March 2013

Monday, 4 March 2013

Recommended family-friendly accommodations in Tuscany

Now that spring shows signs of coming (well, at least it isn't snowing here in Tuscany anymore - other than in the mountains), I'm receiving requests for recommended family-friendly accommodations in Tuscany. What parents usually have in mind by "family-friendly" is plenty of space for children to run around far away from traffic. My top recommendation goes to Piano di Montagliari, a Bed and Breakfast vacation accommodation located between Greve and Panzano on one of the rare flat areas of Chianti.

Piano di Montagliari Bed and Breakfast accommodations in Chianti, Tuscany

Chianti, as almost everyone knows, is a very hilly wine-growing area covering the territory between Florence and Sienna. One of the very few extensive flat areas lies where the river Greve emerges from the hills below Lamole before turning north to run through the town of the same name to join the Arno just west of Florence. This flat, former flood plain is known as the Piano di Montagliari after the big villa and formerly castle Montagliari nearby.

Bed and breakfast accommodations in Tuscany

Part of the extensive lawns around Piano di Montagliari - Villa Vignamaggio
is visible on the ridge in the distance.

B&B Piano di Montagliari is part of an old mill and is surrounded by extensive lawns which are ideal for young people's games (soccer goal provided!) and there is almost no traffic on the adjoining road which accesses one or two houses further upstream. The location also means peace and tranquility for parents who can relax in the lovely gardens after a hard day of sightseeing. Rooms with private bathrooms as well as rooms with access to a common bathroom are available. Highly recommended!

More about B&B Piano di Montagliari.

Map of the main sights of Chianti.

Travellers Guide to Chianti.

Author: Anna Maria Baldini

Sunday, 3 March 2013

Really excellent pizza in Florence

When my friends staying here in the Chianti countryside decide to head in to Florence for a day of sightseeing, they often ask me where they can get really excellent pizza in Florence. Although the native territory of pizza is in the south of Italy around Naples, this wonderful dish has long been made all over Italy and, if you look hard enough, you can find very good pizza in Florence.

Pizza - one of the great dishes of the world

My recommendation for the best pizza in Florence is Il Pizzaiuolo (located at Via de' Macci 113/r, near the Sant'Ambrogio market - closed Sunday). Be warned, this place is usually very busy and they do have a bad habit of pushing the customers through. Either arrive early or make a reservation and show up on the dot. The pizza is thick in style and they have two pages of variants in the menu.

Wood-fired pizza oven - the only way to go.

The follower up as best pizza place in Florence is Trattoria Baldovino (Via San Giuseppe 22/r, adjacent to Santa Croce). This place was opened and developed by David Gardner, owner of Villa Bordoni boutique hotel, and was his first great success in Florence.The newspapers were full of descriptions of the Scot who came to Florence to show the locals how to cook Tuscan food. He has since sold it but it remains a great place to eat.

If you're staying anywhere near Greve in Chianti, there is a fabulous pizzeria in Piazza Trento, near where the bus from Florence stops. This is Ristorante Pizzeria La Cantina which serves wonderful thin crust pizza as well as beautifully-presented traditional Tuscan dishes. There's outdoor seating as well as the large interior dining room. Open for both lunch and dinner, great food, prices extremely reasonable.

Recommended vacation accommodation in Chianti towns, villages and countryside.