Last week, I wrote about the places I visited in Tuscany with my travel group. But I didn’t mention the other things we stayed and enjoyed. Most of these were culinary-related, so naturally, I had to give them a space of their own with a separate post. This was part of the Collette tour “Spotlight on Tuscany,” which may have been unique to our visit.

I hadn’t heard of any of these places, not even the town we stayed in, Montecatini Terme. Truthfully, when we first arrived, I was disappointed that it seemed so modern and lacked character. I had to be patient because once we arrived at our hotel and walked a few blocks away, I was rewarded with structures featuring elaborate nineteenth-century architecture from its famous spas.

The other places were part of the day's itinerary, slightly outside some of the towns we visited. Because of my previous visit to Tuscany in 2013, this was a simple delight for me and filled with discoveries.

Montecatini Terme

Because of its natural healing waters, this city has been a destination since the Roman Empire. Many of the buildings around the spa have a grand Roman-inspired appearance, complete with elaborate carvings, artwork, and marble. However, as I walked around this area, I noticed that many structures were shuttered or under renovation due to aging and the COVID-19 pandemic, which negatively affected local tourism.

Nevertheless, Montecatini Terme still has many hotel options, including our hotel, Ercolini e Savi, and plenty of great shopping and dining. Although I didn’t get to do this, visitors can also take a funicular to Montecatini Alto, the city’s older section, which resembles a typical Tuscan hilltop village.

The Gothic Line

Just outside of Lucca is a museum that tells the story of this World War II front, where Allied troops entered Italy and helped to defeat the Nazi Germans. As part of their defense, the German military dug networks of bunkers into the hillsides, one of which we climbed to and walked through, which was quite complex.

The museum displays artifacts from combat, soldier uniforms, photos of countryside villages, and citizens who aided the troops in their campaign. One thing to note was the presence of Black American soldiers, a curiosity to the local Italians. They treated them with respect, which they didn’t have back home.

Azienda Agricola Carmignani winery

Close to the Gothic Line Museum is this small organic winery that made a tremendous impression on us so much that most of us purchased their stock in trade (wine) or olive oil, limoncello and jam. We enjoyed tasting each of them; if money had been no object, I would have bought them all.  It also helped that we took a brief tour of their rolling vineyard and olive grove and made friends with their resident black cat.

Our tasting included Tentazione, a dry full-bodied white with Chardonnay and Pinot Gris; Kapogiro Rose with Syrah, Sangiovese and Merlot; Rosso DOC Montecarlo, a mix of Merlot, Malvasia Rossa, Canalolo, Ciliegiolo and Syrah; and the best one, Theorema with Cabernet, Syrah, Sangiovese and Merlot. I bought all but the Rosso DOC, which was just adequate. But all the others were simply sublime.

Agriturismo Le Baccane

All the activities we did on this trip were enjoyable, but to me, this was the most fun. We rode through the countryside to a farm, or Fattoria, about 20 minutes outside Montecatini Terme. Olive trees and rows of produce dotted the landscape as we entered a large brick structure. We sat at different tables and assumed different tasks to create our four-course dinner, which was a peak culinary experience.

Our table prepared potatoes, while others made pork cutlets and bruschetta. We all prepared fresh pasta and tiramisu, which was made more interesting by a contest in which our bus driver judged the best one (our group didn’t win). I was also delighted with the presence of a half-dozen farm cats, a black one who looked exactly like our Genji.

Poggio do Campobiano

Here was one of the unexpected delights of our Tuscany adventures. RAS and I might have passed by this organic fattoria, whose specialty is cheese, on our bike tour because it was a few miles from San Gimignano. Had I known about it and the wonderful foods they made and served, I would have stopped to sample their foods and see the cows and goats that produce the milk.

The farm produces cheese, jams, sauces, olive oil, and pasta sold in its compact store. The owners, who started the business over 35 years ago, have created a community where people believe in their mission and have a passion for their products, which shows.