Tuscany (Toscana) is the final destination of our two-week road trip from Lausanne, Switzerland. Florence (Firenze) is the capital of this region which is the second most popular region for travelers (after Veneto where Venice is located). If you like to join us on this epic road trip from the beginning in Switzerland, click here for the first post of the series.
We checked out of our hotel (Hotel Spadai) around noon. The valet retrieved our car from some underground parking nearby, and we found our way out of the city without trouble. From central Florence, we took the Autostrada Firenze-Siena southbound and drove for about an hour to reach our next stop.
Originally, we had wanted to see the famous Palio di Siena, a horse race held in the city center twice a year (June and August). We were there at the right weekend in August and the drive to Siena from Florence is less than 2 hours. The race is a very exciting event. It was used in a chase sequence in a James Bond movie – Quantum of Solace. Unfortunately, the Palio was canceled due to COVID-19, even though the pandemic was subsiding at that time.
The lodging we booked in the Tuscan countryside is Villa Sabolini, a historic residence (dimora storica) situated in a hamlet called Mensanello.
We got a second floor room which was spacious with high ceilings (as expected in many of these converted country homes). Notably, we appreciated having an air conditioner in August which is not a guarantee in many lodgings in Europe.
By the time we settled down, the sun was setting. So we rushed out and snapped a few pictures of the countryside in the hazy fading light.
Dusk was really a beautiful canvas of calm golden fields beneath a watercolor sky. We were not sure what they plan to grow in these fields, although the land were tilled and seem ready for planting something.
The Villa is not large but it has a pool and a restaurant. We were really thankful of dining on site because we did not see any restaurant nearby. In a previous trip to the Piedmont region, our villa (see our earlier post – Villa Pattono) did not have a restaurant and we had to drive out every day in search of a meal in the countryside.
We shared the famous Bistecca alla Florentina (a porterhouse steak grilled barely to medium rare) with a very local Chianti red, al fresco.
To be genuine, the meat is to come from a Chianina cow; Chianina is an ancient breed raised in Tuscany for centuries. Since we were in the countryside, we assumed that our steak was genetically authentic.
Mensanello is really small as we missed it on the way over. In the morning, we took a stroll through the hamlet.
Apart from a few homes, there is one other hotel here – Tenuta di Mensanello – which claims to be the most authentic agriturismo in the region, offering an experience of life in a farmhouse. Agriturismo is an Italian version of a bed and breakfast or self-catering apartment in a rural farm.
As our villa and this agriturismo is situated next to each other, we wondered if they were together as one property originally.
More pictures of the Tuscan countryside. Click on the photo to see a full-size image.
Using Mensanello as a base, we visited various villages and towns in the region, notably San Gimignano, Castellina In Chianti and Monteriggioni, which will be the subjects of future posts.