Europe• Travel · July 6, 2023

Postcards from Tuscany

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(I tried to think of something a little more poetic as a title for this post, to even slightly do justice some of the beautiful moments documented in this post, but postcards will have to do for now; you get the picture- and who doesn’t love receiving a postcard?)

A couple of months ago I opened my cluttered inbox and at the top saw an invitation to Tuscany with one of my favourite brands, Reformation. I feel very lucky that my job is peppered with ‘pinch me’ moments and invitations like this always feel like one of those.

Plus, Reformation have been a brand I’ve admired and loved wearing for years. From the first times I visited New York and topped my ‘to visit’ list with a visit to their Ludlow Street store, to their arrival in London and their pioneering visions on what sustainability and fashion look like (whilst also creating some of the most special things I’ve worn, which always feel amazing). Anyway, you might say I was a bit excited.

Fast forward to last week, and I was in a car on the way to Villa Arniano with Britt, Lucy, Abi, Emma and Lizzy; to an Italian farmhouse in the secluded Tuscan countryside which marries all visions of what you imagine holidaying in Italy (in the most Call Me By Your Name/Normal People way) to look like (peaches, pools and home-cooked pasta a-plenty). With panoramic views of the golden countryside flanked by almost-regal looking cypress trees- from the moment we arrived it felt like the most magical place.

As you might imagine, that magic continued long into our stay. From the initial tour of the villa, as I walked around half-asleep from the early start but not wanting to miss a moment. Catching glimpses of corners decorated by stacks of well-thumbed books, souvenirs of times well-travelled to the soundtrack of the clattering of plates and cutlery from the kitchen as our first of many family-style lunches was prepared by Maria; the most exceptional cook who could whip up a lunch for 7 in the time it would take me to probably buy, store, prepare and cook a whole Christmas dinner for 2. And what lunches they were; platters filled with chargrilled aubergine, fresh courgettes doused in lemon, homemade pasta twirled in fresh sauces; whether that’s a cacio e pepe or the kind of tomato sauce that probably has three ingredients but you’d still never be able to recreate as deliciously at home. Finished with a homemade tart and fresh fruit; the kind that somehow always tastes better in the sunshine and makes you wonder why you never try and do this kind of thing at home.

And that’s without even dipping into the villa itself- I’m sure the pictures will do more justice than my words could, but the attention to detail and consideration of every corner felt extraordinary. The vibrant colours, soft linens that swayed gently from the morning breeze and the fact it felt both completely lived in and almost museum-like was quite something. Staying here felt like stepping into someone else’s shoes for a few days; whether that was long afternoons cooking pasta at the kitchen table for lunch (oh this? I do this all the time), evenings sunken into the marshmallow-like living room sofa with a drink or mornings woken by the alarm clock buzz of crickets outside. It’s amazing how slowing down can fine tune you into paying more attention, and every detail (honestly- I think at one point I was fawning over the bistro curtains on the kitchen cupboards) felt like it was made to be soaked up.

For our last day in Tuscany we took the short drive to the beautiful city of Siena. On the eve of their annual Palio horse-race, the city was abuzz with people and communities from each of the 17 districts: gathering on streets and clinking glasses outside restaurants and bars. It was so gorgeous exploring the winding streets, lined with kerb-side tables and open piazza’s, spotting banquet tables preparing for pre-race feasts and getting to walk around the breath-taking cathedral too- the perfect afternoon for leaving our farmhouse bubble, if only for a little bit.

Anyway- I could waffle on endlessly about this little escape (and I really wanted to do a blog post about it as it was so special) but I hope it won’t be too long before I can revisit this beautiful part of the world, as I know I’ll be dreaming of those lunch spreads and twilight views for a long time.