Five Things

Tuscany…ah, Toscana!

Just the sound of it makes my entire body sigh and all my muscles relax. And I know I am not the only person who sees this region of Italy as a retreat for the mind..and the soul…and, of course, the palate…

Having spent the last week reclined in a beach chair in Capalbio with a glass of vino in hand, I thought I would bring you my best bits from the Maremma part of Tuscany.

Lago Di Burano.

Sometimes referred to as the Walt Disney Lake, this mass of water lies in a WWF protected area near Capalbio Scalo.

As well as being picture perfect, it  is also home to hundreds of animals. It seems the area’s pheasant population has found its utopia. The birds march around the area en mass without a double barrel insight. 

While driving back home near the lake one evening, more than 30 wild boars (the babies were so cute) ran in front of the car and into the reeds without batting an eyelid. We were left stalled and stunned – in a cloud of dust!

Terra  Etrusca

This little biological agriturismo (farm/shop/restaurant/hotel) is our first pit stop on arrival in Capalbio.

The little market shop is run by a lovely old Tuscan lady, the fruit and veg are always seasonal and fresh from the surrounding fields. Plus they do a wonderful organic red wine for 4 euro a bottle.

The restaurant is true to the agriturismo‘s belief : bringing you organic fare from farm to fork.

http://www.terraetrusca.it/it/

Summer daze.

There’s n0 better time to be in Tuscany than in the summer when you can see the fruit growing on the trees.

This may mean you’ll have locals wandering into your garden for a ‘chat’ and leaving with a bucket of your finest figs (especially when they discover your italian is shaking and you don’t realise what you’re agreeing to). 

Freshly picked figs from the garden. 

The Spritz

Despite being a Venetian custom, there is nothing comparable to having a spritz on the beach after a hard day of catching the rays or swimming in the (very clean) sea.

La Selva. 

The place to have a plate of seafood and a glass of crisp, cold white wine. Before or after basking in the glorious Tuscan sun.