Travel
honored to have the opportunity
to make a few of my own.
Gregarious and animated, Lido
showed me around the estate. Two
large houses and a massive swimming
pool were set amongst the Tuscan
hills. It was mid-October, and many
of the trees wore their fall colors of
gold and orange, though some still
carried fruit. The verdant grass was
peppered with fallen leaves and a
r mainin
i
o r
ar in
one of the property’s boundaries
was a river that trickled over a
ro y
Th o in
at r a
the only discernible sound, until the
nearby Bacchereto church bells
marked the hour.
A thousand years ago, the villa
where I would stay was a public mill.
Powered by the property’s river, the
swimming pool once served as the
mill’s water reservoir. A far cry from
its humble beginnings, since Lido and
his family lovingly took the 3,200
square foot rock structure and
transformed it into a luxurious villa,
being careful not to detract from
its original charm. The home retains
much of its original character while
catering to discerning, modern-day
guests.
Between a wine trip to Chianti,
lazily lounging around the villa
and attending a chestnut festival
in Bacchereto, my three nights at
the Old Mill passed far too quickly.
Before I left, however, Lido,
Giovanna and Federica invited me
to their Sunday lunch.
As I sat at their dining room table,
a seemingly never-ending parade of
dishes arrived piping hot from the
kitchen. Heaping spoonfuls of Italian
goodness were piled onto my plate
and bottles of wine were opened.
The liveliness of the conversation,
picturesque setting, Tuscan reds,
homemade limoncello and the
feeling of family made me never
want to leave.
My time in Venice and Tuscany gave
me the kind of interactions that
I crave most as a traveler, ones
that can only be found by staying in
someone’s house. Both Passpartout
om
r a o y a any
star hotel room. What they lacked in
turn-down service was made up for
in genuine hospitality. In Italy, I felt
like I was home. And for me, that’s
the ultimate in luxury.
65