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> SlowTrav > Italy > Vacation Rentals > Reviews > Tuscany South Review 4281: Politian Apartments, Apartment #1
apartments in Montepulciano, Tuscany South WhenMay 2009, 7 days LocationThe location is terrific. It's right at the top of the town, with beautiful views. Restaurants are nearby. And there is parking on the street in the evenings (although during the day you might have to circle a bit before you get something). Nearby AmenitiesThe supermarket was a drive away, as you wouldn't want to carry everything back up the hill. Restaurants and shops, however, were very close, just a little down the street. Aquachetta was our favorite for good meats and sides. But "a gamba di gatto" (I not sure of the name) was a great experience for learning about wines and local foods, and very tasty. The House/ApartmentIt's a historical building, but nicely refurbished. Apartment one is a little four room apartment around a central hall. It was more than enough space for two people. It is up a flight and 1/2 of stairs. It's very quiet, even though there are other apartments in the building. GardenApartment one looked out over the courtyard garden, and we were told we could go down, but we never did. I believe apartment two has more direct access to this garden. Furnishings/Cleanliness/Living AreasThe furniture is comfortable. It had two love seats in the living room, plus a coffee table, and a regular table and two chairs. There was also a computer on a little table in the living room. And this had free Internet access already set up on it. That was extremely convenient. There was an entertainment system as well. Bedrooms/BathroomsThe bed was a little hard, but that seems to be normal for Italian beds. The bedroom was very nice. There was a dresser with a mirror, a good sized wardrobe, a coat rack, and two chairs. The bathroom was large and had a new shower stall, and a washing machine. We did use the washing machine and were grateful to have it. KitchenWe didn't do any cooking, but it looked usable. We did bring back some picnic foods and sliced and prepared them there. There is some counter space and dishes and knives to use. It also had a table and chairs, and a nice view onto the courtyard garden. (However, we ate in the living room, with that gorgeous view of the countryside). Problems or BonusesI wasn't surprised at how nice it was, as I had seen other reviews. I will say that the pictures on the website are accurate. Agency and Representatives (and price)We booked directly with the owner, Giacomo. We did not connect with him at first, but were shown to the apartment by an Italian women whose name I did not catch. With some pantomiming we managed, and we were able to communicate to Giacomo by phone. Later that week Giacomo came by. He had suggestions for places to eat and things to do, and was very helpful. Do you recommend this vacation rental to others?Yes I would definitely stay again. And I already have recommended it to friends and relatives. It's a very pretty little apartment, comfortable and homey. The views from the living room and bedroom are wonderful. And the town of Montepulciano was the highlight of our trip. Even if we had stayed elsewhere, I think we would have marked Montepulciano as a favorite, because we liked its shops, its restaurants, and its views so much. Things to do in this areaWe liked Acquacheta quite a bit and went more than once. It's not fancy, just butcher paper on big tables. But its meats are great. We also had a great experience one evening at La Gamba di Gatto. The owner let us try different wines and olive oils before choosing, and he explained everything. He obviously enjoys explaining about the local wines and foods. And the food was marvelous. The shops on the main street include a lot of artisans, artwork, leather goods, paper makers, and so on. We prefer these kinds of shops, so found Montepulciano to have the best shopping of our whole trip. This review is the opinion of a Slow Travel member and not of slowtrav.com. |
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