A Sunday in Tuscany

Sunday was a lovely warm Spring day here in Italy, the perfect day for a lazy afternoon reading in the garden or going for a leisurely walk in the countryside. We didn't do any of these things however, instead we spent the day underground in a damp gloomy cave in Tuscany. This might not be everyone's cup of tea but for people like me who love being covered in mud and getting up close and personal to nature then it's an ideal day out. The excursion, organised by CAI (Club Alpino Italiano), involved a 4 hour tour of caves on the West coast of Tuscany. Here we are all bright eyed and bushy tailed at the start of the tour.

The going was tough as we had to scramble and climb our way through the tight passages and round the underground lakes.

The caves were breathtakingly beautiful and so peaceful and quiet. It felt like we were in another world. We lost our concept of time and space as we followed the tunnels deeper and deeper inside the mountain.

When we came out again I had no idea how long we'd been inside or how far we'd travelled. Here we are at the finish, muddy, exhausted and happy.

The final part of the excursion was a visit to the hot water springs of Saturnia. What better way to relax those tired muscles?

Image from here

On the way home we came across the beautiful town of Pitigliano completely by accident. We didn't know this place existed before but we'll definately be back to explore it better another day.

Image from here