La Pietra Grezza Holidays Home: apartment 2 The Lilac

2bed/1.5bath apartment near Cellai, Tuscany Chianti

Nori Kirkland WA 98033 USA

Review Submitted: June 30, 2010 Date of Stay: June 13, 2009

When June - August 2009, 9 weeks Location Perched high above the north facing hillside of Tuscany’s Chianti Valdarno hills, La Pietra Grezza commands a beautiful view of the valley below. The drive up to the property is about 1 km on a single lane, winding road passing through beautiful olive groves and small vineyards. As described by previous reviews, the location was perfect. The property is surrounded by tall cypress trees, a lush garden full of flowers and herbs, a vegetable patch, and planters overflowing with geraniums and hydrangeas. The location is remote and quiet; you’ll never tire of hearing birds chirping, pigeons cooing and church bells ringing in the distance. It is very private even though there are other properties nearby. The owner lives on the bottom floor. There is another apartment on the second floor and the Lilac is on the third. In my opinion, the Lilac Apartment provides the most beautiful views of the surrounding areas, where you are treated with great views from every room. Nearby Amenities There are not too many stores in the town of Cellai. There is a small convenient store, Luigi’s Alimentari, which supplies most of your basic food items such as milk, eggs, fruits as well as some other essentials. Luigi’s Alimentari is also a place to get your bus tickets to Florence and other nearby towns. We mostly did our groceries at a local supermarket called COOP in Rignano about 5 km away or Figline about 10 km away. (They both take credit cards.) There is also a gas station and a hairdresser. A swimming pool is located at Il Pogetto Campgrounds. There is also an internet point here. In the next town of Troghi there is a Post Office, a tabbachieri, and a coffee bar. A designer outlet The Mall is only about 10km away in Leccio. The House/Apartment The general interior of the apartment is typical Tuscan with an exposed beams ceiling, cotto tiled floor and plaster walls. The color schemes are pleasant and inviting. The walls are decorated with framed pictures of country scenery and art prints. Entrance to the apartment is through some steps on the back of the property. The furnishings are simple but practical. The six-person dining room table was big and ample. We used this almost every night for our family dinner and afterward to play cards in the evening. The living room is simply decorated with a leather sofa, two side chairs and a coffee table. It is set next to a window that provides a nice backdrop for our quiet indoor reading. There is also a book shelve that we filled up with our reading materials and other local journals we collected throughout our stay. A small TV is there, which my teen children used often to check on the weather, nightly, Italian MTV shows and soccer matches. There are two bathrooms in this apartment. One with a shower, a urinal and a clothes washer, another with just a commode and a sink. Garden The backyard is our outdoor sanctuary. Alberto had set up a covered area with a dining table and chairs. Two lounge chairs were provided for our relaxation and enjoyment. There was also a barbecue set, which we used quite often in the evening. The setting is very private yet open. My teenage daughter loves to sunbathe here while reading her books and enjoying the smooth breeze that often accompanies the Tuscan summer sun. Furnishings/Cleanliness/Living Areas The furnishings were clean, nice and simple. The apartment was generally clean when we arrived. There was a bottle of Prosecco as a welcome drink. The living room furniture was comfortable and cozy. The bed were all made when we arrived with extra linens neatly stacked in each room. Bedrooms/Bathrooms The two bedroom apartment was very spacious for our family. There were enough beds for each of us, even when my mother in-law came to visit. Alberto, the owner, had also put in an extra roll out bed in case there was a need. The furnishings were simple and practical. The matrimony room has a full sized bed, a big armoire and a dresser. There were ample drawers to store our clothes and knickknacks. The second bedroom has three single beds, an armoire and a tall dresser. All the bedrooms had night lights and a sitting chair. There were plentiful supplies of extra bed linens, comforters, coverlets, pillow cases and towels of different sizes. Kitchen There was a brand new refrigerator when we were there. It was a good size that would accommodate our weekly groceries. The kitchen was also fully equipped with all the necessary supplies such as pots, pans and baking dishes. The cabinets were filled with a set of dinner china, salad plates, water cups and wine glasses. A toaster, a microwave, a dishwasher and a gas range complete this small and compact kitchen. Other kitchen gadgets include pizza cutters, wine openers, knives, ladles, potato ricer, a kitchen scale and plenty of silverware. There were also enough dish rags and hand towels. There is a small table in the kitchen, which can be used as a work top or a breakfast table. Problems or Bonuses There is no Internet access. However, we signed up with a local telephone store WIND to get a network. It worked well but the speed is slow noting the position of the apartment but enough to read our emails. Having no Internet is not a problem for us, as we wanted to be “unplugged” on this vacation, preferring reading, walking and exploring around the neighborhood instead. Agency and Representatives (and price) Without him knowing, Alberto became our favorite tour guide and local expert. He provided us with surprising insights to some great towns and restaurants. He has maps, local guides to festivals and events, brochures and booklets of nearby attractions. He was also very helpful when my son became sick in the middle of the night. He gave him some fever reducer medication and translated the instructions to English for us. I can’t thank him enough for his kind help. Do you recommend this vacation rental to others? I would recommend this rental apartment. If you love to be surrounded by natural beauty and want a quiet vacation, while still within easy reach to many awesome historical sites, this is the place to stay. Things to do in this area La Pietra Grezza is conveniently located close to the historical city of Florence. We felt spoiled having such easy access to the center of the Renaissance world. We loved exploring all the four sections of Florence and found every museum, church, and palazzo irresistible. The central location of this apartment made it possible for us to explore areas outside of Florence, too. We made many day trips to different towns and cities and were still able to arrive back before 9pm. Cortona, Montalcino, Volterra, San Gimignano, Siena, Montepulciano, Greve in Chianti, Vinci, Prato, and Fiesole are some of the easy trips. We’ve also stretched out our day trips to Lucca, Pisa, Assisi, Deruta, Gubbio, Vada, Viareggio and Monterossa.
Nori
Kirkland

