In recent years, during my vacations, I prefer to travel small distances and spend time discovering places that are quite close yet where I've never been. I always try to let myself being surprised by the beauty of what is "nearby". This summer I've explored a part of Tuscany that I had never seen or just seen in part.
I chose the Maremma, the southernmost part of Tuscany, lying between the sea and the surrounding hills. Here the countryside and the sea are the undisputed protagonists.Â
I don't like to chronicle a trip, it bores me, I prefer to talk about impressions even in a somewhat untidy way. Before traveling I always grab a lot of information, but I prefer not to plan ahead excessively, it's great being surprised and changing plans sometimes at the last moment to follow whatever intrigues me.
We settled in a beautiful country house near Castiglione della Pescaia. From there it is easy to move towards both the sea and the hills.Â
Particularly fascinating is the wild beach of Alberese, endlessly long and scattered with old trunks and branches of trees whitened by the sand and the sea. Definitely not recommended for those who love chaos, everyone with a nice walk by the sea can find their own quiet space. Quite different is the beach of Cala Violina stormed every day by hundreds of people. If you manage to get there around 8 in the morning you can still enjoy its charming beauty for a few hours in peace and quiet.
The hilly area behind the sea is full of interesting places to visit and of good food to taste. One of these places is the town of Bolgheri where the aesthetic beauty of the town and the surrounding countryside is enriched by many places where you can try the exquisite red wine and some tasty local dishes.
Once the summer was over I decided to come back to this area although this time far from the sea. I chose the area of tuff, a remote region between Tuscany and Lazio. It is a land with an ancient history and its villages bear witness to it.
To get there we decided to pass through the Val d'Orcia, to enjoy the landscapes of this beautiful area.Â
Pitigliano,our destination, welcomed us with a spectacular storm that made the panorama of the city even more fascinating.
The town is small, really beautiful, and above all it has not been completely overwhelmed by tourists, still maintaining a beautiful village life with people in the streets meeting each other and children playing hide and seek in the streets of the old town. The absolute protagonist of Pitigliano is the Apecar, a mix between a car and a motorcycle. Used for transporting goods, it is indispensable because, thanks to its size, it flows easily through the alleys of the historic center.Â
Besides to visit Pitigliano I came here for two other reasons, seeing Sorano and the "vie cave" (in English probably "hollow streets") and going to the nearby Lazio to admire the lake of Bolsena and Civita di Bagnoregio. The "vie cave" are ancient roads dug into the rock by the Etruscans about 2000 years ago. Probably their function was to hide the movements from one city to another. Now they turned into fascinating paths to be explored walking through valleys and hills.
We dedicated a whole day to the lake of Bolsena and to Civita di Bagnoregio. It was a day with a beautiful light, with sun, rain and thunderstorms. The town of Civita di Bagnregio is really spectacular and no photo or video can replace the emotion of a walk up to the top of the hill and then wander through the streets and squares of the village. Finally, a trip to Bolsena is also worth it. It is a town of medieval origin on the shores of the lake where you can also enjoy dinner with excellent fish.