Tuscan Hilltop Towns

After Skype conversations with Jonah and then Peg & Al, and a quick search of the garden for the tortoises (they were "curled" up together in a corner), we set off at about 10:30 to visit 3 nearby hilltop towns - Montepulciano, Pienza and Montalcino.  

Our Italy book showed that we had about a 100km round trip, and I expected that we would be back home by 4:30.  

The views today were absolutely spectacular - views that could only be Tuscany - neat fields of green, yellow and freshly ploughed brown, pencil pines, olive trees, oak trees, yellow houses with rust coloured tiled rooves (or roofs as younger generations say) - but not one farm animal in sight!  I was expecting to see at least a few horses, cows, sheep or goats - but not a single one!  Just a few spoilt designer dogs on leashes in the towns.

1.  Montepulciano is one of the highest hilltop town in Tuscany.  We parked in a carpark way up towards the top of the town, and then still had to walk up and up and up beautiful cobbled streets with amazing views over the countryside at every turn, and finally arrived in the main piazza which is spectacular - full of ancient, very large buildings.  We sat at a cafe in the piazza for lunch - a crostini and a glass of the local Vino Nobile, followed by coffee - probably the worst lunch we've had on this trip - but in a magnificent setting.  We then went in to the nearby wine centre where Brian tasted and then bought a bottle of some serious Vino Nobile - so much better than the wine we'd had with lunch.

2. Pienza is a much smaller town, but still with the same cobbled streets and amazing views over the valleys below.  Pope Pius the second redesigned the centre of town in the 15th century to include a cathedral and a papal palace (both very beautiful) and then proceeded to rename the town after himself!!  The main piazza reminded me of Piazza della Signoria in Florence - though it is about a tenth of the size - with a beautiful loggia containing only one sculpture which we both loved.  It is of a  life-sized man and a woman, both on horseback and looks so beautiful, and it's only when you get close to it that you realise that the full-sized horses are only about half a metre long. 

3.  Montalcino is set on a hill, in the middle of beautiful vineyards and breath-takingly beautiful valleys that are part of the Val d'Orcia, and it is the centre of the famous Brunello wines.  We could make out the silhouettes of several towers and church steeples in what looked like a very spread-out and beautiful town and Brian read the screed from our "Italy" book as we approached - including the part about a 14th century fortessa (castle) with impressive ramparts which now houses an enoteca (wine shop) where Brunello wines can be sampled and bought.  

We followed Jane's directions as we climbed higher into the town, and she told me to go straight ahead but there was a parking sign pointing to the right and I followed that (much to Brian's horror).  And in the little parking area, there was only one remaining bay, so I took that too.  And a few metres to our right was that bloody fortessa (I hope Ash & Mila don't read this)!  So I'm afraid to report that I have no idea what the town of Montalcino is like - but the castle is fantastic and Brian is now the proud owner of a dozen fabulous Brunello wines which will be delivered to Subi at some time in the next few months!


Now that daylight saving has ended, it becomes dark very early in Italy, and by the time we left Montalcino at about 5, the sun had almost set.  So a very long, slow drive home in the dark, along pretty ordinary roads and through pretty ordinary looking towns to arrive back at our exquisite hilltop town of Cortona at about 6:30.  And then this evening, after a quick skype call to Wilma & Gary, we walked up to another restaurant recommended by our landlord, Osteria del Teatro - and it too was packed.  We were given some little pieces of toast drizzled with very new green and peppery olive oil, then Brian had what looked like a sirloin steak but was very tender, and I had duck breast - both pan fried to perfection and thinly sliced, served with beautiful accompaniments, and we shared a large onion that I would guess had been baked slowly (very caramalised) and a bowl of salad, and we each had a glass of a 2008 Brunello.  Buonissimo!  Such a fantastic way to finish our fabulous day in Tuscany.