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

I'd suggest you just jog, walk or cycle through the amazing Tuscan hills (for a bike just ask at Montalcino's petrol station for  noleggio biciclette  - bicycles to rent). But if your workout isn't a workout, unless it happens in a restricted and smelly indoor space - Montalcino does have a gym too.  The town's fitness studio is tiny - people here tend to get enough exercise in the vineyards - and centrally located in the Pianello neighborhood close to Montalcino's hospital (just in case). A day pass is available for 10 Euro and special deals may be possible if you stay for a full week. Stop by or call Carla beforehand, who co-owns the gym and speaks excellent English.  Carla  also teaches a great Zumba class. And she definitely knows how to pump up the volume. 

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 ...

November in Tuscany's countryside.  Time for Sunday walks around Etruscan archaeology digs, wild boar hunting and c hestnut roasting.  CYPRESS LOVE On the way to Sant'Angelo in Colle