After Florence, we set off to see Tuscany and Umbria (aka Tumbria). We spent about a week exploring the area, basing ourselves in San Gimignano and Orvieto.
San Gimignano
San Gimignano is a small town about forty minutes south of Florence. The town is well known for its setting and its incredibly well-preserved medieval architecture, in particular, several tall watch towers along the city walls. It is also a very nice town to explore on foot, as few cars are allowed into the city itself. One notable feature of San Gimignano is that it home to our (thus far) favorite gelato in Italy! If you happen to find yourself in town, be sure to stop off at Gelateria Dondoli. It is worth the line! We also dined at Ristorante Dorando, which was lovely.
We used this city as our base to explore Tuscany. Here are some photos:
San Gimignano
San Gimignano is a small town about forty minutes south of Florence. The town is well known for its setting and its incredibly well-preserved medieval architecture, in particular, several tall watch towers along the city walls. It is also a very nice town to explore on foot, as few cars are allowed into the city itself. One notable feature of San Gimignano is that it home to our (thus far) favorite gelato in Italy! If you happen to find yourself in town, be sure to stop off at Gelateria Dondoli. It is worth the line! We also dined at Ristorante Dorando, which was lovely.
We used this city as our base to explore Tuscany. Here are some photos:
Entering San Gimignano
View of Tuscan countryside from San Gimignano
Typical shop in San Gimignano featuring the region's signature dish - Cinghale or Wild Boar
Tuscany
Tuscan tomato soup at Ristorante Dorando. Amazing!
Chris' rabbit appetizer
Tuscan cantaloupe - just one component of our picnic at our hotel - Casolare le Terre Rosse - in Tuscany!
Chianti Region
We spent a half-day driving along route 222, which links many of the small towns in the central Chianti region, with hopes of stopping off for a few wine tastings. We soon learned that wineries in this part of the world operate a bit differently from others we’ve visited, as most do not have staffed tasting rooms where you can just drop in and visit. Most wineries that offer visits must be arranged in advance; tastings usually include an extensive tour of the facilities; and there is often a fee involved of at least 25-30 Euros per person. We did stop at one winery that was offering drop-in tastings – Vescine on the outskirts of Radda in Chianti. Here we enjoyed a variety of red wines and a beautiful setting.
We spent a half-day driving along route 222, which links many of the small towns in the central Chianti region, with hopes of stopping off for a few wine tastings. We soon learned that wineries in this part of the world operate a bit differently from others we’ve visited, as most do not have staffed tasting rooms where you can just drop in and visit. Most wineries that offer visits must be arranged in advance; tastings usually include an extensive tour of the facilities; and there is often a fee involved of at least 25-30 Euros per person. We did stop at one winery that was offering drop-in tastings – Vescine on the outskirts of Radda in Chianti. Here we enjoyed a variety of red wines and a beautiful setting.
Vescine winery
Awaiting our chianti at Vescine
Siena
On our way south from San Gimignano to Orvieto, we spent a half day exploring Siena. Siena is considered the ‘heart of Tuscany’. It is a very charming city with an expansive old quarter and a beautiful central piazza and Duomo.
On our way south from San Gimignano to Orvieto, we spent a half day exploring Siena. Siena is considered the ‘heart of Tuscany’. It is a very charming city with an expansive old quarter and a beautiful central piazza and Duomo.
 Siena |  Duomo in Siena |
Castiglione del Lago
We stopped off at a town called Castiglione del Lago on the shores of Lake Trasimeno. The small town is very picturesque with an old castle overlooking the lake - one of Italy’s largest.
We stopped off at a town called Castiglione del Lago on the shores of Lake Trasimeno. The small town is very picturesque with an old castle overlooking the lake - one of Italy’s largest.
Castiglione del Lago
Orvieto
Orvieto is a small town in Umbria located about an hour and a half north of Rome. One of the most interesting things about Orvieto is that is situated at the top of a natural tufa plateau rising above the surrounding land. Orvieto is another lovely little town with a beautiful central cathedral. There are also expansive caves beneath the city that can be explored.
Orvieto is a small town in Umbria located about an hour and a half north of Rome. One of the most interesting things about Orvieto is that is situated at the top of a natural tufa plateau rising above the surrounding land. Orvieto is another lovely little town with a beautiful central cathedral. There are also expansive caves beneath the city that can be explored.
The hill town of Orvieto
Orvieto from another angle
Orvieto Cathedral
Magical side street in Orvieto
Il Mago di Oz - The Wizard of Oz in Italian
Typical scene in Orvieto
Bride in Orvieto getting ready to walk down the aisle.
We stayed just outside of Orvieto at an Agriturismo called La Rocca Orvieto. This means that our lodgings were on a working farm, which produced grapes, olives and many types of fruit. We had our own apartment with a pool overlooking the beautiful Umbrian countryside.
Our apartment building at La Rocca Orvieto
Our apartment - Uliveto - at La Rocca in Orvieto
View from our patio at La Rocca
Misty morning on La Rocca farm
La Rocca
Our apartment was located by the large rock
In addition to producing great wine, the region also abounds with sunflower fields!
Sunflowers!
While we had beautiful weather in Orvieto, interestingly, a thunderstorm seemed to come through almost every afternoon. The storms would only last a few minutes, but they were a constant fixture of our summer stay in Orvieto.
Overall, we had a wonderful week exploring these regions. Next stop...Roma!
Overall, we had a wonderful week exploring these regions. Next stop...Roma!
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