Stay: Campo agli olivi, Radda in Chianti, Tuscany

Agriturismo is a chance to be able to live more like the local. Often in a local farmhouse not to far from a small town also known as a rural retreat. Many people opt for this chance as I have a couple of times. This year in Radda in chianti, Tuscany. Agriturismo often is classified as a farmhouse but not necessarily at a real farm at least not in Italy, but you will find many italian agriturismos at wine farms.

Our house was just an old farmhouse now converted into holiday apartments. Campo agli olivi has three apartments to let. One in the main building (where we stayed, this is the bigger one) and two in the oldest farm building which dates back to the 1300th. All three apartments are for 2/4 person as they all have 2 bedrooms. All apartments also come with their own private outer area and a common pool area.

The city center of Radda is up the hill 200 meters. In a good distance to both the mandatory gelato store and the many restaurants. The location is perfect in this matter.

This year my whole family were traveling together. The whole shebang. All 7, divided in to two groups we had two apartments. We got the big one called Oliva apartment.

On the day of arrival we was greeted by Nise, who runs the place. She lives on the upper floor of our apartment with her mother – la patron. Her mother a super cute Italian mama,  who gave us her whole life story – IN ITALIAN!. Did I mention that my italiano is poco? But none the less, I managed to understand that she was a widow, for over 40 years and raised her two little girl all by her self with no family. She told us that family is very important and that I should definitely get married – any time soon (this part is where my boyfriend cringes and my parents cry of laughter and nods in agreement) In addition to these things she also tells us how her beloved husband dies and that she just had an accident and ruined all of her teeth – W.O.W I guess my Italian is not that shabby after all.

I enjoyed my stay here for our fortnight but I have a few reservations that made the experience a little less enjoyable. As I said we were traveling together 7 people and one of them, a girl of 8 years. No need to say that she loved the pool area and would, if allowed be living in the water day and night. Children make noise, especially when playing. As do grown ups. I do not consider us a noisy group and we behaved well – not staying up all night, or making any uncomfortable with loud fights or such things. Still me managed to get hushed by, not only once but several times – mostly by the pool area. And the first story we got from the owner was that the previous “camper” have had 2 children that were all over and being noisy and difficult. How do you respond to that? My understanding after visiting is more like – they don’t have children of their own and may have forgotten that children make noise. Good noise, when playing. If this is such a big annoyance to them they probably should state so, that children is not wanted in their apartments. To be honest the neighbors dog made more and more often noise than we did. My parents have visited this apartments two years earlier and were quite shocked by the hushing and the unwillingness of the play. My sister got hushed to for splashing to loud! T. So to be said – if you are a couple in need of a quiet little place, this might be it. If you have children stay clear! If I ever go back to Radda I will never stay at this place again given the behavior of the owners. I would rather look into some of the hotels up i town. It looked like there were many nice ones there.