Tuscany Weekend with Friends

Tuscany is definitely one of my favorite regions of Italy. From the rolling hills to relaxing beaches to amazing steak and pecorino cheese, you really can't go wrong. When a few friends from Connecticut told me they were coming to Italy, I knew Tuscany had to be on the must-visit list. Though we were there for just a short weekend, I think they were able to get a taste of how beautiful Tuscany is. We started off the day at Pienza for a quick look and more importantly to buy some Pecorino cheese. We drove from Pienza to Montalcino in a bit of a rush (we had an appointment for a wine tour!), but saw some fastastic views of Tuscany along this route. We arrived at the winery Poggio Antico for a tour and tasting. The cypress lined drive led to the absolutely beautiful grounds. We were greeted by Daniele who gave us a tour which lasted for about 30 minutes then to the tasting room. 

I wasn't drinking so I didn't get to try any, but everyone thought the wine was amazing and bought a bottle or two. They start around 40 euros each so it is not your every day table wine, but one you would drink for a special occasion. Next, we made our way to the little town of Sant'Angelo in Colle for lunch at Trattoria Il Pozzo where we dined on the traditional pici pasta and steak. 

 The picturesque views from Sant'Angelo in Colle. 

After lunch, we drove to Siena to our B&B and pasted some more spectacular views on the way there. 

This was the door to our apartment at Borgo Grondaie. I highly recommend Borgo Grondaie to anyone looking for a reasonably priced hotel just outside of Siena center. It is still walking distance to the center (about 15 minutes), but far enough that you feel like you are away from a "city." They have your traditional hotel rooms as well as apartment style room. We stayed in a two bedroom apartment with a large bathroom, kitchen and outdoor patio area, which was perfect for 5 people.

Of course, I forgot to take pictures of the inside of the apartment, but here is a picture of the patio. 

The grounds of the hotel were full of fresh flowers, manicured lawns and even a swimming pool with plenty of sun chairs. It was a relaxing place to stay and to get away from bustle of the busy tourist filled towns. 

We were all a bit tired from a full day so we opted to make use of the kitchen in the apartment rather than eating out. Prosciutto and melon, caprese, salad, pecorino, watermelon, bread and wine created the perfect light summer meal. The next day, we has a leisurely breakfast of omelettes and fruit then made our way to check out Siena. 

Wandering around Siena. 

 The very ornate duomo in Siena. 

 Piazza del Campo.

Some amazing chalkart.

 Oh how I love gelato in the summertime!

I kind of loved all of the doors I saw throughout Siena. 

After Siena, we made our way back to Modena, but first stopped in Monteriggioni for lunch at Ristorante Il Pozzo. We were still pretty full from a big breakfast so we shared a plate of bruschetta then had first courses. I had the polenta with fresh porcini and cheese fondue, which was good but not particularly memorable. 

Afterwards, we stopped in Maranello for some gelato at Dolce Crema, drove by the Ferrari factory to show our friends the historical entrance then decided to just order some pizzas from Vecchia Pirri, our favorite in Modena since we were all tired from the weekend. 

Though we have been to Tuscany a few times before, I am particularly happy that we discovered Borgo Grondaie and also had the chance to see Siena, which had been on my to-visit list for a while now. This weekend has been one of those non-eventful, catch up on housework, do nothing kind of weekends, but it is just what I need!