COMMENTS FROM PAST VISITORS TO PODERE TORRICELLA

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Podere Torricella is located just 20 km. south of Florence and is comprised
of 10 apartments. We had a large group - five families with a total of seven
kids, ages 6-13. We rented five two-bedroom apartments (two apartments had 2
bathrooms) for two weeks in July 2001. We all found our apartments to be
very spacious and spotlessly clean.

Our apartment had lovely beamed ceilings and terra cotta tile floors
throughout. The bathroom consisted of toilet, bidet, sink and shower stall
and we had hot water whenever we wanted and good water pressure. The kitchen
was fully equipped and we were able to cook simple meals, make toast and
coffee with the utensils provided. Much to our dismay, there was also a
television where you could watch CNN if you so desired! There was a covered
patio-type area across from our apartment and we ate many dinners there. We
had a small refrigerator and a cooktop with four cooking elements - there
was no oven or microwave, and although it said on the property information
that there was a barbeque, there really wasn't one that was usable. We had
plenty of thick towels and the bedding and towels were changed once during
our two week stay. The furniture was comfortable.

For the whole two weeks we were at Podere Torricella, each day the weather
was hot and sunny. However, we found at night we could open the windows wide
and were able to sleep very comfortably if we kept the windows and shutters
closed during the heat of the day.

TIP: After dark, only open the windows when you've turned off the lights as
there were mosquitos.

Surrounded by olive groves and vineyards, the property itself sits high on
an isolated hill, reached down a dirt road about 2-3 kilometres from the
small village of Cerbaia. In this town we were able to buy groceries, wine,
fresh cheese etc. As well about 7-8 km. away in the town of Montelupo was a
great Coop (grocery store) with a vast array of food and it was open 7 days
a week (not even closed for siesta). We made several trips to this store for
incredible cheese, cold meat, foccaccia, etc. A car was essential to rent
this property.

Podere Torricella had a good sized swimming pool with chaise lounges and
umbrellas, a ping pong table and a washing machine on site. The views from
the swimming pool area were spectacular and on a few evenings we brought our
food up and ate around the pool. In any case it was a great spot to meet at
the end of the day and enjoy a glass of wine while sharing our day's
experiences with one another. Several in our group remarked how much they
actually enjoyed preparing simple meals right in the apartment because the
ambiance and location was so beautiful. There is a lovely restaurant on the
property and we enjoyed a few fantastic meals there - I believe the only
wines served there were the ones made on the property and they were very
good.

Podere Torricella was well located, particularly for visits into Florence.
Oddly, my husband and I didn't venture into Florence this trip but the rest
of the group did and they all drove in with little trouble. Most places we
visited were within an hour's drive - Siena, San Gimignano, Volterra,
Montecatini, Colle Val d'Else, Monteriggioni, Chianti. And the delightful
towns of San Casciano and Montespertoli were just 10-15 mins. away. We also
ventured a little further afield (about 1 ½ hrs.) - one trip to Forte de
Marmi and one day trip to Montalcino/Pienza. We tried to subscribe to the
slow travelling method!

One request: if you do rent this property, please pick up a box of cat food
and feed the sweet, stray gatto (cat) who lives on the property.

Last Notes: Surprisingly, we didn't have to pay a penny upfront - we sent
our credit card numbers and paid when we left. We could also charge the
restaurant charges right to our room. Every single one of the five families
on this trip unhesitatingly recommend this place for the price, beauty,
facilities, cleanliness.

Dear Dr.Cristiano

thank you for your hospitality.
We loved the apartment you chose for us.
It was our favorite place to stay while visiting your beautiful country. We
plan to return in 2 years and would love to stay at Podere Torricella again.
Sincerely

Jim & Mitzi Maxwell
(Aptos - California)



Dear Cristiano

A belated thank you for a lovely week spent with your family at Podere
Torricella. I can't believe that it was over a month ago that we were
there!! I have some lovely pictures that I need to get scanned and will
e-mail them to you.
Hope this finds you all well and in the middle of a booming season! Please
give regards to the rest of the family and thank them all for all the help
with the car (in the ditch!) and for all the fabulous hospitality.
We will definitely be back.
Best regards
Judy Elliott

E-Mail: kmkdmd@attbi.com
Comments:

Ciao Cris,

We arrived home last Thursday evening and have just about recovered from jet lag. I wanted to write to tell you what a wonderful stay we had at Podere Torricella. The beauty of Tuscany is almost
unbelievable. We took many pictures but I'm sure our cameras did not capture what our eyes saw. The food at your restaurant was some of the best we had during our entire stay in Italy and Stefano
helped to make our dinners there memorable. Your father is a gracious and accommodating host. We will recommend Podere Torricella to anyone we know who plans to visit Tuscany and hope that
sometime in the not too distant future we will return to Tuscany and Podere Torricella.

Regards,

Debbie



Dear Lisa,

Thank you for your information.
We had a very pleasant stay at Podere torricella, and the children also
liked it very much.
They want to come back next year, but we want to see an other region.

The trip back home was very good thank you.

Best regards and we will contact you again

Anne Demuynck-Martens

Positives,        Food for Thought ...

Great location - easy access to Pisa and Florence for sightseeing. Easy to catch the bus from Cerbaia or the train from Montelupo Fiorentino.  You must have a car to get to this property, however it is a convenient "home base" for a week.
          It would have been helpful to have information on shop hours in local towns/villages provided to help in planning our days (i.e. when shops are open/closed).
Driving instructions were easy to follow, but did not include the shorter access route prior to entering the village of Cerbaia. 
    Traveling from out of the continent, we would have appreciated your providing essentials such as dish washing soap, toilet paper in apartments or have them available for a small fee.
Amazing restaurant with a view to die for.
     Upon check in, could you please tell guests when you have special events - e.g. wine tasting, vineyard tours, etc.  We found out after they happened the week we were there.  We were disappointed to miss out on them.
Comfortable and spacious apartment with huge "country" style kitchen - great for relaxing.       
Would have appreciated a fan in the heat of the summer time.  We had to purchase one as there was no air movement in the apartments at night while trying to sleep.

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