Italy as a tourist destination probably suffers from over-exposure. People have have been imbibing its endless inspirational attractions since the days of the Grand Tour, when "gentlemen of means and breeding" would have to visit Italy and France in order to complete their education.
Ever since, and before, Laurence Stern's Sentimental Journey through France and Italy, published 200-odd years ago, Italy has been on the map too for the likes of Keats, Shelley, Handel, Goethe, Debussy - you name them.
So whenever you approach the topic of Italy as a tourist destination, you have to confront the timelessness of its appeal. Yes, we know all about the Romans, the Renaissance and the fabulous food. But, a truism it may be, Italy will never run dry on you as a source of inspiration.
Its only real rivals are France, and Spain coming a close second Spain, in terms of endless appeal: art, architecture, literature, music, cuisine or just simply being there.
One of the best ways to appreciate Italy is not to go there directly as your first stop. If you're a first timer in Europe, starting in Italy is great, because once you travel to the rest of the continent, you realise how much other countriesl owe to the legacy of Italy. But try going to Italy via Sweden, and your appreciation of Italy magnifies a hundred fold.
While Stockholm has justly been dubbed the Venice of the North, it does come across as an enthusiastically regimented milieu. Italy by contrast is truly la dolce vita.
Arriving in Milan from Stockholm for example, it's gratifying to see people laugh, smile and express their emotions. In fact, the effortless and unselfconscious flamboyance of the Italians reminds you that life can be theatre, that even if it does have its trials, there is such a thing as the art of living and deriving joy from one's existence.
Sounds a bit narcissistic, especially when you see the proliferation of top fashion stores and endless demands made upon the senses - not only in what people wear, but what there is to eat and the care, devotion and love that goes into making food, clothes or a beautiful car.
The drawback is, that with 60-odd million people living life in this way, the pressure to keep the bella figura show on the road does cause people a lot of stress, especially on their congested highways or autostrade.
So the first thing to avoid when "doing Italy" is wanting to do too much. Rand permitting, allow yourself to go there again and again, because you'll never exhaust the possibilities of this country as you may do, say Iceland.
Limit yourself to a particular region or city and branch out from there. It is stressful having to lug baggage around from station to station, airport to airport when your precious time and money could be spent in a much more rewarding way in one spot, getting to know it well.
There are so many places to choose from: try Tuscany. It is an obvious choice - everyone seems to have zoomed in to this elegant paradise, ever since British officers during World War 2 were able to get first-hand experience of the gentle delights of this region south of Florence and north of Rome.
It is indeed beautiful, with its manicured landscapes and cypress clusters. Go to one of the agriturismo spots that are dotted all over the countryside where you can stay in a stone cottage, a casa collinica that effortlessly dates back centuries.
Sample the inevitable rustic charm and be within a few miles of such gems as Siena, Florence, Montalcino, Montepulciano and Pienza, which are the obligatory reference points for any Tuscan reverie. Or head off in the direction of Lucca, and stay at the 15th-century Villa di Corliano. Magnificent and comprable in price to an average star hotel in South Africa.
Forget dieting: in Tuscany you eat as if you've never eaten before. You feel that if you don't eat, you're missing out on something wonderful. And invariably you would be.
In some destinations, not eating can save your life or at least avoid the endless charms of relentless rumbleguts. What is delightful in Tuscany is that you can get excellent value for your liras (soon to be euros), especially in the roadside trattorie between Florence and Siena, and in and around Montalcino, south of Siena.
Try Sant Antimo, a tiny village named after the 9th-century abbey nearby, and which was one of the stops for pilgrims coming from northern Europe on their way to Rome and beyond.
The trattoria here, mentioned in the Michelin guide, is out of this world. You could spend the rest of your life sampling one antipasto after another, and the Tuscan version of steak is simply grilled with a wedge of lemon and olive oil. (None of this nonsense with bottled barbeque sauces and suspect bastings that all taste the same).
Move on to Montepulciano, home of the celebrated Renaissance poet Angelo Poliziano whose rendition of the myth of Orpheus inspired generations of composers and writers after him. There's also the Renaissance cathedral of San Biagio surrounded by clusters of cypresses. An apple, pecorino secco cheese, some bread - with or without olives - and a glass of Brunello di Montalcino or one of the Chianti wines, all picked up along the way, is all you'd need for a heavenly midday snack.
One of the award-winning Chiantis to look out for is San Giusto a Rentennano. Almost any year is good and in fact when you head back north towards Florence, 15km after Siena on the Strada del Chianti you will find San Giusto, near the village of Pianella. It's equidistant between Siena and Gaiole in Chianti. Go along the long cypress avenue until you get to the 12th-century villa and ask Franco Martini-di-Cigala (his family tree is traceable to the 10th century) to open the cellar.
He might be a bit gruff and irritable, as you may have interrupted his passion for opera - he loves Puccini in particular - but he is a wonderful man, with a passion for good wine, the creation of which is his special delight.
Alternatively, you can walk from Siena to Florence (not in winter) or try Il Mulino, just down the road from Franco's place, and eat and overnight there. You can't go wrong.
If they're full, drive on to Gaiole or Radda and try out a pensione. Or head back to Siena and sample the endless charms of this, arguably, the best-preserved medieval town in Europe.