For the love of Tuscany

To visit Tuscany is to love Tuscany.  It is world renowned for its beautiful scenery, its history, and its wonderfully warm people.  It is an experience like no other. 
Tuscany has remained mostly untouched by modern farming methods because the people were poor and could not afford to modernize.  Because of this, and its peoples passion for tradition, the landscapes in Tuscany have remained unchanged for centuries.  It is amazing how steep hillsides have been terraced to prevent soil erosion and to make the land workable for farming.  Olive groves and vineyards dominate the landscapes where tall cypress trees line twisting roads to ancient hill towns. Many hill towns ares still surrounded by stone fortress walls built centuries ago to protect  the town and its people from invaders.  The spectacular views from these walls enabled lookouts to spot enemies long before they arrived at the town's entrance gates.  Today the walls provide excellent vantage points to watch the mist roll in the valleys below early in the day, and the golden light Tuscany is so famous for in the hours preceding remarkable sunsets.  Many photographers and artists have spent countless hours trying to capture the essence of Tuscany through a lens or on a canvas.  Although these renditions are beautiful in their own right, they cannot capture the spirit of the Tuscan people, their centuries old wisdom, their tenacity, their love for their homeland, or their genuine warmth.
Tourism and all that it entales brings much needed money into the region of Tuscany each summer.  The people welcome tourists and are willing to share their way of life for a period of time, but are also grateful for the time when the tourists are gone and life settles back down to it's normal routine.  It is at this time that it is possible to have an authentic Tuscan experience.  This is my goal.  This is the Tuscany I want to know.  To me, the way of life during "the off-season" is what Tuscany is really about.  Harvesting grapes in September to make wine, olives in November to press for olive oil, gathering mushrooms, and hunting for the elusive truffles in the chestnut woods  are all ancient traditions here.  Each is celebrated with local festivals in hill towns throughout Tuscany.  Tuscans do not live to work although they are hard workers, they work to live and they love their lives.  They are pleased to share the success of their harvests with strangers as well as friends, family and the rest of their communities. This is what I hope to experience.  I want to share in the people's joy of life, their passion, their traditions.  I believe this is what fond memories are made of, experiences that touch a heart and soul, that can profoundly change a person forever.