We are a couple in our 40's travelling with our 16yr old daughter and her best friend. We used sat nav to get us from the car hire place to the house, and it was late when we arrived due to flight delays. There was a toll of €0.70 to pay on the way (you collect a ticket at one place, and pay for it as you exit the motorway by handing in the ticket). We were greeted on our arrival and shown around. Gianna doesn't speak much English but we figured it all out. Light switches are in random places. Use the yellow button on sky to change it to English. The wifi is intermittent but it was a good excuse for everyone to be on their phones less. The house is very rustic, so don't expect sleek edges and fancy electronics. It's an authentic farmhouse full of nooks and crannies, and we loved it! It was clean and had everything we needed (including washing machine). We enjoyed the upstairs outside dining area, and also the BBQ. We loved exploring all the different rooms and places to sit. The pool was clean and in a secluded area next to a lovely vineyard. The girls were in it all day. There are 2 friendly farm cats, and a dog.
Gianna had bought us cheese, bread, salami and water for our arrival and left us a bottle of their own wine (all of which was very good).
The co-op in town isn't open late so on our first night we found a little pizza place in town, and as the following day was Sunday we went to the larger co-op in San casciano as it was open till 1pm.
From the location we visited Florence, Cinque Terre and Pisa, and Siena. It's in a great position for all. Beware of the toll roads though; carry cash!
Out of all the places we visited, we all loved Siena the best. It was easy to park (Via Esterna di Fontebranda), plenty toilets, not so busy, pretty architecture and plenty places to eat without having to fight through big crowds.
We read the poor review about the house not being clean, and that it's in the valley so there wasn't a view. Honestly, we found the house perfect. And we loved the peaceful location. And I enjoyed lying by the pool and looking at the vineyard.
If I had to look for a negative, I'd say lack of aircon, but there are plenty fans, and once the lights were off we'd leave the doors open.
Don't forget your mosquito spray!
Date of arrival
July 22, 2017