July 2019
Tuscany ~ breathtaking Rolling landscapes, refined wines and Magnificent medieval villages
Well hello there …
Watching the movie “Under the Tuscan sun” made me dream of the infinite beauty of the landscape (rows of cypress trees, vineyards, rolling hills) , of the estates with charming, authentic farmhouses, of the pure Italian cuisine and world-class wines.
We had been talking about Tuscany the last couple of years, but this year it became our family summer holiday destination. And guess what, we stayed in Cortona, in the South-East, the film location of the movie. Were we had the best time!
To limit the travel times, we also stayed at Ponsacco in the West. And in Figline Valdarno, in the East, to spend some time with our family who was staying there.
As it was a road trip, I am going to write my story based on our day-to-day program.
Day 1: Belgium – Lago Maggiore
We left early in the morning as we had to drive almost 900 km to Verbania, located at the Lago Maggiore. We booked 1 night at hotel “Albergo Pesce D’Oro”, an affordable 3* hotel with stunning lake views. We had a comfortable family room, with a big terrasse, air-conditioning and WIFI. And downstairs a restaurant with an extensive menu. After dinner we made a relaxing walk along the waterside and ate our 1st “gelato”. Goodnight, sleep tight, don’t let the bedbugs bite.
Another address (received from friends), we were considering is “Hotel Posta”, located in Moltrasio at Lake Como.
Day 2: Lago Maggiore – Arezzo
After a simple but good breakfast we hit the road. 475 Km to drive, direction Arezzo. I heard and read good things about this city, so I was pretty curious about our 1st stop in Tuscany. Unfortunately it was a disappointment to me. Maybe it was due to the heat that day, or the time of our visit. But the city was pretty deserted. Except from a few tourists, there were few people walking in the streets. Arezzo was the movie scène of “La vita è bella”. The “Piazza Grande” is the largest square, surrounded by beautiful buildings. The Duomo is located at the top of the hill, around which the city is built. One thing immediately became clear to me, the Tuscan cities are quite hilly, and so there would be a lot of climbing during our vacation. Which compensates for a small part, the extra pounds of drinking wine and eating “dolci”.
Afterwards we were ready to meet our agriturismo were we would stay the next 4 nights, “Le Terre dei Cavalieri”. Immediately we were enchanted by the beauty of the landscapes in and near Cortona. It looked exactly how I imagined. Once we arrived at the long driveway of “Le Terre” surrounded by cypress trees and sunflower fields, a sense of precedence and satisfaction took over. It looked perfect! I found this place on the website of “Eliza was here”. We started to email and call with the owner and owners son, who offered us a family apartment. No deposit needed. Easy-going was my first impression and that’s what I appreciate, when staying at a B&B or agriturismo.
We were welcomed by a friendly lady who showed us our apartment. Once entered I was impressed about the size of it. A very large living room with open kitchen, 2 large bedrooms with ensuite bathroom, one with a shower the other one with a bathtub. Outside there was a nice patio and we were allowed to park the car in front of the door. The interior was classic Italian, but charming without being over the top. The garden and pool area were well maintained and they even have a pool bar where you can order a cold glass of wine, aperol spritz and some small dishes for lunch.
In the main building you find the cozy restaurant with a nice pergola style terrace. In the evening we ate here for the first time. They have a fix menu and offer some daily specials. To start with we had some anti-pasta to share, followed by a homemade lasagna for the kids and roasted beef with rosemary potatoes for us. They also produce their own wines, but also offer some other nice wines from the region. The service was very friendly and charming, often with hand gestures, as they have an inadequate command of the English language. After a game of Yahtzee we called it a day and had a goodnight sleep in our cool room, as the airconditioning was doing a great job.
Day 3: Montepulciano & Bagni San Filippo
After a nice breakfast with plenty of homemade pies we were ready for our 1st day excursion. First we drove to Montepulciano at 30km’s South from Cortona.
