Arrivederci Montestigliano

Leaving A Perfect Place

This post is a bookend. I posted when we arrived at Montestigliano, so it seemd appropriate to post again as we left.

Roadboy spends more than 140 nights a year in a hotel. 

Just roll that around in your head a bit - more than 140 nights a year in hotel rooms.

Don't get me wrong, I'm not complaining since most of my travel is work related and a hotel stay equals gainful employment. 

And travel means I see new places and constantly meet new people. I love that. 

The downside, well I miss my loved ones, friends, and uber cute pups waiting for me at home in Phoenix.

Once in awhile when traveling for fun or work I get to stay in amazing places and this trip to Italy has been one of those times. My friend Robert arranged it all (for which I am very grateful as the organizing part normally falls to me.)

For this trip he rented a villa on the Montestigliano Estate in Tuscany (just outside of Siena.) The villa we stayed in was the oldest and largest on the estate; Villa Donati. It is hundreds of years old. It is spacious and all the beds are new. Everyone shares bathrooms. At night we had a few bees and mosquito's that ventured in. We also had a black cat that found her way in almost every night.

There was no television. There was no microwave. There was a washer, but clothes had to be line dried outside. 

Yet despite a few inconveniences, the stay was just wonderful. There were two magnificent swimming pools. There were delicious meals cooked by the resident chef using the Montestigiano Estate's own olive oil. There were views every direction. And everywhere you look were the colors of Tuscany ever changing as the sun rose or set.

This place was amazingly relaxing. I highly recommend it. In fact, I'm doing something I've never done before - adding a weblink to a specific property on this blog.

The estate only books for one week stays and there are numerous villa's of differing sizes, but for a family, special event, or reunion of special friends, this is a place that cannot be beat.

Montestigliano Eco-Agricultural Tourist Lodging  

A few more more photos of Montestigliano. 

The Donati Family Villa
(Guarded Meticulously by a Grey Striped Tabby)

A Tree Lined Road On The Estate

A View From The Courtyard

The Sun Rises Over the Surrounding Hills

The Courtyard And Estate Offices

(Where Check-in and Cooking Classes Take Place)

A Fantasy of Tuscan Colors

Our Host and Chef Discuss The Superb Villa Dinner

It was so hard to leave Montestigliano this morning to make my way back to Venice. But, I have a lovely free day Sunday to explore at leisure one of the world's most amazing cities. Monday I make my way to Marco Polo airport to start my journey home.

To my friends from the villa. Godspeed till we meet again!

Roadboy's Travels © 2011 

Montestigliano

Living in Villa Donati

This week I am a resident of Italy. For the next 7 days and 6 nights I have a real address living in the Villa Donati on the Montestgiliano estate in Central Tuscany.

Before arriving in the Villa I spent another morning in the historic inner wall area of Siena examining its beautiful Duomo and enjoying a "Gelato for breakfast" day.

It rained a bit

I then went to a huge local supermarket. I can't tell you how wonderful it was to peer into coolers filled with dozens of brands of fresh prosciutto. Then I moved on into the produce aisle and cried at the sight of piles of fresh soft fragrant peaches and nectarines. Nearby there were mountains of plump grapes with seeds. I came to realize that nobody touches produce until they carefully put on gloves. Then there was the cheese (tubs and tubs of fresh mozzarella) and the seafood...... 

I would have been quite happy to spend a couple of very happy hours in that supermarket....

But we had friends to meet and traveled the 12 km from Siena to the Montestigliano estate. This is a working farm in a region that grows sunflowers, olives, corn and grains. On the estate they bottle their own olive oil. 

Sitting on the top of the hill was the oldest of the houses; Villa Donati. Built in the 1700's this home dates back to the days of George Washington and Benjamin Franklin.

Villa Donati

The villa has 6 bedrooms and has been upgraded to five bathrooms. It has a modern kitchen and a big dining room with a lovely back yard with grape arbors with a western view looking west over the rolling hills and rows of cypress trees.

 

Tuscan Hill Country Views From The Estate

 

Huge Grapes on Arbors

Just Out the Back Door 

 There are two lovely swimming pools and the doors and windows of the villa have been left wide open all day to harvest the fresh air after a rain this morning.   

 

One of Two Swimming Pools At Montestigliano

I settled in, grabbed my camera and took a easy walk down the long rows of cypress tree. It was quiet and lovely.

The Trademark Italian Cypress Trees

Seemingly Define Every Ancient and Current Roadway

I'm never going to want to leave.....

Roadboy's Travels © 2011