Indulge!

In preparation for teaching Travel Writing: Florence during July, I've asked knowledgeable friends for their advice. I share some of the best here, first from Nicola, who grew up in Italy, and next from Linda, a world traveler and gourmet cook.
No surprise, FOOD -- fresh, simple, delicious -- is the focus.

Nicola writes:
Five weeks in Italy... wow! I wish I could go back for a long trip and enjoy the Tuscan countryside. It is truly breathtaking, especially when you travel a bit in the towns and cities spread throughout Tuscany. I'm not sure if you'll have access to a car, but an area you should definitely consider visiting (maybe even spending the weekend) is about an hour and a half drive south of Florence: It is an imaginary line connecting the towns of Pienza (amazing cheeses), Montepulciano (amazing wines, especially the lesser known Nobile di Montepulciano, and breathtaking views on the valleys below) and Montalcino (also famous for its wines and cured meats).
If you decide to spend the weekend there, you might consider visiting Siena, which is south of Florence and just a bit north of this area I just described. On July 2nd there is the famous Palio di Siena, a horse race in the town's central square which has the entire town celebrating various festivities for weeks ahead. Quite exhilarating.
All around the Pienza-Montepulciano-Montalcino area are various towns that have lived for centuries off the thermal waters and springs that are all around the region. The most famous is Chianciano Terme, but it has become very touristy as of lately and is full of expensive hotels. A lesser known but very beautiful town is Bagno Vignoni, including the surrounding area, which is also equipped with all the needs the occasional visitor might need (thermal pools, spas, etc.).
I've recently read a book about Mario Batali, the famous chef who now lives in New York. Most of his culinary genius is due to the year-long experience of cooking he had in a small town named Porretta, on the border between Tuscany and Emilia-Romagna. That might be a little out of the way and I wouldn't recommend going there, but another area you don't want to miss is the beautiful town of San Gimignano. Not far away is a nice little town on a hill named Colle di Val d'Elsa, also worth a look. Now here's the reason I mention the Batali book (a very enjoyable read titled "Heat" and written by New Yorker columnist Bill Buford): Buford spends a long time learning to become a butcher at Dario Cecchini's meat shop (http://dariocecchini.blogspot.com/). It is probably the most famous meat shop in Italy, if not in the world, and is much more than just that. From the book it seems to be an incredible place where Cecchini reads aloud Dante while serving delicious sauces over bruschetta. I'll definitely go there next time I visit Tuscany. The road is hilly and it's an hour drive from San Gimignano to Panzano in Chianti (where Cecchini's butcher shop is), but I think it's worth the ride. The reason being once you're in Panzano, you're in one of the most beautiful areas of Italy: the Chianti region. Of course, don't forget to try out the wines there, too!
Lastly, to finish off this food-centric e-mail on Tuscany, if you end up going west to visit Pisa you might as well stop on your way back in Lucca.
Please forgive me if I indulged in talking about the beauties of Tuscany, but I really feel it is a region that is worth living at its fullest. That's also why I suggest you don't restrain yourself when it comes to food. It is an essential part of the Italian experience.

From Linda:
Our most memorable meal was at Da Antonio Restaurant in the village of Castelnuovo Berandenga, Siena. There is no menu. He serves a multi-course all fish and seafood meal that was truly remarkable. The restaurant at the inn where we stayed was very good and the inn is really lovely in a beautiful setting. It is roughly one hour from Florence near the town of Sinalunga, Siena and is called Locanda dell’Amorosa. We did a number of day trips and we enjoyed particularly Siena (the town hall has a famous mural of good and bad government that Sam had just studied and was able to explain to us); San Gimignano (has 14 towers remaining from the middle ages); Monte Oliveto Maggiore, 14th century monastery with beautiful cloister with frescoes. We didn’t have time to visit gardens in Tuscany, although we stopped at a couple en route from Rome and also visited a couple outside Rome (Hadrian’s Villa at Tivoli and Villa d’Este, Tivoli), which we enjoyed a lot. There is an entire section on Tuscany with several in or near Florence in my book “The garden lover’s guide to Italy” so let me know if you’d like me to copy anything for you.