When we left Cinque Terre we got a rental car in La Spezia so that we could drive through the countryside a little bit and to our next destination. It was fun to get away from the cities and touristy stuff and drive through the normal, everyday towns. We stopped at a big supermarket to get some snacks and food for the trip and I loved it! It seems like such a mundane place to go but things like this are so different in other countries. Their deli and meat section was unbelievable and they had a gigantic bakery where we just wanted to buy everything! We ended up stocking up on snacks for Topher, some favorite European candies and then we each chose one unusual looking treat to try.
Topher was a huge fan of his cheesy puffs! As we drove through the countryside of Tuscany we were constantly surprised by what we saw. We rode past the Carerra marble quarry, through the village where Andrea Bocelli was born and saw so many charming hamlets! Pictures don't quite do any of it justice but the rolling patchwork hills of Tuscany are breathtaking!
After a couple hours in the car we made it to Borgo Pignano- a rural retreat on a 750-acre working farm. This eco-tourism estate, built in an ancient monastery and it's surrounding buildings, was a little slice of heaven. I was almost too excited about being there to enjoy the relaxing atmosphere!
Our room was a double bedroom suite and is one of the most luxurious places I have ever been! I will have Thomas do a blog post about how we scored this place at a small fraction of it's usual price. I am just going to geek out again at the pictures I took of our room. Won't you join me?
The room had fresh figs and fresh flowers (grown on the estate) waiting for us as well as handmade soaps in the bathroom. Everything smelled of freshly dried lavender and the shutters opened to the lovely smelling garden below our window.
The grounds of the estate were meticulously kept and the views were unbeatable. A small rain storm was rolling over the hills and it was a little wild to watch from our perch atop this hill. We wandered through the estate to see the horses, the olive groves, the pools and the English garden.
Around sunset they set up a bar in the English garden and serve aperitif and hors-d'oeuvres before the dinner restaurants open. Both of the restaurants (one fine-dining and the other more casual) serve food sourced locally or grown right on the farm. Everything was so fresh tasting and delicious. One night Thomas got a selection of local cheeses with his meal and it totally blew us away!
After an amazing soak in the biggest bath tub I've ever seen, and a very solid night's sleep we were ready to relax and explore more of the farm. Breakfast was first on the agenda and it did not disappoint! Freshly baked bread, honey from the apiary on the farm, fresh apricots, figs and tomatoes, homemade granola, local cured meats and cheeses, jams and jellies made from fruits grown in the estate's orchard. Am I adequately conveying how scrumptious the food was here?
Our next stop was the heirloom garden where Topher was in heaven! Tony and Francesco (who also doubles as the sunset cocktail mixer) showed us all around the garden and described the various varieties of vegetables they grow there. It was garden goals all the way! He let us taste anything that was ripe including stevia leaves, strawberries, yellow tomatillos and about ten different varieties of tomatoes. They also grow a variety grains and medicinal herbs on the property which they use in their kitchen and spa.
After eating our fill we headed back the main villa for a swim in the pool, pizza on the patio and then nap time.
I booked a horseback ride with Barbara, a young girl originally from Rome who now runs the equestrian program at the estate. We rode all through the 750 acres and saw the olive groves, orchard, grain fields and a few of the outlying buildings. I hadn't been on a horse for a while and it was so fun to get back in the saddle here!
Topher and Thomas met me at the stables to visit the horses again before dinner. Christopher kept waving at them and yelling, 'hello!'
We ate in the fine dining room for dinner on our second and final night and I had the most delicious steak I have ever tasted in my life. The salad with our meal was made with ingredients picked that morning and even Christopher's pasta was handmade with fresh pomodoro sauce.
After a whole day of digging in dirt and relaxing extra hard, Topher enjoyed a bath in the giant tub. This is such a treat for him because we have a very small, shallow tub at home. I also want to insert here that this little one did an amazing job sleeping on vacation. He adapted so quickly to each place we stayed and even the six hour time difference didn't seem to bug him too much.
We had to check out the next morning but not before we enjoyed the garden and countryside one more time. They were harvesting vegetables in the garden this morning and Topher got in a little more dirt time before we headed off to the city again.
Next stop- lunch in Sienna and then Rome!
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