Comments from Guests:

1. An enchanting holiday house in a fantastic spot. A great time of year to visit. The children loved the proximity of the beach.

Margaret, Neil, Miriam and Lawrence – April 2008

2. What can we say but wow! Everything surpassed our expectations.

John, Jane, Simon & Maureen – May 2008

3. Wow! Beautiful house – unsurpassable views. Brilliant wildlife and magical fireflies.

John, Sue, Bruce, Gill – May 2008

4. This is a truly superb villa with a brilliant view. It was great to stay here. We were given total freedom. It was very relaxing and the hosts were very friendly.

Nottingham University Crew Massive – July 2008

5. La Lucertola is an amazing place – fabulous views and very relaxing. The house is wonderful. We enjoyed everything.

Jenny, Simon, Mike & Becky – June 2009

6. Tranquillité, vue imprenable sur la vallée de Pise et Livourne, parfums d’oliviers et chants des cigales rythment la vie dans cette maison bien équipée et sa piscine très appréciable en été.

Pascal, Caty, Jennifer, Alexis – August 2009

7. This place is so incredibly gorgeous. The view from the terrace and balconies is truly breathtaking. There is still so much to see here. We must return next year.

Tricia & Ken Barnsley & friends – September 2009

8. We loved the villa and the surrounding hills. This is truly one of the most beautiful places I have ever been to.

Kitty, David, Fran & Tony – October 2009

9. The views were amazing and I could draw a million pictures which were all different. This was a great holiday and I’ll never forget it.

Rosie – July 2009

10.  Our first holiday away (abroad) with the kids. Highlights – The kids acting as if they own the place straight away. The massive amount of sleep had by all. Feeling like we’ve had a proper holiday, quite something with 18 month twins!

The Carter Family – September 2009

11. Merci à Luisa, Colin et max de nous avoir accueillis dans ce havre de paix, de sérénité et de beauté. Nous avons découvert une superbe région, riche en couleurs, parfums, histoire, douceur de vivre…bref des vacances à la Dolce Vita!

Zoheir B – November 2009

Walking Lucca’s streets is a pleasure in itself, but no trip to the city would be complete without wandering part of the city walls – 2.5 miles in all – built in the 17th century as a defence against the Tuscan dukes. From their tree-lined ramparts you can enjoy panoramas over the pantiled rooftops, occasionally descending to explore sights such as the peaceful little Giardino Botanico in the city’s southeastern corner.

Lucca’s stunning Romanesque cathedral – Duomo di San Martino - is one of Tuscany’s architectural masterpieces.

Museo Nazionale di Villa Guinigi - at the eastern end of the town, has a major collection of sculpture, paintings; and archaeological fragments, including objects dating back to the Etruscan and Roman periods. Among the exhibits are works by:

• Jacopo della Quercia
• Matteo Civitali
• Fra Bartolomeo

and paintings by anonymous Sienese and Lucchese masters.

More paintings can be seen across the city in the Pinacoteca Nazionale, housed in the Palazzo Mansi, a wonderful rococo palace.

Lucca – with her immaculate medieval centre and exquisite boutiques is a 20 minute drive away from our farmhouses.

Illustrations:

Common Buzzard - Buteo buteo

Blackcap - Sylvia atricapilla

Chiffchaff - Phylloscopus collybita

Firecrest - Regulus ignicapillus

Golden Oriole - Oriolus oriolus

Montagu’s Harrier - Circus pygargus

Warbler - Sylvia cantillans

Source: Birding in Tuscany

Illustrations: Naturgeschichte der Vögel Mitteleuropas (1905)

La Lucertola – Farmhouses in Tuscany

Your name?

Luisa Riddiford

Your Location

Pisa

Please give us a short summary of your website.

Two Italian Tuscany farmhouses with pool, olive grove, views, eco friendly. Near coast, Pisa, Lucca and Florence.

What inspired you to launch your own website?

The need to communicate our excellent offering to the world.

When did you launch your first website?

Five years ago

How did you decide on a name for your website?

We wanted a unique name that reflects this magical place.

What makes your website different from other, similar offerings?

Great layout, easy navigation, good description, good photos

What is your eventual goal?

Keep it in perpetuity

How does your investment of time and money balance against your success?

