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Back to Villa Graziosa
Dear In Italy,
We had a wonderful time and the villa was great. The house was wonderful and great hosts too!
Pass it on that Lucca is a wonderful day trip! We went to Pisa, Lucca, Sienna (Fabulous!), Florence, and Cinca Terra. If you are driving in Italy, then to go to Cinca Terra you drive to La Spezia and take the train up. That is a nice trip. After our week at the villa and seeing all this we went to Venice and then Milan and lake Como. You have got to go to Lake Como! Take the boat ride up to Bellagio! It is wonderful!
Thanks for making our trip so EASY! Your site is full of info!
Sara H.
Hi Jessica,
Thanks for your note to my home e-mail - we are still in Europe and I picked it up on my blackberry and it is not easy to respond. Anyway - bottom line, we had a brilliant time at the Villa Graziosa, Marco and Rosi were great and the villa proved to be very well positioned to get to the major towns all over tuscany. Thanks to you and your site for helping us locate such an excellent villa.
Rich and Elise R.
Dear In Italy,
Here are some comments:
Spare pillows would have been nice.
The villa was beautiful with great bathrooms. Really was a big problem to find
in the dark.
Directions to the train station would be helpful.
Maurico was helpful and gave good suggestions for dinner. We like La Lanterna
at the top of the hill and Arte Vino in Montespertoli (?).
We also like the one in Turbone - Capounto Osteria. You can reach it by going
up the hill as if on the way to La Lanterna and then back down the hill on
the other side. The drive is short and scenic, and the food true Italian. It
is a small cafe on the right hand side as you first enter the town.
It was easy to make short day trips to San Gimignano and Lucca - not to be
missed! - as well as Sienna. A great location to make day trips to explore
Tuscany.
Our best find was the IperCoop - a day trip in and of itself. You should have
directions to this store at the villa. It is one exit up on the Superstrada
at Lastra A Signa. Very interesting and everything you could need for your
stay at the villa as well as a good spot for souvenirs.
Nothing was close enough to reasonably walk - a rental car is essential.
The small bank in town does not cash travelers checks.
Thanks for all your assistance with this booking. It was a great vacation!
Bill M.
Dear Jessica / Villa Graziosa / and of course proud owners,
Thank you, we had a wonderful stay in Italy. Villa Graziosa was what we expected, clean, beautiful and private (apart from the neighbors’ dog, barked every time someone took shower outside). Keep this property clean and neat and you will not have problems renting it out in the future. The idea of having air conditioning in every room is first class and it worked very well in all rooms except one (you have probably fixed that already).
For us coming from Iceland the swimming pool was a must in the heat. Dining al fresco was also something we are not used to every day and loved it.
There was only one thing missing from this otherwise perfect house that is smoke detectors and we would point out it would be an excellent idea to have few of them around the house.
Best regards
Sigridur and family
Dear Jessica
We had a marvellous holiday at Villa Graziosa. A lovely villa and pool and a very good location. There is a lot of choice for interesting visits and many good restaurants, particularly in the villages.
Very best wishes,
Sally F.
Hi Jessica!
We did have a wonderful time at Villa Graziosa. The unit is lovely, immaculate and the air conditioning works beautifully! The pool was clear and clean. The location for day trips was perfect. We visited Florence (naturally by train), Sienna, Viareggio, Arezzo, San Gminano (spelling??), Cortona, Fiesole,Volterra, Cecina and its water park for the kids, Pisa, Lucca, Montelupo Fiorentina, Vinci, Montevarchi and had a cooking lesson through Tasty Tuscany.
The only major mistake on your listing sheet of amenities for the unit is that there is NO DSL internet line. In fact, the internet service was so slow that we only used internet cafes in the cities for service. Otherwise, everything was as you said. The washing machines are not very user-friendly and it would make more sense to use the local laundromat service for laundry. Mauricio was fabulous and extremely helpful with everything.
