What do you do in Italy in August when Italians are all at the beach and it’s hot? Rent a car and head to the Pisan hills. My adventure in these hills began when a friend and I rented an apartment for two weeks. The apartment was listed as a modern apartment on a farm in Piastraia. A small, Italian farm was a topic of interest, this was a part of Italy we had not explored and the price was right. All we had to do was find it. This was no small task as we discovered upon entering the “net” of the Pisan hills; that tangle of small roads that will cause you to get lost even when you have been there before. Many wrong turns later, far from most anywhere and designated only by a small sign reading Piastraia, we found our little farm, a small house inhabited by Elvira and her son, Roberto, with several small out-buildings and two modern, reasonably well-appointed apartments attached as rentals. We settled in. I took the bedroom with the big bed and my shorter friend took the small bed in the main room. (I think I still owe her for that arrangement!) On the tree-sheltered stone patio just as the sun was hitting that perfect late afternoon Tuscan light, we began our evening ritual of a chilled glass of prosecco and recapped our day. The Pisan hills awaited us.

The Italian way to start the day is with a quick cappuccino at the local bar. On a small farm, there is no bar. So, on day two, we set out in search of our morning coffee. A brief, gesticulating conversation in Italian with Elvira led us on a fifteen minute uphill climb to the tiny town of Ceppato. Excellent! Well, perhaps not. There is a bar but it is only open on the weekends. Farmers and really small-town dwellers make their own coffee. We truly were the lost tourists just looking for a cup of coffee, when the miracle of Piero appeared and our beautiful relationship with Ceppato began. Piero became our advisor, encyclopedia and friend. No question went unresearched, no request unfulfilled. We were the adopted Americans and we were privileged to participate in Ceppato life culminating on our last night with their Zuppa sotto le Stelle but more about that later.

About the “net,” before you begin your journey, invest in a good, detailed map of Tuscany. I recommend Carte Stradale D’Italia as it lists the tiniest of towns. You will see that all roads lead somewhere but not always where you meant to go. This is half the fun, but it’s good to be able to find your way home. On this map, the net is comprised of the red roads; others will color them white, still others yellow. Mostly, you are looking for the small, unnumbered roads that form a net-like image, twisting, turning, connecting, with the occasional dangling thread. The net encompasses the area leading south out of Pontedera to Volterra, west along the Cecina River to the sea then north bordered by the A12 in the direction of Livorno. Within this area, you will find the ancient city of Volterra, where I have witnessed a Rocky Horror Show production in the middle of the piazza, the charming town of Casciana Terme with its baths and a wonderful winery, Fattoria Uccelliera, run by a delightful young woman and her family near the town of Fauglia. In the course of your adventure, you will get lost; you will have to turn around–many times. Do not despair, you may discover another Ceppato and it will all be worth the effort.