What did YOU actually do in Tuscany and LOVED it

Full day wine tasting/cooking class though the RS recommended Accidental Tourist. Fantastic fun, and we'll be doing it again next year when we return to Florence.

We hiked from Montalcino to the Abbey of Sant'Antimo. 2 1/2 hours and saw almost no people. The abbey is magnificent. You can take a bus back to Montalcino from a nearby village, after a lovely rustic lunch, of course, in the cafe!

Harvested olives alongside the owners (and their friends) of the agriturismo we stayed at in Pienza and truffle hunting with the BEST meal of pasta with white truffles. Many memorable activities are options through Agriturismo Cretaiole.

Tom, My adventure last year included a one-week Photography Workshop in Tuscany, and it was definitely "cool or memorable"! There were so many great aspects of the trip - staying in a country Hotel in one of the most scenic areas of the Val d'Orcia (the owners and staff were great), dining in restaurants often frequented by more "locals" than tourists, the "memorable" and fantastic group I was travelling with, and of course the incredible scenery (although having to be up at 04:30 for sunrise shoots was not my favourite activity!).

Had lunch in a wine cellar. Father/son make the wine, mother cooked the meal. It was incredible! As an earlier contributor noted, arranged thru Agriturismo Cretaiole.

Walk the hill towns, have lunches on the piazzas and always gelato for dessert. Slow down enjoy La Dolci Vida.

Photographed a wedding in Certaldo Alto where the bride and groom (full wedding attire)were the only ones there. I did a slideshow of it so they could share with family & friends when they returned home. Another trip took a week long photography class in Tuscany with a Dutch photographer who had published a wonderful book (my first trip alone to Italy) But, the very best memory is taking my oldest grandson (who was 9 at the time and is half Italian) to Italy. I had found a place to stay on the internet and as we drove to the tiny hilltop village of San Donato (outside San G) we rounded the curve and there was a painting class being held in that village. There were artists with their easles and canvases painting the wonderful hillside and vineyards below. It was like a movie set. He loves art and we had just been to Pisa where he had sketched the tower. He made friends with one of the artists and they gave him a pallette and his first oils and he sat outside and painted. I could look down at him from the balcony of my room. I could not have arranged anything better than this....the best things just happen. The town has a church, a winery and a few rustic buildings and 2 small hotels.......Italian perfection!

We did a wine tour & tasting with lunch at Vignamaggio with a group of friends. We thought 50 Euro was a lot, but that was the best thing we did in our week of wine tastings in Tuscany! Great tour, excellent wine and a fantastic lunch. We were very impressed. Also, staying in a small hilltown and having a driver for the week was a good choice. We loved Castellina in Chianti and would stay there again.

I sat in a church in the Tuscan Countryside, that was built 1200 years ago, and listened to monks sing Gregorian Chants. Otherworldly! It's called the Abbazia of Sant'Antimo and it's located near Montalcino. The monks do this 8 times daily. Google it, then look at the pictures of it. Typically Tuscan. The church sits in a valley surrounded by vineyards and olive trees.

We had a blast driving mini fiats thru beautiful Florence http://www.500touringclub.com/ Definitely one of the TOP things to do!

Stayed at Agriturismo Marciano outside of Siena and had one of their excellent dinners. Had a car to see the countryside. Visited Volterra for an afternoon and hired a private guide for 3 hours (Annie Adair - recommended by RS). She was excellent and really made the city come alive! Visited Banfi and Barone Ricasoli (father of Chianti wine!). Both were excellent tours with excellent wine. Ristorante Guidorccio in Siena was great. Visited Montepulciano and did a wine tasting of Montepulciano wines at the town square. Next time we visit, we will either stay in Volterra or Montepulciano - we loved both towns so much.

so many cool ideas! thank you all for posting. tell me more. details are welcomed!