We travelled to Tuscany with our 13-month-old Kidsetter to meet up with some friends. We hired a large villa as a group in a quaint village called Sarteano. This was a great way to reduce accommodation costs whilst providing an authentic Tuscan residence.
Sarteano is a commune in the Province of Siena located about 100 km southeast of Florence and about 60 km southeast of Siena. The historical centre of Sarteano is a labyrinth of little streets and alleyways, huddling together at the base of the medieval castle, originally built in 1038. The views from the castle are spectacular.
Surrounded by the rugged Apennine mountains it was the perfect setting to unwind from the chaos of modern life. It’s like being transported to another era being able to focus on spending time with our great friends, eating delicious food, drinking vino and explore our picturesque setting.
It took a little getting used to not being able to visit a shop in the afternoon discovering it was closed. Many shops closed from 1pm to 4pm. Our Kidsetter enjoyed the quiet cobblestone streets of Sarteano, patting the local pets and being swooned over by the Italian folk.
We used our villa as a Tuscan base to venture off on various day trips if we so desired. We drove to many nearby towns;
- Montepulciano
- Assissi
- Cortona
- Volterra
- Siena
- San Gimignano
Our Kidsetter experienced his first taste of authentic gelato, played in the fields of Cortona, crawled in the Basilica of Saint Francis courtyard of Assisi.
Visiting the local Italian market, we were able to source ingredients to pull together easy and delicious meals that all Kidsetters love alike.
A glorious setting for a memorable family holiday. It is very difficult to leave such an intoxicating place and way of life. Slow the pace of life down; teach your Kidsetters about the importance of simply being and let them absorb the ambiance of Tuscany.
