My girlfriend and I stayed at Castello di Pastine last week. A perfect experience! We were welcomed by Guido after a long drive. Guido answered every question we had about our sightseeing trip into Siena and our plan for biking.
He gave us maps and advice for the rest of the days suggesting the right place to see. His maps were better than our GPS on my iPhone!
We were led to the mansarda, beautifully decorated in warm Tuscan colors. The view from the terrace was simply amazing!
After we settled in, Guido told us of a little deli nearby to get some food that we asked about. The dinner at "Il Paese dei Campanelli" was wonderful. We had appetizers, a delicious bistecca and we got a special Chianti wine. We could have stayed there forever.
The next day we experienced our first breakfast in the kitchen, It was lovely! After that the first bike ride: such a wonderful experience. Only few cars and a special sightseeing to Certaldo.
Val d'Elsa is our lovely place to stay and seeing the beautiful Tuscan hills just outside our terrace or from the wonderful garden would have sufficed, but these people, Guido and his family, greatly exceeded our expectations.
I've been several times in Toscana, and this is the only place I'II warmly recommend!
