Pronto! What a pleasure it was to spend a delightful week at this beautiful hilltop Tuscan villa. Mornings were spent out and about with Paolo who took us to peaceful villages like Certaldo (medieval), Pisa (the Tower), Volterra (etruscan), and of course Florence (renaissance). It was a great to return back to the villa for an alfresco lunch (with wine) followed by a quiet time to hike or swim before Patrizia's cooking class, followed by a family style dinner (more wine). The grounds of the Podere are beautifully kept. Nice open lawn with colourful potted flowers. A labour of love for bohemians Patrizia and Paolo. Kudos also to Steve and Ela, the back-up team. Prago!!!

We spent some days of our honeymoon with Patricia and Paolo and had a fantastic time. With all the time we spent together with them and the other guests it was really like visiting friends.
The combination with day tours and cooking lessons is a perfect way to get to know Tuscany. Also the personal and professional welcoming of the guests made the stay perfect. We want to go back!

Eva and Martin

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.