The ancient, spiritual heart of the Casentino forest in eastern Tuscany is full of sights straight out of a fairytale, and it's the perfect place to escape everyday life. Apartment blocks in Italian cities can be incredibly noisy, and I'm convinced my neighbours have to be the noisiest of all. As I lie awake in the dark, listening to them apparently moving all the furniture and tap-dancing at five in the morning, I often imagine having my own Tuscan villa in the middle of nowhere. It would be completely surrounded by silent forest, with not a noisy neighbour for miles.

It might take me a while to save up for this fantasy villa. Especially since in my mind it has a pool, and an olive grove. But in the meantime I can always go to visit the many silent places in the Tuscan forest on the weekend, escape from the neighbours, and reclaim a little bit of my sanity.