Tuscan countryside south of Florence
Who could resist this lush, hilly view? And this photo was taken in November 3km from my Tuscan home!
Why Tuscany, Italy - why not own country or another country?
Well, I have been travelling in Europe since a child, alone since I was a teenager. I have been travelling in Italy since 1992. I have loved many places, but ROMA has been my point of reference. As I have got older, I have preferred more quiet places close to nature. I wanted and needed to make a change in my life, I wanted to try a new life outside of Finland and especially in Italy.
I chose the soft, rolling Chianti hills south of Firenze as my home, because the whole area felt like a gentle sigh of peace. The vineyards stretching to the horizon, the silvery olive trees, the tall cypresses standing like guardians of the landscape, and the small winding roads of the hilltop villages created a world that moved at a slower, more loving rhythm…. or so I thought. Village life is quieter than the city, yet I adored knowing that elegant, art-filled Firenze was close enough to visit whenever my heart wished for culture, beauty or inspiration.
From Chianti area, countless other treasures unfolded: the medieval daydream of San Gimignano, the serene beauty of Volterra, the charming Lucca with its old walls, the poetic narrow streets of small Pienza, the wild beauty of the green Maremma, and the long Tuscan coastline. Even Pisa and the romantic landscapes of Val d’Orcia were within reach. The region was truly romantic: full of tiny villages, hidden corners and endless green nature, perfect for someone who had grown up with space, silence and trees and longed to keep that closeness to nature.
And perhaps the most romantic reason of all: an Italian artist and musician she missed was living there. What had once been a long-distance relationship slowly blossomed into something deeper. 🎶🎹🧡
Roses year round, roses of November. Rose toscane di Novembre.
