Abetone is a small ski town in the mountains on the border between Tuscany and Emilia-Romagna. We visited on 1 August 2018, and like all ski towns in the summer, it seemed surreal – the chalets, built for snow, transformed by the green all around them and the colourful flowers in their window boxes, everything bright in the sunlight, the ski equipment shops quiet.

We rode the ski lift up to the top of the mountain, where there were amazing views all around and a sweet alpine cafe.

It was incredible driving from the heart of Tuscany into this totally different region: green leafy forest swathed every single hillside, the roads narrow and extremely twisting, hugging the side of the hill for miles. The small villages are perched precariously on the steep edges of the hills. The small size of the roads means everything feels very remote – you can’t get anywhere fast.

We also visited the Ponte Sospeso, one the world’s longest suspension bridges. It’s quite the sight stretching across the green valley.