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Customers' Reviews on 'Tuscan Base':

A spacious house that has a lovely ambiance. It is in an excellent location for visiting Florence, Pisa and Lucca.
The pretty village of Nozzano has plenty of interesting walks, with a good restaurant and a delightful bakery amongst other things.
The house is very clean and tastefully decorated. The bedrooms are large with comfortable beds and plenty of wardrobe space.
It also comes with a well equipped kitchen and dining area.
Again the bathroom is very clean with a superb shower.
The house and garden have everything you need to make your stay a relaxing and enjoyable visit.
The owner is very pleasant and helpful speaking both Italian and English.
​Sue.  UK.
Had a lovely stay.  In a beautiful small town with a castle.  Very close to a lot of places and close enough to Luca to be able to travel to nearby places.  Won't ever get bored!  J B. Wiltshire, UK.
I have had a wonderful stay in this very spacious, lovely home.  I will definitely be back.  Perfect vacation.  DC. Frome, UK.
We have spent 3 enjoyable weeks, plenty of fun and unforgettable moments.  We have loved Lucca and among obviously other things to visit we reommend the best gelato in Bonto Gelato.  Thanks specially to Dorothy for being able to say in her comfortable house. 
C, D, A & F.  Barcelona, Spain. 2018.
We have had a wonderful two weeks and thank you for making your home so welcoming  We have enjoyed exploring Lucca and Pisa and relaxing on the beaches too in Forte dei Marmi and Darsena, Viareggio.  The opera in Torre de Lago was fabulous and a trip to Sienna for the Palio very memorable.  S, S, S and SK. Winchester, UK 2016
We had a great holiday here - our favourite bits: the pools in the mountain stream near Forno (Massa), cycling along the wall at Lucca, Lucca in general, and the village - fabulour restaurant, friendly and delicious bakery, characterful bar.  D, L, A, E, H & MC Devon, UK 2015
Enjoyed our stay very much and sketched alot.  Weather could have been kinder, two lovely days but the wind!  Loved Nozzano and Lucca is delightful.  Going home a few pounds heavier after six dinners at Il Borghetto!  R, J and N.  Bath, UK. 2013
'Beautiful country, beautiful people, beautiful language, Perfect Vacation'  CD, Montreal. 2013
We had a wonderful stay at Nozzano, finding the town just the perfect balance between being in a small town setting but close to the major city of Lucca.The house had large,spacious rooms, especially the living room and master bedroom. The kitchen was compact, like many European houses and very well equipped ( good variety of knives, pots and pans). The private garden had a nice variety of flowers, vines ( some jasmine,which smelt amazing) and herbs. A little oases after a busy day touring. Dorothy provided a wide range of written material about the areas to visit nearby and general reading about Tuscany. She made herself available should any questions arise but none did. Her requests, to reduce household expenses, 
(heating the water tank) were reasonable and easy to accommodate. We hope others visit your town and enjoy the local fine dinning and the delicious food at "II Borghetto " Their fish dishes were "to die for". Thanks Dorothy .  Jack D. from Canada. 2012
'We had a lovely week at Tuscanbase. The house is very comfortable and well equipped, in a quiet location, We used public transport to get around, which was not too difficult once we got used to the Italian timetables. During our weeks stay we became very attached to the pretty village of Nozanno, and we found the locals friendly and helpful, particularly in the one or two minor crises. The weather was beautiful while we were there in late March/early April - warm and sunny most of the time. Our recommendation for places to see would definitely include the spa town of Montecatini - a beautiful town with several spas, and from Montecatini Alto there are beautiful views over the Tuscan countryside. A great week, a lovely place. Thank you'.  B & PH from Manchester, UK 2012
"We go home tomorrow with lovely memories of a wonderful, memorable holiday. Thank you Dorothy for making us welcome in your lovely home and for the things about where to go and what to see. Despite the heat (40++), we have packed a lot in - Pisa and Lucca of course, cycling round the walls at Lucca. The mountain pools at Guadine cool and refreshing and today the beach near Viareggio, with a meal booked tonight at Il Borghetto. We found the house provided us with all our needs, including the Vape machines (anti-mosquito) and lots of fans, even an air-conditioner. Wonderful! family L. Aug2011"
 
