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MEET MY TUSCAN VILLAGE: TREKKING, FOOD AND THE SONGS OF MAY


Trekking in Tuscany: countryside around Castello di Porrona


Trekking in Cinigiano: beautiful views, lovely tracks and - oh boy -  plenty of Tuscan wine and food.


SATURDAY, MAY 5 - "TREKKING DE' CITTI". Kids' trekking ('citti' means 'bambino' in Tuscan dialect)
3pm registration at Cinigiano's tourist office. The children's trekking is for free, but registration is necessary (for insurance reasons). Apart of insurance for the day, the kids will get a nice gadget to take home.
3.30pm Start of the trekking in Castello di Porrona (a lovely medieval hamlet five minutes from Cinigiano by car). From Porrona the kids will be taken on a guided walk trough the Tuscan countryside with animal watching and flower picking. Once back on Porrona's beautiful piazza there will be a snack and lots of fun games waiting for everybody. 
Kids from 6 to 12 years of age. Younger children can join if accompanied by their parents. Older ones may want to join the trekking on Sunday morning. 


SUNDAY, MAY 6 - "TREKKING A SPASSO FRA VITI E OLIVI" Trekking via olive groves and vineyards 
9pm registration Cinigiano tourist office; 15€ per person (incl. lunch, tasting and insurance)
9.30pm start of the trekking in Porrona. The first one and a half hours of the trekking are uphill. But you know it was worth it once you take in the beautiful view and your first glass of wine at Monte Mario's Basilessa winery. After another hour and a half of  walking (part of it on a beautiful medieval stone track) we'll get back to Castello di Porrona, where lunch is set. 
3pm Canti di Maggio. During the past editions of the Cinigiano trekking the sturdy ones kept walking through the Tuscan countryside after lunch. However this year the organizers have joined forces with some of the local folk music groups, who at this time of the year celebrate spring and the end of winter by singing in May. Four folk music choirs and children from Cinigiano's and  Arezzo's schools are going to sing the songs of May (traditional Italian folk songs). If you're not into walking you can stop by in the afternoon to enjoy the music. And don't feel shy. Just sing along. 
And at 7pm there will be sausages and (more!) wine on Porrona's piazza

 SUNDAY MAY 27, "WINE & BIKE" 
Bike, taste and eat your way through Southern Tuscany's hills. Starting from Cinigiano you won't have to cycle for too long before getting offered your first glass of wine of the day at the Podernuovo winery. From there things go steeply uphill towards Monte Mario, where Basilessa's Carta Canto wine is waiting for you. You got it, this is mountain biking the Tuscan way. In any case dig in, the rest of the track is downhill; just make sure you're not going to loose control over that bike. The track will take you to Castello di Porrona, where a sumptuous lunch will finish off the day - well deserved after all that wine, err cycling. 
15€ per person (incl. lunch, insurance and tastings). Mountain bikes only. 

For more info and reservation: Pro Loco Cinigiano (tourist office website in Italian only), aplc_cinigiano@alice.it; +39 0564 994187 or mobile +39 337 714 700 

 If you don't speak Italian but would like to trek or bike along, drop a note in the comment section below. I'll make sure my Tuscan native will prepare enough food for you too. 
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Location: Porrona, 58044 Cinigiano GR, Italia

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