Whoever hears the name Montepulciano, naturally immediately thinks of the class wines “Vini nobili di Montalcino” DOCG. From the town you have a beautiful view over the lower vineyards and the rugged countryside. The historic center of Montepulciano is car-free, so we left our car at one of the many pay parkings outside the city wall. You can visit several wine cellars in the city, many of them are located in the main street “Il Corso”. The best known and most beautiful one, is the one the Contucci family. But instead we visited a wine estate outside the city center, namely “Tenuta Valdipiatta”. A friendly gentlemen showed us around and gave us a clear explanation about their production process and wines. We were really impressed by the beautiful cellar, built into the rocks. We bought a few bottles and said our goodbyes.
Heading course to “Bagni dei San Filippo”, the highlight of the trip for the daughters. Tuscany has a lot of hot water springs, known and used for curative purposes since Etruscan and Roman times. They remain hugely popular today, with the Saturnia hot springs being the most popular one. (Chances are big that you already saw pictures of it passing by on Instagram) As Saturnia was too far, we chose to go for the nearer and less known “Bagni dei San Fillipo”. It was a 40 minutes’ drive from Montepulciano.
The springs are gorgeous and access is free! The calciferous formations, waterfalls and small pools of hot water surrounded by the woods just outside the small town in the Val d'Orcia, seem to take you to another world. There is an easy path that runs along the river and provides easy access. The area is quite big, the first pools you find along the path, are shallow and therefore do not maintain their heat for long. If you follow the path further down, you reach the massive formation of calcium and waterfall that has earned the nickname of the "White Whale". Here, the hot water of the springs meets the cold water of the river, giving the water a white-blue color that contrasts deeply with the green woods, creating a fascinating setting. For me a must visit when you’re in Tuscany.
We were back in time, to relax for a bit at the pool of our agriturismo.
In the evening we decided to have dinner in the village of Cortona, it’s a small charming town, on top of a hill 600 metres above sea level. There are many restaurants in the city, most offering traditional local and Tuscan cuisine. The beating heart of Cortona is Piazza della Repubblica, a very nice and vibrant square.
Day 4: Siena
Another highlight of our road trip, and must-see is Siena. Located at 65 km from “Le Terre”. We left in the morning to avoid the big crowds and the afternoon heat.
The heart of Siena is the Piazza del Campo, the shell-shaped square that is laid out where the three hills converge on which Siena was once built. This "shell" is divided into nine pieces by white stripes in the pavement. These nine pieces refer to the time when Siena was ruled by a board of nine men.
The Duomo was to become the largest church in the world. But actually the church is still not finished, you can see the unfinished piece of wall on the right side of the Duomo.
Twice a year, on July 2nd and August 16th, the whole of Siena holds its breath as the horses from ten different neighborhoods run around the square during the famous “Palio”, a true spectacle. We were here on the 5th of July, so only 3 days later.
Siena consists of 17 neighborhoods, which are called contrade (singular contrada). When you walk through the streets, you will see the coats of arms and symbols of these contrada´s everywhere, they still play a major role in daily life.
In the afternoon we chilled at the pool and went back to Cortona for diner.
Day 5: Pienza & Montalcino
Today we scheduled to go to Pienza and Montalcino.
Pienza, a small town, lies on top of a hill, at 40 km’s from Cortona and is together with San Gimignano and Volterra one of the most popular and most visited villages in Tuscany. This charming town, which has just over two thousand inhabitants, has been on the UNESCO World Heritage List since 1996. The historic center of the town is completely car-free. It’s surrounded by the wonderful hills of the Val d’Orcia. Pienza is "the city of the pecorino". In the narrow streets you find, numerous cheese shops, where the pecorinos are piled up: small and large, old and young, soft, hard, seasoned,... Pienza is a romantic city because of its streets with “lovely” names such as Via dell'Amore (love street) and Via del Bacio (kiss street). If you are in a romantic mood you should definitely visit this place!
