 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
Back to Terra di Siena
Dear In Italy,
We just returned from a family week at Terra di Siena. It was more than we expected. It was perfect for our family of seven. Could easily accommodate ten with the five separate bedrooms and four bathrooms. Although the entrance doesn't compare to the views from the villa itself (some construction equipment tied to the reconstruction of the church which adjoins the property), the building was very attractive inside and out. Very spacious. We never felt like we were on top of one another. Each room had separate temperature controls.
The villa was well equipped with almost everything you need including a dishwasher. The only limitations were no internet access and although they have two washing machines, they lack a dryer.
The hosts, Christina and Carla (and Carla's husband, Simon) were very warm and welcoming. Christina speaks some English but Carla and Simon speak none. Although you can get by without knowing any Italian, some conversational Italian would be beneficial.
Know that your security deposit, which will be returned your last day, must be in Euros.
The alimentari (grocery store) called COOP in Asciano is about 4 kilometers from the villa and is a great source for all types of fresh vegetables, fruits, meats and cheeses as well as most other goods.Hours are 8:30am to 7:30pm.
Aside from dining there two nights, we didn't really spend any time in Asciano which is a working town. Our first night, we ate at Le Mancia in the middle of town on the recommendation of our hosts and we were pleased with the good local cuisine, friendly service and reasonable cost.
Terra di Siena is a fine location if you have a car. Siena is only 30 minutes away. Florence is an hour's drive. Montepulciano, Montalcino, Pienza (one of our favorite small hill towns) are within an hour as is the midevil spa town of Bagno Vignoni. For those willing to drive longer distances, Lucca is two hours away.
If you visit Siena and want a wonderful dining experience, don't miss La Taverna di Giuseppe on via G. Dupre (adjacent to the old palace with the tall tower) on the Piazza del Campo. Fabulous food and wonderful friendly service by waiters who speak English almost as well as their native tongue.
I highly recommend Terra di Siena to any family or large group who cherish beautiful surroundings, friendly people and privacy. We would definitely book it again if we return to southern Tuscany.
Domenic V.
The Villa: Perfect - - Can’t imagine it being any better. Good
description on your site.
1.) It hit our “ideal” of an Italian villa - - great design, rustic but very functional,
great bedrooms, great bathrooms, wonderful kitchen which we used as the gathering room every evening (drinking,
conversing, going over the day’s activities, planning for the next day, etc.), wonderful grounds.
2.) Location – perfect if you want to visit Siena, Montalcino, Assisi, Pienza, San Gimignano,
etc.
3.) Getting set up/closing out – very easy with the managers being able to speak a little
English and being very helpful.
Additional Comments:
1.) Don’t miss the little restaurant (La Pievina) at the end of the road but be prepared
for a 3 -4 hour dinner!!!! And it was not expensive.
2.) Don’t miss Asciano - - beautiful little town with good food that is very close and east
to get to.
Overall, the 7 of us that stayed there thought it was perfect.
Alan N.
Dear Jessica,
Thanks for your interest. Our trip was all those things and more, in no small measure thanks to all the assistance you provided us.
Terra di Siena was a dream come true. The reality of the villa was very true to, but actually surpassed, the photos on your site. The best way for me to describe it was comfortable, lived-in elegance. The rooms were large, high ceilinged, beautifully maintained, uncluttered but nicely furnished. The kitchen sat our group of 9 easily and the view from every window was a delight. We had wonderful weather every day and ample opportunity for both kids and adults to make use of the gorgeous pool. We spent a full day and a half doing nothing but relaxing in the lounge chairs around the pool and actually bbq'ed two evenings. Its location was very convenient to many of the sights we had on our itinerary, too. We had an initial problem with the refrigerator but the owners were responsive and it was soon cleared up. The washer came in handy, too. Though the web site says there is no tv, there are actually two which came in handy for late nights catching up with the Olympics. The kitchen was well-stocked, too. One thing that would have been nice was a mid-week exchange of towels. But that was not part of the deal and we did bring beach towels with us for pool use which carried us through and I would highly recommend. Altogether the villa was more than we ever dreamed it would be.
