I had plenty of time to reflect when my husband and son watched World Cup
matches in our apartment at the delightful Borgo Grondaie in Sienna. It was
a far cry from the places we stayed when we first went back-packing in Tuscany
almost 20 years ago. In those days before the internet, Trip Advisor or countless
other travel forums, we simply booked our accommodation from recommendations
in the budget travellers bible Let's Go, often just phoning before we arrived. Some
places, like the Hotel Gronchi in Pisa had lots of charm, others we were glad to
check out of the next morning.
Nowadays I spend hours researching our trip on the internet before setting off
and value creature comforts such as air conditioning, television and private
bathrooms. The pool and beautiful grounds at the Borgo Grondaie were an added
bonus as we normally stay in city centre accommodation as we don't like to
drive on what is to us 'the wrong side of the road'.