Transfer and Other Charges:

A Taste of Tuscany Getaway

Day 1
Go to the main railway station of Florence (Firenze Santa Maria Novella) and  at 17.50 meet your host Jenny (middle-aged, white-haired and wearing a red shirt) or her son Nicholas (tall, dark and handsome) outside the Feltrinelli bookshop and snack bar opposite platform 14. (There is a luggage depot further up that platform if you need it.) After a forty-minute train journey to Montevarchi take a ten-minute drive in a minivan to the farm, the 400-year-old typically Tuscan home of your host. Settle in and then enjoy a chat and a glass of Chianti Classico with your host, either in the sitting room or outside the farmhouse with its panoramic views. Dinner and night at the farm.

Day 3
The morning ride takes you through charming hamlets in unspoilt countryside and also introduces you to a ‘casa leopoldina’. After lunch a short trip by train to the ancient city of Arezzo and a visit guided by Jenny of some of its most notable sights, including the frescoes of Piero della Francesca. Opportunity to shop. Dinner at the farm.

Day 4
Ride to the tower of Galatrona and along the ridge with fabulous views to the castle of Cennina. Descend to a lake and have a luxurious picnic either there or in the woods nearby. Ride near the castle of Lupinari and proceed with frequent canters towards Rendola. A farewell dinner and, if desired, a visit to the local pub.

Day 5
Breakfast and EITHER your own arrangements to leave (departure is usually by 10.00) OR a ten-minute drive to Montevarchi to meet the train back to Florence. Own arrangements for your onward journey from Florence. For those going to Rome, there is a direct train from Montevarchi.


Tuscan Discovery Week

Day 1- Saturday 
Go to the main railway station of Florence (Firenze Santa Maria Novella) and  at 17.50 meet your host Jenny (middle-aged, white-haired and wearing a red shirt) or her son Nicholas (tall, dark and handsome) outside the Feltrinelli bookshop and snack bar opposite platform 14. (There is a luggage depot further up that platform if you need it.) After a forty-minute train journey to Montevarchi take a ten-minute drive in a minivan to the farm, the 400-year-old typically Tuscan home of your host. Settle in and then enjoy a chat and a glass of Chianti Classico with your host, either in the sitting room or outside the farmhouse with its panoramic views. Dinner and night at the farm.

Day 2: Sunday 
Breakfast and morning ride (about two and a half hours) through vineyards, olive-groves and woodland, passing near an 11th-century tower and a 14th century church. Return home for lunch. After a short siesta and possibly a guided walk to introduce you to the local flora and fauna, join your host for a lesson in Italian pronunciation which will prove useful over the following days (learn, for example, that the “ch” in the Italian word bruschetta is pronounced like a 'k'!). For dinner, freshly made pizzas followed by dessert.

Day 3- Monday 
Breakfast and morning ride (about two and a half hours) in the wooded hills north of the farm, scattered with charming hamlets and traditional farmhouses. After lunch go to the ancient city of Arezzo and enjoy a guided visit to the fascinating, world-famous frescoes of Piero della Francesca of which your host has made a special study and then to the main square made familiar by the film “Life is Beautiful”. There is a chance, too, to do some shopping. Dinner and night at the farm.

Day 4- Tuesday
Day ride and picnic in the Chianti hills (about five hours in the saddle). During your ride you will pass the medieval village of San Leolino, a lake and the castles of Cennina and Lupinari. Dinner and night at home.

Day 5- Wednesday 
A free day to make your arrangements for sightseeing, perhaps to visit Florence (if she is available your host will gladly give you a guided tour of the main sights) or the hill towns of Cortona, Assisi or Orvieto – take your pick. All three are an easy train journey from Montevarchi and you will be driven to and from the station. Alternatively there could be a wine-tasting visit to Montepulciano and Montalcino (minimum 4 people), to be paid for on site. Dinner and night at the farm.

Day 6- Thursday 
Either a morning ride or a guided visit to the local town of Montevarchi and its famous weekly market: a good chance to pick up bargains! Lunch at a gourmet restaurant in Loro Ciuffenna, a medieval village built round a ravine on the other side of the Arno valley. Drive back home and have either an afternoon ride or a lesson with our BHS instructor in the school. Dinner and night at home.

Day 7- Friday 
A final day ride (about five hours in the saddle) to the top of the Chianti hills (nearly 2,500 feet). Enjoy a barbecue on the ridge beside a boarhunters' hut and ride back via the village and castle of Montegonzi. A farewell dinner and, if desired, a visit to the local pub.
  
Day 8- Saturday
Breakfast and then a ten-minute journey to Montevarchi station to meet the train back to Florence. Own arrangements for your onward journey from Florence. For those going to Rome there is a direct and inexpensive train from Montevarchi every two hours.

