ITALY: HIKING TUSCANY'S GOLDEN HILLS
by Judi Lees
Under the Tuscan sun, the rolling hills took on a golden glow, the air was redolent with the fragrance of flowers and the earthy fragrance of freshly plowed fields. Bird song intermingled with the chiming of bells as we set out from Montepluciano, a walled city that exudes a Renaissance ambience
What a wonderful day to take a walk in Tuscany.
We were on a six-day, self-guided walk arranged by Randonnee, a Winnipeg-based company. For us, it offered the best of both worlds. Each day we got our exercise trekking between Tuscany’s famed hilltop villages while our bags were moved for us. We had a daypack and a map and our only care was arriving in the hotel that was pre-booked for that evening. Accommodation ranged from an 18th century villa to a stay at a working farm with a charming young family. There were many highlights.
We loved the challenge of finding our route. “The best way to get somewhere is to meet someone coming the other way,” remarked my husband one day when we were on a forested trail outside of the medieval spa town of Bagno Vignoni. He was right. We soon met a young German who warned us, “there’s a tricky corner near the castle”. This helped us descend into the Orcia Valley then climb to another high ridge. We walked fields of silvery-leafed olive trees on one side and vineyards dripping with deep-purple grapes on the other. We called “buongiorno” to farmers and viewed a 15th century castled tucked into the greenery. Then we descended to the picture perfect Abby of Sant’ Antimo where Gregorian chants filled the air as we admired the carvings of the 12th century abbey.
We found ourselves enchanted by the beauty of aged hill towns like Montalcino that appears to have not changed in 500 years. We wove our way along narrow alleys that led to viewpoints and eventually found ourselves in the sunny courtyard of The Fortezza. The ramparts of the 1571 fortress showcased the glowing Tuscan hills and we toasted with Brunello wine that this region is famous for. (Handy that the fort has a wine shop.)
As our walking week unfolded, we found Tuscany’s evocative landscape, lauded by literati for centuries, so appealing that it appeared dreamlike. We hiked past fields with vestiges of sunflowers nodding their faded heads, we walked tidy paths fringed by Cypress and crossed streams in deep, moody valleys. We saw beautiful villas and many fixer-uppers – abandoned and possibly waiting for a rich American who would pretty it up and write about it. (There were many scenes reminiscent of the book ‘Under the Tuscan Sun’.)
The day we left Montepulciano, we were on a 15-kilometre route (each day we covered between ten and 23 kilometres) that was first an easy, rural stroll and then a steep climb to Monticchiello, a pretty village that was beyond sleepy. We plopped on a bench and looked across the wide valley to Pienza, our final destination. Walking downhill we waved to a grape-picker who brought over chin-dripping, sweet grapes for us. He questioned “where you go”” and we pointed to Pienza. “Why you walk?” was his next question.
An hour later, under the hot sun, we were wondering the same thing as we huffed and puffed an endless corkscrew hill with Pienza looming rather hazy above us like a fairy tale mirage. When we finally entered the gates of the UNESCO World Heritage Site, we gasped in tiredness and wonder. The 1458 city has a timeless character and an unusual history. When a native son, Eneco Silvio Piccolomini became pope, he ordered Bernardo Rossellino to redesign it into the perfect town. Indeed Pienza’s magnificent facades of the Duomo, papal palace and town hall around Piazza Pio II do appear perfect. So perfect that scenes from the movie, “The English Patient” were filmed here.
It was a toss-up what we enjoyed the most about our Tuscan trip. There was the charming accommodation such as The Hotel Marzocco in Montelpulciano, a grand 16th century manor. There were the five course meals that, whether served in a folksy country inn or a high-end restaurant were always memorable. (Most dinners are pre-booked on this trip and there is a great variety.) Of course, there are the Tuscan wines and we never did decide if we preferred Montelpulciano'’ famous '‘Vino Nobile’ or Montalcino’s illustrious ‘Brunello.’
We loved being surrounded by history, chatting to friendly locals and, perhaps best of all, getting our daily dose of exercise in these idyllic surroundings.
For more information go to Randonneetours
