Relaxing under the Tuscan sun and skies
May 12, 2012 145 Comments
Tuscan countryside early in the morning
While sitting under the tree and enjoying the cool breeze blowing off the 40°C heat, I can’t help but wonder why we’ve never gone to Tuscany before. Our next door neighbor in Holland has been going to Tuscany year after year, staying in the same place over the last 10 years and I used to wonder why they never go elsewhere when there are simply hundreds if not thousands of amazing destination in Europe.
The place is simply stunning and now I can understand why there has always been so much buzz about Tuscany and life under the Tuscan sun, why the place has been gloriously immortalized and romanticized in many books and movies (the recent and pretty popular one being “Under the Tuscan Sun” by Frances Mayes and its movie version starred Diane Lane).
At 360° around me and under clear blue skies, my vista consisted of rolling hills lined with cypress trees, blooms of various kind (geraniums, oleanders, roses, lavender, jasmines, etc.), which charm butterflies of incredible colors, bees and other flies, quaint old villages on which time seemed to have stood still, vineyards, olive groves and wheat fields gone gold.
We’re pretty far from the highway, the only sound that can be heard of are the birds and crickets, occasional cars in the dirt road and the churning of the combined harvesters harvesting the wheat.
Is this life under the Tuscan sun? Pretty laid back and the only thing we can do is sit down and relax, dip in the pool to cool down the Tuscan heat and let time pass by over glasses of chilled prosecco with those delish Italian cheeses on the side.
The place we are staying is an apartment in Agriturismo Pelagaccio. It is a typical Tuscan farmhouse with a small annex building divided into a total of 8 apartments on a 200-hectare property. There is enough privacy just as there is enough company, a perfect balance. (I remember staying on a Centre Parcs holiday home in Germany which I found to be extremely busy and on an isolated holiday home in Normandy which at Francesca’s age now, she would have found too lonesome as she loves the company of other kids).
The place is just ideal with a playground that meets Francesca’s approval and the perfectly situated swimming pool that I’ve ever seen – on top of a hill with a 360° panorama of the Tuscan landscape.
Everyone except me had already tried the pool this morning. I just had fun taking snapshots of everyone and everything – from Francesca, Siefko, Opa and Oma to the Tuscan landscape and those amazing butterflies which cast their spell on me and my cam.
After swimming, Siefko and I headed to Volterra for the groceries (Italian supermarkets are open on Sunday from 8-13 hrs) plus we needed to gas up because our car was running short on petrol. Good that in another village before Volterra (La Sperza) there was a petrol station where we can gas up but it was self-service and the machine would only accept small Euro bills and not bank or credit cards.
We reached the Coop supermarket in Volterra just in the nick of time. It was kind of weird to shop in another country given the language barrier. Doing the self-service thing on those veggies (weighing but the names are in Italian and most times there are no pictures on the weighing scale for the stuff) is like solving a riddle.
Dinner was such a very anticipated affair as the idea of barbeque became a foregone conclusion – grilled pork Pinoy style (in short, “inihaw na baboy” which were thick slices of pork belly marinated in garlic, vinegar, salt, pepper and a bit of soy sauce), grilled aubergine and paprika which I seasoned with olive oil, salt and pepper, fresh salad of lettuce, tomatoes and cucumber with the simple dressing of olive oil, balsamic vinegar, salt and pepper — served with steamed rice, beer for the guys and ice-cold white wine for the ladies. That was at almost 10pm as we forgot the passing of time under the Tuscan skies.
