Florence, San Gimignano
Florence was a beautiful city to visit, and it was chock full of great food, historical treasures, and cultural events (it just happened to be national culture week when we arrived in Italy - so there were a bunch of extra things to see in some places, and admission was even free to some landmarks).
The next day, we went to Rome, but on our way we stopped by my other favorite (along with Venice) places we had visited: San Gimignano (settled since 3BC).
This place was a small walled town built on a tall hill overlooking valleys of vineyards. The buildings were a real treat to look at, the roadways were narrow and winding, and each path held some hidden getaway.
The whole place felt like it was stopped in time some 1000 plus years ago.
