Mountain biking in Tuscany near Montieri

 

This season has been the season of the mountain bikers, streetbikers, and even motorbikers.  They come from around the world with tour groups, as the lone wanderer, in couples, and with friends.  All, however, have a common passion for self-powered wheels.  Us horseback riders tell them four legs are better, but they disagree.  I guess the thrill of the Tuscan hills gives them all the adrenaline they could need. Perhaps one day we can offer a trade, the bikers try riding for a day and the riders take a spin on two wheels.  Hmm…

One of the reasons for the high biking traffic in Tuscany is that the terrain around Montieri and throughout Tuscany offers every type of biker endless miles of fantastic landscape over which they can peddle their little hearts out.  There are so many mapped and cleaned trails that can be used by bikers, walkers, and riders alike.  A few weeks back, we had a group take mountain bikes from the hotel Prategiano to the beach in Follonica via off-road trails; a meager 6 hours of travelling including rain, sun, and a lot of mud.  Yet, when I came to retrieve them at the end they were thrilled.  I guess there is something to be said for this addicting and satisfying exercise!  

A Day with the Butteri - the Cowboys of Tuscany

Today riders of the Horse Riding Center in Tuscany "Prategiano" had the opportunity to ride with the Maremma Butteri, or the Maremma cowboys!  This group of easy-going Italians invited us to join them for a trail and an afternoon of eating and entertainment.  At 8:45 am (yikes!) we left the barn at Prategiano and rode to Travale to meet the group of 20 or so local riders.  Then, we all rode out for a nice morning hack.

For once this season, we had perfect sunny weather for the entire day.  After a typical Tuscany trekking through the hills surrounding Travale, we returned to care for the horses and to reconvene for an Italian lunch at the local restaurant.  The whole group with extra husbands, wives, and children included, gathered in the cantina for eating and a little singing, too.  After coffee (of course), we returned to the horses and began to prepare for the afternoon’s demonstrations.  The organizer and local Buttero, Fabio, asked if we would like to join in herding a group of loose horses up to the arena.  Of course we would!  So, off we went with the Butteri and a few western cowboys with their appaloosas.  I even had the opportunity to save the day by blocking an escaping herd with our new young Maremma horse.  Bravo, good boy!  We then watched some demonstrations with Spanish horses, some Spanish dancing, and the first ride for Fabio’s mule.  The finale was a horsemanship demonstration that was truly inspiring to watch.  In the evening, we saddled up again and headed back to our hotel in Tuscany, Rifugio Prategiano, with the setting sun and tranquil evening air giving the perfect backdrop to a beautiful day.

Stormy Adventure in May in Tuscany

Contrary to popular belief, it is not actually always sunny in Tuscany.  In the springtime, the weather is extremely fickle, changing from summer to winter in one afternoon.  Today, a sunny morning turned to a stormy afternoon, but us riders made an adventure out of it nonetheless.  Planning on a Tuscany horseback ride to Travale, a nearby village, four of us set out in the morning with sun on our shoulders.  After crossing over the mountain ridge and descending into the valley, the skies began to darken and clouds appeared behind the peaks.  

Immediately following an exhilarating gallop, a clap of thunder startled us into the realization that a thunderstorm was upon us.  Choosing to ignore it for the moment, we continued on.  Donning long rain jackets just in time, the drops came splashing down and the clouds rumbled.  We felt like pioneers, explorers caught in a storm.  The landscape changed from bright and sparkling to deep and ominous, but it was still beautiful: a deep mountainous purple beauty.  As we retraced the trail back to the stables, it began to lighten, and even stopped and let a bit of sun back through as we unsaddled the horses.  Moments after returning to our agriturismo in Tuscany, Rifugio Prategiano for lunch, however, another storm came through.  This time we were happy to be watching it from the other side of a glass window with a hot cappuccino.  Watching the weather come through the mountains from this altitude - with the trees blowing and the mist catching on the mountains - can turn even a stormy day around our hotel in Maremma into a romantic Tuscan painting. 

