Buonconvento (villa in Tuscany)

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Last week, we spent four nights with Joanne, a lovely and lively SERVAS host in a villa in Buonconvento, Tuscany. Her house has a stone date of 1731, but Joanne has found records of a “building” from at least a hundred years before....most likely a building for animals. Today, it is a traditional 2 story home that shares a courtyard with two other owners.

A vintner occupies the largest home and she not only produces wine, but teaches cooking classes. The wine is GUASPARINO (Fattoria Resta) and we have to say that it was one of the BEST red wines we have ever tasted. She often gives a leftover from the cooking class half bottle to Joanne, who shared it with us.

This is a second home for Joanne, who holds three passports: English (birth), Canadian (childhood and young adult) and Italian (marriage and children). Although the whole family often came when the children were younger, now it is generally Joanne.

About four years ago, Joanne started hiking, and in the last couple of years, has hiked most of the Camino de Santiago, at various times...including The French Way (Camino Frances) and Via Francigena to Rome. (For more details, check out Wikipedia)....

So, not only were we there, but so were three others: Alessandro, who spoke NO English, Carmen, who spoke some, and Maria, who was pretty good...Maria has traveled to so many places, including leading tours to Nepal and India...Joanne, Carmen, and Maria know each other from a book group. All of them, from time to time, are volunteers at hostels along the Camino...so it was pretty interesting.

Even Bill is getting interested in hiking the Camino...it could be a challenge, for sure.

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