Each Monday, The Untourist interviews an Untourist of the Week and features the discussion for your enjoyment. This week’s Untourist is Metha Hillard, who has been on 17 UnTours. We hope you enjoy her story. Thanks, Metha!
Tell us a little bit about your most recent Untour.
In the spring of 2011, after a stay in Ferrara through UnTours’ apartment-only business, The Right Vacation Rental, we headed down for our Tuscany Untour on the Poggia Rellino vineyard.
Out of the 17 UnTours we’ve been on, 9 of them have been to Poggio Rellino and that’s mainly because of the wonderful staff (Harriet) and the vineyard’s charming owners, Anna and Lodovico. Each year, they look forward to our return as much as we anticipate seeing them again. We’ve struck up a wonderful relationship with them.
Having been on UnTours several times (including Provence, Budapest, Venice and Rome – if you’re thinking of going to Rome, give yourself more than a day or don’t go at all!), we like to go and see things that are less touristy so we can really enjoy them without the crowds. On this trip, one of those places was the gorgeous Sant’ Anna in Camprena. It’s a beautiful 15th century monastery located in the Val d’Orcia and just a few miles outside of Pienza, a beautiful little town that is a must-see if you’re in Tuscany.
What is your favorite UnTours memory?
Our favorite memories of UnTours have been the times that we were actually in Tuscany on Mother’s Day (same day as ours here in America). During this time of year, the flowers are in full bloom and there are many opportunities to see them on display.
Pienza is my favorite place to see the flowers. There is a flower market where all the local landscapers and nurseries come to town and show off their roses, hydrangeas and geraniums. Although I’m partial to Tuscany in the spring because of the flowers, gardeners would love going in the fall to see all the greenery. It’s great all year round, really.
My husband loves Tuscany in the spring because the Mille Miglia comes directly through Buonconvento. They stop and have lunch, and head on down past Bagno Vignoni. You see unbelievable cars like 1928 bugattis and classic alfa romeos. The Mille Miglia (not to be confused with Alitalia’s frequent flyer program, also named Mille Miglia) was once called the “world’s greatest road race” and is now more of a showcase for stunning vintage cars to roam the hillsides of Italy.
How is taking an Untour different from other ways of traveling?
It’s just a way to do whatever you want on vacation while knowing that if you get stuck, you can call your UnTours representative. When we were in Venice, we really wanted to take an English tour of the Doge’s Palace, but just couldn’t find the tickets anywhere. We called Denny, the Venice UnTours staff person, and she helped us find some tickets for that tour. That made our trip.
One of the things I love about taking an Untour is that you’re in one place for 2 weeks and you don’t have someone knocking on the door dragging you to the bus. You can do what you want, when you want to do it. And, you can always call the UnTours rep if you need any help or ideas.
If you could describe an Untour in just 3 words, what would they be?
Way to travel!