We just finished a 5-week trip through Italy that took us to Milan, Venice, Bologna, Florence and many small hilltop towns in Tuscany.

We’ve been to Italy before, and so we expected the churches, the history, the food and wine, and the Italian landscapes. But what really struck us this time was the kindness and generosity of spirit we were shown in so many ways.

The most obvious kindness was in response to our utter lack of Italian language skills beyond buongiorno, buonasera, grazie, uno, due…. Many spoke some English, and those who didn’t were adept at sign language and were eager to help without making us feel completely inadequate about not speaking at least 3 languages. Waiters in restaurants speak some English, German, French and Spanish in addition to Italian.

You could easily take this for granted and say it’s just good business and centuries of experience dealing with tourists. But, put the shoe on the other foot. How many languages do we offer visitors to Canada or the U.S.? Embarrassing, isn’t it?

Aside from that, it was the multitude of smaller kindnesses that stood out. Taxi drivers unhesitatingly lugged our suitcases. The clerks in tabacchi stores sorted us out with the right bus tickets we needed to get downtown. In Venice, the ticket seller for vaporetto (water bus) tickets made sure we had a map of routes.

Italians seem to have an innate desire to share the appreciation of their food. In a small fruit and vegetable shop in Florence we bought a couple of tomatoes. The shopkeeper reached into a basket of basil and threw a handful into our bag. I mean, who eats tomatoes without fresh basil, right?

In the hilltop village of Certaldo Alto, we could have lived on cheese samples handed to us at a food festival. (Yes, we finally bought some.)

At another table, they were serving wild boar sandwiches. I asked for a small one to take out. Well, the “small sandwich” was easily enough for two people. It was five Euro. And while I waited for the sandwich to be made, I was given a glass of red wine, from a jug that suggested it came from their farm. A complementary glass of wine with a take-out sandwich? Who does that other than the Italians?

At home, we’ve had Uccelliera Brunello di Montalcino a few times. A friend suggested that when we’re near Montalcino, we should visit the winery. So, we did. Uccelliera is a small winery, tucked deep into the hills and hard to find. It was created when a large estate was broken up and some of the land and buildings were sold to the farmers (contadini) who had worked the farm.

We made a reservation by email, and expected the kind of wine tasting we’ve had in wineries in other countries. Usually, it’s a taste of few of their wines for a low price, which is reduced to free if you buy a bottle, and you’re done in about a half hour.

Not at Uccelliera. Agnes, our guide, welcomed us and another couple from New Jersey and then, over the next hour and a half, took us through the cellars, gave us samples from bottles of various vintages going back to 2012 and barrel samples of wine that was still aging.

A highlight was meeting Uccelliera’s owner Andrea Cortonesi who seemed genuinely happy that we’d come all the way from Canada to see his winery.

Our Airbnb hosts have also been extremely generous with anything we needed. They called taxis for us, got us “impossible to get” restaurant reservations and allowed us to check in early. Our host in the beach town of Cecina went completely over the top with a selection of fresh fruit, cookies, candies and a bottle of lemoncello!

We’re lucky. We were being held very gently in Italy, and we appreciate it.

This doesn’t mean that people in other countries have treated us less kindly. The Italians just seem to take more pleasure in life and are happy to share it.

Search results for Italian language lessons. Before next time, we’ll be using one of them.

Going to Venice? Here’s what you need to know about using the vaporettos (water buses).

Looking for peace and quiet in the Italian countryside? We highly recommend Agritourismo Cacciamici, south of Montepulciano. We had four restful days there.

There are so many Italian food festivals. Here are the search results. Have fun…

Here is Antiche Carampane where we had a wonderful dinner in Venice. You can now make reservations online. Good luck!

If you’re near Montalcino, visit Uccelliera winery. It really is a special treat.

There’s nothing like having WiFi wherever you go. We rented a Teppy portable WiFi and carried it with us everywhere. With a Teppy, you can connect your phones, tablets, laptops and gaming consoles just like you connect to WiFi at home.

Use the apps on your phone including your favorite GPS apps without paying expensive cellular service fees.

It’s also perfect for uploading pictures, sending emails or just web browsing. We also used it for online work on the road including web updates and social media.

Teppy portable WiFi works around the world. Try it on your next trip.

For hotel accommodation, we like Booking.com. Photographs show off the properties, and real reviews help you choose the hotel that’s best for you. You’ll find a great selection, current prices and pages that make booking easy.

Remember, Italy is one of the world’s most popular destinations and can get very busy, so book early to get the best selection and price.

Click here, and you’ll get $25 off your next reservation on Booking.com.

We’ve also rented Airbnb throughout USA and Europe. We wrote an article about renting Airbnb, 12 Tips for a Great Renting Experience to help you make the right decision. If it’s your first time renting Airbnb, click here to get the equivalent of $50 CDN off your first booking.

Along with the websites and other travel planning tools, we still like to have a guide book handy. We’ve tried them all, and these days we prefer Lonely Planet books.

Use our link to get 10% off your total order when you enter EARTHTRIPPERS10 during checkout, where it asks for the Discount Code. Please note, this offer is valid only in USA and Canada.

These days there are many things that can happen when you travel, aside from getting bumped from a flight. That’s why we always get insurance for our trips. It covers damage, loss or theft of our belongings, health issues and if necessary, emergency evacuation. Better safe than sorry.

Whether you’ve just booked your trip or are already underway, you can get covered by World Nomads. It’s one of the most popular insurance companies designed specifically for travellers. See if it’s right for you.

Everything you need to know about renting a car in Italy. Read it before you go. Could save you a fortune.

Venice for 11 days just for photography? How did it go? (Hint: Wasn’t enough time, believe it or not!)

Thoughts before taking an 11-day photo trip to Venice. Would it be worth it? Would I enjoy it? Yes and yes…

Read about the exceptional week we spent in Venice in September – including opera at La Fenice.

Join us in learning about Mariano Fortuny, a true renaissance man of Venice, and make sure you visit his palazzo.

Take advantage of our Top 5 Tips for visiting the Vatican, Sistine Chapel and St. Peter’s in Rome.

This account of Monticchiello, a small Italian hilltop village, will open your eyes to its history and brush with annihilation.

We planned to go to Cinque Terre, but didn’t. Why not?