Tuscan countryside — view from the pool
View of Pelagaccio from the pool
Tuscan countryside
Tuscan countryside
Tuscan countryside
The medieval village of Fabbricca as viewed from the pool — we go there each morning for bread and other supplies
Cypress trees
Tuscan countryside
The path leading to the swimming pool
Location-wise, no pool can be far better than this…on top of a hill with an unobstructed view of the Tuscan countryside
Perfect place to cool down the 40-degree Celsius heat
Fun in the pool for everyone
Father and daughter
Oma joined in the fun
Opa, Papa and the little girl
Enjoying the cool waters
Father and daughter
Father and daughter
The family
Finally I joined in the pool party
Tuscan roses
Tuscan rose
Fiery red roses
Yellow blooms
Pink oleanders
Tuscan roses
Butterfly
Butterfly
White butterfly among the lavenders
Butterfly
Butterfly
Butterfly
Butterfly
Unripe grapes
Tuscan horses
Pelagaccio
The barbeque man
Grilled pork belly
About Malou
Wow… Just lovely! Can I come?
Sure FeyGirl!
Your the best Malou!
Thanks a lot, Jenny.
Your welcome Malou!
Absolutely wonderful photographs, Malou. I, too, love Tuscany, and you’ve succeeded in making me yearn to go back.
Thanks a lot, Doug. Glad to know that we share the same fondness for Tuscany.
Ok… you convinced me… I’m adding Tuscany to my Bucket List…
Thank you for sharing… is just beautiful!
Good to know that I managed to convince you to visit Tuscany, Camila. You’ll have so much fun there.
Gorgeous vacation shots and beautiful scenery of nature you’ve shared with us all again. The butterflies are beautiful and I can only imagine how tasty that pork belly would be right off the BBQ on a warm afternoon, yum!!!
Thanks a lot. The pork belly was great tasting in the simplicity of its marinade ingredients.
Delicious! We’ve been trying new methods at school as you (saw) in my post and hopefully (even though the Dutch don’t eat the skin) that means there’s more for you!!!
Please forgive my remark. You should have truncated this blog. Most people do not read long blogs. Nevertheless, if it was not for me having lived in Italy I would have skipped the blog due to the length. Sentimentally I thoroughly enjoyed going back in memory lane.
Apologies if you find this post too long.
Looks like you’re having a great time! Think I’ll add Tuscany to my list!
We had a lot of fun there, Cheryl. If you can visit Italy, include Tuscany in your itinerary.
I am really enjoying your blogs
Thanks a lot.
I remember watching that movie with Diane Lane. Seeing the countryside then just bowled me over. To me it’s a landscape which is very feminine. We have a place here in Kwa/Zulu Natal which is similar. Love those vistas and the pool looks magnificent. Thanks for sharing them.
Oh, I would love to see your place there in Kwa/Zulu Natal.
The Tuscan landscape as you say is very feminine. Indeed it is because it is just too romantic. Magical I should say especially at night when the darkness sets in and all you can see are the fireflies with their flickering light, the countless stars in the heaven and the glimmering medieval cities in the far distance.
What a wonderful place to have a vacation, your photos are terrific, I can see that the whole family is having fun. I’m happy for you Malou!
Thanks a lot. If you get the chance to holiday in Italy, get to see Tuscany as well. Just lovely!
Lovely – except for the last piccie: for a no-meat man!
No worries, most Italian cuisine are suited to vegetarians. They have these lovely vegetables (courgette, aubergine, paprika) that brushed with just a bit of olive oil infused with garlic, go so well over the grill. And the same can be done to leftover bread too.
Sounds delightful: ok, I am convinced. Book me in!
Wow!! Italy is a place I have considered going–not the big cities where everyone goes, but someplace like this. However, since I speak some Spanish, Spain was higher on my list. Maybe I will reconsider. I will have to show my daughter these photos. She has been to Spain, but is entranced with the idea of going to Italy.
I’ve been to both countries and both have their own charm. If you could see both countries, better do.
Simply amazing. Like you die and go to Tuscany. Yes our Hamburg weather has not been so ideal. That week or 2 ago we had two gorgeous warm summer like days. Now chilly winds… although the sun is making an appearance today. Apparently we have this Eisheilig thing happening this weekend… a little freak cold snap. yuk. Let’s go to Tuscany.
Yes, I can hardly wait for summer. This spring has been unusually chilly. I need to look at these Tuscany pictures to remind me of those warm days under the sun.