Nicely. Energy in balanced by satisfaction of guests and revenues sufficient to meet obligations

If you had an unlimited development budget for development, how would you change your site?

Sound and film. Who knows .. maybe a blog?

What unexpected costs and headaches have you had to deal with?

Ensuring a reliable source and supply of water was very expensive. Making the road easily passable and safe was also very expensive.

What has been your biggest challenge?

The ongoing need to get it right and keep it right for all interested.

What method has been most successful for promoting your website?

Using good print sources as initial interest generators. Then to the site for conversion of interest to bookings. So, the better the site the easier and higher the conversion rate.

How has running your website differed from your expectations?

The realisation that to do a proper website you need a good head.

How long have you run the site already, and how long will you continue to keep it up?

This is a new updated and redesigned site. Same address.  Site will always be necessary even if we don’t see a big pick up in traffic as it is our brochure.

Source: Italy News – La Lucertola – Farmhouses in Tuscany Interview

Two lovely cottages in set on the slopes of Monti Pisani an environmentally protected area of outstanding natural beauty and tranquillity.

In spectacular countryside with year round beauty yet close to the art cities of Pisa and Lucca. Quick and easy access to the beaches and motorways for travel to Florence. Very comfortable, spacious and beautifully presented accommodation. Completely renovated olive grove farmhouses full of character in blissful location.

Amazing uninterrupted panoramic views as far as the eye can see – forest, field, The Leaning Tower of Pisa and The Mediterranean Sea. Eco friendly destination with solar powered houses, spring water fed to houses and swimming pool. Organic fruit and veg. Try your hand at home made pizzas in our original Pizza oven. Sit out at night under the stars – enjoy the fire flies and soft perfumed country air.

The country side here is beautiful all year round. Local eating and drinking is superb. There is a fine restaurant serving local cuisine just a 15 minute walk down the hill. There are many other good restaurants all nearby.
In Pisa and Lucca and the towns and villages around the restaurants are fabulous. The sightseeing is simply wonderful. On your doorstep and visible from your balcony is The Leaning Tower of Pisa. Lucca is real gem – and just a 15 minute drive away – a spectacularly beautiful city.

Nearby gems include Vinci (with the Leonardo Da Vinci Museum), Buti, Motecarlo, Lari, Vicopisano, Volterra, San Gimignano, Torre Del Lago and the Puccini Opera Festival. Fabulous sand dunes and beaches with restaurants and bars less than 30 minutes away. The unmissable Florence is just an hour away.

Around the houses the walking is wonderful. One can easily reach a castle and look out tower by walking forest nature trails and olive grove pathways.

Bikes can be easily hired from Lucca and offer a wonderful way to see the locality.

By Sian Mitchell

1. What was the most memorable or exciting part of your holiday?

We went this Easter with our one and five year olds. We loved watching our children running around the yard and olive groves, playing with Max and his friends and listening to the bells ringing form down below. Eating out in the sunshine and walking up the olive groves through the wild flowers were especially memorable. The farmhouse is in a great location to visit Pisa, Lucca and Florence. We really felt that we were able to relax and chill out for the week.

2. What tips would you give other travellers booking this holiday?

Transport is pretty essential. We hired a car from Pisa airport and drove there which took about 30 mins. Be aware that the driveway is steep and has 5 hairpin bends. our car coped well but a think that in bigger cars it can be a little hairy!! We were glad to arrive during the daytime! However – do not let this put you off. You gain some serious height and therefore get fabulous views down to Pisa, the surrounding countryside and ill and even the sea.

3. Did you feel that your holiday benefited local people, and minimized impacts on the environment?

The owners are very much part of the local community, and they run the farmhouse and land as ecologically as possible.

4. Finally, how would you rate your holiday overall?

A lovely escape to a fabulous region of Italy. The owners are very kind, friendly and accommodating. They have a special kind of energy – and lots of it which makes the stay so much more comfortable. The actual accommodation is very generous in size and very well equipped including an outside pizza oven and open fire in the kitchen. In the summer there is a pool which the children must adore. We would recommend visiting in spring/early summer if you have little children as the wild flowers are at their best and the temperatures are warm enough to eat outside but cool enough to enjoy visiting Florence, Pisa and Lucca.

