Manvir Randhawa

A nice sunny day, an Alfa Romeo and the two of us, all set to explore the beautiful Tuscan Land. We were already feeling so Italian having spent the last 4 days in Rome and driving an Alfa Romeo. We had heard so much about Tuscany, its landscape and the world famous wines that we had to visit this country. We planned to visit some small villages and towns and taste those famous wines.

Our first destination, Poggibonsi, a small town near Siena. The hotel, “Hotel San Lucchese”, a few kilometers out of town was a quiet little place with a breathtaking view and a medieval setting. We spent that evening just walking around and absorbing all the beauty that the place had to offer. Wandering on the country roads, we came to Al Cassero, a rustic looking place with an awesome panorama. One would want to just sit there and gaze at the scene for hours. The restaurant was a cozy place and the food just exquisite. Climbing down the stairs from the restaurant, we were greeted by the glittering lights of Poggibonsi. What a view. We sat in our hotel room planning the next day. Our wine tour dream had been broken as the next day was a Sunday and all vineyards would be closed for wine tasting. Changing plans, we pulled out the laptop connected to the internet and searched for places to visit and what to do. Siena was on top of every list followed by Montelcino and San Gimigiano. So our first destination had to be Siena.

After breakfast, we hit the road towards Siena and 30 minutes later we were in the outskirts of what we thought was a charming city. The city center was full of life with people lazying around, painters painting, singers singing and a group of skaters performing stunts. We got ourselves a slice of pizza and walked the streets visiting various Churches. With its narrow streets, rustic feel, and beautiful Basilicas, Siena’s beauty had won us over. I would definitely love to go back to this city.

Having walked the length and breadth of Siena and still a lot of time on hand, we were wondering what to do. Playing inky, pinky, ponky, we decided to visit San Gimigiano, about 50 minutes from Siena. The drive to San Gimigiano, took us on some very scenic country roads. The town is small and cozy. We parked our car and walked into the town. Bought some wine, ate some food, enjoyed the street music and drove back to Poggibonsi.

It was heartbreaking the next day to leave heaven but we had to go on with our journey to Florence.