Colors Of A Tuscan Spring: Walking Through The Fields Of Poppies

By Daria Radler

After months of impatient waiting it finally happened. Spring had been announcing its arrival slowly but steadily. It had been unfolding like a Christmas calendar that, instead of chocolate, gave me a new leaf along with a new shade of green to discover each day. An abundance of smells filled the air after the latest rainfall. The moisture clung to Sorano’s stone walled houses. The surrounding forest flourished. 

I love spring for many reasons. It’s the sensation of a new beginning, the threshold to my favorite season. It’s the gentle promise that I’ll be spending more time outside without layers of clothes from this point forward. 

Maremma Colors

Tuscany’s Maremma region has taken me on a journey from grey medieval villages carved into rugged cliffs, through lush forests and back into the open fields. While I found myself enveloped in the rich Etruscan heritage that lingers in the many caves, narrow alleys and along the winding walking paths, nature had quite literally exploded.

As if I was suddenly coming up for air on the other side of the valley, the vast openness of the fields and the intensity of their colors were almost startling. Wild flowers in blazing shades of red, yellow and green had taken over the landscape. The bright colors mirrored the sentiment of the Tuscans now diligently preparing for the new summer season. 

Spring Awakening

With spring suddenly in full swing, the arrival of new and returning visitors was imminent. Tentatively yet more bravely each day, people began to drink their coffee on the cafes’ terraces again. The hum of their voices and laughter breathed new life into the villages waking from hibernation. 

As I found myself alone amidst a canopy of colors and gazing over the rolling hills I had become so accustomed to these past few months, I couldn’t help but think that spring in Tuscany is much like a party before the party. Prior to the vibrant buzz of summer tourism, this time of the year is soothing yet energetic, peaceful yet exhilarating, harmonious yet invigorating. 

Spring in Tuscany is the beginning. Nature has given the starting shot — an open invitation, as if to say: “We’re ready!”