Villa Celsa and Villa Cetignale

Yesterday we took off on what is considered a scenic route. We were trying to find villa Celsa and Cetignale. I knew they were somewhere near Sociville outside Siena. This was supposed to be only a 20 minute drive but I think it took us 2 hours. Our directions were to follow the a country non paved road for 20 minutes and we will run into Castle Celsa. Well, this is a winding road that goes through chestnut orchards and fields of sunflowers. None of the streets have a name or a number. Our car does not have a mileage meter so we begin to stop and ask directions every kilometer to make sure we are on the riight road. This is a dirt road with rocks scattered here and there barely large enough for two cars to pass. No one speaks English. And signs point off to a new direction every few kilometers. It seems as if it is impossible that a castle would be on this non descript road. We pass a huge gate with no sign. And we see an man and his son hiking along the road looking for chestnuts. We ask them for the Castello Celsa and he points right behind us. Rising up over our shoulder is a huge castle covered in ivy.

The castle has a huge tree line entryway that goes for .5 of a mile. There is an intercom at a huge gate and I press it. A voice answers in Italian. I mutter a few words in Italian hoping that they do not turn us away. Slowly the gate creaks open and we drive down the tree lined driveway. When you arrive at the castle, everything is covered is ivy that is turning a beautiful burn orange and maroon. Formal italian gardens are directly in front of the castle and it's famous topiary hedge hugs the hills as you stroll out to the an ornate garden pool, not one used for swimming. It was hard to believe this villa existed in the middle of nowhere.

Onward to Villa Cetinale. Another famous garden site. Our directions were, just down the road. After searching for 10-15 minutes and not finding it, we stop and ask. No one has heard of it. We give up and begin to drive home. All of a sudden I recognize landmarks that had been previously mentioned. Look for an old farmhouse being renovated with orange netting, But the netting is mainly green not orange and the sign says Pernia which is in my notes. So we decide to try this road. This road is even smaller. It is only wide enough for 1 car and a ravine drops precipitously off to the left. A famous villa cannot possibly be on this road. We meet a car and I jump out to see if we are on the right road. The gentleman says the villa is only one kilometer further down the road and he has to back up his car so he can pull off this "road" because it is not wide enough for two cars. We drive to the end of the road and see a series of cars parked and a woman walking out a tall metal gate with a villa behind the wall. She is english and we have reached Villa Centinale.
But the garden is only open until 12:00 noon and we have arrived at 2:30 or so. Sophie, the person in charge of the garden is gone. We we are basically told we must come back another time. Determined not to drive down this treacherous road again; I talk to the gardeners and somehow persuade them to allow us to view the garden without Sophie's attendance.

San Gimignano Tuscany

The hills of Tuscany lazily stretch for miles undulating with wine vineyards and olive orchards. The narrow streets hug the hill as you wind throughout the countryside. The sun shines on the ochre clay that they use for the walls around the city. The city of San Gimignano is surrounded by an ancient wall and perched on the highest point in the countryside. At first glance, you are overwhelmned by the number of tourists in the town. But the city of San Gimignano is not just the tourists. Many people live within the walls in apartments that face the square or on the back streets just a block from the city center.
Today, I climbed the main tower. There are 218 steps to the top. Climbing the tower, is not for the faint of heart. It is hot inside, very little air circulates. The last part of the climb, you squeeze through a metal ladder that is only 2 feet wide. Finally, at the top, there is a beautiful view of the city and the various towers. The wind blows across the valleys and through the tower. As you peer over the top of the tower, you can see down into the town square where everyone is enjoying a glass of the local Chianti.

Italian Gardens

Many of the villas in Italy are famous for their gardens. So in my planning stage I have received permission for Villa Gamberaia and Villa Poggio Torselli to get private tours and take photos of their villas. I am very interested in finding out information about their design and layout of their gardens.
The two gardens below are located near Florence.

Villa Gamberaia - is considered a classic Italian Garden. It has been written about since the 1800's and is one of the gardens that was included in Edit Wharton's travel journal about Italian Gardens.
Villa Poggio Torselli - is a fabulous villa located near Florence. It has beautiful frescos in their villa and the garden is representave of the Italian formal garden.

In Lake Como - plans to see the following villas.
Villa Monastero (Varenna)
Villa Del Balbianello (Lenno)
Villa Serbelloni (Bellagio)
Isola Bella Lake Maggiore
These villas are not private villas but rather have been converted into hotels or managed by the FIA. or Italian government.

Planning stages for Tuscany and Lake Como.

I have been a bit swamped with trying to figure out where to visit in Tuscany and in Lake Como. The itinerary consists so far of villas with beautiful gardens. At first , I was thinking that we should spend longer in Tuscany versus Lake Como but as I started reviewing the things to do in Lake Como I became overwhelmed. None of this is as simple as it seems because Lake Como has 100's of villas. I will be uploading a daily log with photos each evening from our hotel of our adventures while we are in Italy. So check back to see our adventures and photos.

Tuscany will consist of the following villas.
Florence - Villa Gamberaia
Florence - Villa Poggio Torselli
Siena - Villa Chigi Cetinale
Siena - Villa Geggiano.

We will be staying in San Gimignano at this hotel
http://www.vacations-abroad.com/italy/tuscany_-_toscana/san_gimignano/2101/default.aspx

With day trips to Siena, Florence, Montepulciano, Pienza