We made the long drive from Venice to Buonconvento not without a couple of incidents—getting lost in Florence (what a crazy city to drive in!) and the inevitable traffic congestion also around that city. We had instructed our GPS to take us on some back roads, which also took longer than we planned. A stop at a restaurant in Bologna for lunch took a while too, but the food was spectacular! And the drive was lovely, very scenic after we got away from the cities.
We stayed at the Pergola apartment just outside Buonconvento, close to Montalcino. You could see the city towers from the apartment there. It was incredibly peaceful and the hostess, Anna, was so warm and helpful. They make wonderful wines there and olive oils too. The Tuscan scenery was undeniably beautiful.
The next day we met up with Harriet and our fellow Untourists for lunch and a guide around Monte Oliveto abbey. The tour and lunch were good introductions for all of us, and again, you would have to work to find a bad meal in Italy! We were somewhat familiar with this area, but it was good to have the guidance, maps, and advice from someone like Harriet.
During our week in Tuscany, we explored far and wide. We went to Montalcino and Buonconvento several times, and also to Pienza, to Montepulciano, Murlo, San Antimo, Bagno Vignoli, and to the ruined abbey of San Galgano. That was one of the most spectacular sites to see!
We had a wonderful week in Tuscany, and again, all too soon, it was over and we departed for Florence. We had a bit of trouble finding the drop off point for the car, but had allowed plenty of time for that. We also spent a night there at a hotel recommended by UnTours so had time to look around a bit before we left for home…
see Susan’s whole triplog here.