For our last day in Florence, we decided to climb to the top of the Duomo, the largest cathedral in the city. There are over 460 steps to the top, mostly through very narrow halls and spiraling staircases going around the outer edge of the Duomo. Not ideal for the claustrophobic, but luckily Dave and I aren't bothered by the confined areas, or the height.
About halfway up, the path brought us out from between the walls and into the cathedral, giving amazing perspective of the ceiling frescos and the ant-like people below standing on the floor or the Duomo.
You know that you are getting close to the top when the walls start to curve to follow the shape of the dome. A few more flights of vertical staircases leads to the final destination and 360 degree views of Florence. It was well worth the climb!
The next day, we set out for Tuscany, specifically the Agriturismo Cretaiole just outside of the small town Pienza, which we would call home for the next week. This leg of the trip we are doing by car, so we hit the road in our little Ford Focus hatchback that miraculously fit us and all of our bags. Leaving Florence on a Sunday turned out to be very lucky, as the roads were much quieter than during the week and finding our way out of the city was not too scary.
I feel way too at home driving in Italy. Most times, I can't keep up with the pace of traffic (though I try) and the winding roads are pretty fun in a tiny vehicle. We've seen some interesting manuevres, including cars passing on single lane roads when there is clearly not enough time to beat oncoming traffic, resulting in the narrow road being expertly shared by three cars across the two lanes. Who needs amusement park rides, just come drive in Tuscany!
We have learned that the Tuscany area is extremely large, and not all of the valleys look like the typical landscapes you would see in pictures symbolizing Tuscany. We are in Val D'orcia, home to many towns including Montalcino and Montepulciano, known for their wines. This valley does look like the Tuscany that we know from the movies, but it apparently started out many years ago as hills of clay that were not ideal for farming. The people of the Val D'Orcia have spent decades cultivating the land and take great pride in their work. This summer has been unusually hot for many areas in Italy, including the Val D'Orcia, which has unfortunately been tough on their crops and vineyards.
The Agriturismo Cretaiole has been owned by one family since the 1960s. Originally an uninhabitable farmhouse, the agriturismo has been transformed into a multi-unit dwelling for travellers. Agriturismos are very popular in this area, as the rental income supplements the owners' farming income (where margins are shrinking and government grant assistance is commonly needed). When Dave first suggested staying at an agriturismo, I was admittedly skeptical about staying on a farm for a week of our honeymoon. I'm happy to have been proven wrong on this one, as the accommodations and ambiance of the agriturismo are a great change from our last two stops in major cities.
A fast sense of community grows amongst the guests (about 18-20 in total at any given time) and the family who owns the agriturismo are warm, gracious hosts who have helped all of us arrange activities throughout our visit. With "light" internet access only available in one room of the building, this is truly a place to unplug and decompress, to get back to simpler things.
Vivian
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