Several years ago I had the absolute privilege of getting to travel through Italy with a horse friend of mine. I went by myself, I didn’t have my parents or family with me and I went for two and a half weeks. While we were in Italy I got the privilege to see the Leaning Tower of Pisa (for a couple of minutes at least), Florence, Siena, Rome, a Italian Emergency Room and the coast. It was an incredible journey that I plan to relive once I graduate college. One place in Italy that has stuck with me throughout my years since being in Italy was a charming bed and breakfast called il Paretaio.
The Charming Bed and Breakfast: il Paretaio
The first two weeks that I was in Italy I spent in the beautiful Tuscan valley at a quaint bed and breakfast called il Paretaio. il Paretaio was everything that you would think of when thinking of a bed and breakfast. The rooms were homey, the food was drool worthy, and the views would take your breath away. Every time I think about going back to Italy, I know that without a doubt I would stay here. The bed and breakfast was small and family run which gave to its charm.
The Horses:
The bed and breakfast not only provided you with the option of trail rides horseback, wine tastings, and yoga by the pool but also with professional horseback riding lesson. You can all probably guess by now that the reason that we originally picked this bed and breakfast was for the horseback riding lessons. The owners of the bed and breakfast were professional dressage trainers that had incredible talent. I spent two weeks riding once and sometimes twice a day on horses that were so welled trained it was a wonder that beginner riders weren’t professionals by the time they left!
The Food and Location:
If you aren’t a horse lover don’t worry. Because of the incredible location of the bed and breakfast you could easily take day trips around Italy. While I stayed at il Paretaio, I visited the Leaning Tower of Pisa, Florence, Siena and the coast. No matter your reason or desires for visiting Italy, I have no doubt in my mind that this bed and breakfast will be in the perfect location for your travels.
This bed and breakfast ruined me for at least the following year when it came to food. The food was so good it was hard to go back to “normal Italian” that we find in the US. Everyday I looked forward to eating the delicious meals that were homemade daily. Not only that, but the deserts were to die for. Literally. I’m sure by the time that I left I had gained 10 pounds but it was well worth it! For those of you who are vegetarian, fear not, they accommodate food allergies and food preferences and that food looked just as good as everything else.
Friendships:
The quaint charm of the bed and breakfast drew many people from near and far. While I stayed in this incredible bed and breakfast I met people from the UK, Germany, Canada, US and so on. Not only did I simply meet these people, but I became friends with them. They are the reason that I had such an incredible journey through Italy. The company is what make or breaks a vacation and I can assure you, the company found at il Paretaio is top notch.
In order to grasp a true Italian vacation you must first embrace yourself in their culture and there is no better place to do this then at il Paretaio. Maybe I’ll even see you there in the future! Happy travels!
That sounds like a lovely place to stay!
It was! It gives you a great sense of the culture while traveling! And of course, the food was out of this world! 🙂
Beautiful!! I am all about food when I am on vacation and this sounds like the perfect place for me.
I get it! I am a total foodie too, you will not be disappointed with the food here.