Getting out of Santa Marinella for Tuscany

Instead of “enjoying the morning on the beach” as we had planned. We decided to get out of Santa Marinella as soon as possible. Josh and the girls made a quick escape, driving down to Fiumicino to return our leased car, and pick up a new rental. Avery and I stayed behind with a few of the geriatrics at the hotel. We didn’t even bother going to the “beach” since it was windy and the water was rough.

It was after noon by the time we had the new car loaded up and were on our way. Even though we were heading to Tuscany and could probably have managed to find some great, off the beaten path restaurant for a full lunch, the vote was to stop at the Autogrill for a quick panini. I was disappointed, but went along with the majority.

Of course, as a result of our brief lunch break, we arrived at our villa while the housekeepers were still there getting the place ready. Still, the kid changed into their bathing suits and went to the pool.

View from the Master Bedroom looking over the lawn and the apartments

The house is situated on a large piece of property, just outside of Marsiliana. There is a large grass area off the back terrace. To the right, the former stables, have been converted into two apartments. The pool, which is located beyond the lawn on another field, is shared with the occupants of the two apartments. The owner had explained to us when we visited in April that one of the apartments is rented by an Italian family year-round and they generally come up on the weekends. Today, that family along with some of their guests were present at the pool - and not all too friendly. The area surrounding the estate is beautiful. To one side there are vineyards, to the other, the hillside. The views from the upstairs bedrooms in particular are awesome.

After swimming for a bit, the villa was ready and so we moved our luggage inside. The girls watched TV while Avery, Josh and I ventured out to the grocery store. There is a small market in Marsiliana -- about 3 km away. There is not much else in the town besides the market, a post office, a hardware store and a couple of bars. It became clear that we will need to venture further for a better grocery store. We are really in the sticks here – but it’s tranquil.

I cooked up some dinner and we ate outside. I was sore and my back hurt. The kids were also tired. Silva, the estate manager came by, along with a local girl who would be our babysitter while we are here. I was glad to be in a place where we could now settle in for a time; but it had been a long day.