A Week in Riva del Sole, Italy

Chapter 1: Rome to Grosetto

We started planning this trip in the summer.

Mr. Bear's parents have decided to celebrate the father-in-law's birthday abroad and invited the whole family to Italy. As lovers of traveling and beaches, we readily agreed and booked our flights.

We left Sweden when Autumn began: leaves have turned beautiful shades of red and orange and the air chillier. With the promise of a week's extended summer, we were welcomed by this wonderful site from the plane

We mistakenly booked our flights to land and leave from Rome but the hotel, located in Grosetto, was actually closer to the Pisa airport. This meant an hour and a half's travel time from the airport to our hotel. Since most family members (except for the birthday celebrant) were not morning people, we were tired by the time we got to the hotel.

However, the lovely lobby greeted us with its cool Italian design which revived our spirits and instilled in us new excitement for this family holiday.

The hotel lobby at Riva del Sole

While Riva del Sole has a really nice hotel, our family decided to go the more "traditional" way.

In the  60s, Swedish trade unions started buying land and small apartments in Italy, Spain, and other holiday countries in Europe. By owning small cottages and apartments themselves, the trade unions were able to give discounts to its members, allowing them to go on an affordable holiday in places where a regular worker could not afford otherwise.

Going the Swedish way, we rented a two-bedroom apartment a few meters from the beach.

Beers with an amazing beach view

The hotel had plenty of amenities to offer its guests. Aside from the regular resort amenities such as a pool, a restaurant, a spa, and a gift shop, Riva del Sole also offers evening entertainment for all its guests. What makes this special is that there are nights dedicated to kids, allowing them to enjoy early evening festivities with dancing, magic, and games.

 

 

 Chapter 2: Sienna

We decided to swing by Sienna on a day trip just to see the famed city. A 3-hour bus ride from Grosetto, the journey on the way offered plenty of wonderful views of the Tuscan landscape.

Italian pastries. How does one choose?

Piazza del Campo by night

The view from the room we rented for the night