Casalone is a perfect retreat, providing complete privacy and tranquility in the beautiful Tuscan hills. The house and kitchen are incredibly well equipped, with everything you could possibly need. Although it's clearly loved by its owners you don't feel like you're intruding - quite the contrary - you get the sense they're keen for others to enjoy this truly special place as much as they do. It's the perfect environment in which to wind down and relax (which I find very hard to do!). The garden, terrace and pool are incredibly hard to tear yourself away from, even just to pop into Greve for provisions (don't miss the Falorni butcher shop in the old square - even as a vegetarian I couldn't help but marvel at it (there's also a cheese room, bistro and wine tasting).

As we didn't want to drive in the evenings and there were seven of us to cook for, we treated ourselves to two meals catered in, organised by the ever-helpful Ester. One was hosted by a chef and a sommelier from a restaurant in Florence, with wine pairing. The other was by Ester herself, who went to enormous lengths to ensure everyone's dietary requirements were catered for. Both were utterly fabulous and unforgettable. Highly recommended! The cost per head was equivalent to a decent restaurant but with the added comfort of our own wonderful surroundings. In Greve there's a takeaway/delivery pizzeria (Non Solo Pizza on the main road opposite the Co-op) that's excellent value for money (5 to 6 euro for a huge, delicious pizza), which was perfect for an easy night of quaffing Aperol spritz on the terrace without having to cook.

As you can gather, this was a foodie trip for us as we'd already visited the area several times before to see all the sights. The roads are very windy and getting anywhere takes longer than you think it will. Having said that, we did go to Florence, San Gimignano and Monteriggioni as members of our party hadn't been, but we will return to Casalone and simply spend most of our time there. The owner (Barclay) and Ester are so lovely and helpful that you're made to feel very welcome and comfortable.

I wholeheartedly agree with the comments made by previous reviewers and have tried to share different information. We had such a good time and were so bowled over by it that it's almost tricky to know where to start and not repeat what others have already said. Every day I daydream about a return visit.