Oh, Tuscany. It was a dream come true and an absolute highlight of our trip. It was also a strange mix of exactly what I imagined and also the complete opposite in so many ways. We stayed in the Chianti region, in a tiny village called Castello di Volpaia that was first mentioned in the 12th century. It stands tall right on top of a hill, surrounded by the ancient walls and rows and rows of grape vines and olive trees. There were hardly any other people around except for the family who owns the place and those who work in the winery and the restaurants there. The apartment we stayed in was located in a 16th-century building, and it felt like a fairytale to wake up to the sounds of the birds and to the soft Tuscan light streaming gently through the tiny window in our bedroom.
We explored quite a bit around Chianti, driving up and down those never ending hills, stopping at little villages and grand old castles, finding our way through the maze of the narrow cobbled streets. We ate gelato and drank Chianti (gelato for Daniel, wine for us). We admired the ancient buildings and the old churches. We pretty much did all the touristy things while being successful in avoiding the crowds (like in San Gimignano that was so full that we couldn’t find parking so we just kept on driving and ended up at the most charming, quiet, and much more real Colle di Val d’Elsa).
But the best memories are of the quiet moments spent simply wandering around Volpaia, climbing up the hill with the sweeping views of the village and the surrounds that took our breath away, tasting the cheese at the village restaurants, making friends with the chickens and the rooster, and also with the local cats. The simplest things often bring the purest joy. Olive leaves covered by the raindrops, sunflowers turning their happy faces up to the sun. The abundance of rosemary growing along the fence near our apartment. Foggy hills after the rain. That rocky earth. That light.
We hope to find our way back to Tuscany one day, to feel it all again.
The link to Castello di Volpaia, where we stayed.
