Monday 14 June 2010

Summer is finally here in Tuscany

After a cold and very rainy start to 2010, warm weather has arrived in Tuscany. If you're planning your visit here, be sure to take into account the correlation between altitude and cool breezes. Air-conditioning is rare in Tuscany but the thick walls of the traditional Tuscan farmhouses act as giant heat sinks so that they cool down at night and little heat prenetrates inside during the day if the shutters are kept closed. If your accommodation is up in the Chianti hills, you'll have a refreshing base to return to after a hard day of sight-seeing. In addition, many "agriturismi" offer a swimming pool for the use of ther guests. For a really good deal, you best consider "owner direct" accommodation where you contact the onner of the property directly without an agent (and price mark up) between you and your Tuscany vacation rental. One of the best local websites in the whole of Tuscany is the Greve in Chianti website which not only displays a good range of holiday villas and vacation apartments, but a huge fund of information on what to see and do in Chianti.