Michela greeted us upon arrival and showed us around her beautiful villa. It was perfect for the 4 of us, well stocked, well laid out and we really felt a connection with the outdoors and nature. The upstairs shower was especially nice - lots of jets. Around the grounds there were olive trees, nut trees, rosemary, mint, fennel and so much more growing on the property. We enjoyed the gorgeous views as well as the goats, cats, and even a praying mantis. The Nepitella is located just far enough outside of Florence to really feel like we were in Tuscany but close enough to everything we wanted to do and see. Even though we rented a car we did not feel comfortable driving in Florence so we walked to the bottom of the hill into the town's square and purchased a bus ticket (€1.20 each)into the city. It only took about 20-25 min by bus to get in but we always took a taxi back because it was faster(usually around €15-20 total). We tried to get a taxi to pick us up one morning but were unable to. The people at the company kept hanging up on me so I finally gave up. Better to arrange a private transfer if you need to be somewhere fast or at a specific time. Michela made sure to have lots of supplies for insect determent and even had mosquito netting over the beds. Remember, you will be in the country! We wish our place in Venice had that netting. The small town nearby had some nice restaurants and a small market that was easy to walk to. There is also a larger market nearby. The highlight of our stay was a cooking class that she arranged with her mother and friend. We learned how to make pasta and sauce in a true Tuscan fashion. After the lesson we had an entire lasagna to take back to the Nepitella (we finished baking it at the rental house, the lesson was nearby at her mom's house) as well as 2 more pasta's for another day. We can't wait to show our friends and relatives how to make perfect pasta!

Thanks Michela for helping make our stay in Tuscany our favorite stop in Italy. We hope to return someday.