I really don't know where to begin. We stayed at La Casa Di Marcello from 10/4-10/11. First of all, Laura was the perfect host/owner. She met us in Vinci upon our arrival - we were a little late but she didn't mind. The property is located on a "bluff" that overlooks Vinci and Empoli and MUCH MORE of the Tuscan countryside. The property has endless views of rolling hills with grape vineyards and olive trees - picture perfect. You wake up every morning to the sound of church bells off in the distance - not loud but very comforting. From Laura's place we were able to take easy day trips to Empoli/Vinci, Siena, San Miniato, Cinque Terra and Florence. We didn't make it to San Gimignano but based on a lot of positive feedback I highly recommend making a trip there. Now for what's inside the house. There were 8 of us on vacation and La Casa Di Marcello had more than enough room to accommodate - 4 Bdrms/2 Baths upstairs and Full Kitchen, front room and "greeting" room/hallway downstairs. All the bedrooms were very spacious. Also, each bedroom had a wonderful view of either Vinci, Empoli and/or the Tuscan countryside. And lastly about Laura the owner - she is GREAT! Upon arrival and getting us settled into the house, Laura took the time to tell us about the house, her family and the surrounding area. She is genuine and wants your vacation to be something special. I actually called her 2x during our week there (not related to the house but asking about directions and how to handle an accident - a tourist actually hit my car while in San Miniato). Anyway, she answered the phone both times and graciously helped me out. Our group also did the Italian cooking lesson on our last night - I HIGHLY recommend it. Laura, Maria Grazia and Mikala guided us through a late afternoon/evening cooking lesson and the best Italian food we had during our stay. It was fun, everybody participated and there was great conversation during the whole time we were together. The best testimonial for La Casa Di Marcello is that everyone in our group said "we will be back". This place is truly special and would recommend it to anyone that wants to experience a vacation Under the Tuscan Sun.
October 2014
John F. and family,
