Got 48 hours to spend in Tuscany?
With my local knowledge I can help you to get the most from a short visit.
I think you coul both accommodate in the same city for two nights or choose to change place, it makes not a big difference bacause Tuscany is very small.

FRIDAY

If yo arrive by plane in Pisa in the morning, you can take a look to Pisa (the Leaning tower and Campo dei Miracoli) and, after lunch, move to Lucca.

I think it would be lovely to have dinner there, because Lucca is very romantic by night. My advice is to rent bycicles and go on the medieval walls (around the city centre).

After dinner you should have a coffe seated in Piazza dell’Anfiteatro and then go sleeping.

SATURDAY

Drive to Siena, visit the city centre (Piazza del Campo, the Cathedral), have lunch (even just a piece of pizza take away) and leave again.
Destination: Florence.
My advice is not to drive in the highway but by way of Via Chiantigiana, going through the Chianti hills. It will take half an hour more but I think it’s worth doing it!
Have dinner in Florence and find a nice accommodation in the country or in the city centre, as you prefer. After dinner it would be nice to go to Piazzale Michelangelo, a panoramic place near the center.

SUNDAY

Visit Florence: churches, museums and all the famous things of the city.
The departure can be from Pisa or Florence airport, as you prefer.

For further info about restaurants and hotels, take a look to the blog…

Italian version.

This is the recipe of the traditional cake made in Florence during Carnival (Schiacciata alla Fiorentina) that I found on Epicurious.

Ingredients

* 3/4 cup granulated sugar
* 1 packet active dry yeast or 2 teaspoons rapid-rise yeast
* 1/2 cup water
* 1/2 teaspoon salt
* 1/2 cup extra-virgin olive oil, plus two tablespoons
* 2 large eggs, at room temperature
* 3 cups all-purpose flour
* Grated zest of one orange
* 1/4 teaspoon cinnamon
* 2 egg yolks

Garnish:

* 3 to 4 tablespoons powdered sugar

Preparation

Lightly brush sides and bottom of an 11 x 7 x 1 1/2-inch baking pan with olive oil.

Dissolve the yeast in water and follow directions on the package regarding how long to let it sit. Using a mixer at medium speed (or processor with dough blade), blend into the yeast mixture the following (in order): the flour, half of the sugar (1/4 cup plus two tablespoons), the salt, 1/4 cup olive oil, the two whole eggs. Blend at medium speed until smooth and well combined.

Add the remaining 1/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons of olive oil, the orange zest, and cinnamon, blending until oil is incorporated into dough. This mixture will be sticky and unkneadable. Scrape the dough into a very lightly oiled bowl. Wrap the bowl in plastic wrap or a large towel and put it in a warm place (75 to 80° F, no drafts) for 1 1/2 hours to allow dough to rise.

Using mixer (or processor with dough blade), again at medium speed, into the risen dough blend egg yolks and the remaining granulated sugar until fully incorporated. It should form a smooth, yet loose ball. Scrape mixture into the oiled baking pan. With your knuckles, even the dough to a uniform thickness, cover with a towel (preferable to plastic wrap, because the dough may expand over the pan edge), and place it in that warm place again until it rises to the edge of the pan, approximately 8 hours.

Preheat oven to 400° F. Bake dough until golden, about 10 to 12 minutes. Remove from oven, run a knife around the edge of the pan. Let it cool for 10 minutes. Then, with a decisive motion, slam the pan on a counter to dislodge cake.

Cover the cake with a heavy dusting of powdered sugar. For decoration, you may cut out a stencil of a Florentine lily and lay it on the cake before its sugar coating for a traditional and very handsome design.

If you’re in Florence and want to dine out in a traditional place, try out a restaurant placed in an ancient and typically Tuscan “Buca” (cellar).
The restaurant “Buca Poldo”, for example, is situated in a buca just as stone’s throw from Piazza della Signoria and Ponte Vecchio.

There you can taste the typical Tuscan Cuisine (Crostini Toscani, just to mention one specialty), besides the original specialties created by the chef.
A really Florentine evening!

Italian version.

This is the recipe of the typical Tuscan appetizer I found on Food Network.

They are called “Crostini Toscani” or “Crostini Neri” (something like Tuscan or Black toasts).

Ingredients

* 3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
* 1 medium red onion, cut into 1/8-inch dice
* 1 tablespoon salt packed capers, rinsed and drained
* 2 tablespoons anchovy paste, or 4 anchovy fillets, rinsed and patted dry
* 1/2 pound chicken livers
* 1/2 cup dry red wine, Chianti
* 2 tablespoon balsamic vinegar
* Salt and freshly ground black pepper
* Pinch chili flakes
* 1/4 bunch parsley leaves, chopped
* 8 (1-inch thick) slices Italian peasant bread

Directions

In a 12-inch skillet, heat 3 tablespoons olive oil over medium heat until just smoking. Add the onion, capers, and anchovy paste, and cook until the mixture is golden brown, about 8 to 10 minutes. Add the chicken livers and stir until lightly browned, about 4 to 5 minutes.
Add the wine and balsamic vinegar. Bring the mixture to a boil. Lower the heat and let the mixture simmer for 15 minutes. Season, to taste, with salt and pepper. Remove from the heat.

Using a potato masher, mash the mixture so that it is lumpy. Stir in the chili flakes and parsley.

Toast the bread until golden brown and place on serving plates.
Spread equal amounts of the liver mixture over 1 side of each piece of bread and serve immediately.