Toscana

There is just something about the air in Tuscany. You take a deep breath in, and the way it smells, tastes, feels; it sends a wave of pleasure and fullness through your body. I love it here, and I vow to one day own a house here. We arrived two days ago, walking off the plan down a short stair case and into the warm fresh air. Everything around us was amazingly green. I’ve seen shades of green over the past few days that I didn’t even know existed. The villa where we are staying is only about 45 minuets from the center of Florence, however it feels like worlds away. As you take the A1 highway out of Firenze, you are instantly transported into the most perfect countryside. The very greenest of rolling hills stretch out in front you as far as the eye can see. The green is spackled with bright red poppies, tiny yellow and white flowers, and rows of winding deep brown grape vines. The air is filled with a thousand bird songs and the sky is a cloudless soft blue. A warm wind blows from somewhere (my sense of direction has escaped me here), taking with it every ounce of worry and stress you might be holding onto.

We are greeted by the manager of the villa. She is a beautiful Italian woman who welcomes us with a glass of the villa’s own wine and a huge smile. “Welcome to Casa Monsignore!!” She seems very excited that we have made it, and we are very excited to be immediately handed a generous glass of red wine (our drive to the villa had a few stressful moments).

We are taken to our villa which is beautiful and far larger than two people could ever need. One of the first things I noticed was the lack of clocks. There didn’t seem to be a single one. So in keeping with the theme, I took off my own watch, tossed it into the suitcase and decided from that moment on, I would function independent of time (at least until I left Tuscany!).

I watched the sun go down over the hills in the distance, casting a bright orange light on the stone villa. As the sun slowly receded in the sky, the shadows of the Cyprus trees grew taller and taller until soon they looked like black skyscrapers on the green fields.

We ate dinner at the restaurant located on the property. It is a tiny place with only a few tables, one chef and one waitress. Their friendliness and smiles are contagious, and their food cannot be described by words. The wood beamed ceiling is very low. From it hangs ropes of garlic along with various pots and pans, all lit up by candle light.

At night the only sounds are those of a few night creatures. I fall asleep with the windows wide open, despite the slightly chilly spring air. I’m hoping to soak up as much of this place as I can, so that even months after I have left this place, I still feel as though I am under the Tuscan sun.