Page 15 - Explore Spring Summer 2019

DISCOVERING TUSCANY

Something magical happens as soon as you bus which was an interesting ride as it popped Volterra is a real gem and so untouristy. It’s
set foot on the rich and ancient soil of Tuscany. in and out of local villages and pulled up right 545 metres above sea level and surrounded
There are rolling hills adorned with grape vines outside the Leaning Tower. We arrived early by two defensive walls, one Etruscan and
and olive groves, villas draped in traditional before the hordes of cruise-ship passengers one medieval-era. Along with a typical
sandstone and terracotta bricks, cute hilltop and Massimo had pre-booked our tickets square and plenty of historic buildings
villages and bustling famous cities. It's just like (essential) to climb the tower. I climbed in (scenes in the Twilight movies were filmed
you have seen in many pictures and paintings bare feet as the steps were slippery if you here), Volterra also boasts great shopping
except it’s right there before your excited eyes. were wearing shoes. The feeling of cool marble and plenty of nice eateries. We enjoyed a
smoothed by centuries of feet was amazing! long lunch at a local vineyard and came
I recently hosted a women-only tour to Europe. away replete, quite merry and with casks of
After spending a few days in Rome and Venice, The Tower is eight stories high and inside is a cheap but excellent wine to take to our next
we arrived in Florence and were met at the 297-step narrow spiral staircase and you can destination – expensive Switzerland!
railway station by Massimo and Jon from definitely feel the lean as you work your way up
Trovare Tuscany. Trovare means “to find” and the stairs. The view from the top is well worth In Vicopisano you can stroll
these guys are absolute local experts in finding the effort as you look down over the terracotta
the real Tuscany. We spent the first day of our rooftops of the city. We then strolled through down to the village square
tour exploring Florence on foot. Pisa, which is full of historic gems and has an each evening for a drink with
upbeat atmosphere. Pisa has a highly rated
We viewed the Duomo, visited a ceramics university with over 30,000 resident students. the locals. We enjoyed sitting
store, wandered down narrow streets looking
at architecture, drank coffee like locals I climbed the Leaning outside as the sun settled
(standing up), had selfies with Michelangelo’s over the Tuscan hills.
“David”, and marvelled at many other Tower of Pisa in bare feet
incredibly intricate statues and the Ponte as the steps were slippery A definite highlight for everyone was a truffle
Vecchio. Jon then had us “freshen up” in a hunting expedition with the family-owned
divine perfumery where you can mix your if you were wearing shoes. Savini Tartufi truffle company. We met with
own concoctions before enjoying a delicious our guide Luca and his super zealous dogs in
traditional lunch. Being a women-only group The feeling of cool marble a forest near the village of Palaia and within
we were allowed plenty of time for shopping smoothed by centuries of minutes of the dogs being let loose they
and with arms full of purchases we were picked had found truffles. Luca’s enthusiasm and
up by Massimo and driven an hour out of the feet was amazing! excitement was infectious and we all felt so
city to his home village of Vicopisano. proud of his new dog, a naughty teenager
Back in Vicopisano we spent the rest of the in truffle training. The smell of truffle is
We wandered down day at a cooking class in the villa of a local unbelievably strong and they look like knobbly
Contessa. It had a functional kitchen and
narrow streets looking a beautiful dining area with a table setting wooden nuggets. After an hour racing around
the forest and finding a good haul of truffles,
at architecture, drank so exquisite we were nervous to sit down at we drove back to Savini Tartufi’s truffle
it. During our hands-on cooking lesson we
coffee like locals (standing learned how to put together an authentic museum to learn more about this precious fruit
of the earth, followed by the most delicious
up) and had selfies with antipasto and cooked a Tuscan ragu, lunch of antipasto drizzled with truffle oil,
homemade ravioli with ricotta cheese and
Michelangelo’s “David” spinach, and a Torta d’Erbi (a traditional cake pasta laced with truffle, and truffle chocolates.
with herbs and pecorino cheese), all washed When you stay in Vicopisano you can stroll
Here we were split into two groups: some down with copious amounts of prosecco. down to the village square each evening for
staying at Villa Lenzi and some at Casa a drink with the locals. A refreshing Spritz
Castello. Jon and Massimo offer a range of The next day was spent exploring some of the became our aperitif of choice and we enjoyed
beautiful towns within 30 to 60 minutes' drive
accommodation from B&Bs to local casas meeting before dinner and sitting outside
(homes) and upmarket villas and are also of Vicopisano. We also visited the bigger cities as the sun settled over the Tuscan hills. The
of Lucca and San Gimignano but the highlights
registered guides who can design a holiday village has a castle perched on a hill and a
to suit couples, friends, families and solo for us were Lajatico and Volterra. Lajatico is handful of intimate restaurants and the best
the hometown of opera singer Andrea Bocelli
travellers – perfect for Kiwis who like to be a thing: no tourists. To me, Vicopisano was just
little more bespoke with their travel plans. and every July he holds a special concert in a perfecto and I cannot wait to return.
purpose-built outdoor arena called the Teatro
Next day we went to Pisa which is just 30 del Silenzio, a stunning location surrounded by
minutes from Vicopisano. We travelled by local typical Tuscan landscapes.

On a recent tour, Marie Coles of helloworld Travel Cambridge gained an insider’s look at one of Italy’s
most celebrated regions, including places that are lightly touristed.

HELLOWORLD TRAVEL : EXPLORE : SPRING/SUMMER EDITION 13