Italy - Orvieto and Tuscany Countryside

[Pauline]

Now we are getting the good weather - warm and sunny all day - and tomorrow we leave. Even though we had some rain, I can't complain. It rained all day Sunday, but other than that the few afternoon storms have not affected us. It would have been nice to have warm, dry evenings - but next time!

Today we tried a nearby hiking trail, but it just went along a white road (as they frequently do). Not very nice because cars go by and it is not as nice as walking in the woods or fields, but we had a short walk and got some nice views.

Nico showed us two of his Montepulciano apartments. I liked La Terrazza. But it would also be nice to stay at Sant Antonio off season - our apartment (Giotto) has a big fireplace and they supply wood (taken from their own forests). I am trying to talk Steve into a November trip.

After lunch here, I went for a swim. It wasn't really hot enough, but it is a very nice pool.

Then we drove to Lake Trasimeno and Castiglion del Lago. We have visited this town a few times in the past. This time it seemed a bit more tacky tourist than I remember. We walked around and then had coffee - I had my first shakerato, which as the bar guy explained is just a caffe freddo shaken with ice. Still, it was nice.

We went down to the lake. People were swimming, but the water looked mucky and marshy. We drove back via the small roads - very pretty - and ended up in Chianciamo, the historic town beside Chianciamo Terme. We had a nice walk around the town. One block with restaurants and caffes - with a TV set up outside and people were watching the World Cup - and the rest of the town is very quiet and a bit run down. Quite charming.

We had an early (7:30pm) pizza dinner, then did an evening drive to La Foce (only 15 mins from here) to see that famous cypress lined road. Back to Sant Antonio to pack up. Leaving tomorrow around 9am. I could easily stay another week or two, but it will be nice to get back to the Cotswolds where they have been having very good weather! Back to some long hikes on good walking trails!

Our apartment at Sant Antonio, Giotto, on the top floor.

Sant Antonio grounds.

 

[Pauline]

We were in Tuscany this morning, walking around Ostia Antica at 1pm, then walking around our village in the Cotswolds at 9pm. Isn't that amazing?

 

[jonathan]

Welcome back! Lovely weather here, isn't it? I'm writing this from a hotel in Birmingham...

 

[Pauline]

Welcome back! Lovely weather here, isn't it? I'm writing this from a hotel in Birmingham...

You go to all the great places I have never been to Birmingham.

 

[Pauline]

And my Italy purchases:
- Olive oil from Sant'Antonio
- 3 liter tin of olive oil from an organic producer in Montisi (recommended by Gail and we always used to buy our olive oil in Montisi)
- honey with lemon from Monte Oliveto shop
- two jars of Fungoamiata mushrooms with truffle sauce
- the remaining two pocket coffee summer version things
- several books - Tuscany, Orvieto, Monte Oliveto, Sant'Antimo
- two blank notebooks
- two hand stamped lined tea towels made in Italy (too fabulous to use as tea towels) - they were packed up in the pretty blue bag that is under them

Not my usual haul because we flew Easyjet and they are very strict. 20kg (44lbs) per bag. We came in at a fraction under. But we had clothes for 9 nights because there are not washing machines at Sant'Antimo (they will do wash for you and there is a laundry in Montepulciano - it is because of limited electricity to country places that they can't provide washing machines). And my 6lbs of sheets and pillow cases that we did not have to use because they are unscented at Sant'Antonio.

 

[PokeyMindy]

I love the stamped kitchen towels. I bought a few for my sister when I was in Emilio Romagna (the name of the small town and textile place escapes me). I was in her kitchen recently and wanted to steal them. They're really nice towels!!!

 

[Rebecca]

I love all your goodies. We brought another bottle of Nico's oil home, too. Well, I opened it there to use and brought home the rest. That black kitty was quite the visitor. I asked Nico when he got it since I didn't recognize him(her?). He said it just showed up one day and never left. Smart cat.

 

[Pauline]

We let that black cat into the apartment. We had one day, Sunday, when it rained all day and we just hung around reading and visiting with the cat. I too took home the bottle of oil that I opened to use there - am still using it. Very nice oil!