As a young man, our guide, Mario Acciai, was born and raised just outside of Florence. His farming family chastised Mario, youngest of seven, for being a daydreamer, singing, and disappearing to play on the banks of the Arno River or to explore the surrounding hills. His wanderlust led him to love and to his life’s calling.
My husband and I traveled to Tuscany, to join a small group on a walking tour. If you picture the Italian peninsula as a long leg, Tuscany is located just about knee-high, auspicious I thought, for a walking tour. During a week in May we’d spend the days walking, learning, and exploring off the beaten track. We’d carry just a simple daypack, camera, notebook, for we would be shadowed by Bruno, always at the ready driving the van that would transport our luggage, supplies, and us to the night’s hotel and the next day’s trek. Our itinerary mentioned the villages of Trequanda, Piercorto, Montifiorelle, none of which I had even heard, despite several earlier visits to Tuscany. But we knew we were in excellent hands, for traveling with the Acciai family is a sine qua non for experiencing the hidden wonders of Italy.
Our guide, Mario Acciai, is a true Tuscan. As a young man, born and raised just outside of Florence, his farming family chastised Mario, youngest of seven, for being a daydreamer, singing, and disappearing to play on the banks of the Arno River or explore the surrounding hills. He apprenticed as a young teenager first to a goldsmith, and then worked as an artisan in a historic silver atelier. His wanderlust and love of languages led him first to London for several years where he worked in a woolens shop, and then back to his beloved Tuscany. He continued to foray and pick up languages and experiences: harvesting grapes in France, fishing on boats in Mexico, traveling overland to India, always returning to family and friends in Italy.