When Bob showed us around the beautifully equipped, charming, comfortable little house we immediately felt at home. We ate on the veranda from the very lavish welcome dishes and even a bottle of sparkling white wine they had left for us. Livia the white Maremma sheep dog also joined us. It was the start of a perfect week. Bob and Ally couldn’t have been kinder and more welcoming. The kitchen lacked for nothing and we ate in almost every evening. This was quite a change for us as we normally love eating out on holiday but the view was so lovely that we didn’t think we could find a better restaurant. Livia couldn’t have been a nicer companion and every morning she joined Tom on a walk in the valley. Being greeted by her made us feel we were coming home.

I couldn’t find anything negative to say about Podere La Rota, it was magical from beginning to end and just writing about it has made me wish I was back there right now. Thank you Summer’s Leases, we hope to enjoy many more holidays with you.

Tom & Julie Pinckheard, Bath.

This is the 7th Summer’s Leases house that we have stayed in and they get better and better! This was only the second week of letting of this new house but everything was in place including a superb welcome pack and the odd bottle or two of cold white wine in the fridge - just the welcome for weary travellers! The electric fans were a great help (well, it had been 40°C in the shade!) when we finally dragged ourselves off the terrace to go inside having admired the superb views for several hours over a leisurely meal.

Crispin Davies, Kent.

Podere La Rota exceeded all of our expectations. The cottage itself is incredibly well appointed. The kitchen is modern and spotless with everything you need to take care of yourself in style. Living and dining rooms are comfortable and well-equipped. The bedroom is huge by Italian standards and the renovated bathroom is an elegant and luxurious treat.

Then there’s the deck, which overlooks olive trees and grape vines and medieval villages and Tuscan hills. It’s a minor miracle. No, a major miracle. If the sun is shining, it’s hard to convince yourself to do anything but sit on the deck and enjoy. Certainly our plan to explore the hill towns was cut back considerably - although we managed the easy drives to San Gimignano, Montalcino, Montepulciano, Cortona, Volterra and others.

Each morning we did a good long walk in the hills, and each afternoon we sat on the deck with a glass of wine and a before dinner treat. Our plan to find a great little restaurant each night was also scrapped. Why bother? We prepared our own meals five of the seven nights, and ate leisurely on “our deck” enjoying “our view.”

Bob and Ally are great hosts. We had lots in common and got a chance to share our concerns about war and peace and social justice - and to provide each other with all kinds of sensible suggestions for improving the world. Their stories about developing and running La Rota - sometimes frustrating, sometimes funny, sometimes harrowing - were always entertaining.

And, of course, there’s Livia.

Podere La Rota is the kind of place that, without being the least bit pretentious, makes you feel spoiled.

We’ll be back.

David Chudnovsky, Ruth Herman, Vancouver.

Our second consecutive year at Podere La Rota reaffirms the glowing tribute we paid following our initial stay. Breathtaking tranquility, authentic Tuscan environment, impeccably thoughtful home comfort makes this our No.1 holiday destination!

WE WILL BE BACK FOR MORE!!!

Jerry and Maria Gumeniuk, Bradford.

We adored the house and area. The welcome from Livia and Bob was great and the superb ‘welcome pack’ provided was much needed after a long day travelling. Nothing about the house disappointed us. The kitchen had all the things we needed and more. We particularly liked the huge bathroom and all the hanging and drawer space in the bedroom, and having taken the advice given in the House Book to keep the shutters closed, managed to keep relatively cool considering the outside temperature.

We made great use of the books on the shelves and have just received a copy of Drives from Radda which we ordered via the internet. Having followed the advice of almost all the previous visitors we too ate at Osteria di Starda - superb !!!

What a wonderful holiday home you have at La Rota. We wished we had booked for two weeks instead of one and will definitely rectify this in the future. Many many thanks.

Janice and George Bell, Troon.

We want to thank you so much for our wonderful stay at La Rota. From the moment we entered the house we knew that we were going to be spoiled. The wonderful scent of lavender that permeated the rooms was delightful! The attention to every detail to make one’s stay comfortable made us feel so pampered and so welcome. The books, the music, the terrific welcome platter were such a pleasant surprise - not to mention your great wine, which were all enjoyed immensely on the lovely patio. We were in awe of the gorgeous views and the almost constant songs of the birds. (Hope your rose is doing well!) We appreciated the decor which you obviously put much care and thought into. It was so comfortable. Our week at La Rota was everything that we had dreamed of when, so often, that is not the case.

Thank you so much for having shared your treasures at La Rota and also sharing Livia - she’s such a sweetheart! We would love to return one day.

Wayne and Christine Grimm, Victoria BC.

We found Podere La Rota to be a home from home of the highest quality (in fact we’d swap our home for the cottage in a flash). First impressions really do last and from the moment we stepped on to the patio we fell for the location in a big way...

I had planned to ask Clare to marry me whilst in Rome or maybe Florence, but one night as we sat on the patio watching an amazing sun set with a stunning view across the valley, I knew that no more romantic setting could be found anywhere in Italy. The big question was popped and thankfully (with no little help from the surroundings) Clare said yes. We found the cottage to be an ideal base for traveling around this beautiful part of the country or as a haven to escape the hustle and bustle of everyday life. We can’t wait to go back.

Andrew Young and Clare Turner, Billericay.