Hike the Poggio di Montieri

It’s the perfect time of year for hiking in Tuscany. The summer heat has yet to arrive in full, the flowers are blooming, and everything is green and beautiful.  Today we will go on a “guided” tour around the mountain of Montieri.  We will start at the Hotel Prategiano:

Leaving the hotel we walk up the paved road that leads to the top of the mountain.  Gaining altitude, the beautiful Tuscan panorama begins to peak out from the foliage.  At Il Piano Park we turn left and enter into the chestnut and pine forest to the left of the mountain.  Now we are above the town of Montieri.  In the summer, Il Piano is used to host sagras and local gatherings and picnics.  There are places to grill and tables for everyone.  At the bottom of the first wooded hill, we find signs telling us some of the history of this area.  Montieri and its surrounding community gained importance through mining.  The hills are called metalifere – full of metal.  Here they mined copper, silver, pyrite, iron ore, and more.  There are still old mining entrances (now closed) visible on the mountain.  Ascending another ten minutes we reach the highest altitude of the hike.  Here, there is a beautiful view of the southwestern hills.  Now, we enter into a shady pine forest.  Making our way around, we come to a fence that borders the trail to the left.  In late August/September this fence is composed entirely of blackberries.  Take a handful while walking through Tuscany!  This is my favorite part of the hike. We look out to the green distance and the towns of Bocchegiano and Prata.  This is the calm and warm side of the mountain.  A rocky ledge lies to the right.  After a few ups and downs we enter again into another forest.  This time, the trees create an atmosphere reminiscent of a jungle.  Shady with cascades of water and slate underfoot, these woods are beautiful and peaceful.  Finally we emerge onto a gravel road and turn to the right.  Here, workers are busy harvesting sturdy trees in their ten-year cycle.  When we reach the crumbling farmhouses on the left, we turn up to the right and pass the old Follavento site.

Continuing on, we enter the chestnut forest on the other side of the mountain.  In the fall, this area is full of people.  In October they come to collect mushrooms, and shortly after, they come for the chestnuts.  It is amazing how much a landscape can change within twenty minutes of walking.  Here, the atmosphere is vastly different.  Wooded with a thick matt of old leaves and dense dirt, the trees reach up on a steep terrain.  It is cooler and the trail narrow.  There is no view as the trees block the visibility.  Finishing the circle, we descend onto the asphalt road that leads back to the hotel. Surprisingly, one can find many wildflowers along the decent to the street and along the street itself.  We count ten to fifteen different varieties.  We pass the man with the roosters and his beautiful apple trees, and finish our walk across from our agriturismo in Tuscany, Rifugio Prategiano.  After a little more than two hours, we have witnessed a great variety of plant life (and hopefully animal too!) and have seen how slight differences in orientation and altitude can change the landscape of the mountain of Montieri.

Tiramisù - Typlical dessert in Tuscany

When one thinks of a typical Italian dessert, tiramisu is surly at the forefront.  Literally meaning, “pull me up”, this delicious Tuscan dessert has spread to the rest of the world, and has morphed into many different varieties, including even pineapple!  Here, at our agriturismo in Tuscany, Rifugio Prategiano, our chef makes her traditional version to share with our guests and after a long day of sight-seeing, mountain biking, horseback riding or cyling in Tuscany, a nice dessert is waiting for you. Below we have provided one version of the Tuscan tiramisu.