Overall, the services you provided and the responsiveness in dealing with everyone on your end were outstanding and I would be delighted to recommend your site to anyone I know. We hope to get the opportunity to take advantage of your services again someday soon. But in the meantime, please feel free to use all or part of these comments on your site. Let me know if you have any questions and thanks SO MUCH for all your help.
All the best,
Caren B.
Dear In Italy,
We had a wonderful time. The house was just perfect with the greatest views. All of our guests were happy with everything surrounding the home. The café just doen from the house was a great surprise.. It was the first time that we had ever had a 10 course meal and dessert after that.
Best Regards
Stanley G.
Dear Jessica,
It was truly a marvellous trip and Terra di Siena fulfilled more than our expectations. If the house was grand, the pool very refreshing, the surroundings spectacular, it was the local farmer and his family that surprised us the most.
We drove more than 450 Km's by rental car from Milano, and we arrived late in the evening. Although we had called in 3 days ahead as the instruction says, we did not really know what to expect, but the arrival committee was more than sincere. The darling hostess, senora Paula, gave us a hearty welcome and together with her daughter they showed us around in the house and the lovely garden. We had brought with us a small gift, some smoked salmon, and the next day the supervisor on the farm brought us 5 liters of the local red wine and a bottle of olive oil with compliments from senora Paula. A big surprise to us all and extremely nice.
On the Tuesday we were invited to watch the soccer game Italy vs. Bulgaria on television and to dine with the neighbouring farmer Simone and friends, and a 20-seat table, and a TV set were arranged at the patio across the garden. They gave us truly a memorable experience as they roasted half a pig, half a lamb, pigeons, chicken, and potatoes in the huge "pizza oven" at the back of the garden. In addition to the above, there were no less than 8 - eight - other dishes. A few of us threw in the towel even before the main dish, and only a couple turned up for breakfast the next day. No matter how great the sceneries are, it is the friendliness of the people you meet that impresses you the most.
Most of the time we relaxed at the poolside, but also we took trips to see Siena, Monteriggioni, San Gimignano, Montepulciano, and Firenze.
The week went by too fast. Luckily we re-live it through the pictures for a long time to come. Any one of us could go back tomorrow.
One warning to our successors, make sure you have a good understanding of the train schedules to avoid excess waiting time. We went from Asciano to Firenze by train one day, which worked fine, but had we started before 8 AM, we would have been able to spend more time in Firenze. Check the timetable in advance.
In summary, it was a lovely trip, much thank to your organisation and the preparations that you offered. We can recommend it. Thank you!
Best regards,
Harald M.
Dear Jessica,
We have just returned from Italy and had a wonderful trip including a week at Terra di Siena. We wondered if the villa would live up to the pictures and descriptions posted on your web site and were so pleased to find that the whole place and experience was as posted and more. The villa accommodated the six of us and we could easily have had 4 more people with us. The pool was cleaned each morning and that was the only time someone else was on the property. The pool is sun heated so remained very cool in mid-June. Even though the villa is situated on an enormous farm the only time we noticed that was in the morning when some large machinery would go down a road near the villa. The views were fabulous. We really enjoyed the sheep on the hillside and the quietness of the countryside.
The kitchen was well stocked and, to our surprise, there was salt, pepper, balsamic vinegar and olive oil already there. There was also dish detergent and laundry soap for the washer and dryer which were very new. We left some things behind also so I'm not sure what is there each time. There were books (novels and travel guides) in English that had been left by others which was a plus in our estimation.
Another thing we appreciated was the closeness of the town of Asciano. We wanted to feel like we were in a remote place but also wanted a town near at hand. There is a wonderful Coop grocery store in the town that had everything we needed and more. The town had a wonderful bar where my husband and I went for cappuccino every morning and restaurants if we wanted to eat out. The restaurant that was across the road from the villa was never open and the restaurant that was recommended in town looked fancy but the food wasn't all that good. We found the little bar in town had wonderful pizza and the Hotel Ristorante La Pace had wonderful food and extremely friendly owners who were also the cooks. This was the only restaurant we returned to more than once in Asciano.