Can smell the BBQ all over here .. and feel the heat from the sun. Wonderful photos as always – from countryside, family, our beloved bugs and flowers. Tuscany has a beautiful country side and suppose to have the best food too. The first photo is my favorite. Thank you so much for taking me there.
Thanks a lot, Viveka. You should go to Tuscany because I am sure that you will love it there.
I’m sure I will … but for that we need a car .. and my friend that I travel with is losing her vision – so she have sold her car and will not be driving anymore .. and I don’t drive. Have to enjoy it from my blogging friends.
My only item left on bucket list …so close. Almost made it twice …but not YET. And I’ll settle for anywhere in Italy.
Don’t give it a miss the third time. A must-see place.
Grazie Malou. Your beautiful photos are like taking a holiday at home! Brava! Jxx
You’re so lucky to live in a country with so much to see, Janine. Our stay was short but we truly enjoyed every minute of it.
We’ve been visiting Tuscany for years. I firmly believe is one of the most beautiful places on earth. We hope to move there in the next few years. We have some discriptions of our Tuscan experiences on our blog.
Glad to know that we share the same fondness for Tuscany. What an exciting prospect that lies ahead of you!
Tuscany can be as hot as 40degrees? The barbeque looks awesome:)
On our visit there at the height of summer, the temperature was between the 35-42 degrees range.
I thought it’s only in the Middle east that the temperature touches 42degrees!
Malou, the photos are so inviting! We’re going there at the end of summer with some friends. Now I can’t wait!
I’m sure that you’ll love it in Tuscany, Mary-Ann.
Thankfully it’s not often as hot as 40degrees! But the last few days have been well into the 30s, very welcome after a rainy April. What time of year was your Tuscany trip Malou?
The temperature during our visit was pretty unusual then. Our neighbor who goes to Lucca every year said that it was 25 degrees last year. That’s a very pleasant temperature I should say.
We were there in July.
Malou, I want to live in Tuscany and escape this ridiculously hectic lifestyle! I can’t wait to go back! Thanks for sharing! I love escaping with you
Same here, May. I loved the relaxed pace of life we had there. No television and other distractions. A perfect escape.
Such great memories for all, especially the little lady. The butterflies are so colorful, great photography!
Thanks a lot, John. The little lady did had a lot of fun and also made friends.
Looks fabulous,next outing take me with you in your suitcase.
Sure Beatrix. Wanna come to France this summer?
That would be marvelous.
Once again great photos. We went to Tuscany when our eldest (now 27!) was about 5 weeks old. No one thought we were crazy traveling with a newborn, the Italiens love babies! Food, sun, sights all fabulous. I hope to return- we never got into the Pfizzi in Florence– just so much we could do with an infant!
Thanks a lot. I can imagine traveling with a baby. I guess it is high time now to return for you and see a bit more of Florence.
True! We’ll be biking in France in a few weeks. Actually traveling with an infant is quite easy compared to a toddler!
Oh, those photos!
Thanks a lot.
That must absolutely be the best view from a pool ever! Question: how do you photograph butterflies? I just went on a walk behind our house and we have the most amazing variety, but whenever I’m close enough to one to take the picture, it flies off one millisecond before I press the button.
Thanks a lot, Barbara. To take pictures of butterflies, I use the sports setting because they are never steady. If you have a tele-lens (55-200mm), that is better to use so you don’t need to be so close to these butterflies.
Beautiful! Now you’ve talked me into going there someday! HAHA! I just love these pictures, felt like i spent the whole day with you guys
Thanks a lot. Worth a visit if you go to Italy.
That’s some place I’ve always wanted to go
Someday soon I hope! HAHA! Thank you for showing me amazing pictures I’ve never seen before! I showed my husband your blog, and he agreed, we need to go soon! HAHA
Sounds and looks like a delightful vacation, and I was entranced by the beautiful butterflies, and loved the roses. May you all enjoy every minute.
Thanks a lot, Shimon. The butterflies in Tuscany really charmed me. There were lots of them and I can simply get lost in their world watching them moving from flower to flower.
