MAPPING TUSCANY

All of Tuscany seems off-the-beaten path in winter and not even the Uffizi will boast the usual crowds and queues. So imagine how quiet things get in my Tuscan village, where American and Japanese tourists don't even come through in high season. But one night every February, a barbecue is installed on Cinigiano's town square and the line in front of it will be longer than the one at the Vatican. Winter being cold in southern Tuscany too, lots of red wine will have to be drunk to warm up whilst watching the locals prepare the rivolti , an incredibly basic flour and water only pancake totally appropriate for the start of lent. But Cinigiano being Tuscan - and hence communist at heart - lent isn't taken too seriously, so expect plenty of wine, polenta and fried sausages. CINIGIANO - NOTTE DEI RIVOLTI, WEDNESDAY FEBRUARY 17, 2015  Dress warm and arrive early (before 7.30 pm) to avoid the polenta queue. Not here in winter? Visit Cinigiano and its Montecucco wines  during t...

Over a decade ag o a group of Italian tourists  from the Veneto quickly s topped at one of Cinigiano's two small bars to ask for directions to famous Montalcino.  They left three days later.  The historic center of my Tuscan town  may not be much of a sight ,  but the  village bars have a certain reputation. In fact the aforementioned group has  been coming back every year. And rumo rs have it that they still haven't gotten around to make the drive to Brunello town .    WHAT TO  SEE A stroll through Cinigiano's tiny town center will make it obvious - the views towards Mount Amiata and over the  Maremma countryside  are the main attraction.  For more of them h op into your car and drive to one of the hamlets and villages which belong to Cinigiano's territory. Medieval looking Monticello Amiata is up on 734 meters and with that perfect for a cool  breeze on a hot summer day (and for freezing winds in ...

I never stop complaining about the end of summer. Until I remember how much I love the autumn light in Tuscany. And all those coffees in the morning sun.  Morning pleasures at bar Sport in Cinigiano If you plan to cruise the Tuscan hills, autumn is the perfect season to do so without the heat and noisy crowds. The light is perfect for hobby photographers and the temperature is ideal for long walks or days spent reading the paper in front of the local bar.  October is also the month in which the Tuscan farmers finish the wine harvest so as to move straight into the  olive picking .  To make sure things don't get too strenuous, a few food and village festivals are thrown in along the way.  After my Tuscan village's rained in Festa dell'Uva (harvest festival) at the beginning of October, things look more promising for our neighbor's chestnut festival in Monticello Amiata this weekend (see my round up of chestnut festivals on mount Amiata  fr...

Organic tastes better, organic is the right choice for the planet,  organic is healthier for your kids and yourself.  Whatever science and consumer reports say about the above, one thing is sure: green shopping is more fun and a feast for the eye! At least in the Tuscan countryside, when buying your pesticide  free fruit and vegetables right at the organic farm.  Organic shopping in Tuscany: even the customers look better Find below a list and map with Tuscany's most picturesque p it stops for organic food shopping, from the region's southernmost corner all the way up to Florence.  TERRA ETRUSCO , Capalbio Scalo Near Capalbio's train station, close to WWF's Lago di Burano nature reserve and the Tuscan sea,  Terr a Etrusco is an organic farm with a 21st century approach. Restaurant, grocery store and the rooms of the farm-stay are a stylish and welcome break from the usual fake Tuscan decor.  LA PARRINA , Albinia near Orbetello One of th...

Ever wanted to swim or walk from Tuscany to Lazio? That's exactly what I did during our week at  La Dogana beach. My kids jumped waves in the Tuscan sea and I kept fishing them out in the northernmost corner of Lazio (the Italian region Rome belongs to).  Dogana means customs in Italian, and what is now a stylish brolly and deck chair rental, was once a checkpoint on the border of Papal State and Gran Duchy of Tuscany (and entirely free of sunburnt Swiss moms running from one side to the other).  But La Dogana beach has more to  offer than borderline swims and history lessons. Every summer, the team of  Grosseto's restaurant Rosso e Vino  moves pots, pans and ladles to the shore for the season and turns La Dogana beach into the perfect location for a meal with a view. 

