Taste of Tuscany

Chi mangia bene, mangia italiano ;)

I think there is no one, who has never tasted a good italian wine, olive oil, or just ate italian food. But tasting all this in small italian villages, surounded with countless vinyards, nice sunny weather and passionate italians - sweet ....

Living right next to Italy gives us the opportunity to visit it with a car, so a few days off work and sunny forecast gave me the best excuse to go and taste what Tuscany has to offer. Located at an agriturismo (Antica Tenuta Le Casacce in Seggiano) in Val'd Orcia, with the best breakfast and view of the whole valley that has been added on Unesco list of world's heritage, was our base for four days. With no plans at all, just admiring the valley and tipical tuscany rural scenery, we did the best tour that fed us and our travel bug.

Val d'Orcia

Seggiano

 

The southern place that's still in the region of Tuscany is Monte Amiata - extinct volcanic massif popular as a winter skiing centre. Here where autumn gave beech trees marvellous colour, we made a short stop and let our inner child to play with fallen leafs :)

Exploring began and the near mountany road led us to a small village called Bagno di San Filipo, known for natural thermal water with spa and welness. But as we're firstly nosy and curious travellers, we walked down to the water stream and found out, that water made natural whirpools where people bath, and all this for free :) No need for hotel spa, right? :) The only thing that can bother you is the smell of rotten eggs as we say, because of the sulphurous water, but my skin was smooth as silk after the bathing.

Exploring the surroundings of Seggiano, there are small medieval villages on the hills and endless cultivated landscape, one of the most beautiful villages as such is Montepulciano.

What else but chocolate gellato and a bottle of regional wine to end a perfect day in Tuscany!? :)

Region of river Orcia is something, cultivated hills with villas or tuscany farms on the top of the hills, with cypress trees leading way up, but Chianti region is something else, but both, a landmark of Tuscany. We chose to visit Chianti because it's known for its wine, but the countryside and vast vineyrads were a treat.
 

Food in a small local vine/bar was amazing! A bottle or two from 100 year old enoteca (wine shop) in Castellina in Chianti and the night ended joyfull as always :)

With all the serenity and painting like sceneries, the next day we've visited San Gimignano - the town of towers or Medieval Mahattan :)  One can also get a delicious scoop of ice cream here - of course if the queue of american tourists doesn't bother you...

Once you master dolce far niente style of living, there's no other way to go - good food, good wine, gorgeous scenery and tasteful food - a true gem for enjoying dolce far niente is a small, quiet village of Sant' angelo in Colle! Tipical tuscany cousine - italian food which makes you lick your fingers at the end!

foto: Marija Demšar

 For soulsearching or for those who just seek a little peace, Sant Antimo it's the place to go.

From the southern stunning place in Tuscany - Monte Amiata to the north, goodbye from Tuscany has to be stoping at another landmark -  the leaning tower in Pisa to closly excamine the "wonder" (read - to crowd in front of the tower where something went terriblly wrong when it was constructed :) ).

What has become of it, it's an "instant Italy" and truly not what Tuscany is all about - marvelous landscape and exquisite food! So to enjoy our last day in Italy, what better to graba abike and cycle to slice of pizza in the city piazza?

Just a traveller or a passionate gourmet, Tuscany is a land to taste!