Exploring the Tuscan Countryside… Siena, San Gimignano, and Monteriggioni

La Limonaia sits next to Bagno a Ripoli’s Catholic Church, and every hour the bell tolls one time. At 8am, I finally heard it as the sun peered through the window of the room in our villa. There is something so wonderful about not having to wake up to an alarm. Christina (Giulio’s long time girlfriend of 12 years) was busy preparing our breakfast spread. We were the only two people staying at the B&B, but she prepared a feast that would have fed an army. There were a variety of breads and pastries, cereals, yogurts, fruits, cured meats, and cheese. The breakfast was delightful, but it was a ridiculously large amount of food. We felt bad for wasting more than half of it, but we really didn’t want to stuff ourselves, particularly because we still had an entire day ahead of us.
Before heading out, we sat down with Giulio as he handwrote a map of the route to the three destinations we were hoping to visit today. Our first stop was to the town of Siena. Most people who visit the Tuscany region say that a trip here would be incomplete without a visit to Siena. It took us less than an hour, and we were surprised at how easy it was to find our way there, as well as to locate an available public parking structure. Siena’s main square, Il Campo, is the venue of the town’s most anticipated event each year, the Palio (a local horse racing tradition held in the piazza since the 13th century). It occurs twice a year on July 2 and August 16, so unfortunately we will miss both dates. By the time we reached the main square at Il Campo, lunch was calling and we were looking forward to taking a load off of our feet, relaxing, and people watching. Although it was still so incredibly hot, we chose an outdoor table and feasted on pizza and vino (what I’m sure will become our regular lunchtime meal). The pizza hit the spot and gave us the energy to tour the Duomo and the surrounding buildings (the Baptistery, Crypt, Museum, and Tower). The 360-degree views of Siena from atop the tower were magnificent.
Our next stop was just 20 minutes north of Siena in the quaint Tuscan village of Monteriggioni. We hadn’t planned on going there, but Giulio recommended it because of its proximity to Siena. Quite a small town, Monteriggioni is one of the most preserved fortified villages in Italy. We explored the town by walking up and down the narrow alleys and stopping in one of the few vino shops to taste their local red wines. It was already nearing 8pm when we headed to our final destination. San Gimignano is similar to Montegriggioni but on a larger scale, and definitely more well known. Its 15 or so towers dating back to the 12th century are what make this fortified medieval village so unique. The towers served as defensive posts and status symbols back in the day. We didn’t really arrive early enough to visit the village’s churches or museums, but we were able to taste Vernaccia (the most famous white wine of the region). We bought a bottle and found a nearby restaurant, Peruca. The pork sirloin in a cabernet sauvignon reduction and homemade pear/pecorino cheese raviolis in a saffron cream sauce were both bonnissimo! After dinner, we drove back to La Limonaia and easily fell asleep.
When I first visited Italy with Joanne a few years back, I remembered thinking to myself that I definitely wanted to return. I knew it would happen, but I just didn’t think it would happen so soon. Before I finalized my trip, I felt guilty for putting my life “on hold” for a few months to travel the world. I knew that my decision was going to impact not just me, but many other people - my family, loved ones, friends, co-workers, and customers. Thankfully, with everyone’s love and support, I was able to make my dream a reality. It is always difficult to go against convention, and taking a long-term leave of absence from work to take a break and reevaluate my life was definitely the most unconventional thing I’ve ever considered. Now, almost halfway into my trip, I look back and wonder how I could’ve made any other decision. Life goes by in the blink of an eye. I want to know that I lived mine doing what I always wanted to, instead of hoping to someday find the time.

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