Under The Tuscan Sun in Val d’Orcia

I roamed the countryside searching for answers to things I did not understand.  ~Leonardo da Vinci

This past weekend the group took an excursion to the Tuscan countryside of the Val d’Orcia. The scenes viewed were the most beautiful landscapes I have viewed since coming to Italy. The rolling hills seemed to go on forever, the golden sun falling upon the vineyards. The tranquility of nature is found in the Val d’orcia. We were also very lucky to be under the Tuscan sun for the majority of the trip. We stayed in a monastery that had been converted into an agriturismo called Sant Anna in Camprena, where much of The English Patient was filmed. When watching the movie after our return, it was neat to see the very room we sat in with the old fireplace and the same table that we played cards on during our stay in the monastery. The view from our window was into a courtyard that can also be viewed in the movie. The courtyard veranda looked out into the mountains and the Tuscan landscape. Although there was no heat in the monastery, there were plenty of warm blankets to wrap up in at night. There was always a fire going in the huge old fire place and there was a constant crowd sitting and chatting around it. The food was great and the experience was one that could not be obtained staying in a five star hotel in America. Dinner was every night at eight. Upon the hour everyone would make their way to the dining hall complete with two long tables and many strange faces sitting on either side. The atmosphere of the room became that of family reunion, the ice broke and so did the silence. Before we knew it, the dining room had been converted into a karaoke bar. No one escaped the “opportunity” to sing. It all started when John Rose asked the strangers if they were good at singing. The night ended with John Rose’s rendition of “God Save The Queen.” I am finding that TV is over rated and unnecessary to have a good time. The past weekend I stayed in the simplest place I have ever stayed with the bare minimum and I had the most fun making conversation with people and playing games. Sitting by the fire one night, we all played Mafia (which is pretty ironic considering that we are in Italy!). Dr. Webb was “killed off” by the towns’ people even though she had a pretty convincing testimony of her innocence.

The weekend involved a tour of many small Tuscan towns together with the fine city of Siena, which is a large tourist attraction in the Val d’Orica. Each town had its own little charming aspects. For our first meal together in the Val d’Orica, we went to a winery and restaurant in Montepulciano. The Fattoria Pulcino is famous for its olive oil and other classic Tuscan products. The property houses an old historic olive cantina and a wine cellar. The building was formerly used as a monastery then it became a private estate in the 16^th century. The business could be considered a farm; they even have a wonderful view behind, which looks like a scene from the Bennett farm in Pride and Prejudice, complete with chickens, sheep and goats. The restaurant’s entrees are customary Tuscan dishes, thick spaghetti noodles (that are hollowed out on the inside), and many other kinds of pastas. The family run business was started by a woman who still runs the business despite her age, along with her family. The meal was unforgettable but the Italian boys sitting at the table behind us managed to live up to the Italian stereotype of open adoration. One of them came over and grabbed Molly asking to take a picture with her, exclaiming, “Bella” and “your red hair is beautiful!” That was quite amusing to watch. After eating we took the bus into the city of Montepulciano. We were of course there to “see the historical sites” but for some reason we ended up spending the two hours searching for the Piazza Grande, where New Moon was filmed. After a hike up to the very top of the city we all recognized clock tower and square from the movie. We literally ran into the square and began snapping pictures and imagining where Edward Cullen might have been standing in that very square.  

One of my favorite places we went on the first day was the home of Iris Origo , the author of the WWII account called The War in Val d’Orica,  called La Foce. Meredith Hyatt explained the history of the La Foce home and how during WWII it was not so peaceful. The Origos stayed in the estate during the war to help refugee children and to help Allied soldiers and escaped prisoners of war. The estate and land were peaceful and my most beautiful pictures were taken here. There was a gorgeous dirt road lined with cypress trees and the famous picture opportunity of the Strada per Monticchiello. A few of us thought it would be funny to frolic through the open field on the side of the mountain and sing “The hills are alive with the sound of music, with songs they have sung for a thousand years…” Our “tour guides” were two friendly white sheep dogs that greeted us immediately off the bus. They followed us around the property, staying by our side and occasionally rolling over to insist on a belly rub. These dogs were by no means deprived of attention, surrounded by 10 girls doting over them. Animals in the Val d’Orica were very common and they roam where ever they want in the towns. The animals are just as much a part of the community as the people are. The cats are especially friendly, more than once I was sitting on a stair well, only to have a cat just come and plop down in my lap, with the expectation of attention. Animals are allowed in restaurants in Italy. I have been in a restaurant where a dog was sitting at a table eating its own plate of food with its owners. During the Palio horserace in Siena horses are brought inside the church to be blessed by the priest. As Dr. Webb said, “Any country that lets a dog in a restaurant and a horse in a church must be a good country.”

The next day we visited a beautiful old monastery called the Sant’ Antimo in the countryside where monks could enjoy God’s most beautiful creations. A peaceful walk around the grounds left my soul and mind refreshed. There is just something about the smell of the morning dew on the grass and the sun reflecting on the golden hills that made me realize how amazing our Lord is. During our visit to the monastery we met the most precious little British boy named Rufus. He had blonde curly hair and blue eyes and a lively personality. Everyone laughed and said he was an image of my future child. Afterward we loaded onto the bus and set off to Bagno Vignoni, where hot springs flow still and where Roman baths ruins still remain. The visit to Bagno was short. The next stop on our list was Montalcino, a hill side town famous for its red wine called Brunello, so of course we had to sample it. After Montalcino was Pienza, another beautiful hillside town. Pienza was slightly more crowded than the other towns had been but it was still quite charming. My favorite part of Pienza was the side street on the edge of the city wall overlooking the beautiful Tuscan landscape.

On Sunday the final destination on our itinerary was the famous city of Siena. I really enjoyed Siena, and I want to go back one day for the annual Palio horserace that takes in the Piazza del Campo. The horserace is a 90 second bolt of 10 horses to the finish line. All of riders ride bareback and many people and horses can get hurt during this race. While in Siena we saw the main tourist sites, the most memorable being the Cathedral of Siena. Walking into the cathedral is overwhelming because there is so much to see. One cannot view everything there is to see in one trip. The Duomo as it is called was begun in the 12th century. The structure is one of the great examples of Italian Romanesque-Gothic architecture.