A nice Chianti anyone?

While traveling we often find budget places to stay in the location that we are after that requires the girls often pulling out a sofa bed and me hitting my head on the ceiling of an attic converted, but we don’t mind and enjoy the point of difference to home. This said, when we decided that we would go to Tuscany for the first 2 weeks of October, we decided to go all out and hire a Villa deserving of such an auspicious occasion. So on the internet I roamed through all the places to rent and happened upon a fine looking place that seemed to tick all the boxes. As our friends the Forbes were staying with us for a week, we needed something big. 4 bedrooms, 4 bathrooms, pool, garden,etc, all the things you would just love. 

Set behind big iron gates and overlooking the most wonderful countryside we are now in heaven. We loved sitting by the pool in the late afternoon looking out over the fields and watching the distant mountains turn purple as the sun set behind us. A glass of Chianti with cheese and prosciutto (the Carpineto Chianti Classico Reserva 2006, from Dudda at about 15 Euro or $20 is special and can be bought, I'm told, from Dan Murphy). Life is beautiful!

The view at 6:30 at night towards the distant hills.
Figline is the centre of the triangle formed by Sienna, Arezzo and Florence.
It borders the Chianti Region.

www.yourtuscanvilla.com/small_villa_florence/profile.htm

The style of the house is typical Tuscan, even in the colour (burnt yellow), and has lots of detail including exposed roof beams and wooden shutters, but the thing I like the most is that they have had a really good painter come in and instead of sticking decorative wall paper in rooms, they have painted typical Italian/Tuscan images and patterns to highlight different things in the house such as wardrobes and ceilings. Even round the exterior windows they have made them look as if they have an ornate stone surround including shadows that are all painted on and done so well that Lee never realized it was not the real thing. Instead of tacky, as this sound, it was bang on.

Another thing the girls loved is that it came with a jet black cat called (by us) Midnite. He’s quite a well-mannered puss until it comes to food, and we love having him here, we know that it’s really his place and he’s letting us stay!

The weather has been amazing and the locals keep telling us how lucky we really are, the girls swim most days in the pool and we find ourselves often ducking for shade.
Lee has been getting as one with the local produce and whipping up a storm in the kitchen as I have with the trying of the regions wines. 

The Chianti area is sprawling and we have visited lots or villages such as Sienna,  Lucca, San Giovanni, Greve  and not to forget Florence. All these places are unique with the real authentic Italian feel. Lots of leather, jewellery, butchers and grocery shops that have existed for hundreds of years perched on cobbled streets.

Medieval Siena

Beautiful Lucca

Pisa in a hurry

Fabulous Florence

Paul