September 30 to September 5

Christine travelled from Australia to Rome via Brisbane and Abu Dhabi and then took 2 trains to get to Chiusi, where John collected her from the train station. It was around 33 hours of travel, and the 5 days in a small, quiet village far away from any hustle or bustle was a welcome respite.

The apartment in Casiglione D’Orcia could barely have been better. The rooms were large and comfortable, and best of all, from the kitchen, balcony and dining room we stared straight at “the rock”, and imposing ancient tower atop a large hill. The views across the magnificent valley “orcia” were incredible. We watched sunsets, and a lightening storm, and also fast-flowing engulfing mist which produced total whiteout.

The hire car enabled us to explore nearby towns and features too numerous to describe all but the things that really stood out were the ancient villages, completely preserved, that people still lived and worked in, and the thermal springs/spas.

Next is Rome, with the Coliseum, Pantheon, Trevi Fountain and other landmarks, but it’s hard to imagine anything topping the peace and beauty of Tuscany.