Classic Favourite Experiences

Landscape painting

Arguably there is no landscape in the world more stunning and breathtaking than the Tuscan landscape. Landscape painting is an incredible activity that disconnects you from your daily grind and invites you to enter the landscape and relax your brain in a whole new way. Top experience.

brunello wine tasting

There are many notable wine regions in Tuscany, but Montalcino, where Brunello di Montalcino comes from, is one of the best wine regions in the world. There are hundreds of wineries to visit and many of them are still very small and family run. This is an experience not to be missed.

pasta making class

Who doesn’t love pasta? Dive into an interactive pasta making class and learn how to make at least 8 different types - all with your own hands. Even better is that you will then get to eat all of the pasta you made. There is nothing more fun to do with a group of friends when visiting Italy.

What We Do

Forage for wild fennel

Almost year round Tuscany is a dream for foragers and herbalists. From wild fennel, chamomile, wild asparagus, mushrooms, yarrow, stinging nettles, elderberry, wild rose, berries, nuts, dandelion, salads, mint and tons of edible weeds.

hike the via francigena pilgrimage walk

If you have never heard of the Via Francigena, it is one of the most important pilgrimage walks originally from Canterbury to Rome, now extended. There are miles and miles and miles of off road hiking through incredible landscapes connecting you from town to town.

secret hot springs and rivers

Tuscany is full of hot springs. There are luxury ones that you can spend the day and use the spa as well, or there are natural ones you can hike through secret passageways to get to and even be alone in the unspoiled wildersness.

eat seafood on the mediterranean

The Mediterranean Coast is located about an hour and change from Siena, which is a short and beautiful drive if you avoid traffic during the busy seasons. One of our favorite things to do is spend the day on the coast and have lunch or dinner directly on the beach.

pick red poppy flowers

When the red poppies come out, I swear there is nothing else you will want to do that to stop and be with them.

eat pasta for lunch every day

Pasta every single day. Pasta pomodoro, pasta pesto, carbonara, pica aglione, pici ragu, lasagne, gnocchi, linguine vongole, penne amatriciana, and ravioi. To name a few.

Italian breakfast for champions in siena

I will admit that I can no longer eat the Italian breakfast every single day, but if I am walking through a town or a city, it’s a no brainer. I also admit that I no longer drink cappuccino after 11 am. You will get scolded.

truffle hunting in the crete senesi

To see the relationship between the hunting dog and the truffle hunter is my favorite part of the experience. Second to walking through the back country hills where the white truffles grow and folk lore was born. The Crete Sensei is a mystical and magical place no doubt.

white truffle tagliolini in november

White Truffle Tagliolini is one of the most classic expressions of white truffle pasta, and when made right, it is perfection. I cannot say how many bowls of this I eat between the end of October through the end of December.

hike into the deep landscape and drink beer. Take a few photos

Currently our favorite activity to spend together. We can take a quick hour out of our day, hop in the car, bring a beer and take a quick walk in the countryside to decompose and spend uninterrupted beautiful time together. Highly recommended.

wildcraft plants and herbs

Obsessed. Once the spring comes I need to pray that I have the time I’d like to go out and start picking all the herbs, weeds, and flowers that I want to use for my medicine cabinet for the upcoming winter. But it’s not only the time carved out for picking. Once you pick you need to clean, prune, and dry.

go off the beaten path with our kids

Our kids love going to the thermal spa and hiking twenty minutes through the river and secret passage ways to get there. They also love to go foraging and mushroom hunting.