Nothing to do next January? Join Marco Valtriani and me in northwestern Italy for our new tour Venice to Florence: Birds and Art.

The title of the tour says it all: the cultural wonders of some of Europe’s most splendid cities, combined with a relaxed exploration of the birdlife of lagoons, marshes, and woodlands.

Marco and I took a few days last month to look at the sites I didn’t already know, and I came away convinced that this itinerary is every bit as good as our May tour’s. A few photos from our scouting:

I’d worried about some of the hilltop villages we’ll be visiting–escalators ease the mind and the thighs!

We’ll be driving nine-passenger vans, each with no more than five participants in spread-out comfort.

These are ancient landscapes, with Etruscan ruins everywhere you look!

My own preference, I have to admit, is for more recent architecture, like this ninth-century church.

The medieval towns on our route take the breath away (in spite of escalators!).

Birdful La Verna is the site of a pilgrimage church dedicated to Francis of Assisi, who received the stigmata here.

Stunning and famous artworks everywhere we turned, including this della Robbia Annunciation.

We’ll be birding the ponds and reedbeds of Buriano, just upstream from the Romanesque bridge painted by Leonardo in the background of his Gioconda.

Arezzo is one of the finest medieval cities I’ve ever seen.

The city’s churches are the best place in the world to see frescoes by Piero della Francesca, everybody’s favorite Renaissance painter.

Can you resist? I can’t.  See you in January!