--Subject to changes--

NOTE: riding can be substituted for walks and/or cooking lessons for non-riders, or riders who need a rest from the saddle!

Montevarchi area

Seasons
Central Italy benefits from a kind of ocean climate with mild winters and temperatures are hot but bearable (thanks to the ocean) for the summer. The climate in Tuscany is very mild and the seasons each have their merits.

Spring and autumn are particularly good times to visit.
Spring is a delightful time to visit when the trees and flowers are blooming, the air is warm and the nightingales are singing day and night.

Autumn brings glorious colors and you can see the farmers prepare for the olive and grape harvests.

For riders essential items are: helmet, riding-trousers (jeans are not always comfortable), riding boots or walking shoes + half-chaps (easier to pack), full-length raincoat (yes, it can rain in Italy, too!), and gloves if you are used to wearing them. Otherwise dress according to the season. Remember that you don’t have to bring out your finery! There is a washing-machine and an iron if you need them.

Other useful items: sun cream, lip salve, personal medicines, small camera with strap you can put round your neck, gilet with pockets or bumbag. Remember that there are plenty of good books at the farm and that there is free WIFI. All guests are advised not to bring too much luggage: bulky suitcases hamper you on your travels (there are steps everywhere!). Reserve some space, however, for anything you might want to buy during your stay. Buy your shampoos and suchlike when you get to Italy to avoid having to show them at the airport.

The Accommodations

This small family-run farm holiday center in the Chianti hills was established back in 1969. While fully surrounded by pristine countryside (vineyards, olive-groves and woodlands), it is conveniently less than thirty miles from Florence and Siena by car and only three miles from the station of Montevarchi.

The seventeenth-century house has a panoramic view over the Arno valley. It is typically Tuscan, with its pigeon-loft, beams, terracotta floors and arches. Each bedroom is attractively furnished and has its own small bathroom. There is a sitting room with a large selection of English books and classical music and a fire is prepared on the hearth on wintry days.

It is not for people looking for elegance. Hens and ducks peck around the house, our Labrador Miranda greets you on your arrival, and you may find Catkin the cat curled up in an armchair. A recent arrival is Emmelina, a charming Tibetan goat. The farm is primarily a riding-centre: the stables are just behind the house, a dozen or so horses graze in the surrounding paddocks. No one has to dress up on any occasion. Non-riders are welcome, of course, but they must not be shocked at the occasional whiff of manure! The house itself is clean and pretty, but it is after all a family home, with books spilling out of the shelves and jackets hanging on the back of chairs.
      
But this is what appeals to a certain kind of client. In fact, they hardly feel like clients, more like honoured guests, and many come back time and time again. (One English lady, has been here sixteen times!) Jenny and her son Nicholas are happy to welcome country-lovers to their home and guests quickly become friends. The place is suitable also for single people, who will here feel looked after and cherished. At meal-times the guests all sit together at a long table and there is plenty of merriment as well as good food and wine. So many riders have said to me: "I feel so at home here!"

Washing machines are on site. There is free internet access (WIFI) at the riding center. 


The Meals 
The Tuscan cooking, is, of course, a great attraction. Our cook has a large repertoire of pasta, rice and meat dishes and typical Italian desserts. Vegetarians are well catered for. Most of the vegetables are grown locally, the olives for the oil are picked on the premises and our hens provide us with fresh eggs daily. Franca is in charge of our cooking courses and I assure you that she has great talents as a teacher as well.

This trip includes some wine with dinner and can accommodate special dietary requests.

Tack:		English
Horses:		Local Sicilian and Maremma
Pace:		Moderate with some trots and canters | Walk | Trot | Canter |
Level:		(2.5 to 3 out of 5)    Low Intermediate
Age:		Min 12
Weight:		Max 185
Riders:		Min 2 riders	Max 6 riders

There is so much to look at while you ride through our countryside! In a week's stay, our guests will never do the same ride twice. You will follow trails through pretty vineyards, olive groves and woodlands without any landowners objecting and without meeting a single gate, something which never ceases to amaze.

There are eighteen horses on our property and they are of various breeds, as Jenny believes that it is the temperament of the horse, not the breed, that matters. Currently, there are two Arabs, three part-Arabs, three Sicilian bred horses, and two half-thoroughbreds, while the others are, well, just horses with good characters, strong hooves and plenty of stamina. All the horses do arena work as well as riding out on the trail, so they are obedient and responsive to the aids on all occasions. There are also two ponies available, but they are lively little fellows and are not suitable for children less than ten years old. We have, however, no upper age limit, as elderly riders are often the most experienced (once they get into the saddle). As this is hilly country, we do have a weight limit of 85 kilos (187 lb.). This could be a motive for dieting...?