From Pienza it’s another 30 km to Montalcino.
The Pride of Montalcino is the Brunello, rather an expensive wine. € 35 To € 80 per bottle, is the average price. The precious formula of the fantastic Brunello was discovered in 1888 by Ferruccio Biondi Santi, who first had the idea to ignore the grapes used in the traditional Chianti recipe, such as the Canaiolo and Colorino wines, and only used the Sangiovese, a blue grape variety from Tuscany. The imposing and powerful castle Rocca, built in 1361 by the Sienezen, forms the center of the historic center. The streets are very medieval, narrow and steep.
After a swim and refreshing shower we had diner in our agriturismo again. This time we ate a very good tagliata as main course.
Day 6: San Gimignano & Volterra – Ponsacco
Unfortunately it was time to say goodbye to the lovely people of “Le Terre dei Cavalieri”. If I ever comeback to Tuscany, I will stay here again. I fully recommend this place! Today we were hiding more North.
First we visited San Gimignano, also known as medieval Manhattan. The small town in Tuscany owes his nickname to the large number of towers. In the past there were no fewer than 72 towers. Families built up against each other, the higher the tower, the more prestige. In 1580 there were only 25 left. The “Torre del Podesta”, with 54 meters, is the highest tower in the city, which you can climb. Upstairs a beautiful view of San Gimignano and the surrounding area awaits.
Next one, was Volterra, at 30 km’s.
Volterra is a "city of wind and stone". That is a bit true, because the town is located high on a hilltop and therefore catches a lot of wind. You have to climb a steep staircase to get there. Volterra is already very old; it was founded by the Etruscans. The Romans also left their legacy in Volterra, the amphitheater is one of the best preserved from Roman times.
Perhaps you recognize some places from the Twilight movies? Originally, Stephenie Meyer planned to have the Volturi live in a fictional city called "Volturin". She had decided that the city would be in Tuscany, and that its main square would contain a clock tower. After examining a map of the region, she discovered Volterra close to where she was going to set Volturin, and learned that it also had a clock tower like the one she had described for her city. So, she decided to use the real city of Volterra instead.
Do you want to take something home? Buy a souvenir made from Alabaster, like I did. I bought stunning earrings for €5 only.
Afterwards we had still 40km to drive to get to our hotel in Ponsacco. We booked the 3* hotel “Casale Le Torri” for the next 2 nights.The start of our stay was not a big success. First they gave us a room where the air conditioning was not functioning well. We received another room, but here the sink was blocked, so they had to call a plumber. There was also a big family party going on, so there was a lot of noise and children running and screaming in the hallway. We decided to reserve dinner at the restaurant that evening and that didn’t turned the tide. There was only 1 waiter for the whole restaurant, he did his best but couldn’t cope it. I received my aperitif, after he served the main course and while we were already drinking our bottle of wine. In my opinion the quality of the food was also very mediocre. Luckily we had a good night sleep and when everything functioned as it should, the room was quite comfortable though.
Day 7: Lucca & Pisa
After a simple breakfast, we decided we wanted to eat elsewhere that night. So the plan was to visit Lucca in the morning, to return to the hotel afterwards to enjoy the pool in the afternoon and to leave for Pisa in the late afternoon / early evening.
The charm of Lucca is not a large selection of big monuments that can compete with the Tower of Pisa, but rather the very Italian atmosphere that prevails in the streets of this town. You have the best view of Lucca from the sixteenth-century city wall, which completely surrounds the center of the city. A walking and cycling path with a total length of approximately four kilometers has been laid on top of the wall. The Via Fillungo is the main shopping street of Lucca, with many shoe and clothing stores. In the side streets you can find the smaller shops with local delicacies such as olive oil, chestnut pie, freshly made pasta and wine. I was not overwhelmed by the beauty or charm of Lucca, but after all the medieval cities with only brown buildings, the colorful houses created a total other atmosphere that I appreciated at that time.