Owner's Response: From February 2010 there is Internet ADSL wi-fi access.

2 bedrooms/2 baths, Florence, Tuscany South

Kim Henderson Tennessee USA

Review Submitted: June 30, 2010 Date of Stay: June 7, 2007

When June-August 2007, 3 months Location The location was perfect. You drive up a winding road until you reach this old stone estate with beautiful flowers growing everywhere. It is very private. There are only the owners on one floor and one other apartment for rent.Next door there are two apartments for rent in another estate. We enjoyed visiting with these other couples and families, but everyone respected each others private times. Nearby Amenities You must have a car to live here. It is only a short drive down the hill to the alimentari for groceries, gas, etc. There is a large grocery only 10-15 min. away in Incisa (a Coop).The local alimentari ordered an English paper for us and had it available each morning. The House/Apartment The apartment was lovely. They provided all the kitchen equipment we needed, plus towels and linens. It is furnished with the basics, including a small television, though we did not use it much with all there was to do. There were two bedrooms, and two baths, a living and dining area combined, and a small kitchen. The views from all of the windows were amazing. Garden We had a private outdoor area where we spent a lot of time. We enjoyed sitting on the lounge chairs overlooking the valley , with the old haybarn in the distance. Extremely relaxing.It was nice to have a private area to ourselves. We also had a separate yard area where our children spent hours in the hammock ,chasing lizards, and pretending to be knights hunting for wild animals. Furnishings/Cleanliness/Living Areas The apartment was very clean upon arrival. We had a bottle of Vin Santo and special cookies awaiting us, along with a welcome sign, and information concerning upcoming events.There is a couch and two upholstered chairs in the living room, along with 6 dining chairs, and two more in the kitchen. Both bedrooms had chairs.We were very comfortable and felt like we were at home. Bedrooms/Bathrooms The beds were comfortable. The bedrooms were furnished with beds, dressers, and a large closet. The large bathroom was modern, with a bath with shower. We always had hot water. The small bath had only a toilet and sink. Kitchen There was a brand new range which I used every day. There is a large refrigerator and a new dishwasher. Problems or Bonuses No inconveniences. Alberto and his wife, Donatella, were the best part of our visit. They are extremely hospitable and you feel that you are guests in their home. They were always there to greet you at the end of the day. For three months I never heard anything negative from either one of them. She brought me dried lavender, wild herbs to keep the mosquitoes out of the house, etc. They were so gracious. Do you recommend this vacation rental to others? I would definitely stay here again! At some time in the summer, five of our children were here visiting us. We all loved it. Things to do in this area Trips to Siena, San Gimignano, Greve in Chianti, San Donato in Poggio, Florence, Citerna...the list goes on and on.
Kim
Henderson USA