By Nicholas Masucci

1. What was the most memorable or exciting part of your holiday?

Beautiful part of Italy, views fantastic, local places of interest very much seeing, lovely food; we particularly enjoyed visiting Lucca and Pisa as both were nearby and we went to both late afternoon/evening which was a good time to go with children.

2. What tips would you give other travellers booking this holiday?

Florence was quite far and very busy and hot, Vinci was worth visiting but again leave early to allow enough time. Enjoy the places nearby!

3. Did you feel that your holiday benefited local people, and minimized impacts on the environment?

Buying food and eating out is the usual benefit of tourism. We hired a car so we didn’t minimise our impact on the environment!

4. Finally, how would you rate your holiday overall?

Four stars, the location was great and it was a bonus to have a pool. Great views and peaceful place to be. Good for children, especially the smaller ones.

By Jacqueline Birt

1. What was the most memorable or exciting part of your holiday?

Picking the juiciest oranges I’ve ever come across from the trees outside our cottage, cycling round the medieval city walls of Lucca, eating too much ice cream, looking down onto San Gimignano from one of the towers, the kids climbing olive trees in the grove around the cottage….I can’t choose just one!

2. What tips would you give other travellers booking this holiday?

This is a wonderful place for a family holiday. Luisa, Colin and their son Max (the family who own the two holiday cottages on the farm) are wonderfully generous and welcoming people, and we really enjoyed staying with them. The views from the cottage are amazing – throw open the shutters in the morning and gaze across the olive groves to the valley below with the leaning tower of Pisa in the distance – just fantastic! The olive grove was a wonderful place for the kids to play – climbing trees, playing games, letting off steam and seeing nature close-up. The farm is midway between Pisa and Lucca, both about 20 mins drive away. We enjoyed exploring both, but especially Lucca, which had an amazing atmosphere (despite a lack of parking spaces!). Renting bicycles for a lap of the city walls was a perfect way to spend the afternoon for adults and kids alike!

3. Did you feel that your holiday benefited local people, and minimized impacts on the environment?

The cottages have solar panels on the roof; the water comes from a private spring; fruit (amazing oranges!), salad and herbs are available to be picked by guests from the gardens; and the waste is re-cycled, so hopefully the environmental impact is as small as possible. We certainly ate-out a lot in small, family-owned restaurants.

4. Finally, how would you rate your holiday overall?

The holiday was just what we were looking for. The cottage was wonderful – perched on a steep hillside (6 hairpin bends to negotiate on the way up through the olive grove!) with fantastic views. The children were constantly entertained by the nature around them. The accommodation made a practical base for exploring northern Tuscany, with Pisa and Lucca very close by. Florence was only an hour away by toll-road. We also did a couple of day-trips to Vinci and San Gimignano (worth it, despite being quite a long drive).

‘What a fantastic way to finish our amazing honeymoon. Thanks for your contribution to our wonderful memories.’ – Wendy & Andy Townsend

‘It has been lovely to sit out on the terrace enjoying the wonderful view and just letting the world go by. The house has been spacious & comfortable and very easy to feel at home in quickly.’ – The Ffitch Family

‘Days spent in a rush to visit sights are best interspersed with time spent – at home’ – chilling out on the terrace drinking the local produce, complemented with fresh herbs/fruit from the garden.’ – Colin & Roz

‘The walk to the top of the olive grove is a must, but take binoculars. What a place to relax and rest.’ – Chris, Jean & Margaret

‘The kids loved the pizzas made in the oven and laughed when the adult pizzas were burnt – I guess practice makes perfect in everything!’ -
The Corcoran Family

‘We have had the most wonderful two weeks – a glimpse of heaven’ -
Peter, Ged, Hazel & Tina

‘The house is gorgeous – even the boys were loathe to leave it!’ -
The Bradshaw Family

‘No suggestions – it’s perfect’ – Paul & Michela Stepto

‘We will return – how could we not come back to a find like this’ - Midge, Mick, Clare & Emma

‘House was perfect – pizza oven was a real hit. Great locality for many things and so relaxing – even for a family of six!’ – Rose, Mick, Joe,Sam, Callum & Connie