Wish you were here

San Jose residents Gary and Julie Lieber recently celebrated their 50th wedding anniversary by taking a road trip from Germany and to central Italy — and now are wondering how they can top this for their 60th. “While we were in Tuscany, we stayed at an Italian agriturismo, which is an independently-owned farm that the owners have decided to use partially as a hotel,” Gary says. “Casali Di Bibbiano is a working winery (with) accommodations in a beautifully restored, centuries-old winery, hands-on cooking classes (and) authentic Italian dinners for its guests.”

The Liebers took walking tours of Florence, Pienza, Montepulciano and Siena, exploring cathedrals, bakeries, pizzerias and more.

“A highlight was the exciting side adventure where we discovered the Saturnia Natural Hot Springs, just a couple of hours from the Tuscan estate. A local's favorite for centuries, (it) is free to all who come with their bathing suits. The lightly sulfurous springs have been frequented since the Etruscans. Legend says the springs were born at the exact point where Jupiter's thunderbolt fell in a battle against Saturn.”

TRAVEL TIPS >> “Driving the backroads affords you a local's view of the geography that you might not see otherwise,” Gary says. Just be aware that many European countries require an international driving permit in addition to your regular driver's license. Apply for one at an AAA office before you leave. “If you plan day

trips on local roads (in Italy), plan extra time as the roads are narrow and very curvy. What seems like a short distance can really take a long time because of slow speeds that you will end up driving, dodging the farm equipment and slowmoving vehicles.”

Submit a Wish You Were

Here feature by sending a photo of yourself on your latest adventures — local, domestic or international — to jburrell@ bayareanewsgroup.com. Tell us where you are, who everyone is and where they're from, and share a travel tip or two to help fellow readers go there, too.