Hi Manola,
Now that we have settled back home in Sydney, we really want to say a special thank you for helping us to find our wonderful Tuscan holiday town house - Il Giardino Segreto in Pienza.
As you know, we rented two apartments - Il Corbezzolo and Serra - to give us each a double bedroom; a luxury after David and I shared a bed-sit with our
19 year old son in Paris for three weeks. We were extremely happy with the apartments both of which are ground floor and open directly onto the garden.
The weather was unseasonably warm for April and we took full advantage of the sunshine, sitting under the market umbrella or in the shade of the springtime blossoms.
The owners, Luise and Marco, welcomed us very warmly and we immediately felt
at home. We were late arriving so Luise made a booking at the excellent Tuscan restaurant next door, Trattoria da Fiorella.
Rossella is caring and does her job of looking after the apartments with
great energy, kindness efficiency and enthusiasm. Despite the lack of a
common language, we managed to feel well looked after, communicating with
snippets of English and Italian and warm sign and body language.
Pienza itself is a treasure with its mixture of medieval and Renaissance
buildings. It has enough vibe not to seem like a country town and not so
touristy that the real Italians are not in evidence.
We were pleased about the proximity of the apartments to both the old and
new parts of town and an easy walk to shops as we cooked most nights,
purchasing our food at local specialty shops or in one of the two small
supermarkets. You enter Il Corbezzelo by double doors after climbing about
four steps decorated on either side by potted plants. It has a good sized
living room/kitchen. It is well suited to couples with a double bedroom and
the large bathroom up the two stairs to the left and another double bedroom
to the right - all simply and tastefully decorated in true Tuscan style. The
heating is cosy and as most of the windows look out into the garden, their
green shutters provide both privacy and warmth in the evening.
Serra is beside Il Corbezzolo and is split level and open plan, with a
double bed upstairs and a skylight providing a good flow of fresh air and
the bathroom, kitchen/living room downstairs leading into the garden.
We recommend Il Giardino Segreto unreservedly, not only for its welcoming
feel, homely Tuscan accommodation and beautifully maintained garden but for
its proximity to the magnificent Val d'Orcia and its many fascinating
hilltop towns.
We look forward to another visit to Tuscany in the future and will recommend
InTuscany to all our friends and relatives here in Australia and post this
message on the Slow Travel website. Thanks for looking after us so well.
Arriverderci e mille grazie - Maggie, David and Luke Rodely
What a beautiful place this is!! Thank you again for your patience when I was choosing our accommodation!! Il Giardino Segreto is the perfect spot for us. Thank you.
Rossella is very kind as are Luise and Marco who, as you know, waited an extra hour for us on the first night. They made us feel extremely welcome, carried our bags and made a booking for us at the wonderful restaurant next door. Magnifico!!
We visited St Anna in Camprena and Mt Oliveto Maggigore. How very wonderful!!
Thank you again...Mille grazie
Maggie e maglio e figlio
Hi Rebecca
I booked a week in Il Giardino Segreto
with your company in July.
The large bedroom was comfortable
and very clean, the garden is a gem and
lovely at the end of a hot days sightseeing and Pienza
was an ideal base for
us in Tuscany. We would love to go
back again and we keep telling our
friends they should go there!
Marco and his wife were great!!...I
don't know her name as my Italian didn't
quite get good enough to ask ! She's
a star and really friendly and I'd love to speak Italian
as she
seems the life and soul of the town and knows everyone
and everything!
Again thanks a mill for you help and
we'll hopefully be in touch again next
year!
Thanks!
Kevin
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