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> SlowTrav > Italy > Vacation Rentals > Reviews > Tuscany South Review 2521: Le Manzinaie, Girasole
apartments on an estate near Montepulciano, Tuscany South WhenNov 2006, 8 days LocationPodere Le Manzinaie is a farm villa on private property close to the town of Montepulciano Stazione. The villa is isolated from other properties and buildings belonging to other owners. The location is quiet and excellent for a restful stay. My wife and I enjoyed the place and the hosts very much. Nearby AmenitiesIt is best to drive for groceries since the roads to the nearest store are somewhat narrow and there is no walking path. The nearest store is about one kilometer. The House/ApartmentThe building is in excellent condition and is a a restored farm structure. We rented a two-bedroom apartment, each bedroom with private bath. (I believe there are two two-bed apartments and two single-bed apartments in this building.) The owners live on the second floor of this building. On the property, there is also a separate building with its own apartment with two bedrooms - like a private villa. The building with our apartment had a date mark in one of the ceilings (the ceilings are arched brick) with the date 1878. Restoration of the property was done with loving care - with the exterior appearing very original in design and construction, while the interior is equipped with modern conveniences and finished with artwork by the owner giving each apartment its own theme. Our stay was during cool weather and the heating system operated perfectly. GardenThere is a large sitting area outside near the swimming pool shared by any guests. An excellent atmosphere with shade trees. There is also a private sitting area for guests staying at the separate building with private apartment. Furnishings/Cleanliness/Living AreasAll furniture, kitchen and bath facilities, were in excellent operating condition. The apartment was clean and well-maintained. There was no separate living room. But the kitchen, in typical Italian style, also served as the living room with sufficient seating for four people and also had a large sofa. Bedrooms/BathroomsThe beds were queen size, in good condition and very comfortable. The bedrooms were of sufficient size to accommodate the suitcases and other travel baggage along with armoire and dresser for clothing. The stenciled designs painted on the walls continued with the Tuscan style and theme (our apartment's theme was Girasole (sunflower). All in good taste. The bathrooms were modern, clean and comfortable. KitchenThe kitchen was well-equipped with refrigerator, gas oven/stove, sink with hot water, microwave oven, table (we sat four though six could fit comfortably). We cooked breakfast each day and had one dinner during our stay (we visited the local restaurants the remaining time). Problems or BonusesThe website really says it all. There were no unpleasant surprises. An excellent place to stay, and very gracious hosts. If I visit the area again, Podere Le Manzinaie is where I would stay. Agency and Representatives (and price)We booked directly with the owners (the other couple we traveled with made all arrangements). All three hosts (father, mother and daughter) were very friendly, cordial and helpful. Mother and daughter speak English very well and the father knows English well enough to understand and communicate as necessary. Do you recommend this vacation rental to others?I would recommend this place in a heart beat! You should have a car to get around. This is in farm country and there is no easy way to walk to any restaurants or grocery stores. Things to do in this areaOur goal was to sight see the hill-top towns in Tuscany which we were able to do very well. We were there from Nov 1 to Nov 8, so the weather was cool but not unpleasant. We enjoyed every town. Though there were no scheduled fiestas as there are during the summer, there also were no traffic problems nor crowded places. During this period we visited most towns between and including Siena and Assisi (in Umbria). Podere Le Manzinaie is located between the towns of Montepulciano and Cortona - both featured in the film "Under the Tuscan Sun." This review is the opinion of a Slow Travel member and not of slowtrav.com. |
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