Afterwards we went back to our hotel in Ponsacco to relax at the pool. As no other hotel guests were at the pool, we had the place to ourselves. The pool of Casale Le Torri is pretty big, with a separate kidspool and a separate area were you can lie and relax a bit. It’s well maintained! So that’s one of the assets of this hotel.
After a refreshing shower we left for Pisa. The greatest sights of Pisa are all on Piazza dei Miracoli, the Square of Miracles. The best known is the bell tower, or campanile, which has become quite crooked over the years thanks to the marshy surface. In addition to the leaning tower, you can find the cathedral or Duomo of Pisa, the magnificent Baptistery and the Camposanto, a beautiful cemetery on this square. People often advise that Pisa is not really worth a visit, that the size of the tower is pretty disappointing, that it’s very crowded, etc … But Piazza dei Miracoli is really stunning, I am glad that I saw it! Afterwards we had a good diner in a small restaurants a few blocks away from the piazza, before heading back to our hotel.
Day 8: Ponsacco – Figline Valdarno
Time to check-out at Casale Le Torri, for the longest drive of our Tuscany road trip.We were heading to the East, to the Chianti region. My brother in law was staying with his family in a 4* luxury camping resort “Norcenni Girasole Club” and we were going to spend the afternoon with them.
But first we planned a stop at another winery “Fontodi”, located in the heart of Chianti Classico. Fontodi is a certified organic estate which extends over 130 hectares of which about 70 are planted with vines. They know how to make characteristic wines from mainly Sangiovese grapes. The cellars were not open to visit at the time of our appointment, but they did offer us a wine tasting. We tried 5 different wines, the best one is their flagship wine “Flaccianello della Pieve”, 100% Sangiovese. It was very nice, but in our honest opinion overpriced. For € 75 per bottle we expect an exceptional wine of excellent quality. He was very tasty, but in our opinion not to such an extent to justify such a prize. The other wines were pretty average in our opinion and the prices of these were also between €16 - €30 per bottle. This is subjective of course, but we are not unexperienced when it comes to wine tasting. We have already visited the Bordeaux region, Sancère, Piedmonte, the South African wine region, etc...
Next we drove up to the Bio-shop of Sting, “Tenuta Il Palagio”, to taste some of his wines all named after his famous songs, like “Message in a bottle” and his olive oil. The lady in the shop told us she was ready to close for lunch, but we could enter to have a quick look. My husband tasted 2 wines, but since the shop assistant was clearly in a hurry and showed little passion, we decided to leave the store empty-handed after a few minutes, which was clearly not appreciated.
We also made a short stop at the hotel “The Villa Il Palagio”. If you’re looking for a high-end place to stay during your visit of the Chianti / Tuscany region, this is one to consider. It breaths pure class, elegance and luxury. Sting and Trudie restored in 1999 the property to its former glory and beyond. Entering the hotel, I was overwhelmed by a sense of peace. They can accommodate 49 people, staying either in a double room at the main building or in one of the guesthouses. Further they offer a tennis court, a beautiful swimming pool, yoga classes, etc …
Afterwards we checked-in at our B&B for the next 2 nights. Located very close to Il Palagio, a bit higher at the hill, “Azienda Residenza San Leo”. We were hosted by Patrizia, the owner who showed us our apartment, located in an old farmhouse. She invited us to join her home-cooked meal in the evening, but as we already had other dinner plans that night, we asked her if it was possible to make a reservation for the evening after. Unfortunately she doesn’t cook, each night, so that was not an option. The apartment was spacious, except from the bathroom! It was extremely small, the shower was less than 1m² tall, covered by a curtain. The oldest daughter took a shower in the evening and immediately the whole bathroom floor was wet. There was also only 1 small sink and 1 toilet to share, while they sell the apartment for 5 persons. To use the air-conditioning, the owner had to activate it first before we were able to use it and they asked €10 per day extra for it. What upset us the most, was the long list of rules we received when checking-in, 2 full pages! You’re not allowed to enter the pool without a swimming cap, if you wrinkle the bed cover too much we will charge you the costs for the dry cleaner, if you leave leftovers on your plate at breakfast we will charge you, etc … Come on, I am in favor of being ecological, but this is one step too far for me. If you offer plastic plates, then you are not completely straightforward in my opinion. The breakfast was also very poor and disappointing. No fresh bread, a selection of home-made pastries and jams, … ( which I can really appreciate at a nice B&B).Really pity as I do like the charm of this property, the style of the buildings and the pool was also stunning and well-maintained. But for me there was no connection, no cordiality. With a different approach you could turn this into a really hidden gem.
