What a lovely way to spend our last day in Tuscany…relaxing! Today we visited the award-winning Fonteverde Thermal Spa. Fonteverde was once a renaissance palace for the Grand Duke Ferdinando I de’ Medici. Now it is a resort which overlooks the Val d’Orcia. It is set atop a natural hot springs. Visitors may enjoy the main pool, pay a premium to try additional pools of different temperatures, or select from a variety of treatments.
Most of our group paid extra to pick from a variety of pools, while a few of us hung out in the lower pool. All pools had waterfalls and fountains which could be used to massage the body. We arrived early and had most of the peaceful atmosphere to ourselves.
After our visit to the hot springs, we stopped in the nearby town, San Casciano Dei Bagni which owes its existence to the hot springs. The village which offers lovely views of the countryside is also home to an excellent restaurant, Daniela. We enjoyed the wonderful weather as we dined on the patio. Our first course, a saccottino, was superb. I can’t imagine the number of calories I consumed after digging into this crispy bag filled with potatoes, cheese, and ham and placed in a bowl of cream. The presentation was fantastic! Daniela served us a large salad with chicken for the second course…this was a welcome change from the normal foods. Finally, we spooned pistachio and chocolate gelato into our mouths for dessert. A diet is coming soon!
After our decadent lunch, we wandered around the small town. A few ladies spotted some antique jewelry they liked through the window of a store that was closed, but a quick phone call summoned the owner to town within twenty minutes! While they purchased their wares, a few of us checked out the church, Oratorio di Sant’Antonio and weaved through the back streets. I love seeing the old walls, doors, windows, flower pots, and light posts. What a nice day! ETB
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