I'm getting the hang of driving 130km/hr on small country roads. Okay, maybe not that fast, but the roads are built for fun (when you are not driving circles around Poggibonsi - see Day 3). It doesn't take me long to get in the Italian frame of mind.
My day started with a walk through the olive trees, and at 8am it's already hot. I'm staying at Hotel Pescille* outside of San Gimignano. The garden setting is beautiful, there is a large pool that I have yet to use, and I've talked the barista into making my cappuccino for me rather than using the automatic machines like everyone else. Spoiled and happy.
A meeting at an agency in San Gimignano went very well, and I headed to Panzano where two more agencies are my targeted victims. The first meeting led to lunch, of course, this time at a local trattoria.
After Panzano a stop at another agent in Colle di Val d'Elsa…no one home, but the agent is the mother, of the girlfriend, of the desk clerk, at the hotel. When I return he assures me that he can make an appointment for me. Networking is everything in Italy. Everyone seems very interested in what we are doing, anything that promotes tourism is fine with them. It's pivotal in a region where they struggle to keep their young people employed and near home.
At last, a quick dip to cool off, a session with the hotel's WiFi (you will find it at all hotels and many restaurants, most often for free), and off to town to buy a camera (my ancient Cybershot just bit the dust). This in itself was an adventure, the shop owner and I met somewhere in between English and Italian and had a wonderful time. While we looked at cameras, a wine-tasting festa starts in the plaza, complete with men in tights and blaring trumpets. Gotta love it.
Then dinner, this time at Ristorante Hotel Belsoggiorno** with a sweeping view of the valley to the east, reflections of the sunset, swallows diving on their way to the towers…a view that could not be captured on film. Arugula salad made to spec, a nice steak, and of course my cantucci, and home to bed.
And okay, I tend to talk more about food and getting lost than the houses, but wait and see!
*Hotel Pescille, www.pescille.it, is housed in a large villa with a tower overlooking the towers of San Gimignano 8km away. Half of the rooms are in a newer wing, but all are nicely furnished and air-conditioned. There is a snack bar by the pool, and a small bar and enoteca where you can relax while watching the sunset, or taste the local wine. Reasonably priced, lots of multi-room suites and foldout beds for families.
**Ristorante Hotel Belsoggiorno, www.hotelbelsoggiorno.it, was great. Tables by the window are perched on the edge of a sheer drop-off, with Chianti stretching out before you. The food is simply prepared, but elegant. And a 4€ glass of Nobile di Montepulciano? How can you resist?
About Carrara, LLC
Carrara partners with owners of luxury vacation homes in Italy, managing the conversion and marketing of these beautiful homes to fractional, shared ownership vacation properties. We also represent buyers seeking the lifestyle of a European home and the convenience of a professionally managed, shared investment.
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