Special touches

by Terri and Dennis, U.S.A.

Originally published on Slow Travel

###Location

The location is very nice and convenient. Civitella is a hilltop village. It is not private because it is located next to the other homes in the village. Yes we did enjoy the area. The residents are very friendly.

###Nearby Amenities

You can walk to the grocery store, bakery, butcher shop, linen shop, ceramics shop, post office, pharmacy, tobacco store (convenient for purchasing bus tickets), restaurant and Market Day (held on Wednesdays) but it is an uphill walk. There are two other grocery stores within a short drive – 6 km. We enjoyed meals at Osteria Le Merlaie in the village. Also the list of restaurants supplied by Gloria are all excellent. We sampled from each one.

###The House/Apartment

The building belonged to the owner’s great-grandfather and it is in excellent condition. Since it is located right in the village you are able to hear the automobiles, a few vespas and the locals in their conversations. There are no other apartments attached to this home.

###Garden

You can sit on the porch. There are two chairs and a small table. It is not really private because it faces the street where the autos travel and people walk. There is no pool.

###Furnishings/Cleanliness/Living Areas

The furniture is in excellent condition and comfortable. The house is the cleanest and neatest lodging that we have ever stayed in and we travel extensively throughout the USA and overseas. There are two love seats in the sitting room; table and chairs in the kitchen.

###Bedrooms/Bathrooms

The bed was very comfortable. The bedroom was cozy with a breathtaking view of the Tuscan valley from its window. The bathroom was a good size by Europeon standards and totally immaculate.

###Kitchen

The kitchen was quite functional with plenty of pots, pans, and dishes of good quality. The kitchen was well supplied with spices and condiments so that you could prepare and enjoy a full meal.

###Problems or Bonuses

All the special touches included chocolates in the sitting room, beautiful fresh flowers in the bedroom, bottle of local wine, pasta and sauce on the kitchen table. We were able to prepare a fresh green salad making use of the olive oil and vinegar left for one’s use. Use of the rental cell phone was a real help for making museum reservations etc. It gave us a real sense of security while traveling since so much of the area is countryside. The only downside was the water pressure in the shower is extremely low due to the age of the plumbing in the house. Don’t be in hurry when washing clothes as the machine takes awhile to complete its cycles but the fun of it was watching my husband hang our laundry on the pulley type clothesline outside the kitchen window (see photo above).

###Agency and Representatives (and price)

Gloria and Marcel are the perfect hosts. Gloria speaks Italian, French and English. There is no problem with communication. The reality of the place exceeds the published information.

###Do you recommend this vacation rental to others?

Yes we most definitely will stay here again and would recommend to our friends.

###Things to do in this area

The location is within an hour of Florence, Siena, Grosseto and local wineries. If you “suffer” from internet withdrawal (as I did) you can visit the local library in Roccastrada (approximately 20 minutes away).