Hikers, bikers, golfers, couples and families fall in love with this place; many vow to return. The old stone farmhouse on its grassy terrace oversees the Mugello valley and the Apenines beyond, and the views are marvellous. There are many terraces from which to catch them, and the discreet pool lies just below, next to a field of horses. Warm, charming German Petra, for whom nothing is too much trouble, lives in one part of the building while the guests’ quarters occupy the first floor. This big old house has a wonderfully warm, woody, homely feel with its white walls, chestnut beams, country antiques, original shutters. And there’s a great slab of wood, a carpenter’s bench, on which breakfast is laid out: local cheeses, hams, eggs, yogurts, homemade breads, just-baked cakes. Along with the bedrooms are a sitting room with a book-lined mezzanine, a cool red drinks-stocked fridge and an espresso machine. Shop and eat in little Vicchio or hop in the car to Florence, then back to fresh, simple and traditional rooms with white pique bedspreads, superb bathrooms, and headboards made from beautiful old waxed doors.
