The 10 Best Things to do Good for a Rainy Day in Grosseto, Tuscany

Reviewed By ShirlGirl0313 - Long Island, United States

Our day trip to Pisa and Lucca from the Livorno cruise port turned out to be one of the highlights of our entire visit to Europe. I had contacted Francesco Ruo at someone's recommendation and could not have been more pleased. His driver Matteo met us at the cruise terminal right on time and we headed out to explore these two incredible Tuscan cities. As we chatted with Matteo, who was kind enough to bring a cooler stocked with cold water for our car ride (Italy had a heat wave during our visit), we immediately felt comfortable, safe and excited about what the day would bring. Matteo pointed out all of the beautiful places and things we would pass during our travels. He took us to visit the The Piazza dei Miracoli, where we were absolutely awe-struck by the beauty of the Leaning Tower of Pisa, the Cathedral and Baptistry. He allowed us time to walk around and explore, shop, and suggested places for coffee or gelato. Next, we headed to Lucca - a quintessentially Tuscan walled city that was so charming, it left a permanent mark on our hearts. During the drive, we found out that Matteo grew up in this region and that came as no surprise. He was spoke so passionately about the places we were seeing and you could tell how much he truly loved the area. As soon as we got to Lucca, Matteo showed us an underground art installation that not every traveler would get to experience on their own. Then, he dropped us off at the Piazza San Michele where he took out a map and explained in great detail where we were and some of the highlights of this special place. His lunch recommendation was absolutely amazing! We had a few hours to explore the city, which we fell in love with quickly. Afterwards, Matteo made arrangements for us to visit a winery and although it was too hot (for us) to do tastings, we were able to purchase local wine and have it shipped home. On our way back to the ship, my daughter had asked to stop at one of the sunflower fields for some pictures. Without any hesitation, Matteo found us the perfect place to take some pictures, even though it was not in our original plans. We arrived back at the cruise terminal in plenty of time, but a little sad that this spectacular day was coming to an end. Matteo, we are so happy to have met you and cannot thank you enough for sharing these two special places with us.