Trip Report: Basking in the beauty of Tuscany
This tour isn’t even half over yet, but I wanted to share some photos with you. We’re in the middle of an artist workshop/cycling trip, and it’s really been lovely.
This is our fifth time with a group to Tuscany, and the third time in Pienza, but speaking for myself, I still find myself amazed at the vistas and the hilltop towns.
Pienza is the work of a home-town boy who grew up to be pope and then used the wealth of the Vatican to reconstruct the town to be “perfect.” Now, you can define perfect in a whole lot of ways, but in all cases, the town is quite pleasing to the eye. Not to mention the sweeping views to the south over Monte Amiata, a now-quiet volcano.
The double rows of cedars snake up driveways, olive groves show a special shade of green, and the newly planted winter wheat appears as a faint, green fuzz on many of the rolling hills. Yesterday we visited a vineyard. The artists painted and we had a marvelous lunch, with six types of wine to sample. Later we visited the wine cellars of the vineyard located in the rock, deep beneath the town of Montepulciano.
And my how we have eaten. Some of us have sampled tiramisu three times in just four days. And I regret that I can only handle one gelato a day. I’ll be looking for a new gym membership when I get home.
Click on any photo to enlarge.