The villa is a wonderful place for a home base since so many towns are within driving distance. At various times we traveled out to Siena, Florence, Montepulciano, Pienza and Mt. Amiata. Since these towns were so close we could easily arrive while the town was open and busy before it shut down for the afternoon. We would then return to the villa for a swim, reading and relaxing. Or we would leave in the late afternoon for a town and have dinner there in the evening after sight seeing.
Your help and immediate response to any questions we had previous to leaving were really appreciated as was the ability to call someone there who could speak English if we had a problem. The owner’s niece, Donato, was extremely helpful. On the first night (a Sat.) we had no hot water and within a half hour she had someone at the villa to turn the heater on. It is necessary to have a cell phone (one that works in Italy) since there is no phone in the villa and no public phone closer than Asciano. It is also helpful to know a little Italian since the owner speaks so little English although the instructions that she gave us were all in English and had motions "speak" and help one communicate very well. The owner is extremely gracious and wants to make sure everyone is comfortable and happy before she leaves. Our deposit was returned before we left the villa.
We are certainly looking forward to booking a villa with you again and thank you for all your help in making this an unforgettable experience for us, our children and our grandchildren.
Ardis and Paul H.
Dear Kristin,
We just returned from our fabulous trip to Tuscany.. We stayed at Terra de Siena, and had the most wonderful time.. The villa was fabulous, the views amazing , it was a dream vacation.. I just wanted to let you know how pleased we were with everything.. Your directions were great, your recommendations on dining were wonderful and everything turned out great.. I will tell all my friends about you, and of course use you again when we return someday.. Thank you for making this a dream vacation..
Sincerely,
Karyn S.
Hello Jessica,
Terra di Siena was wonderful! It was more than we expected. The people were very friendly and made us feel right at home. The only thing that surprised us was how expensive the heating was. I would tell people if going during the cold season to be aware of the heating bill.
We had a wonderful time and would love to go back some day.
Thanks for your help,
Cathy B.
We all agreed that Terra di Siena exceeded our expectations. The house was lovely and the kitchen well stocked with dishes and utensils. We hardly used the pool, but it was refreshing when we did. We all appreciated the washing machine. Giorgio, who arrived every morning to collect our trash and clean the pool, was friendly and helpful. We were treated to home made olive oil and wine, too.
From the written material I received from In Italy, I expected that the linens would be changed midweek. They were not. I think this should be deleted for future guests.
One of my daughters had her money and credit cards stolen at the main train station in Rome. She was exiting the train along with a large crowd of people. There was much jostling going on and she did not notice that someone unzipped her purse. I know we were warned about thieves. Possibly you could add another warning about the train station. The police were not much help. According to my daughter she was one of several in the same predicament.
The car rental was very easy. We loved the Fiat van.
Thanks for all you did to make the trip a success.
Sincerely,
Ruth N.
Staying at the Terra di Siena was fabulous. The 5bedroom/bath set-up was perfect for our group. It had a lovely kitchen that seated 10 that we used every night to play cards, drink wine, and enjoy the fireplace. The grounds keeper "Giorgio" was so helpful, he brought us a new supply of wood nightly for the fireplace, they picked up our garbage daily. We shopped for groceries in Asciano at the coop store and they had everything including Italian wines and beer, they were very friendly at the Deli counter for special orders. The kitchen at the Terra di Siena was fully equipped including several sets of silverware. We cooked a large dinner there one night and it had all our needs..pots, pans, dishwasher, soap, wine glasses, coffee cups, plates. I would highly recommend staying there. The good news about October travel is there are very few insects, bugs, but I would have loved to seen the hills lined with sunflowers.
When we go back to Italy, and we will, I will search you website for the next stay.
Thank you
Sandy B.
Back to Terra di Siena