We have been privileged to take this journey to Italy and of this writing we are still here. We started out in Barcelona and cruised some of the islands in the Mediterranean, and disembarked in the port city for Rome, which is Civitavecchia. More about that in a different blog but I am really excited to discuss with you the adventure that is the drive in Tuscany I speak of!
We started out from Castello delle Serre in the small hilltop village of Serre di Rapolano. I discovered this special place because of an old family tie that a friend had. He kept pushing to go here and see for myself and I am SO glad I did.
The Castello itself has tremendous history and when you go there, hint - hint, you should have Antonio tell you the story over a glass of wine. Speaking of Antonio, this story is a family tale and the fantastic Castello would not have been reborn without the vision of his father Salvatore! He is the host, chef, tour guide and visionary of this place. To hear Antonio speak of it, the process of the purchase, refurbishment and the current beautiful results was less a project but more of an organic being!
I really recommend you contact us about this little slice of heaven in Tuscany that served as our base of operations for 2 days.
We asked Antonio what areas he suggested we see, keeping in mind that we wanted to bring a small group as part of a tour. Right away, Montepulciano and Pienze were locations that he insisted we see. He even put a map together for us to follow!
Now, we had a car because we rented it in Civitavecchia when we got of the Star Pride cruise ship, and it was a easier drive to the Tuscany region, than I anticipated. Really good roads and the google map directions that I had printed at home, really worked well. So with the hand drawn map in our arsenal of tools and of course the faith in Antonio's suggestions, we were off!
We had to detour around a little highway repair but we soon stumbled our way to the main highway. Before we got on the southbound E78, we came across some Tuscan beauty in the form of a curious donkey. He was not at all concerned about us since we were simple interlopers in his busy day.
and the roadside poppies were in bloom both in front of us and behind!
We got on the main highway at Rigomagno and off about 10 minutes later at the pretty little village of Sinalunga. I quickly realized that every where you go in Tuscany, the country is spectacular.
We wound our way along the 2 lane roads that meandered through the vineyards, olive trees and emerald wheat fields, passing Villa after Villa in various states of repair from spectacular estates to long forgotten memories. We passed areas that were big enough to have names like Torrita di Siena and Castlemuzio and finally came upon the hilltop gem of Montepulciano.
Now, you have probably heard of Montepulciano and yes it can be full of tourists but if you visit early or stay late you can discover the charm and of course the wine that made this place famous!
Well with THAT overload of culture and yes Pecorino cheese with Pulcino Red, we were off to the postcard village of Pienza.
As we were told, this village was the quintessential lovely Italian town and I would have never left if that was possible. A few things like blonds and bank accounts stood in my way but hey, a man can dream can't he?
This town seems to have everything a sappy romantic could want. The high town wall overlooks the emerald fields that I mentioned earlier and a beautiful town square surrounded by church's and a campanile that has a bell that ACTUALLY rings in beautiful tones. You may have to catch your breath if you are too close when it rings however because it is … uh.. LOUD AND CLEAR! Oh and it has PARKING that is relatively close to this square! AMAZING!
We wandered around this hamlet taking in the sites and realized that we needed sustenance to carry on, so on to a little trattoria for a small bowl of tagliatelle with cinghiale (wild boar) meat sauce and a small carafe of house red. AHHH, now that’s better!
Sorry...uh... back to our story… the colors, sounds and architecture of Pienze causes you to drift between historical fantasy and modern reality in a way that is truly a pleasant experience as it creates the afore mentioned desire to never leave!
So back to the car kicking and screaming I went and we headed toward our home base at the Castello. We followed Antonio's wonderful map back without only a few hiccups but even with those wrong turns and misread signs we found more incredible countryside and views that are burned into my romantic mind.
I am sure that if you would like to take an adventure like this to heart and really give the right side of your brain a chance to express itself, you would enjoy this adventure as well.
Just pick a place or ask B&B Journeys to help you build your Tuscan Country Side Drive!
Thank you for reading!
B & B Journeys
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