01
A cook for one evening: how food works at a private villa
Three ways a party of twenty eats, what each costs roughly, and the distinction between a house that arranges a cook and a house that sells you dinner.
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Tuscany Like
Journal
Notes on the house, the country round it, and the practical business of a week here — written by the person who answers the telephone.
02
Getting married at a Tuscan villa: what the house does, and what you arrange
Civil, religious or symbolic; what a lawn actually holds; where a hundred guests sleep; and the line between renting a house and buying a wedding.
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03
How many people does a Tuscan villa actually sleep?
The number on a listing is a maximum, not a plan. What bedrooms, bathrooms and one long table really tell you about a house — and the figures for five of them.
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04
Pisa, Lucca or the Colline Pisane: where to base a week in Tuscany
Most of western Tuscany is within an hour of itself. The geography that actually decides where to stay, and drive times that are true rather than optimistic.
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05
Exclusive use: what it means, and what it costs you
No other guests, no reception, no shared pool. The proposition stated plainly, including the parts that are worse than a hotel.
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06
When to come: the Tuscan year, month by month
April is cold water and empty roads. August is thirty-five degrees and everybody. What each month is actually like when you are staying in a house rather than a hotel.
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