In October 2023, Laura and I spent a month in Italy on Walk About Italy tours in Tuscany, along the Amalfi Coast and in Sicily, a journey we call the “Italian Adventure”. This is the first chapter.
Tuscany is the bread basket of Italy, literally, and so much more than that: rolling countryside, sun-soaked hills and rustic 16th century farmhouses that have stood the test of time. Sun-dried tomatoes, sumptuous olive oil, home-made pasta, stupendous wines and kind, friendly people: it is the quintessential Italian experience.
We left Rome after one night and took a bus toward the Tuscan hills. This was a pleasant recommendation from our guide, as we were able to see the landscape change gradually from the large windows of the coach. Siena sits at the top of three hills, well above the bus station, so we took a series of escalators (its own story) just to reach street level. We had arrived a day early, so we had the evening to ourselves to wander the city. The streets are quite confusing and it took over an hour to find our restaurant!
Siena is a lovely medieval city and appears today much as it did in the 1300s. Its main square, the Piazza del Campo, is built around the city hall and its tower, not a church, and is home to the annual horse race called the Palio. The bricks are made from the local soil, a unique brown that became “burnt sienna” and is in countless boxes of crayons the world over (it certainly was in my box).
Our first hike (yes, it is advertised as a walking tour but all traversing was basically hiking) was to the Chianti region, very well-known for its wine. Along the way, our guide, Sara, explained the history of the area and led us to some astounding hilly mounds that turned out to be Etruscan burial sites, about 2500 years old.
After roughly 8 km under an unusually hot Tuscan sun for October (the temperature averaged 28C every day and we were blessed with blue sky and sunshine for our whole Italian adventure, although it did make for some sweaty hikes) we arrived at the Fattoria Tregole, an organic estate farm and vineyard perched on a hill within three deep gorges. Relaxing in an outdoor courtyard, we met Dario Castagno, who explained the history of the vineyard and the area and toured us around the site. The winery is run by the Conte family, with daughter Sophie as the wine maker. We enjoyed more than one wine with a sumptuous farm-to-table lunch in the courtyard.
Dario is also the author of a number of books about the region and is involved in producing olive oil. Naturally Laura had to inquire about purchasing and shipping some home, and Dario made it happen. We now have three 1 litre tins of the finest IGP certified extra virgin olive oil in the world.
Our Tuscan group consisted of seven people: Laura and Gerald, a woman from Australia who spoke quite good Italian, a mother and son team from Colorado and a couple from Wisconsin. The other groups we would encounter were larger than this one, so we quite enjoyed the intimacy of a smaller group for our first regional tour.
That evening we attended a Tuscan cooking class at the Dante Alighieri Cooking School in Siena, where we were immediately put to work under the tutelage of chef Massimo and his effervescent wife. Gerald was relegated to the pasta squad and Laura was sequestered to the sauce preparation, “ragù di maiale e finocchietto” (pork with fennel and tomato). (When in doubt, add more wine.) We enjoyed a wonderful “home cooked” meal consisting of an antipasto, primo piatto, secondo carne and a dolce, and we received the recipes to take home.
Our next adventure was to the town of San Gimignano, a small, walled medieval town about 40 km from both Siena and Florence. Noble family rivalries resulted in the construction of towers of varying heights to “one up” your neighbor. At one point there were 72 towers in the town. Only 14 remain today. There was a rule that no vanity tower could be higher than the old city hall at about 50 m tall, so the Salvucci family built two side by side towers of 30 m. These have remained intact for 700 years.
Our walk took us through the vineyards of Vernaccia di San Gimignano, the most famous white wine of Tuscany. The most famous aspect of San Gimignano, however, is that of all the gelaterias in Italy, only one is the “world champion” and that resides here, and boy was it good!
The food experiences in the farmhouses we visited were unparalleled: the freshness of the produce, the savory cured meats and the impressive wines were only matched by the warm and friendly people who hosted us. They only serve what they grow or produce.
We then transitioned to a tiny village in the beautiful valley of Val d’Orcia called Pienza, situated between the two outstanding wine regions of Montalcino and Montepulciano.
Our morning trek led us to Il Cocco, a small organic, family run estate vineyard in Montalcino. As it was harvesting time in October, they were still bringing in and crushing the grapes. Wanting to help out in the operation, I decided to shovel the discarded grape stems into the trailer, and they will be used as compost.
We enjoyed a glass of Giacomo’s rosé before continuing. Pienza has its own story: the birthplace of Pope Pius II, who rebuilt the village in the 1400s as what he considered the ideal city of the Renaissance. We also visited the thermal hot springs at Bagno Vignoni and the fortified walls of San Quirico, over 1000 years old. Our time here was in October, so the landscape is brown after the wheat harvest, but in spring and summer it is a luscious green.
Our last visit turned out to be one of our most memorable. We started our trek in the Monticchiello area with our destination being Podere Il Casale, a quaint, picturesque, rustic podere that epitomizes the Tuscan farm experience. Originally from Switzerland, Ulisse and Sandra first laid eyes on it in 1991. Their dream was all about healthy, delicious and self-grown food.
As Ulisse was recounting his family’s story in the area, Laura remarked to me that she seemed familiar with this story and the people. After the presentation, she talked with Ulisse and asked if this was written in a book. Indeed, a book was published in 2020, and Laura exclaimed, “I have this book”. She had purchased it at the Cook Book Company store in Calgary. Ulisse then asked if Laura knew Gail, who runs the store. Laura absolutely knows Gail and has for years. Well said Ulisse, she will be visiting us next week. So, how is that for 3 degrees of separation!
Our lunch was spectacular: fresh produce from their garden bathed in their own olive oil, many styles and ages of pecorino cheese, fresh white wine and luscious red, perfect pasta and wild boar.
Our time exploring the Tuscan landscape, its treasures and its people was drawing to an end. The essence of this special region can be embodied within the verse on a plaque we came across in front of a hotel in San Quirico:
More from Laura and Gerald’s Italian Adventure:
Our trip to Sicily: Greek temples, wild beaches and Baroque Noto
Our trip to the Aeolian Islands: volcanoes, capers and a long lunch
Gerald W. from Canada
Walked Iconic Tuscany in October 2023, as a couple.
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Iconic Tuscany
Hilltop villages and vineyards in Tuscany, with authentic food and wine along the way. Easy pace, small groups, local guides.
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