The Hard Life of a Business Trip in Tuscany

…Because someone has to do the difficult work.

Let me tell you something nobody warned me about: business trips in Tuscany are brutal.

I mean sure, everyone sees the glamorous side—rolling hills, ancient villas, wine poured like water, food so good it should be illegal. But nobody talks about the real struggle: actually trying to get work done while surrounded by everything that makes life wonderful.

I came here with the noble intention of “visiting suppliers” and “reviewing samples.” Very professional. Very serious.
But then… Tuscany happened.

The First Challenge: The View

I sat down at an outdoor table, laptop ready, spreadsheets open, determination strong. And right in front of me? A glass of rosé glowing like a sunset in a cathedral.

Behind that? A plate of bruschetta so perfectly arranged it looked like Michelangelo plated it himself.

Try answering emails with that in your peripheral vision.
Go ahead. I dare you.

Even worse—every time I looked up, I saw vineyards stretching to infinity, olive trees whispering in the breeze, and a gentleman across from me pretending to work while secretly deciding which bottle of wine to “sample for research purposes.”

The Second Challenge: The Wine

Let me explain something: Tuscany does not “offer” wine. Tuscany insists you drink wine.
You sit down for a meeting and suddenly—boom—a glass appears.

You start discussing production timelines… and the Chianti kicks in.
You review leather samples… but that rosé looks a little lonely.
You try to talk about logistics… but a waiter shows up with a bottle and that’s the end of productivity.

At a certain point I realized: if Tuscany wants to negotiate via wine tasting, who am I to argue?

The Third Challenge: The Food

Take a look at the photo above:
A chef is passionately preparing pasta on a giant wooden board, like he’s painting the Mona Lisa — except with tomato sauce.

I’m sitting at the table with my phone out, trying to answer emails, while this man is crafting spaghetti with the focus of someone solving a global crisis. Meanwhile, behind him, bottles of wine are standing proudly on shelves like they’re supervising the whole process.

Tell me how anyone is supposed to think about budgets and logistics in this situation.

It goes like this:

My brain: “Focus. We need to finalize pricing.”
My stomach: “Are you seeing this?? He’s making the pasta right now.”
My heart: “We should move here permanently and send the company a postcard.”

Then the wine glasses appear. Then the bread basket. Then the smell — oh, the smell.
Every time I try to type, another plate arrives carrying something that destroys productivity on contact.

I’m convinced the food in Tuscany comes with a secret setting called:

“Erase your entire schedule with carbs.”

It works flawlessly.

In Conclusion:

So if you ever hear me say,
“I’m going to Italy for work,”
please understand that what I actually mean is:

“I will attempt—heroically, bravely—to fight through endless plates of food, rivers of wine, and landscapes so beautiful they should come with a warning label.”

Tuscany is a wonderful place, but a dangerous one for anyone who travels with the intention to “be productive.''

If the email replies are delayed…
If decisions take a little longer…
If I accidentally write “Chianti” instead of “quantity”…

Now you know why.

It’s hard work…
But someone has to do it and honestly?
I’m not complaining.