We have been so lucky with the weather since we’ve been here. I don’t know what it’s usually like in February, but the sun has been out in full force and it feels like every day is the perfect spring day. The air is fresh, the blossoms are out, birds sing and bees buzz.
It’s obvious why people fall in love with this landscape - in every direction it’s the same, and it’s stunningly beautiful.
We’ve done a lot of hiking. We’ve visited a few of the ancient cities that perch atop so many of the Tuscan hills. We have spent time with wonderful humans and animals. We’ve eaten well and drunk the coffee and the wine. We have drowned ourselves in olive oil and we have walked through truffle groves. For me this is heaven, and I almost can’t believe I’m here.
Through the olive trees…
Cory found grass!
Day 1 hike through the countryside
More grass, more olives
Basking in the afternoon sun after our big hike, on the way to a surprise olive tour and tasting and wonderful Italian hospitality. We made some new friends, through our new friend Airleas, who make olive oil and do tastings and cooking classes out of their beautiful farm just outside San Quirico d’Orcia. They are not yet open for the season, but they had us over anyway; took us through the olive trees, then fed us several courses of olive oil, bread, wine, cheese, meats, biscotti, vin santo and coffee all on a sun-drenched patio with two cats. I was in heaven. AND I got to use my very weak Italian in a situation with no English speakers, which is exactly what one needs in order to finally step up and butcher a new language in the interest of communication. I’m very proud.
200+ year old olive trees
Farm cat Rosso. Very sweet. Loves cheese.
The famous Tuscan cypress trees.
Cathedral in San Quirico by night
Night time, dancing our way to dinner
Misty morning in San Quirico
Getting the perfect shot of the lone tree on the misty hillside
Not the photo I took
Cory and the cherry blossoms
Photographing the famous little chapel that sits on a hill between the towns of San Quirico d’Orcia and Pienza. The story is that a young shepherdess (that’s a female shepherd, lesser known sub-genre of sheep care specialist) saw a vision of the Virgin Mary on this spot some few hundred years ago.
Also not the photo I took
Bagni Vignoni, an ancient mill town in an area of rich mineral hot springs. One of many such towns in southern Toscana, and we tried a few.
This is one of the ones you pay for, but we decided we deserved it. Worth it for the huge clean pools, one hot and one warm, plus the napping chairs laid out in the sun…
Napping with a huge ancient castle on the hill in the distance - can’t see it well in this, but it really looms over you in person.
Losing count of the days, but this lil Toto dog watched us leave San Quirico for another adventure…
Montepulciano and some weird sculptures outside the fortress. Most of this town was closed to us due to the off-season and it not being lunchtime yet, but we loved it anyway and vow to return to explore the cave cellars and other cool stuff we heard whispers of…
As far as public sculptures go, it’s a choice.
Main piazza in Montepulciano. Gorgeous.
We found coffee!
Denied.
We found wine!
Alleyway that we walked down
And our last afternoon in the Val d’Orcia region - an incredible ride through the Tuscan hills with a lovely horsewoman and her beautiful horses. Heaven!
We rode through a long-abandoned ancient farmstead / manor ground that was just gorgeous.
Ending the day with a tasting of the local Brunello wines :)