Italy - Tuscany - Beginning of the Journey
Good evening, I am currently writing from Tuscany, Italy.
I'm sitting on a deckchair with my favorite folder and a pen in my hand, Milos is on another deckchair with a drone controller and is happily creating content for the YouTube page. This is actually our 5th day in Tuscany.
For this trip we chose a place away from the cities, Laticasteli Country Relais hotel.
Honestly, this was the only day we got to relax by the pool and enjoy the sunset.
As for the hotel, it charmed us already on the first evening.
Getting off the plane was turbulent, crowded at the airport, waiting in lines and having trouble finding a rental car and dragging a suitcase at the same time, on a hellishly hot day and starving, the end of the day must have been this magical.
Since in Italy was the national holiday of the Assumption (Ferragosto o Assuzione) - which of course we did not know, almost every restaurant and house in Italy prepares a celebration and a rich dinner.
The journey from the airport to the hotel took about 4 hours and we really needed lunch after a long flight. Due to a public holiday, not a single restaurant or bakery was open, so we eagerly awaited to get our hands on hotel and order food as soon as we arrived.
When we finally arrived, the receptionist kindly informed us that their kitchen is not available until dinner and that we have the option, if we wish, to join the organized dinner at the hotel in the evening at 8:30pm. By the way, when we arrived it was 2:30pm. :D
The hotel was far from the nearby towns, so after all that time it didn't occur to us to go back and look for bakeries. We decided to take a shower, unpack and simply sleep until dinner. We woke up around 8pm and could hear the preparation for the guests going on outside.
Nicely dressed, not knowing what awaits us outside, we leave the room totally relaxed and refreshed.
And in the courtyard was a beautiful scene, most of the guests have already arrived. The yard was decorated with lights, there were about 15 wooden tables arranged for 2/4/6 members, with decorative candles and wine glasses. A buffet table was set up on the side, and the friendly staff helped a lot with serving food and drinks. The music of older songs by Italian artists could be heard in the background, which only added to the experience. Also, the manager came over, explained the significance of this dinner and directed us to the program they had prepared for the guests.
There were several types of salads, potatoes and bread on the buffet table. Then, we were served wine, we chose a white wine from a nearby plantation and enjoyed about half an hour tasting the appetizer. After that, the staff informed us that in another part of the yard there is a freshly prepared barbecue as the main dish. While waiting for our turn, we met a young couple from America (New York), with whom we exchanged our previous impressions of Italy, as well as America and Canada. By the way, the grilled meat was delicious! Also, we drank a bottle of wine unplanned :D We ended the dinner with ice cream and fruit.
As an icing on the cake, in the grassy part of the yard, the staff prepared a picnic for the guests. White blankets on the grass, a small stand for two glasses of wine and candles on the side spiced up this whole experience. Everyone had their own corner, and the atmosphere was quiet accompanied by Italian music in the background. Then Milos took the opportunity to record these moments with a camera.
Well, after all, it was one turbulent and fulfilled day at the beginning of the journey.
Tuscany is one of the most beautiful and most visited areas in Italy.
Our trip was 5 days long.
As fans countryside the city areas and nature, we decided this time to get to know Italy starting from this area.
You know when you look at some places on Instagram, YouTube and various social networks...
And then when you go to that place, experience that place at least twice as beautiful as it looked in the pictures. Those are the real charms of travel.
We started every day early, around 7am. Breakfast at the hotel always had the option to be served outside, so that suited us perfectly. For breakfast, we would usually choose an omelets, prosciutto, salad and bread, also inevitably the famous fresh mozzarella in this case. On the side, I would have a glass of water, and Milos would have pineapple or orange juice. Then we would take a very small part of the sweet breakfast (croissant and jam), and finally, of course, American coffee.
What we loved most about each trip through Tuscany was the stunning landscapes and winding roads. On every elevation you can notice a luxury villa with a driveway and thuja trees on the side of the road.
By the way, I personally liked the fact that Tuscany is not filled with modern buildings or construction sites on all sides like all the popular places. I would say that they firmly guard their sights and culture. The hotels were mostly created by the renovation of old stone houses and estates decorated with huge courtyards with swimming pools. Some villas also have their own vineyards, olive fields and other seasonal fruits on offer.
We had 5 days for this trip, and we would single out the following cities:
Arezzo, Serre Di Rapolano, Monte San Savino, Sienna, Pisa, Pienza, San Quirico d'Orcia, Terme Di Rapolano