Ingredients

2 Eggs


250g/8 oz Mascarpone


A packet of Savoiardi (Ladies Fingers)
 or pavesini

Cocoa to decorate


2 Cups of Strong Expresso Coffee


Splash of Milk


Small glass of coffee liquor


50g Chocolate (your preference)

How to make the Tiramisu

1.  Separate the eggs into yolks and whites.

2.  Beat the egg whites until they form stiff peaks and set aside.

3.  Beat the egg yolks and sugar together to form a creamy paste. 

4.  Add the mascarpone and mix until uniform.

5.  Gently fold the egg whites into the mascarpone mixture.

6.  Make a bowl of strong coffee (preferably espresso), and add a splash of milk.

7.  Add the coffee liquor.

8.  Dip each biscuit into the coffee mixture until it is saturated, and move it to the bottom of a square glass pan. 

9.  Line the bottom of the pan with cookies, and then cover with a layer of cream mixture.

10.  Sprinkle grated chocolate on top.

11.  Repeat with another layer of cookies and cream, and top everything with coco and grated chocolate.

12.  Before serving, put in the fridge for at least two hours.

(Note: as this recipe is made with raw eggs it must be stored in the fridge and consumed within a day or two)

You absolutely need to taste this speciality during your holidays in Tuscany !

 

Motorbike Race Event in Tuscany: "Tasselli d'epoca"

Today there is a special event being held in Montieri near our hotel in Tuscany.  Men and women from all over Italy have come to participate in a motorbike race/demonstration called, “Campionato Italiano - Gruppo 5 Regolarità - Trofeo Imerio Testori ‘ Tasselli d'Epoca 2013’", or:  the italian championship of old enduro motorbikes.  Soon the riders will start their trip along the trails and roads of Montieri, finishing below the hotel.    It is strange to see such a crowd in our tiny town! The endless miles of scenic dirt trails and the empty asphalt streets makes Montieri the perfect location for motor-cross lovers, and even street-bike fans.  These tracks lead through medieval towns, shady forests, and up and down the hills and valleys of Tuscany.

For today's event they have erected tents, food stops, courses around the mountain, and other activities.  The atmosphere of the whole town is geared toward the motorbike event.  For dinner last night we hosted a few large groups of excited moto-enthusiasts.  What fun!   

Go Montieri and stay with us at our agriturismo in Tuscany, Rifugio Prategiano!

Wildflowers of Tuscany

One of the most anticipated harbingers of springtime in Maremma Toscana is the appearance of wildflowers.  Starting at the end of March, the hills and forests around our hotel in Tuscany begin to sprinkle themselves with color.  Tiny white, pink, yellow, purple, and blue flowers are seen along path sides and in open fields, or under the dead leaves from the past year.  They start slowly and then, at the beginning of May, grow in full force across the landscape powdering everything with their splendor; a natural event that is truly worth seeing.  It is a personal goal to learn to recognize each of them, and although lack of time usually gets the better of me, I have started to identify and photograph a few species.  

The first flowers we began to see while riding through the woods in early April were le Primule salvati, or wild yellow primroses.  They grow in little bunches with thick green leaves.  Both the flowers and leaves are edible and the cook of our Toscana hotel uses them to decorate some dishes.  I read that they taste something between mild lettuce and bitter salad greens. The leaves can also be used for tea, and the young flowers can be made into primrose wine.

Around the same time or shortly after (listed in relative order) we saw violette selvatiche, wild violets; ranucolo, buttercups; la calendula, marigold; narciso, daffodils; il finocchio selvatico, wild fennel; ciclamini selvatici, wild cyclamen; la malva, mallow flower; stella di Betlemme, star of Bethlehem flower; coriandolo, coriander; il glicine, wisteria; purple iris; lilla, lilac; viola selvatica, a type of wild blue pansy; margherita comune, the oxeye daisy; and another unidentified small pink wildflower.  

Most recently the favored Tuscan flower has began to show its bright red face: the poppy.  These flowers are famous in this area and are a magnificent sight whether found by the side of the road or in huge abundant fields.  Later in the season the sunflowers will make their golden stand.  From now until the winter frost, the Maremma landscape surrounding Prategiano will be constantly changing from one shade of wildflowers to the next.

Swedish travellers can read all information about our hotell i Toscana following this link. Dutch clients can find the website of our hotel in Toscane on this website.