So it was time to go and visit our family and to explore another accommodation option, when you’re travelling on a budget. Norcenni Girasole Club, is a village on its own, they can accommodate 6000 people! They offer accommodations of different categories: rooms, apartments, bungalows and mobile homes which meet all requirements. Our family rented a bungalow for 4 at € 600 for 1 week. They had a separate bedroom with 1 double bed and 1 extra bed, a bathroom and another double sofa bed in the kitchen/dining room. There was a nice outdoor terrace and they had a parking space very closeby. If you’re staying at Norcenni, make sure you have a healthy condition, because the slopes are quiet steep! They offer a wide-range of activities and sports, 5 pools (a couple with slides), 4 restaurants, a big grocery store, etc … Not really my cup of tea! I hate the crowds and miss the charm. But tastes vary … We paid € 15 pp for a day pass and had diner together (Italian buffet all-you-can-eat) in one of their restaurants. Not very sophisticated, but rather cheap.
Day 9: Firenze
Today we were looking forward to, our city visit to Florence. And it was also the birthday of our youngest. We decided to take the train from Figline Valdarno to Firenze. Almost every half an hour there is a train, and it brings you within 20 minutes to the city centre. Firenze is a beautiful city: the impressive Duomo with the largest dome in the world, Michelangelo's David and all those other statues in Piazza della Signoria, the charming Ponte Vecchio, strolling through all the fashion streets with chic shops, watching the street artists at work like in Paris,…In the evening we settled ourselves on the terrace of a nice Italian bistro at a small square, enjoying an affordable and delicious 3-course dinner and the good company. After singing for our daughter and eating her chocolate ice-cream we returned to the terrace of the bungalow to crack another bottle of Chianti to celebrate the nice ending of our Tuscan adventure.
Day 10: Figline Valdarno – Efringen-Kirchen
Time to say our goodbyes and heading north again. Ciao Bella !!! Today we were going to drive almost 700 km, to Efringen-Kirchen in Germany, just across the Swiss border. I was really charmed about the beauty and charm of this region. And certainly want to come back to explore more of the Schwarzwald and Alsace. Where France and Germany collide; visiting Colmar, do a bit of hiking and tasting some wine, once more.
The hotel we booked for our last overnight was spot-on. “Walsers Landhotel & Restaurant” is a family owned business. It stands for warm hospitality and culinary delights. The hotel exists out of 2 parts, the main building where the restaurant and reception is located and another more modern building “Walsers Zweites Hotel” where our rooms were located. Very comfortable, large rooms, with a modern open-space bathroom, nicely but simply decorated. But all credits go to their restaurant! Also recognized by Michelin as a good quality kitchen. We had a very nice, big homemade schnitzel, really yummy. And they advised us about some good affordable local wines. Exhausted by the long drive, we decided to call it a day.
Day 11: Efringen-Kirchen - Belgium
In the morning we had a delicious breakfast with a lot of choice; different types of bread like sugar-loaf, homemade jams like rhubarb, lots of fruit, smoked salmon, etc…
After checking-out we had still almost 600 km to drive before arriving in our hometown.
HOME SWEET HOME !
“Ovunque tu vada, vacci con tutto il tuo cuore” ~ Confucio