| Mini-van
tours (June 1 - Sept.15) |
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These tours are designed for travellers without
private transport to access towns and regions
and discover some other aspects of the Tuscan
countryside. Here's an idea of some of the tours
we run:
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| Certaldo
- Volterra - Woman's Rock - San Gimignano (full
day) |
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This is our most popular tour. Our first stop is
"Vincenzo and Giampiero's" pasticceria in town to stock up on local delicacies
for the journey and then through the rolling hills
of western Tuscany to the hilltop town of Volterra
which enjoys a commanding position on a windswept
ridge. Here you visit Giorgio and Roberto in
alab'Arte who still use traditional
methods to produce high quality alabaster artwork.
Volterra was once covered in a fine white dust from
these workshops and still has one of the largest
alabaster fields in the world. |
Alabaster workshop in Volterra
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Rooftops of Volterra
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 Etruscan,
Roman, Medieval and Renaissance influences all reflect
in the buildings and artwork. Wander around and
see the Teatro Romano (Roman
Theatre) built around 200 A.D., the oldest seat
of local government in Italy 'Palazzo dei Priori',
a 14th century monastery tempting fate on an eroding
cliff and more.
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From here we whisk you over to "La
Donna della Rocca" ("Woman's Rock"),
an opening in the Cecina river where women once
did their laundry. Enjoy an afternoon of swimming
and sun-tanning before the final stop in the enchanting,
fairytale-like, medieval town of San
Gimignano. This town was named after a martyred
bishop but it seems the locals also like to laugh
at the way tourists pronounce its name.
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"Woman's rock"
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"Saint Jimmy's" once had 72 towers but
the wealth, strength and influence displayed by
them was considered a temptation for someone to
take over the town, so most were destroyed and
now only 14 remain. There is a good view of the
remaining towers from the Rocca, a crumbling ruin
of the towns fortress on the top of the hill.
Be careful negotiating the stairs that have had
hundreds of years of use. San Gimignano also features
a medieval torture museum that is not for the
faint hearted, ancient churches and wells. But
usually the best way to finish off the tour is
to endulge in a gelato from the World Famous shop
in Piazza della Cisterna.
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San Gimignano: medieval towers
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| Certaldo
-
Monteriggioni - Colle di Val d'elsa (half day) |
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This is a half day tour that usually departs in
the afternoon. As usual our first stop is
Vincenzo and Giampiero's
friendly pasticceria to get you stocked up on
local pastry delicacies for the journey.
The captivating walled medieval stronghold of
Monteriggioni is the first stop. This is one of
the few towns with a wall that is still completely
intact. Wander through the tiny streets past little
coffee shops, wine cellars for tastings, churches
and gardens. From here it's not far to Colle di
Val d'Elsa. This is a town often missed by tourists.
Despite being the home of a well known medieval
architect Arnolfo di Cambio, it has also long
been an important centre of Italian crystal production.
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 On
the road...
You can visit crystal shops and catch a demonstration
of burning and setting. The old centre perched
up on a ridge has a cathedral and several museums.
Stop for some views on the way back to Certaldo.
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| Certaldo
- Monteriggioni - Radda in Chianti - Coltibuono
- Wine tasting (full day) |
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As usual no tour could start without visiting
our friends Vincenzo and Giampiero
in their pasticceria - often voted the favourite
stop on all tours. From here we travel across
to Monteriggioni (see the details above) and then
into the Chianti region past Castellina in Chianti
to Rada in Chianti. Sing out for photo stops along
the way. In Radda you can get lunch and wander
around the charming village. Our next stop from
hear is the old abbey of Badia a Coltibuono. It's
possible to join guided tours of the interior,
gardens and old cantina for a small additional
fee. Alternatively try some of the local trails,
check out the chapel or relax in the cafe.
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Medieval wine cellar
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 From
here the wine tasting starts
at a local enoteca run by Antonio who will
let you try all the Coltibuono wines, all of which
would go down well with your dinner. On the way
to the next vineyard we stop at San Donato for gelati
and some great views. The tastings here include
a tour of the cantina and surroundings and more
opportunities to stock up on local wines.
Enjoy the views on the way home to Certaldo. |
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| Certaldo
- San Gimignano - Wine tasting (3/4 day) |
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Grapes used for wine making
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 This
tour gives travellers the opportunity to spend
more time in San Gimignano and appreciate its
local wines. Start the
tour with pastries from Vincenzo
and Giampiero, our local friends in Certaldo.
Follow the old Appian way to San Gimignano, a
medieval route for pilgrims from France heading
to Rome. See details on San Gimignano above for
more information on this town.
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But our journey here is more for wine appreciation
and to taste Vernaccia - a white wine only grown
in the San Gimignano area. We stop at two cantina's
nearby after you've seen a bit of the town, one
where you can buy a 5 litre bottle of red from a
huge barrel-shaped shop and where you can taste
more local wines. |
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