A Day in Cortona, Tuscany

A day in Cortona is a gift from the heavens!

From the moment of waking up in a beautiful villa, opening the shutters and seeing the beautiful views of the gardens and hills all around, I was assured that it would be splendid day. Whether the sun was shining or there were raindrops falling, I felt the charm and warmth of this special place called Cortona immediately. 

After a lovely, simple breakfast of yogurt, Italian breads, and warm coffee in our Tuscan kitchen, we ventured out and explored the lovely Cortona village atop the hillside with its many shops, small and picturesque alleyways, and enjoyed the outdoor marketplace filled with vendors selling their wares.

One can buy lovely linens, local ceramics, candies and sweets, a variety of breads and meats, and even shoes and toys. It is a congregation of the local people doing their daily shopping, as well as the few tourists enjoying the samplings of the area. The beauty of this village is in the warmth of the people, the simplicity of wandering through the streets and plazas, and the lovely vistas of the valley below. 

Afterwards, we were challenged by too many choices as to how to spend the rest of the day: a visit to Lake Trasimeno to enjoy many water activities such as sailing and swimming; drive to nearby Castiglione del Lago to walk through the hilltop village, have a gelato, and enjoy breathtaking views and beautiful sunsets; visit Chianti and Umbria to have a wine tasting luncheon and see olive groves and vineyards; or travel to Florence, only one hour's drive away, and venture through this historic city of art, architecture, and history along the Arno River.

Our other options included cooking up a fine Italian feast with all the great produce from the local market, having a chef come to the villa to give us a cooking lesson, or learn basic Italian.

This afternoon we opted for none of those tempting options. We simply stayed at our villa reading wonderful books, taking naps, and spending time with family and friends. We enjoyed the sunshine (and even a few raindrops) and smiled at the thought of simply being in a very memorable place.

That evening, we had further choices: a delicious local dinner at one of the restaurants in Cortona, such as Trattoria La Grotta, Osteria del Teatro, or have Margherita pizza at a local pizzeria, with a glass of wine to end your day.

We opted to walk from the villa to the small village of Ossaia for a simple but delicious thinnest-crust pizza at Osteria La Tufa.

We certainly had sweet dreams of the special and unique qualities of this region of Tuscany, and were certain of warm feelings when we awoke the next morning for another gift from the heavens!