Beer isn't like beer. Germany and Belgium are good places to find out about this. And Tuscany.  It may seem a little weird, but over the last decade the craft beer brewing movement has managed to take foot in winemaking territory and microbreweries keep springing up all through the Tuscan hills and Italy.  Most people may have downed some Nastro Azzuro or sipped a Moretti with their pizza, but the two best known Italian beers hardly ever induce long-lasting memories. No doubt, it's up to the microbreweries to prove that Italy deserves a space on the worlds' beer map.  Curious to taste the Tuscan version of artisan beer? Leave Brunello territory this weekend and make time for a stop at the neighbors in Mont enero d'Orcia to get to know the locals' take on the planet's  most widely drunk alcoholic beverage. Definitely time for a beer.  The small town at the foot of Mount Amiata has a lovely shady park with amazing views over the Val d'Orica and...

Pitigliano isn't just another Tuscan hilltop town. It's the  Tuscan hilltop town. No other of them manages to balance so elegantly on top of a rocky cliff. In fact Pitigliano is also called suicide town (at least by my Tuscan native). You'll get the idea once you look down from one of the buildings located right on the edge; but don't do it if you're having a difficult moment in  life.  Pitigliano's skyline

In its third year the Maremma Wine and Food Shire has changed approach and moved the fair from Braccagni into Grosseto's historic town center. Originally designed for trade, Maremma's wine and food fair is also a great place for any foodies hooked on Southern Tuscany's locally produces delicacies. Taste your way through sheep cheese from the Tuscan hills, organically produced wine, salami and prosciutto, saffron, pickled vegetables and fish egg (bottarga) from the coast.  All of it in the lay-back center of one of Tuscany's lesser known cities. Grosseto may not be able to compete with Siena, Pisa or Florence when it comes to art and culture. But the city makes up for it with a car and tourist free town center,  historic city walls, friendly inhabitants and noteworthy architectural details if you only care to look out for them.  Maoist China? A Tuscan cyclist on Grosseto's main shopping road 

With spring in full swing, first of May isn't just the start of a glorious month in Tuscany, but also a much celebrated national holiday. I've just overlooked the cooking process of this year's sagra  in Sant'Angelo Scalo (one of my favorite village fairs ), and think there's no better way to start the month than with a fork and knife in hand in this little hamlet in Montalcino's south-western corner.  This is what the village ladies have in store for you:  Tuscan village fairs? Examples of female team work  Home-made tomato sauce for everybody

If you've been quietly following my photo stream on Instagram or Facebook , you may have been wondering about the exact location of the Sunday walks we've been taking this spring.  Not that I'd tell you.  I prefer to keep the hills of our valley to ourselves. Just the thought of a fellow hiker getting to the wild asparagus a few minutes before me; or a loud American tour group spoiling our calm morning in the fields...

Wondering what kind of place my Tuscan village is? The best time to find out is during the Festa dell'Uva, the wine harvest festival, which takes place every year on the first October weekend. Thinking of a wine festival you're probably expecting to find a bunch of people discussing tannins and barrel aging time. Forget it. You'll be seeing this.

Improvised shower at the natural hot springs in Petriolo If you haven't been in this corner of Tuscany before - this is the time to visit. Driving south from Siena, you'll find something for every taste. For starters you may run into Robert Redford. The documentary Buck, ( a film about the life of a horse whisperer produced by the Hollywood star) has his Italian first showing at the Terra di Siena film festival in Monticiano. Once you said hello and had your share of animal talk for the day, drive along the windy road that connects Monticiano to the Petriolo hot springs further down in the valley  (if you missed out on Redford you can always try again with Sienna Miller in Siena next week).  

No please! not another guidebook about Tuscany , was what I thought when I first met Veronica Ficarelli, author of yes, another Tuscany guide book. But once she mentioned the title of her book -   Tuscany, A Great Reason for Every S eason   I perked up my ears. Guidebooks about Tuscany normally start off with Michelangelo, take in Botticelli and end with Leonardo da Vinci. And quite rightly so. But after admiring all those people and landscapes rendered immortal by the great Renaissance masters, you may wonder what life is like down South in the 21st century. And the best way to find out is by meeting the people who live on the land.  But where to go and above all when to go?  Tr y leafing through your Lonely Planet or Frommer's guide for some advice on the matter. Nada. You'll get great Tuscany maps, info on museum opening times, the region's history and hotel bookings. But the small scale events and artisan shops have a hard time appearing in any of t...

