A weekend in Val d'Orcia
30 MARCH - 2 APRIL 2018
DAY 1
Zurich - Pontignano
Today we travel to Tuscany and spend a relaxing foodie-weekend, between the hills of Chianti and Val d'Orcia. We stop for the night in Pontignano, where we will stay the following evening, in a fabulous historic residence we already know. Dinner not far away, in a modest trattoria that serves very good typical Tuscan dishes, including excellent pici cacio e pepe.
DINNER: La Piccarda, Ponte a Bozzone | HOTEL: Certosa di Pontignano
DAY 2
Pontignano, Greve in Chianti, Volpaia
Today is a rainy day and we drive through the Chianti hills admiring the foggy panorama. For lunch we stop in the tiny village of Volpaia, whose visit takes no more than a quarter of an hour. To escape the persistent rain, we huddle up in a trattoria for lunch, and fill up with real Tuscan cuisine, like excellent tagliatelle with game sauce.
LUNCH: La Bottega, Volpaia
In the afternoon we go for a walk in the small town of Gaiole in Chianti, a pleasant Tuscan village whose fulcrum is a nice square full of cafè, where locals and tourists sit behind a coffee or a board of cold cuts. In the square there is a must-do stop for those who appreciate good food, or for those who, like us, living abroad, needs an injection of true Italian spirit. The Antica Macelleria Falorni sells all sorts of local cured meats or cheese, which you can take away as a souvenir, after sitting at the table (if you ever find room) of its cafeteria and having tasted a sample board of cold cuts. Or you can do as we did, and give in to an afternoon sin consisting of unusual mozzarella ice cream, accompanied by a diced of Tuscan ham.
In the late afternoon we return to Siena, and stop in town for a walk at dusk. We know this city well, but it is always pleasant to retrace its streets, more or less known, especially when the rain has dispersed most of the tourists. We end the evening with an excellent pizza before returning to Pontignano, which is only 15 minutes by car.
DINNER: Pizzeria Il Pomodorino
DAY 3
Pontignano - Val d'Orcia - Monticchiello
Finally the rain gives us a break, and we leave for the Val d'Orcia. We take the road to Montalcino, where the landscape finally begins to change, which now becomes less wooded and sweeter, made of green hills dotted with agglomerates of cypresses.
Once in Montalcino we stop and take a walk in the picturesque village, perched on a hill from which, through the alleys of the center, you can see in the distance magnificent views of the hills. We make a stop for a tasting of Brunello, for Nic, and mostly of local cold cuts for me.
VINERY: Les Barriques
From Montalcino we head towards San Quirico d'Orcia, in whose territory there are beautiful views of the hilly landscape that characterizes this valley, furrowed by plows and narrow streets that end in front of the farmhouses flanked by rows of cypresses. In the afternoon we stop in a crowded Pienza, which has a beautiful old town that offers wide views, up to the horizon, of the surrounding valleys. Just in time for the sunset, we proceed to Monticchiello, a tiny village, where we will stay, which stands in the middle of the most picturesque landscape that we had the opportunity to see in Tuscany. We try to make a stop at Bagno Vignoni, but the incredible crowd of cars prevents us from arriving in the center or park nearby, and we are forced to give up. The hills are flooded with light, the silhouettes of cypresses stand out on the ridges against the setting sun, and the hills fade into the horizon.
In Monticchiello we dine in the only (exceptional) tavern, run by the owners of our accommodation, and we go to sleep early enough to wake up before dawn the next morning and go to admire the pristine landscapes that surround us.
DINNER: Osteria La Porta | HOTEL: b&B La Porta di Monticchiello
DAY 4
Monticchiello - Montepulciano - Zurich
We arrive in time to enjoy a beautiful dawn at the sanctuary of the Madonna di Viltaleta, a tiny chapel that stands on a bare hill flanked by cypresses, a must in any postcard of the Tuscan countryside. We have to walk through the fields, in the mud, but the view is worth the misadventure. We continue after sunrise by car, aimlessly, through the twisted streets that cross the hills and the farmhouses. After this magnificent good morning, we return to Monticchiello, to have breakfast in the tavern and then leave again, to Montepulciano. This time we find a village much larger and more touristy than Montalcino, very beautiful and charming, but just too crowded during the holidays. After a tasting of the local wine, we get back in the car and take the highway home.
This content is NOT SPONSORED, but based on my genuine personal experience. Spontaneous opinions, positive and negative, shareable or not, that I hope will help to live better travel experiences. My advice is a guide to lead you through world explorations, but the real journey, you build it!
