I have longed to visit Tuscany and through luck and providence came upon Patrizia and Paolo's website. I spent a week during November of this year (2007) learning to cook the "Tuscan Way" from the very creative and knowledgeable Patrizia. There is a sense of familia here with beautiful accommodations, countryside that is breathtaking and a most formidable guide, Paolo. The packages that are offered are extremely varied, something for everyone. I came away from this experience completely satisfied with found memories and terrific recipes. Molto grazie!

We spent two weeks with Patrizia and Paolo in 2004. They treated us like family; we thoroughly enjoyed the experience. Patrizia shared many family recipes and tips on Italian home cooking. Shopping with her taught us how to negotiate the Italian markets.

Paolo took us to some remarkable places that did not appear in guidebooks. He demonstrated his knowledge of Italian history and culture so that we could readily relate.

We returned to Italy in May 2007 to attend a university program in Florence. We planned the trip so that we could spend a few days with Patrizia and Paolo because of the warm memories and feelings we harbored from 2004. We had originally planned to take the train from Pisa airport to Pontedera where Paolo would meet us. Our plane from the US arrived late inMilan and we missed our connection, forcing us to take a later flight. Imagine our surprise when we walked out of the Pisa airport and there was Paolo waiting for us. That is what you can expect at tasty tuscany.

We are returning to Florence in 2008 and will once again stop at tasty tuscany.

Tasty Tuscany was a wonderful experience. Staying with Patrizia and Paolo will provide you with an experience unlike most tourists have when visiting a foriegn country. They allow you to stay in their home and visit out of the way places, eat the local foods and cook authentic Italian dishes. The cooking lessons are wonderful, informal yet informative. Paolo's love and knowledge of the surrounding areas is another terrific benefit as he takes you on short expeditions.

Their home is very comfortable and the extra benefits are their wonderful pets! It was a tremendous experience, one I hope to repeat when time allows.

Where to begin? What an absolutely wonderful experience. Our time at Tasty Tuscany with Patrizia, Paolo, and our fellow guests will be a treasured memory for the rest of our lives. The totally charming farm house is beautiful, with spacious, comfortable rooms, a welcoming sitting room with leather sofas, a beautifully outfitted kitchen for our lessons, and a lovely dining room where we all gathered to enjoy the finest, freshest food you'll ever taste anywhere--not to mention great local wine that flowed, and flowed, and flowed.

And speaking of food, Pat's cooking lessons are relaxed and fun, but also very informative. They will change the way you think about food and teach you that not just savoring it, but also preparing it is an experience to enjoy with all your senses. Even those among the guests who weren't the primary cooks back home really got into the flow of it.

While Pat's domain is the kitchen, Paolo's is making sure you enjoy yourself everywhere else. He's there to pick you up when you arrive and there to see you off when it's time for you, very reluctantly, to leave. And all the times between, he's there to take you on trips to some of the most beautiful places we've ever seen. All you have to do is enjoy the ride, the sights, and his charming company. Things are very flexible, though. If you decide you simply want to lounge around reading or enjoying the pool instead of going exploring, no problem.

The whole experience was truly magical and we cannot recommend Tasty Tuscany highly enough. We urge anyone who wants to experience Tuscany at its best to come stay at Pat's and Paolo's place. You'll be glad you did.

Suzanne and Lee