MAPPING TUSCANY

Ochre, terracotta and any existing shade of burnt sienna are the colours that come to mind when thinking of the famous rolling hills. However, for a few months each year, the Tuscan landscape doesn't look like something coming out of a pottery workshop, but like Ireland in summer. Minus the rain. And the Guinness.  TUSCANY IN SPRING It won't last though. Unless Tuscany's warm season is unusally wet like the  incredibly rainy summer 2014 , the landscape will look like this by the end of spring.

Every year on a Sunday in May countless private Tuscan villas open the gates of their immaculately kept Renaissance gardens to the general public.  Organized by the Associazione Dimore Storiche Italiane (the association of historic mansions in Italy) some of Tuscany's most beautiful gardens in historical estates, medieval castles and Renaissance villas can be visited for free on the day. Many of these are not accessible through the rest of the year, or if so only on payment.  Near Siena visits to the sublimely trimmed gardens of the recently restored Villa Cetinale in Sovicille and to the park of Villa Geggiano in the Chianti will be two of the highlights. Further south in the Maremma you'll be conceded access to the castle in Marsiliana, which consists of an entire hamlet which has been the property of the Corsini family since the 18th century (a partments on the  Marsiliana estate  can be rented in  case you're not here on the day or you'd rather have ...

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. 

Tuesday May 1 - Workers' day in Sant'Angelo Scalo near Montalcino The month starts full speed with a festival in Montalcino. No, not Brunello tasting (again!), but  donkey races   and anything else that will make sure you and your kids spend a fun international workers' day in Tuscany .  The festival can be reached on a steam train from Siena (read my post should you be interested in this or other  festivals paired with steam train traveling ).  Saturday May 5 - Italian Folk Music at Sant'Antimo Abbey A wonderful concert in an enchanting location: the male SAT choir singers will  present their latest program of Italian folk songs at Sant'Antimo Abbey near Montalcino. A video and the detailed program can be found on our Montalcino Blog . Rather go for some trekking? This spring's  Tuscany walking festival continues with two more dates in the Tuscan Archipelago National Park :  May 1- trekking, broad beans and Pecorino cheese on the I...

Steam train adventures in Tuscany  Steam train lovers reunite... in Tuscany. The provinces of Siena and Grosseto share a train line that (sadly for the locals) has been in disuse since 1994.  Nevertheless the tracks are kept in good shape and the natural beauty surrounding the Asciano - Monte Antico line makes for a perfect scenery for the steam train adventures in spring and autumn. The TRENO NATURA (nature train)  has become a tourist attraction not just for old-style public transport lovers but also for food and nature aficionados. The train is a perfect way of transport to arrive at some of the region's best food fairs and local festivals (just the fact that you don't have to worry about all that wine running through your veins..).

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