As we roll away on the train out of Florence and I look at my pictures of our three days in Tuscany, I can't help but feel full. Full of the beauty and lush green scenic vistas, full of the generous spirit of the locals who hosted us and full of their glorious food and wine! Tuscany has been good to us.
We drove many scenic routes from town to town and enjoyed stopping along the way in our Alpha Romeo...a perfect little sports car to show us the countryside. We had several stops to take in the view and soak up the sun. I convinced Chris that I needed some photos of me in a field of yellow flowers....the sunflowers aren't out yet but there are several rolling hills with yellow, red poppies and green. One field was perfect for our photo shoot and I will forever have this memory in my mind. The insect bites however on my feet are a temporary pain...and they hurt! No pain, no gain!
We began our wine tasting in a small village outside of Montalcino and met a marvellous man named Paulo at his winery. The Cantine Di Abbadia Ardenga is renowned for its Brunello Di Montalcino, a famed red wine that is very expensive. Paulo showed us his wine cellar where they make the wine and explained the process, and showed us the ancient well in the middle of his cellar. The cellar also housed a room with wines dating back to the early century and they have cellared wine every year since. We were seated and provided a tasting of their wines along with fresh bread, their local pecorino and salami and their hospitality. We were treated like family and when his father arrived (who must have been in his 90's) we were welcomed warmly with a kiss. This experience was my highlight.
Onward thru the heart of Tuscany we rolled up and down on little roads paved and gravel. We stopped in Pienza for a purchase of truffled pecorino to bring home, as they are famous for their pecorino. The little town was so special with little ancient walkways and breathtaking views. Our journey took us over to another wine town called Montepulciano where the hilltop town required a trek from the bottom to the top. The rewards were plenty as we visited the square with an old church and a very old winery. We spiralled down to the cellars for the views of more wine barrels and tasted the regions finest...Vino Noble. Here there is much pride in producing the only wine of this grape and in the conditions of their terroir. We couldn't leave Tuscany with out a sunflower, so to add to the souvenirs we purchased a long skinny painting. Now because it doesn't fit in the suitcase we will be carrying it the rest of the way!! Oops!
Our bags became heavier for this train trip with a few bottles of wine. But like I said we are full of the Tuscan experience. We are heading to Cinque Terre now for a restful few days by the sea.