“Our Month In The Country Just Out Of Florence”

Elli Miranda NSW 2228 Australia

Review Submitted: June 30, 2010 Date of Stay: July 27, 2007

My husband and I were so lucky to find this place! It comprises 3 stories - the owner lives on the bottom floor and there are 2 apartments above. The Lilac apartment (where we stayed) is the top apartment with its own private garden - sunlounges and BBQ. The apartment was beautifully peaceful - in the morning the only sound we could hear was the soft coo-ing of the birds nearby. The apartment has two double bedrooms, bathroom, an extra toilet, eat-in kitchen, loungedining room and to-die-for views from every window. A car is necessary - even to climb the steep 1.5km road up from the main street. The nearest village is Cellai which has an alimentari where we could buy fresh bread, wine, delicatessen items and groceries. There is a larger town, Incisa, about 8km away with a Co-Op supermarket and weekly markets. We used to catch the local bus to Florence - a pretty trip of about 40 minutes and the bus station is very close to Florence railway station in the centre of the city. We usually had lunch out and cooked at home in the evenings as it was so pleasant to be able to eat our meals outdoors. We had many days in our month when we were \'touristed-out\" and had a lovely lazy day \'at home\' reading, a short walk and generally just relaxing. Alberto, the owner, was all kindness, courtesy and assistance from the time of our initial inquiry to our sad departure after four lovely weeks. We would love to return and have no hesitation in recommending the Lilac apartment to anyone who is looking for a lovely apartment in beautiful, quiet surroundings - yet only a short trip away from a large city. Florence in August (or at any other time) is a beautiful city - but to be able to escape to our home in the country at the end of the day was just wonderful!
Elli
Miranda NSW 2228

Five months in the Tuscan Hills-Lilac apartment

Terry Lubumbashi Congo

Review Submitted: August 11, 2010 Date of Stay: March 11, 2010

The Lilac has been a wonderful country retreat for us this last 5 months. It is up in the Tuscan Hills with beautiful views yet near enough to small villages, towns and Florence to see a great deal of the historic beauty of Italy. The rooms are spacious and well equipped and we had internet in the lounge. We felt safe and secure leaving our doors and windows open and letting the cooling evening breeze lull us to sleep. Alberto, Donatella and their dog Suzy were very helpful and friendly hosts greeting us with a bottle of loacl and wine and their home made jam. They often invited us to eat with them and gave us lifts when we needed them. I would recommend The Lilac to anyone wishing to come to Tuscany it is a very special place in Castello di Bisticci.
Terry
Lubumbashi Congo

A specific situation and two pleasant owners

Pred Lisboa Portugal

Review Submitted: November 9, 2010 Date of Stay: September 1, 2010

At the begining of September 2010, I spent a few days with my family in appartment Lilac of La Pietra Grezza. It was short, but enugh time to meat the owner, Alberto, in the best light. Illustration for that is a specific situation which we had: Enterier of appartment Lilac is settled whith lot of taste and love: choosen pices of furniture, beautifull pictures on the walls in sittnig room, icons in beadrooms. Kitchen is completely equiped with all neccesary and quality gadgets. Everything perfectly clean. One morning, just awaked and still sleepy, I put a nice kettle on the stove, lit the gass and left the kitchen. Everything would have been the best, if it was not an electric kettle. When I felt the smelt it was to late: the black plastic bottom was already melted over the shiny rostfry surface of the stove. It looked like real disaster. In matter of minutes, the plastic hardened and become integral part of the rostfry, with minor chances to be cleaned. I felt very unpleasent and mad on myself: how to face Alberto, who decorated his house so carefuly, with such ugly sceen? I knew that my readiness to pay all the damage will be poor comfort for him. Finaly, when he came, he was obviously disturbed and confused, but he kept his calmness. After that his wife, also very pleasant and calm, brought some cleaning materials and epilog was that we succeded to clean everything. Next day Alberto bought new kettle which we paid, as well as some small damage on the gass burner, and everything was ok. Anyhow, if someone prefer quiet and relaxed holliday in country side, in friendly household, with fantastic Toscan wiev, but still so close to Florence which can be reached easily in less than 30 minutes, La Pietra Grezza wil be excelant choice. But be carefule with kichente, I made enough stress to Alberto for next few years.
Pred
Lisboa

Owner's Response: Dear Predag, no stress, it can to happen. Kind Regards, Alberto