Mapping MONTALCINO

As a Swiss I'd normally say June is already too hot for cycling in Tuscany. But with the weather gone Scottish this year, I can confidently say that June has become a perfect month for exploring the hills on top of a bike. And with this spring being the longest and wettest in history, the Tuscan wildflowers are having the time of their life. So make sure you take due time to do some walking or cycling whilst you travel the Tuscan hills. Stopping the car to take a few pics just isn't the same.  Wildflower cycling in Tuscany

The art museums in Pienza, the truffle museum in San Giovanni d'Asso, the Mezzadria museum in Buonconvento and the Etruscan  museum in Murlo all have decided to join the European museum night on the 18th of May.  Food, art and Etruscan heritage lovers can visit the museums for FREE on Saturday night . If you drive as fast as the Italians, you may even be able to combine two free museum visits in one night.  The truffle museum in San Giovanni d'Asso grants free access from 8 - 10 pm. This interactive visit is not just for foodies, but great fun with kids too. The Mezzadria museum in Buonconvento , which tells the story of Tuscany's sharecroppers, can be visited from 9 - 11 pm. This is another great visit for kids - at least if yours stay up as late as our Italian ones (if in Buonconvento on Saturday also check out the Mille Miglia website - the oldtimers will roll through town from around 11 am).  The archaeology museum in Murlo near Buonconvento organi...

I'm always impressed when somebody knows a lot of flower names. I know about three of them (tulips, roses, and there was one more...). But the thing that I really envy is people who don't just recognize a particular plant, but also know whether it's edible, poisonous or something in between.  The Tuscan villages are full of such geniuses, who - in the form of old ladies -  spend spring mornings trotting along the road side to pick bunches of herbs and salad greens that look like common grass to me. It's a science really, and I'm relieved to see that efforts are made to passing the knowledge on to the next generation.  In March and April hands-on foraging lessons take place around Monticchiello in the heart of the Val d'Orcia . The beautiful village is best known for its teatro popolare (the fun theater performances of the locals) and for its vicinity to Pienza, the ideal Renaissance city of pope Pius II .  From wild fennel to mint: recognizing is ...