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We are incredibly grateful for our talented, frequent tour guest Khajha Rogers to give us permission to use her photos and perspective on our Tuscany Staycation in this Tuscany tour diary. Make sure you don’t miss reading all her captions! Hopefully you will enjoy the experience of the tour through her eyes as much as we have!

October 8th

Day 1 of our tour, the Adventures with Sarah Tuscany Staycation, was trains and automobiles and food and views!

Lunch and architecture in Monticchiello:

The peak of the former volcano, Monte Amiata, peeking out to the right.

Next stop, the Etruscan museum in Chianciano. Roberto, our guide/host, brings so much to this stop. Never, ever underestimate having a guide during key points in your travels. A passionate guide will bring so much to your experience as you watch the subject matter spring to life which is especially helpful when talking about something like the Etruscans, who most of us never studied in school.

Not much bronze statuary remains from this period, as the bronze was melted down later for weapons and so on. But this arm of Diana, still holding the chariot reins, is really something. This artisan clearly understood the musculature involved in that grip.

My friends, we arrived at Roberto and Patti’s home/B&B outside of Asciano as the sun was setting and the view has absolutely blown my head off of my shoulders.

October 9th

Day 2 of our Adventures with Sarah Tuscany Staycation was SO GOOD.

Sunrise photos, a visit to Monte Oliveto Abbey, a short stop. In the incredibly cute village of Lucignano D’Asso, lunch in Chiusure, afternoon free, cooking dinner with a neighbor & our hosts’ son.

October 10th

On day 3 of our Adventures with Sarah Tuscany Staycation, we visited Siena and Madonna Bella winery, had a great walk and a lively dinner. Each day is better than the one before.

Siena was more gorgeous than I recalled!
Siena’s cathedral is a real treat. Outside is dripping in gold and arches and statues.
Somehow, I only got one shot of the Campo and it’s not even a great one. It gives no perspective at all about the unusual shape of the space but I didn’t find a better angle on our brief visit.
Patti (Roberto’s wife) and the 2 dogs met us for a long walk in the late day. These fields are usually wheat or rapeseed or sunflowers but they are gone for the year and there’s been no rain for 45 or so days.

October 11th

Day 4, Adventures with Sarah Tuscany Staycation and I’ve been on vacation long enough at this point that figuring out the day of the week is tough. ????????‍♀️

Today, we ventured into Florence (a return engagement for mom and I). So glad we did because, while the rest of the group wanted 2 hours to shop in the a.m., we wanted time to visit the Bargello Museum which we didn’t find time for last week on the other staycation.

As usual, lunch was a treat but not photographed. Roberto took us to a spot the locals go to where we ate outside, along the Arno river.

I asked if we would by chance be going to Piazzale Michelangelo to check out the view and Roberto said no. On the way to lunch, he let me know that he pivoted a little so that he could make it happen! He’s the bees knees!

We had plenty of time to rest at the farmhouse in the late afternoon and I even got to do some laundry in an actual washing machine!

Dinner was amazing with the highlight for me being spinach ravioli in a butter sage sauce, made from scratch by Michele, Patti and Roberto’s son.

Sure, another sunset photo at Podere Casalciccia, perché no?

October 12th

Day 5 of this Adventures with Sarah Tuscany Staycation had some of the best moments so far!

We visited Villa Geggiano. It’s been in the Bandinelli family since the 1500s and we toured the home and garden with Andrea Alessandro Boscu Bianchi Bandinelli, who is quite charming – and very down to earth, for a Count.

Villa Geggiano
This is the kitchen, complete with one of the greatest fireplaces, large enough to sit in

Next up, a lunch stop in San Donato in Poggio at La Toppa. A lovely spread provided by the owner of the restaurant, which has been operating for 50 years this year.

Quick stop in Castellina in Chianti to check out some of the town’s fortifications and a lovely drive back home to rest a bit before dinner.

Bonus night sky photos before bed time.

October 13th

Day 6, our last full day of this most wonderful Adventures with Sarah Tuscany Staycation is in the books.

Up and out for a drive to Montepulciano with a short orientation walk and then a couple of free hours to explore.

The main square of Montepulciano. The red bricks in a herringbone pattern were outstanding!

Next stop, the most delicious lunch. Then, we had a stroll around Pienza. After a couple of hours to rest at the farmhouse, we had amazing pizza and beers with Roberto and Patti and I think it was one of my favorite dinners!

Castelluccio di Pienza, a fortified castle on the hill above Dopolavoro La Foce, our lunch spot.
Our sweet farmhouse stay is almost over. I love Rome, our final stop this journey, but it sure will be hard to leave this quiet space.

October 14th

Our last wake up at the farm included a sunny morning (day 1 was like this as well but the rest of the days it was socked in with the loveliest fog on the fields.)

Final day of the Tuscany Staycation. We drove to the Tuscan coast (it has a coast?!) and visited the town of Talamone. Followed by lunch at a campground restaurant (you had to see it; it is beyond description) for the greatest seafood lunch.

Roberto delivered us to the door of our hotel late in the afternoon. The 4 of us (we’re still with our pals) reconvened for aperitivi. Afterwords, we took a night walk to the big sites and wrapped it all up with our favorite gelato.

(NOTE: this is not part of the Tuscany tour, but Roberto will drop you off in Rome, so you can choose to complete your trip with a tour of the monuments!)

Swoon. This building. I tell ya, it makes my heart race.

It was hard to say goodbye to our hosts, but Rome is such a happy place for me that I can’t be too sad in this moment.

AWS Staff

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