May 14 2008
Tuscany and Umbria Part 1
Our strategy for Tuscany and Umbria was to base ourselves in two separate villa apartments over two weeks (one east and sort of south and one west and sort of north). The way most of the villas and farmhouses work here is that you rent a place for a week starting and ending on a Saturday. So, the first apartment we stayed in was from May 3 – 10, and the one we’re in now is from May 10 – 17. Here are the two locations on an interactive map:
Villa #1 was in Umbria, just over the Tuscan border. That allowed us to see some of Umbria, as well as visit some of the hill towns in Southern Tuscany. Here are some photos of it:
Our Villa in Umbria
Our Villa in Umbria
Using this villa as a base, we visited the towns of Assisi, Spello, and Citta della Pieve in Umbria, and Cortona, Montalcino, Pienza and Montepulciano in Tuscany. Although there are so many hill towns to visit here, each town has a different combination of character, sights, and charm. Of the towns we visited during our first week, Cortona, Montepulciano and Spello were our favorites (see pictures below). One of the nice things about this area is just picking a destination for the day, getting a map at the Tourist Info center, and then just wandering around. We stop for food, wine and gelato at various points in the day, step into churches and enjoy the art and architecture (I try to guess the century based on the style and then read any signs posted in the church to see if I’m right), and wander around tiny alleys until we get to a point in town that has a fabulous view of the surrounding area (usually up high or out on the city walls). It’s a pretty chill way to be a tourist. It’s working for me, especially after the craziness of Rome and Florence.
Typical Street in Spello
Typical Street in Cortona
View of Cortona from Santa Margherita Church on top of the hill
View of the countryside from Montepulciano
Villa #2 (where we are now until Saturday) is about 4 kilometers from San Gimignano in Tuscany. We’ll provide a report at the end of the week about the towns we visit from here (obviously San Gimignano, Siena and Chianti country are on the list, but we’ll get to some more out of the way places too).
– Meredith
No responses yet