Friday,  October 5th

Tuscany at it's best: Countryside and Pienza

After a few days of rain we found sun. The rolling hills sparkled in various green and yellow hues. Homes made out of stone, old brick, wood shutters, wearing red tile crowns stood like statues on top of hills. Italian Cypress trees lined dirt paths that curved around to the homes. Grape arbors  followed the curves of the earth. 

We stopped at a winery that is as popular for it's winding Cypress tree lane as it is for the wine. The views from the terrace were spectacular and seemingly endless. As we headed back down the lane we had to take care to avoid hitting tourists taking "iconic" selfies amongst the trees. Cars were stacked up along the road waiting their turn at the "perfect" photo shot. 

Pienza is my favorite old village thus far. The stone and brick architecture is lovely. Then there's window boxes of greenery or autum flowers spilling out and cascading over like water falls. The views from the exterior of the town are beautiful.  Rolling hills, plowed fields, grape arbors, and tree lined roads lead to the occasional home. No tract housing here. Not one skyscraper or industrial installation to spoil the view. 

Of course there's a large church in the center of town. There are two Gelato shops, both claiming to be "The World's best" vying for customers.  And there are a few tourist shops. But just a few. Not the typical one shop next to another like in other historic villages. To me Pienza was particularly charming. 

Next stop, Arezzo for lunch. However, not one parking place could we find. Most restaurants close at 2:30 for siesta. And without parking there was no way to find something for lunch. So we pushed on to Cortona and our pilates retreat for one full week. 


Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Travel: Anything is Possible!

  Travel Day::  September 23, 2024 Planning, anticipation, worry and finally the departure day arrives. Goodbye Sunny San Diego. Hello London! It is possible to travel to Europe from San Diego. As I headed to my gate, I saw a flight headed to Munich and thought, humm, maybe next year?? But today I'm taking British Airway for a 10.5 hour flight direct to Heathrow. BA is a partner with Alaska airline so points can be accrued.  In premium economy one gets extra wide, comfortable seats, foot rests, leg room, a good recline, along with great food, wine, and plenty of entertainment.  I am not a sleeper on long flights so just a a bit of elevated comfort is a perfect choice for me.  This is the first time I am traveling alone for the first 5 days of my month long trip. I rationalize that I'll be fine. I can set my own pace, eat when and where I desire and immerse myself in London without any time constraints.  I had a taste of this city last year so I am happy to ...
Read more
  London: Two Days of intermittent Sun I've been lucky, good weather has followed me for two busy days. On Tuesday I traveled by train to Oxford. Once out of the city there's miles of rolling grassy fields, old brick farm houses, and a few grazing animals.  Oxford is a lovely ancient village surrounded by approximately 45 historic small universities. Oxford (name derived from oxenford) began in the early 11th century when Henry II banned anyone from seeking a higher education abroad. Exetor, St. Johns, and Trinity, are a few of the well known Universities.  Women had their own college which began in the 1920's and it was not until 1975 that  women integrated into the all male institutions.    I took a two hour guided walking tour with a small, international group of travelers. Only three of us were from the USA. Three were from India, parents with their son who will study public policy at Oxford. One woman was from Argentina.  She told me that she...
Read more
 Wednesday, October 2nd Rain In The Forecast We left Simione, the cute tiny town that stretches into lake Garda, late morning. We got lucky and had no rain during our visit there. But soon the heavens opened and as we headed toward Verona,  Liana checked off a bucket list must-see, we took a break for pizza, and then we were off to Pistoia, to our agro-hotel for the night.  In Italy there are Agriturismo Hotels.  Usually it is in a farm-rural setting; an Air B&B in the country-side. Often the food served is from the farm to table and each place has their niche.  Our Agri-hotel did not serve dinner.  However, there was an organic restaurant a short walk away. It was a relatively warm evening and the rain had stopped. I loved this restaurant.  They agreed to open an hour early to accommodate our need to eat before 8pm as we were tired, sick with head colds, and needed sleep. The restaurant was lovely. This was an organic farm to table with a beautifu...
Read more