotorua, North Island, NZ
• Level of Difficulty:  Grade 5   
  Adrenalin rush, thrilling and very powerful rapids. Complex, precise and powerful sequential maneuvering is required.   Note: Level 6 is not commercially raft-able

An interesting drive to Ile-de-Noirmoutier off the Atlantic coast of France is a treat!  There are lots of activities from sunbathing at the numerous beaches, gorgeous summer houses, lunch at the picnic grounds, enjoying a sumptuous meal of moules frites during summer, cycling, strolling, checking out the windmills, and camping among many others.

How's your Thursday going?  I had an early start of the weekend slowly transitioning into a well deserved short break.  I couldn't help reminiscing the tour we did which was already a month ago.  Yet, I couldn't help smiling when I remember the Cypress trees and the quiet breeze at the olive groves spreading out to a gorgeous landscape.  Oh Tuscany!  I already miss you.

It didn't take long to convince my colleagues to include this in our itinerary by showing them the breathtaking landscape images on the internet before our trip. Enough to keep them gawking and checking out train tickets from Rome to Florence.

Given a very limited time in the Tuscan region.  We only had one full day before we depart for Milan that same evening.  If you want to see the most of Tuscany, but you're only there for a very short stay, we highly recommend the Best of Tuscany Tour  by Walkabout Florence.   All three of us were pleased we booked the trip with them.

The tour covers the memorable sights in Siena, San Gmignano, Pisa, and the beautiful Chianti countryside including a visit to a Tuscan farm/ vineyard, a mouth watering lunch made from the orchard's organic produce and wine tasting!  

The departure time is at 8:30 AM from the Florence Terminal Station and back at 8:30PM.
The price is Eur 80 per person.  It was so worth it! Interested?  For more information, click here

It was a Sunday and our excellent tour guide, Chris informed us that it would be better to start the tour in Pisa to avoid the heavy traffic of locals coming back from the seaside in the evening.

Leaning Tower of Pisa

Piazza del Duomo Pisa is the hometown of the great astronomer, Galileo and is famous for the leaning tower.  It is situated at the juction of two rivers, Arno and Serchio. It is a UNESCO World Heritage Site.   Find out more in wiki

Perfect Cappuccino

Short break at the Cafe

The feeling was surreal. Pisa is undoubtedly an old city.  It felt different being there.  There's a certain calm that resonates in this place beyond the presence of the eager tourists.

Souvenir shops across the Piazza We had enough time to wander around on our own.   After which we went around the city with the group aboard a vintage train.  The tour was well organized. We were traveling in comfort  which was well appreciated by my colleague who had trouble walking.  It was a gorgeous morning in Pisa indeed. Happy Thursday!