Wow, I’m so jealous right now! The pictures are stunning and reminds me of the time when I used to travel so much. Not anymore flying from Canada anywhere costs a fortune I miss my cheap trips from the UK… but memories last forever! Cheers Mr.CBB
We’re also keeping our summer holidays low-key and not flying to far places. We also go cheap with camping which is more fun.
I would love to go to Tuscany. I so enjoyed living vicariously through your adventure.
Thanks a lot, JoDee.
You have so many beautiful pictures.
Thanks a lot, Michele.
Your pictures are supurb!
Thanks a lot. Glad to know that you like the pictures.
Thank you so much for sharing your vacation with all of us. It’s wonderful experiencing Tuscany through the lenses of your camera.
Glad to know that you enjoyed the experience of Tuscany through my lens.
How beautiful!! My parents celebrated their 25th wedding anniversary in Tuscany, and they loved it. I have been wanting to visit ever since I read Under The Tuscan Sun. It’s so breathtakingly beautiful! The pathway to the pool is so quaint. And the Pinoy prok sounds amazing! Perhaps I could do the same with chicken or beef?
That’s so nice that your parents had a wonderful time celebrating a milestone moment in their marriage in such a very romantic setting.
What lush and lovely countryside. Have fun!
Thanks a lot. We had lots of fun then.
Wow.. such gorgeous pictures!! It’s just wonderful
And thanks for visiting our blog.
Thanks a lot, Ricobel.
Wow that look beautiful. Thanks for sharing.
It was a beautiful place, Lance.
Compelling account accompanied by a wondrous series of images filled with colour and memorable experiences !!!
Natural beauty and happy family moments composing a stunning put up !
Great work in every sense,Malou !!!I
Thanks a lot, Doda. We still look back to this holiday with lots of fondness.
Thank you, malou (or shall I say, “Grazie mille, Signora malou!”?) for the lovely tour. Haven’t been back to Tuscany for 28 years…and I miss it so!
28 years is such a long time. It is about time for another trip back in Tuscany then…
Idyllic!!!
Apt description!
Very nice post
Thanks a lot, tut!
I love these shots. I did a few posts last year that may echo your lovely trip, one the “Two Lifetimes http://shareandconnect.wordpress.com/2011/08/05/two-lifetimes/” and the other is Making Art out of Life http://shareandconnect.wordpress.com/2011/06/12/making-art-out-of-life/… if you have a few minutes.
Thanks a lot, Amy. I absolutely enjoyed your posts and make me wish that I am back in Tuscany this moment.
So gorgeous and it looks like a fantastic time!
Thanks a lot, Jane. Yes, we had a fantastic time out there.
Those are the most amazing photos of butterflies. I love them.
Thanks a lot, Janie.
Gorgeous photos of the Tuscan countryside!
Thanks a lot, Pat.
Now this is the sort of holiday we’d love. I’ve been meaning to get to Tuscany.. stay in a farmhouse and enroll in some sort of cooking school! Now I’m really feeling the itch to travel!
Oh, you’ll really love it there, Smidge. And cooking is fantastic from the many fresh ingredients and just the inspiration of the countryside before you. Someday, I’d love to also enroll in some cooking class.
Absolutely beautiful…I can understand why your neighbor has gone there every year for ten years.
True, you sort of develop a love affair with this country.
Great post! I love Tuscany too [and the rest of Italy]
Thanks a lot, Marina. I still would love to see other parts of Italy, such a lovely country.
Simply beautiful! We were in Tuscany this time last year and also stayed in an Agriturismo. FANTASTIC! We were near Montepulciano, which is up on the hillside. At first, I thought your pictures were of that area. Tuscany is just so breathtaking. Thank you for sharing.
So many lovely places out there, many hilltop villages from centuries ago.
Pork belly is the “hot” food item now. Your recipe is perfect for a warm day.
Thanks a lot, scroungelady. We love pork belly as it is perfect for the grill.
