Tuscany for Pleasure

Tuscany is full of interesting places to visit. From Florence its capital to the smaller towns and villages like Pienza, Siena, Montepulciano etc. The people of this region are warm and welcoming - no doubt due to the fact that they live in such a beautiful part of the world.

Birthplace of the Renaissance, the whole area is full of churches and museums covered in treasures from that era. Sometimes just wondering into a shabby looking church can bring a gasp of suprise when looking up at the ceilings or the marbled floors.

The food is wonderful too, and if you get the chance of attending one of the numerous food festivals (ranging from simple pasta to wild boar) you should take up the opportunity for some real homestyle cuisine.

Quick Tips:

Take some time to research your tours in advance. A little reading will help you sift out from What's of interest to "must-see". The only problem is that you will be spoilt for choice and short on time!

Accommodation is very important. Particularly is you need to relax as part of your vacation. Take some time to select and ask as many questioons as possible before reserving a room so that you know what you are getting!

Best Way To Get Around:

A car is a must, but there are some train services for longer journeys.

Having never felt the urge to write about places we have stayed at, this comes as a bit of a chore. Still, we found this place via friends using IgoUgo, and so it seems only fair.

We have just completed a dream trip to Italy and can thoroughly recommend the warmth of the Italians and the charm of their country. Casa Portagioia is a stunning bed-and-breakfast in the Cortona/Arezzo region of Tuscany. (Prices range from 125 to 140 Euro per room per night.)

What makes this place different? The first notable thing is the welcome. Sure, we are all used to those plastic smiles, but this was a warm and heartfelt welcome, the type reserved for old friends. Casa Portagioia is an old villa that took 3 years to renovate, and looking around, it's easy to see why it took so long. The attention to detail is remarkable, capturing all of the traditional old charm and balancing this with the modern touches travellers appreciate. They have created something quite special. Even down to the little things in the rooms, from the welcome drink to the robes for the pool, etc., it’s all equal to a hotel of four-plus-star standards.

It was the cleanliness and personal touches that made it for us. Nothing seemed too much trouble. Our hosts, Terry and Marcello, made our time in Tuscany quite memorable. They arranged for us to visit some vineyards in the famous wine regions of Montepulciano and Montalcino. Our trip to Assisi was made all the more wondrous by their input of other places to see there, which were not in the guidebooks. Recommendations based on their own experiences, at restaurants in both Cortona and Arezzo, were invaluable, and we enjoyed each of these, from a simple pizzeria to a romantic evening in Cortona. They even arranged for some other guests to go to Florence with pre-booked tickets for the galleries. Our few days in Florence seemed to consist of queuing for pretty much everything, so our fellow guests had the five-star treatment!

Casa Portagioia means the door to tranquillity. Here we caught our breath after Venice and Rome. The setting is both dramatic and lovely. The valley was apparently named “God’s Valley” by one of the Medici dukes. It’s easy to agree. The hillsides are rich in olives, evergreens, and oaks, and scattered around are small villages dating back hundred of years, which seem to fit so perfectly with the natural landscape. But the grounds of Casa Portagioia are also something special. Manicured lawns, rose and lavender beds, and numerous terracotta pots are all so picturesque.

Breakfast was a slow, relaxing affair. Sitting out on the terrace, overlooking the olive groves and vineyards afar, we enjoyed our freshly squeezed orange juice, cereals, fresh fruit, and one of the best omelettes I can recall.

We made some new friends at Casa Portagioia and can thoroughly recommend it for anyone wanting peace.