Best Wishes,
Susannah B.
Dear In Italy,
We were delighted with the villa, in fact, it was more than we had expected. Being a part of the older generation, I am sometime skeptical about things going as planned when I order something over the internet. There were three generations in our family and I can tell you that all had a wonderful time. I had been to Italy before and really fell in love with the country and its people, especially the Tuscany area. I would have been content to sit in the villa for the entire week, but the grandchildren would have no part of that and insisted I go along sightseeing. (I did enjoy it). One day we drove up in the countryside to a winery and I thought the scenery was exceptional. I think that it might be a suggestion to let the people know where the garbage is located. Thanks for your help - you were wonderful and as a matter of fact, I have three friends that are thinking of doing the same thing next year. I have given your name along with all the other information and hope they will enjoy a "Villa" in Italy also.
Dear In Italy,
We had a great time at Villa Graziosa. We weren't there much, because we had planned lots of activities, but Marrecio was a great host. We went to Venice on Thursday and returned late Friday. We really didn't do much at the villa other than sleep.
I enjoyed driving in Italy, especially the Autostada. We got lost a couple of times, but not because of drivers, just signage and our understanding of such, but overall, driving was exhilarating. Pisa was fun, but a long drive for little return. We will certainly think about returning to Pisa.
Everyone loved Venice. We'll go back to Venice.
We drove into Florence and parked at the train station, then walked from there, that's a great way to deal with downtown.
Thanks for all of your help. We'd like to return soon, but first class air fare is expensive, so it will be some time before we return.
Thanks again,
Bill M.
Jessica,
Villa Graziosa was very nice and our hosts were most gracious. The house is nicely appointed with lots of features. One night it was quite cold and we couldn't figure out how to adjust the thermostat to get the heat on in our room. We did make a fire and that seemed to warm up the house enough to make it comfortable. Also a note about where to deposit trash and recyclables would be nice. It was easy to figure out since there are trash containers on the road near the Villa and recycling containers in town in the parking lot. But others might need the info.
The house was clean and roomy and the bathrooms were very very nice. Beds were very comfortable and there is plenty of storage space for clothes etc. The Kitchen is large but if you plan to cook, be aware that you would have to buy everything including spices, oil, butter, sugar etc as there is not a speck of food in the place.
The fireplace is beautiful and was a great gathering spot each evening. There is an ample wood supply too which was nice. The location is nice and quiet which was welcome after staying in Rome.
There are two restaurants at the top of the hill which are outstanding-La Terna and Spigo. We went to each 2 times and they speak a little English so we were able to get by. They are very friendly and the food was fantastic. After a long day it was nice to eat close to home. We also found a place called La Luna--a combination store and deli about 5 minutes from the center of town. Very friendly and a place to grab a deli sandwich and a coke or beer.
The town is adorable. There is a Salamaria (store/deli) where we picked up milk, bread, water etc. It is very nice and the woman behind the counter was very helpful and friendly. She spoke very little English so we used our phrase book and managed just fine. She does close in the afternoon so make a note of when they are open. There is a little store called Nucci on the main street that sells great kitchen towels --striped with bright colors. We all took a few home.
There are a few wineries in the area and San Gimignano is about a 45 minute drive. That and Lucca are must visits. Great ambience and very nice, reasonably priced shops (compared to Rome and Florence). We found wonderful leather purses in San Gimignano.
Please let future guests know that they need to master some Italian phrases. Most people in the area speak very little English. We also found in Rome when you get off the beaten path and away from touristy areas little English is spoken. I jotted down 9 typical everyday phrases on a note card and used it regularly such as "I'd like to make a reservation for 6" or "I'd like to order the ..." that worked fine. When you ask for a price, simply ask them to write it down if you don't understand what they are saying.
Driving is very manageable. You have to be assertive but not aggressive. Usually when you stick your nose out they let you proceed.
That is it for now. All in all, we really had a nice time in Italy!
Amy
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