Just a few extra photos and some thoughts about the Villa Fontanelle.

Before we left Saturday, I ran through and took a few photos of various room within the Villa. The photos don't really do it justice because we were in the process of leaving and things were a little messy.

A few thoughts about the Villa: First, the views and the setting were outstanding. It would have been nice to be a little closer to Montalcino, but that was no big deal. The place is huge. There was plenty of room for four couples to spread out and enjoy it without stepping on each others toes.

The living room was expansive. We only used about a third of it, the third nearest the fireplace. We moved one of the couches to form a "U" shape around the FP. We could have hired a band and set up a dance floor in the rest of the room, and invited 30 people over for a party. The dining room was perfect for eight and probably could have accommodated up to twelve, but it would be cozy. The kitchen was plenty big but lacked a few amenities that Americans take for granted, like an electric coffee maker and a toaster.

There were five bedrooms, two of which were huge and included a separate living area, not just a sitting area, but a full-on living room. A third bedroom included a smaller sitting area and the other two rooms were more traditional bedrooms. All the bedrooms had private bathrooms but only one had a shower. The others had bathtubs of various shapes and sizes with shower wands. There was also a powder room off the main living room.

The structure forms sort of a "U" shape around the back patio and the patio became a great gathering place in the late afternoon before dinner. Off the patio and covered by a portion of the house was an outdoor dining area with picnic tables and individual chairs. We ate there at least once and had our wine tasting there. It is a good spot when the weather is good.

The pool area is very nice and secluded, about 50 yards from the house. The pool would get a lot of use during the summer, I'm sure.

The views to the west, which is the direction toward which the "U" shape opens up, are spectacular. You can see at least three hill towns in the distance and several Villas, including Banfi on the ridges. They all light up on a clear night. Binoculars would be handy to have. Fortunately John brought a pair. To the east the view is over olive tree orchards and vineyards. In the distance you can see Sant' Angelo in Colle and Mount Amiata. There are two other dwellings on the property. One is a two-bedroom bungalow-type place. We didn't get inside it but through the windows, it looks very nice. I believe the owner stays there on weekends when the main Villa is rented out. The other, smaller structure seems to be used by the housekeeper and others who maintain the property.

There were only a couple negatives. First was the flies. The place was inundated with flies and there are no screens on any windows, We attributed this to the fact that the owner keeps horses on the property. Luckily there were no mosquitoes and the flies went to sleep after the sun went down. I would not go to this property in the summer. We thought maybe there were flies like this all over Tuscany but that was not true. We did not encounter anything close at any of the wineries or other places we visited. The only other nuisance I can remember was the plumbing. The water would suddenly (usually in the middle of a shower) stop running or slow to a trickle. Sometimes it would come back on of its own accord. Other times someone would have to go outside and reset the power for the well pump. The fridge was small and lame for such a big house. It had no wireless Internet (IMHO a necessity in this day and age).

I'm not trying to be negative. We had a great time and it is, for the most part, a great place. None of us will ever forget the experience.