Food, shopping and restaurants:
The nearest shops are in the village of S. Donato in Poggio (1 mile away), the nearest big supermarket with wide selections of anything is 15 km away and reachable in less than 15 min. drive. All the shops are open all day on Saturdays. Restaurants (simple, fancy, pizza places) can easily be found either in S. Donato or in the neighbourhood. Every morning (8 a.m. to 1 p.m., even on Sundays) there is an open market in one of the nearby villages (every day in a different place) for fresh fruit, vegetables and simple stuff.
Main places of interest:
Florence: Don't be afraid of driving into Florence, a magnificent renaissance city, full of churches with art treasure and home of the Uffizi museum (booking advisable). Using the parking instructions (given upon arrival) you will find driving into Florence easy and you will encounter some of the best views of the city you are ever likely to see. If - after visiting Florence - you still have some time follow the signs to Fiesole, a hilltop town 10 km outside. Florence does not only offer spectaculars views of the whole of the city, but also has some extremely impressive’ Etruscan ruins. Siena: This beautiful medieval city is a must far anyone visiting the region of Tuscany, especially its unique shaped Piazza del Campo, the heart of the city and the pride of the Sienese. Siena has many sights to see apart from its beautiful Piazza. Wednesday morning is market day and the market is held in the car park: there are alternative places to park but Siena will be busier than normal.
Other places of interest:
San Gimignano: One of the best preserved medieval cities in Italy, with its famous 13 towers dating back centuries. This unique hilltop town boasts wonderful panoramas and attracts visitors worldwide. Monteriggioni: North of Siena, its fame stems from the fact that it was mentioned in Dante's 'Inferno' and, indeed, the fortress of Monteriggioni is a breathtaking sight. Colle Val d'Elsa: A centre of one of the largest crystal production area in Europe and, as such, has a host of outlets selling crystal at very reasonable prices. The old mediaeval part of Colle is the main attraction. Wonderfully photogenic and not too full of tourists, Colle Alto (the upper part, as it is called) provides a very picturesque stop-off on your journey to Siena. Volterra: Volterra is a breezy bill-top town, on the west of S. Gimignano with marvellous panoramic views, a well preserved Etruscan amphitheatre and hoards of locally mined alabaster to keep you interested. Worth of half day visit.
Other Activities:
hicking
marks the location of the property in Chianti
