The Heart of Tuscany
Our Trip to Italy in 2024: Part 2
We’d been walking in the mountains of Umbria and Lazio for three weeks. It was finally time for a break. Would Tuscany in early November be as beautiful as I remembered it from past spring and early fall trips? Would it be the right place for my wife, Karen, to give her sore feet a rest?
As we drove our rented Lanca hybrid north, I was pleasantly surprised to see green on some of the hills, especially near Buonconvento where we were staying. Other hills were the earthy brown color, more typical of the season. The vineyards were bare of the red Sangiovese grapes so critical to the Rosso di Montalcino and the Brunello wines that put this region on the map. The temperature was a pleasantly high 65 F in the late afternoon as we pulled into the long driveway leading up to our hilltop farm. I had known the owners of this olive farm and vineyard for decades. One of the sisters, dressed in her blue work overalls, greeted us warmly as we entered the reception building. I recognized our apartment because it featured a wonderful view of the undulating cypress-lined hills to the south and west of the farm. We felt immediately at home in our cozy well-heated apartment.
The hilltop farm in Tuscany where we stayed
Over the next several days, we tasted some of the region’s best wines at the Le Chiuse farm; we explored the Renaissance jewel of Siena; we spent a few hours each in the hilltop towns of Pienza and the Montepulciano, home of the eponymous red wine; drove the winding roads past castles and walled villages; and ate fabulous meals featuring fresh local truffles and wild boar. Our only regret was that we didn’t have more time to spend relaxing on our balcony, watching the colors of the landscape change with the rising and setting sun.
I’d still like to return in March or April when the vines and crops are at their brightest green, but the deep ochre quiet of November was just what Karen and I needed to prepare for our upcoming days in Rome.
Additional Resources
- LiveLocal Tuscany is our exclusive rural Tuscan experience. Stay in a farmhouse apartment for a week (or two) and explore the region by rental car. We include local support, a cooking class, and wine tasting. We are offering weeks in the spring and fall of 2026. I will join the April group and look forward to experiencing spring in Tuscany again!
- Essential Italy is our exclusive small-group tour of Venice, Florence, and Rome. We’ll show you the best of each city, give you plenty of time to explore on your own, and include some interesting cultural experiences. Space for our 2026 tour is limited.
- Rick Steves Italy– We are fans of Rick Steves and his work to make Europe and its culture accessible to North Americans. This book is good if you’ll be seeing a lot of Italy in one trip. His Audio Europe app is free and is also very useful. We recommend buying the paperback version to plan with and the Kindle version to bring along on the trip.