Under the Tuscan Sun
Trip Start
Oct 18, 2006
1
47
93
Trip End
Oct 19, 2007
Certaldo,
Italy
Sunday, June 10, 2007
One word describes the sensation lam experiencing at this very moment- Bellissimo! As l sway in the Tuscan breeze and lay my travel journal upon my knee and gaze up from my hammock to the sun glistening through the silver birch above me l feel the happiest l have ever felt in my entire trip! I think l could be quite happy spending the rest of my life in this amazing part of the world. Everything seems to be me and agree with me. I feel amazingly at one and at peach with all that surrounds me- the old Monastery behind me with its delightful aqua blue shutters and faded paintwork revealing the exposed brick underneath, the tree lined boulevard leading up to the monastery which when you enter you feel as though you are leaving behind you all the stress of life and your past and that this place seems to hold the future within its hands. The amazing toilet view over vineyards and villas, the above ground pool overlooking Tuscany fields filled with poppies and vineyards stretching upon its rolling hill horizons
01- Our beautiful accomodation villa in Certaldo
. Huge terracotta pots, colourful glass vases lining the villa and of course the orange striped hammock lam swaying in at this very moment. This weekend has literally been a dream of mine fulfilled- and one l want full filled over and over again! The place lam describing is the amazing "Fattoria Bassetto" villa and hostel, located in heart of the Tuscan village of Certaldo. With a huge fireplace, stone flooring and trustic old pine dining table it was all l had imagined in a Tuscan villa and perfecto for only 22 Euro a night!
We arrived after the rush and hustle of busy but beautiful Firenze, after an hour long train ride in the amazingly authentic small Italian Tuscan village of Certaldo where we were whisked away to our lovely hilltop converted Monastery hostel. We met Mike and walked down into town where it seemed as though we had entered an Italian movie set! Everybody was out on the main pedestrian street, the boys on the corner eyeing the pretty village girls walking past, the elderly sitting on deck chairs under the shady trees and children running around playing hide and seek behind huge pot plants- it was all so typically authentic Italian! We felt like such obvious foreigners and went into the one and only restaurant in town and spend the rest of the night eating pizza and drinking champagne tasting white wine
02- Church l biked ride too in Tuscany
. We spent most of our first morning there eating toast and drinking coffee whilst getting to now the other guests. We finally moved and rented our bikes (15 Euro day rate) and started our bike ride from Certaldo to San Gimignano. We had been told that it would be around a 14km rather hilly ride...slightly hilly!!! Having not been on a bike since about the age of ten and also having the flu was a bad combination from the beginning! I got about one hour up the constant hill before collapsing in a heap outside of a Tuscan church-me and my stupid ideas! I felt so sick and nauseas that l knew l couldn't go on so me and Mike (a guy we had met the night before from our hostel who was travelling with us and also feeling unwell) decided to go back down hill to Certaldo and catch the train and bus to San Gimignano.
So we rode down slowly just as the church bells began ringing and people suddenly started turning up for church out of nowhere nearly running us over in the process. I was so disappointed that l was not feeling well enough to complete my dream of bike riding through Tuscany. But being one always to fulfil my dreams l found an alternative solution- why didn't we take our bikes with us on the train and bus and then bike ride back downhill the whole way? It's what we all should have done in the first place
03-Following pics = scenery around Church rode to
! Taking the ride back down the hill to Certaldo was great- we stopped in vineyards and took photos overlooking Certaldo beautiful old town perched high up on a hill- l wish l had more than one day here to explore! We then continued riding only to be stopped by a policeman as a religious procession was coming up the hill. We sat on our bikes and watched the procession coming towards us and the singing getting louder and louder...it was quite a special sight to see...l wonder if they do this every Sunday on their way to church? We then got a much needed coke at the train station and caught the train in the direction of Siena to a town called Poggossi where we had to try out our very poor Italian skills and decipherer the Sunday bus timetable with the kind locals. We ended up having to stay there over an hour where we spent the time just sitting in the shade and eating our one Euro tomato and mozzarella panninas (sand witches). Finally the bus arrived and took us up a hill over a 20 minute drive to San Gimignano. Surrounded by poppies and green lush vineyards we suddenly saw the town emerge high up on the hill scattered with is famous towers. I immediately was glad we didn't bike ride up- it would have been the steepest bike ride and l have no idea how Cat and Meggie did it! Me and Mike explored the town walking past amazing pottery and terracotta shops selling amazingly painted vases and plates which l could have gone crazy buying if l was married to a rich billionaire who owned a shipping company to transport it all back home
04-
! But eating the WORLDS best gelati at Gelateria di Piazza in Piazza della Cisterna (voted 2006-2007) defiantly made up for not buying any souvenirs, and it was really cheap as well! We met up with Meggie and Cat and walked around the lovely town some more admiring the skyline of towers, window boxes and amazing views on offer. We collected our bikes and rode all the way downhill literally back to Certaldo- l was blissfully happy for that 45 minute bike ride! Cycling and speeding past vineyards, villas and rolling hills we were all yelling and screaming with happiness. I wanted to just stop and stay in every Villa l rested my eyes upon- and Cat and l made a pack that we would come back when we were in our 50s and rent out a villa, eat grapes, walk barefoot and live on Italian cuisine and wine! This is definitely the number one place l have wanted to come back to and vacation at!
We made our way back to our hostel and while the others took a swim l showered and spent the remainder of the late afternoon swaying in my hammock under the Tuscan sun and watching it fade and create the famous terracotta landscape you see in the postcards. Iam quite literally in love with Certaldo and Tuscany! I can envisage myself walking through vineyards with a white flowy dress on and a beige floppy hat shading me from the sun- perfectly content and happy- under the Tuscan sun
04.1- Mike and Cat in Tuscany
! So as you can tell it has been the perfect weekend (despite feeling so unwell for most of it). I almost didn't think l could come- due to being so sick on the Friday- but lam so glad that l pushed myself and did! It has definetly been on the highlights of my trip thus far.
Top 10 of the weekend:
Walking in and around the famous and beautiful Duomo and baptistery Eating the best gelati in Firenze Bike riding through the Tuscan countryside Overcoming my fear of bikes Sitting and swaying in a hammock for the first time and under the Tuscan sun Staying in an old Tuscan monastery Visiting the most famous Renaissance art museum in the world (Uffitzi Gallery) Shopping in Florence's great markets Experiencing authentic Italian village Saturday night life Feeling the most happiness and at one with myself and nature l have ever felt!
