3 Days in Tuscany
The countryside in Tuscany evokes feelings of tranquility and timeless beauty. Bike through vineyards and olive groves to an age old winery for lunch, stay on a working cheese farm and visit the sheep before learning how the cheese is made, or just sit by the pool with a glass of wine and admire the view of rolling hills and cypress trees.
When We Went
Late May
Pros - great weather - not too hot, not too cold, perfect for our bike ride
Cons - we didn’t use the pool because it wasn’t hot enough for swimming
How We Got to Tuscany
Rental Car - drove from Cinque Terre stopping to see The Leaning Tower of Pisa along the way
Pros - we could stop as desired and were able to stay off the beaten path and drive to activities.
Cons - we got lost a lot. Roads in Tuscany can be very confusing. We received 3 tickets by mail after arriving home for parking in the wrong location. We even watched for the no parking signs along the way and still failed.
Where We Stayed
Corzano e Paterno - Torre
Pros - Views, character, pool, wine and cheese tasting
Cons - no a/c so I imagine in Summer it is pretty hot, bugs, difficult to find
The outside of our unit at Corzano e Paterno in Tuscany, Italy (top left), Poolside views at Corzano e Paterno in Tuscany, Italy (top right), Our laundry out to dry (bottom)
What We Did in Tuscany for 3 Days
Relaxed by the pool and drank wine, the guys also smoked pipes purchased in Milan from the Savinelli factory. Love that smell. You can read more about that journey here.
Winery bike tour - I highly recommend this. The scenery was beautiful, our guide was amazing, and the lunch at the Fattoria Cigliano Di Sopra winery was so quaint. We loved the old age of this winery.
Our helmets look out of place here but the tour does include a bit of riding on Tuscan roads with many curves and no shoulder so you will want to wear them. Our tour guide stopped at various churches, vineyards, and olive groves along the way to give us local facts and history.
Our helmets look out of place here but the tour does include a bit of riding on Tuscan roads with many curves and no shoulder so you will want to wear them.
This is the Fattoria Cigliano Di Sopra winery where we stopped for a tour and lunch. You can see the age of the winery reflected in the various barrels used to age the wine. Pro tip, if you hate spiders don't go down those steps. The grounds of this homestead and winery were breathtaking and peaceful.
We also took a tour at a more modern winery nearby with cheese and wine tasting
We stopped in to see the sheep farm (wear shoes that can get muddy) and visited the cheese farm for a tour - pecorino is delicious.
Italian Monopoly in our unit at Corzano e Paterno - I won! Knowing a little Italian comes in handy when no one else does.
We stopped on our drive from Cinque Terre to visit the Leaning Tower of Pisa. We climbed the steps to the top which I highly recommend. Walking tilted is a strange sensation and the steps are worn so smooth that I had to take my shoes off to keep from sliding (I wore sandals). At the top I was amazed at the lack of railing or protection for those ringing the giant bells.
You can enter the cathedral here for free but remember that most churches in Europe require your arms to be covered for entry so if you wear a tank top don't forget a scarf or cardigan for these visits.
Most churches in Europe require your arms to be covered for entry so if you wear a tank top don't forget a scarf or cardigan.
Calzones in Tuscany are super sized.
Dinner at Pizzeria Ristorante il Mondo Degli Gnomi in the town of Montespertoli - The calzones and pasta were delicious!
What We Loved About Our 3 Days in Tuscany
The character of Corzano e Paterno
The ability to cook some meals and have a fire in the kitchen
The fireflies just outside our unit. I have never seen so many lit up at night in all my life. They were beautiful!
The bike winery tour
Cheese Farm visit and tour
Biscotti dipped in Vin Santo (Italian dessert wine)
Winery visit
The pepper in our unit. OK, so we have a thing for pepper. Why is it so much better everywhere else? Pepper in the US is just not very good.
Our bike ride through the olive groves and wineries in Tuscany. A true highlight of our trip. At the end of the day we rewarded ourselves with a stop for gelato.
Lunch at the Fattoria Cigliano Di Sopra winery with the We Like Tuscany bike tour.
What We Disliked About Our 3 Days in Tuscany
Getting lost
The giant centipede my brother-in-law found on his clothes in his room, yikes. That was a surprise!
The living room in our unit smelled like cat pee. We just closed the door and didn’t use it.
What We Would Do Next Time We Visit Tuscany
Spend a day in Florence sightseeing and possibly take a tour with a Vespa or Fiat 500. These look so fun. Several companies offer them. The 500 Touring Club states that they are the original and the best but they are more expensive. Walkabout Florence is less expensive and kids 12 and under are free with a paying adult. And the same company we did our biking tour through We Like Tuscany also offers these tours.
Take a local cooking class. There are so many options available. Walkabout Florence and We Like Tuscany above both offer them and this tour listed on Viator also takes you to the market to buy the ingredients.
