On our first weekend in Italy, Kai and I hunkered down and hung out at the villa. 
Well, I call it a villa, but it’s really an old stone farmhouse located amongst 1,000 hectars of vineyards and groves of olive trees. 
It’s a lush, green, hilly sight to behold, immersed so much wild and beauty.
And while walking the dirt roads around our June-home has been part of our daily morning routine, on our first weekend in Tuscany we decided to take advantage of the elevation and go on a *real* hike, something we are often starved of in the flat Netherlands.
When deciding where to hike, Kai used our new favorite app, Komoot, to find the best hiking trails in the region. 
We found an intermediate hike that was located near our villa (erm, farm house), and we hopped in the car for a quick 10 minute drive before parking at a trail head and setting off down a remote and beautiful path.
We walked through hay fields, past a home of honeybees, up rocky terrain, and back down again through thick black fields of grain.
At one point we passed another group of Italians on the same hike, and the two men in their group had their hair slicked back with gel, they were wearing white pants, and both had beautiful leather bags. Kai and I started cracking up – we clearly didn’t fit the bill of two Italians on a Sunday hike!
After our hike, we had some snacks and wine in the sun at the villa.
Even after almost three weeks, I still can’t get over how lush and serene this space is. 
Breathing in fresh country air, watching the flowers bloom, enjoying a breeze ruffling the garden leaves – simple pleasures are abundant in the countryside, and I am already so grateful we’ve had so much time in nature and serenity.
xo Ali