Looks like beautiful country. Great captures
Thanks a lot, flashfirephotsblog.
It is difficult to get the pics of butterflies without disturbing them, how did you manage that?
Thanks,
Vic
You can use a tele-lens like a 55-200mm so you don’t need to get so close to the butterflies. I use the sports setting in the camera as well so that the picture remains sharp despite the movements of these butterflies.
I love open pastoral countryside.
just drop by to say thanks for the follow~~~~
Thanks for posting the beautiful pictures. I will be going to Tuscany and other parts of Italy in late October. I hope that the weather will still be nice, I don’t need 40 degrees
.
Gorgeous. Thank you for sharing.
I’ll take the pool and the view, but not the 40 C heat!
Ashley
Malou, your pictures are always so beautiful, I love to come visit your posts. I especially loved the peaceful meadows and beautiful Tuscany rose. I have nominated you for the Versatile Blogger award. You will find instructions for the award on my latest post, My Blessing List. Have a wonderful day.
Joy
How on earth did you get so many lovely photos of those butterflies? You captured the very atmosphere of Tuscany in the heat in your landscape shots. Brava. I hope you ate well while you were there.
Christina from Loving-life.me
I love Tuscany! It is so beautiful. The food is great there too and the people are amazing.
Brings back LOVELY memories…thanks
So envy you being there. A few years back I spent a magical week in Siena and the memmory is as fresh as yesterday!
What a beautiful vacation. It looks like you had the pool, and the whole countryside, all to yourselves. Bliss!
The Butterflies are just beautiful!
I know, I love her butterfly pictures! Can I use them if I link them to you here? LOL
So pretty.
Sure, you can use the pictures, just link them here.
Hi Malou,
Just to let you know that I have passed the “One Lovely Blog” award on to you.
Lucky You!
I loved the gentle hills, and that swimming pool was just amazing. I also enjoyed seeing all the charming butterflies.
Wow, this place looks luscious…I’ve been to Italy but never Tuscany…beautiful post
Wow this place looks luscious. …beautiful post!
Lovely post and wonderful pictures. We’re also those who always return to Tuscany and enjoy agriturismo.
I LOVED your narration and pics. Gorgeous, endearing, sweet, lively, lovely. Perfect!
Thank you for a beautiful tour – i felt like i was there. Love your butterfly shots!
Tuscan countryside, very very nice. Thank you very much for sharing. Lovely pictures. Would hope to go some day…
Dear Malou! After looking at your pictures, I’m asking myself the very same question – Why haven’t we gone to Tuscany before??!!! Thanks for giving us a very great reason to go – it looks marvelous! What a great holiday! Sharon
Ah, it is many years since I was last in Tuscany. Your lovely post makes me think we need to put that right soon!
I loved Tuscany!! What a great holiday under the Tuscan sun
I hope you enjoyed the great wine and food there!
Wonderful photos, especially the first (ah…gorgeous) and the roses & butterflies. Thank you for posting these.
Thanks for sharing, so I too can experience a little of the beauty and charm of Tuscany!
You must be a wonderful person to create a beautiful blog.
Good luck to you and your lovely family.
I have a wife and four children.
Hello – and thanks for stopping by my blog
This place is just wonderful – what a view from the pool!!!!
The landscape is SO beautiful.
Super series.
Here it is Sunday and I am playing classical music in the background while reading your post and loving the photos. The only thing that could be better is to actually be there. So much travel so little time…I will return to read more of your posts.
Thank you for liking, “My oh My…Hamburger Mary’s (CA chp.1) and becoming one of my followers!
It’s Sunday morning, I have classical music playing in the background as I read your posts. Lovely, simply, lovely. I will be reading more of your travels. So many places, so little time.
Thank you for visiting my site and liking, “My oh My…Hamburger Mary’s(CA chp.1) and becoming one of my followers!
Wow! Beautiful. I wish I were there. Thank you for sharing and for visiting my blog. There are so many good bloggers here at WP.