Last weekend, my French friend Louise called me, beaming with joy.
“Guess what?” she laughed, “I was in Provence again, walking through lavender fields – you would’ve loved it!” Well, I did love the idea – but reality struck: I wasn’t in Provence. Luckily, Louise added, “Don’t worry, Victoria, I saw on Instagram there’s a place near Florence where you can walk through lavender fields too – Pieve di Santa Luce, just an hour away. You have to go!” So I packed up my daughter and my mother on a quiet Wednesday afternoon and declared:
“Girls, we’re doing a lavender trip – Tuscany-style!”
Well… I must admit, there’s quite a gap between Instagram and reality.
A local Tuscan website advertised the place like this:
“A corner of Tuscany filled with the intense bloom of lilac and the scent of lavender — a perfect spot for photography, but also for meditation, where one can simply get lost in the colors and fragrances of the Mediterranean shrubland.”
Well… there was certainly no shortage of shrub scent.
Lavender scent? Not so much.
On July 30, 2025, we mostly found dried-up bushes, scorching heat, and disappointed visitors — along with a few brave influencers still trying to capture that “perfect purple moment.”
Still, we made the most of the day – and on our way back, we stopped in Lari, one of my favorite Tuscan villages.
As always, we stocked up on Martelli pasta, but this time we had the chance to explore more deeply.
This post isn’t a travel guide, but rather an invitation: slow down, get curious, and explore the beauty hidden behind every stone wall and village gate.
First stop: the Vicars’ Castle. Standing proud on a hilltop, this fortress holds centuries of history – from medieval prisons to Renaissance coats of arms, and stories of battles between Pisa and Florence.
From the castle’s terrace, the view stretched over the rolling Tuscan hills and the village rooftops below. It was easy to see why this location was chosen for a fortress. The peaceful surroundings contrast with the castle’s past role as a prison and seat of power. Walking through the old stone corridors, I could almost picture the vicars going about their daily duties, overseeing the village and handling conflicts between Florence and Pisa. The place felt like a quiet witness to centuries of history.
We toured the old courtroom, but the real surprise came in the torture chamber – when a spooky voice recording suddenly played.We nearly jumped out of our skin.From that point on, we politely asked the ticket lady to switch off the sound effects before we continued.
The highlight of the afternoon, however, was something quite unexpected:
a visit to the cheese aging cave of Pecorino Tre Latti Lari. Just a few steps from Lari’s old gate lies an underground world filled with silence, strong aromas, and shelves upon shelves of cheese.
I’d never been to a cheese cellar before, and I expected something cold and impersonal. Instead, I found a space full of knowledge, tradition, and time.
The scent? Intense. Bold. Real.But these were the fragrances of over 3000 carefully aged cheese wheels, resting on wooden planks and straw.This small cave told stories – of craft, patience, and the Tuscan terroir.
So, even though the lavender fields didn’t live up to the Instagram hype, the detour to Lari more than made up for it.In Tuscany, pasta and cheese go hand in hand – and when both come with a touch of medieval history and a little goosebumps, you know it’s been a day well spent.