One warm May evening in the Tuscan hill town of Cortona my new fiancé and I witnessed the ritual that is the Italian passeggiata. After the day’s work is done all ages take to the streets for a stroll, catching up on gossip, flirting and maybe enjoying a drink and a snack.
We watched the spectacle from the comfort of a street-side bar and ordered a negroni each, which arrived with complementary olives and breadsticks.

www.cortonaweb.net
Google map: bit.ly/x5iocS

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Visit the hilltop Etruscan town of Cortona. As you wander around its narrow streets, taking in breathtaking views of the surrounding countryside, you may notice that some of it looks familiar. It has infact been used as a backdrop for various films, notably Under the Tuscan Sun, based on the book of the same name by Frances Mayes, and Roberto Benigni's Life is Beautiful. You can continue the film tour in most of Tuscany - towns south of Siena (Stealing Beauty), the Val d'Orcia valley (Gladiator) and obviously Florence (A Room with a View, Tea with Mussolini).

Google map: bit.ly/lovdaV

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Cortona is a pocket sized town in northern Tuscany. It's a two and a half hour train ride from Rome and with a bit of searching, B&B and self catering accommodation are reasonable. The public swimming pool is located on the edge of the town and even in the heat of August is rarely busy. Prices change year on year but tend to be around 5E for an adult for an all day visit (sun beds are currently free). If you want an Italian holiday and can't afford a three-bedroomed villa with a pool, this is the place for you. The pool is a 15 minute stroll from the centre of town where many of the B&Bs are located. You can wander through the local park, plonk yourself on a sunbed all day and enjoy pizza and a jug of the local wine for under 10E in the charming cafe. Take your own swimming hat (you're not allowed to swim without one) and frolic in the cool, unchlorinated waters.

Parco Sportivo "G. Favilli" - just off Viale Passerini (behind Casa di Accoglienza)

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