Restaurant La Pineta at Marina di Bibbona beach  One of Italy's best seafood restaurants can be found on Tuscany's central coast, at the beach of Marina di Bibbona. Walking past La Pineta  it's easy to mistake the restaurant for a lovely but simple beach bar and deck chair rental place. A nd whilst you can still just visit La Pineta to rent an umbrella for your day at the beach, it would be foolish to miss out on the seafood treasures that are prepared in the restaurant's kitchen. We happened to be in the area for other reasons, but once we realized that we were standing in front of La Pineta we couldn't resist having a look. Timing was perfect, we opened the door shortly before 7pm. No clients around yet and the Michelin starred cook, who - judging from the frenzy in the kitchen - would have had better to do, generously took the time to show us around.  Luciano Zazzeri Proud owner and chef of Michelin starred restaurant  La Pineta

I've written about Tuscany's cultural hibernation before. So it's always a relief when in spring not just the plant world but also the event scene comes back to life. April doesn't just bring moody weather but traditionally opens the festival, food and wine fair season in Southern Tuscany. And luckily, from here on things will keep going strong for the following six months.  Spring at last

Cinigiano's town square snowed in (a once in a century event)  The amazing quantities of snow in Tuscany have started to melt away, just in time to free our village's lovely main square for a winter outdoors event. It's a village tradition to celebrate the first day of lent (after all we just got used to celebrating during carnival, so why stop at lent?) with a hearty Tuscan dinner under the stars.  Rivolti (a local pancake made of solely of water and flour), hand-made polenta, Tuscan sausages, wine & a warming fire. Just the things one needs to get over the end of carnival and summon up some energy to sail through the last weeks of winter.  Dress warm and bring a healthy appetite. NOTTE DEI RIVOLTI 2012 , Cinigiano, Piazza Guglielmo Marconi, Wednesday 22nd of February, from 6pm till your feet start freezing off.  My Tuscan village is a 40 minutes drive from Grosseto (inland towards Monte Amiata) and an hour from Siena (driving towards Paganico...

Another one!? I know. From October to December Southern Tuscany is all about Olive Oil festivals . But remember, we are not talking about yet another old and greasy oil; we are talking about Tuscany's prime and freshly pressed Extra Virgin Olive Oil (EVOO). So even if you have already run into  Gerard Depardieu  tasting EVOO in the Crete Senese or you are still hanging in the trees, busy with your own  olive picking  - it's time for a break. Grab your car keys and get down to San Quirico d'Orcia.

No Jack-O'-Lanterns in sight: Gustatus Festival, Orbetello My Tuscan native is no narrow minded person (as long as you don't count his tendency to some exagerated Tuscan Campanilismo ...). Neither is he a xenophobic - remember he lives with one of Italy's many Extracomunitari (a foreigner who comes from a country not belonging to the European Union, e.g. a Swiss like me). He even went as far as having two kids with me. But all this open-mindedness comes to a sudden halt when he hears of Halloween. The problem not being Halloween in itself, but Halloween in connection with Tuscany. Why here? Of all places! He has a point. Celtic traditions haven't had a stronghold in Italy since... the invention of television? In case you belong to the many people who didn't book a holiday in Italy to celebrate Halloween, here are some alternatives to a weekend full of Tuscan Jack-O'-Lanterns:  Food stall at Orbetello's Gustatus - Not just fish  ...

The last grapes have been picked, the leaves are turning reddish - it's time to get going on those olives. And Gerard Depardieu is with you on this one. Tuscan olives waiting for their destiny If you join in the fun at the Festa dell'Olio Nuovo  in Trequanda, you may end up sharing your first Bruschetta of the season with the French actor. He is is as infatuated with Tuscany's green gold as you and me.  In fact Gerard Depardieu uses  Trequanda's fabulous extra virgin olive oil  in his very own  restaurant in Paris .  And whilst you can eat away he will have to cut out a minute on Sunday to hand out the 'Premio Giordana Carpi Oliva d'Oro' . 

I'm on a secret mission. After a sleepless night I mustered the courage to do something I'm not supposed to do. At least according to my Tuscan native. I'm going to b log about MONTICELLO's FESTA DELLA CASTAGNA (the local chestnut festival). But shhhhh, don't you dare telling my better half! If you insist in reading this blog certain things will just have to stay between you and me.  Never heard of the notorious Tuscan Campanilismo ? If you want to experience it for real come to Cinigiano. Part of the council's territory includes Monticello. A miserable and cold little village on top of an unwelcoming mountain, populated by a bunch of half-wits.  Which is my Tuscan native's description of the town, who - it goes without saying - is not from Monticello. He is from Cinigiano, pure blood. And his statement is in line with the view of the rest of the Cinigianesi - the 500 people who were fortunate enough to have been born and raised a full 10 kilometer...