"What a fantastic holiday - thank you so much Dorothy for all your kindness. You were always on hand yet never intrusive. Poppys toys were a joy - our 4 kids loved them. Your house is more beautiful than we could have imagined. We hope to come back in the next two years. Regards B" 2011   
"The house is very well equipped, more to the standards of a home than a rental property (for example plenty of crockery, cutlery and kitchen utensils) and provides a sensibly priced base for exploring this part of Italy. 2011
Value: Good,   Met expectations: Yes – satisfied,   Recommend: Yes,   
Overall: Good  
"An excellent Tuscan base. Nice village and well located for Lucca, Pisa, Florence and coastal resorts. Lovely house, well kitted out. Loads of local information provided. Thanks to Dorothy for the great tips on where to go. The kids loved all the toys. A real home from home. Would recommend"
Value: Excellent,   Met expectations: Exceeded them,   Recommend: Definitely,   
Overall: Excellent                    2011
"A beautiful house in an peaceful village. We really enjoyed our 2 weeks and could not have asked for a better base for exploring Tuscany.Dorothy the owner was always on hand to advise and recommend both during the planning stages prior to our arrival and during our time in her lovely house. The house met all our expectations, we found everything we needed for our time there including toys and dvds for our children,stairgate,baby seat etc. We greatly appreciated the basket of essentials on arrival late into the night-Thank you Dorothy for your thoughfulness. We will definately return!" 
Value: Excellent,   Met expectations: Yes – satisfied,   Recommend: Definitely,   
Overall: Excellent                     2011.
"What a wonderful week we have had here. Very welcoming house with lots of supplies (really well stocked kitchen!) - lovely bottle of wine and friendly host. Its been a great base for us to explore Tuscany. Local restaurant is fantastic. Extensive sampling shows gelati in Barga was the best for us. Restaurant Adriana on right side of road to Lucca also fantastic! Thanks for a great stay here! S H, S &Z (Sept 2009)"   
"We have all really enjoyed our visit here. Nozzano Castello is truly beautiful and we were very lucky to be here during the annual medieval festival - it was great fun! We also managed very successfully to tour around this part of Tuscany without a car and really loved the walk back from the train station in the evenings as the view of the town from there is breathtaking! Like many of your other visitors we adored your local restaurant - the food there is devine. We also made use of the local bread shop in the square, the butcher and the touring fish van man and vegi van. And thanks for leaving out Poppy's toys, they helped to keep 'S' entertained! Best of Luck, A,I,S & C (Sept 09)"  
"A beautifully situated house, just on the outskirts if Lucca. We travelled by bus and train, but we would probably hire a car next time. The house is beautifully decorated, with a very pretty garden. Dorothy was very helpful, and was always on hand with any questions/queries that we had. We would definitely recomment the welcome basket, especially after a long journey!!! We would definitely recommend this holiday to friends and family, and hope to return in the near future!" Aug 2009
Value: Excellent,   Met expectations: Exceeded them,   Recommend: Definitely,   
Overall: Excellent 
"We have had a super time - been all over the place. Florence & Lucca well worth a visit. Go up into the mountains for breathtaking scenery. All local beaches are super and great for young children. Local pizzeria is of a very high standard. The only downside to our holiday were those pesky mozzies!! Keep spraying the VAPE! J, L, H, A & L Aug 2009 (Cambridge, UK)"  



"Thank you for making us so welcome and providing lots of great information and great advice - much appreciated. The local restaurant in particular is excellent Ɠ visits!), the girls would like to say a special thank you your advice on beaches - Viareggio and Lido di Camaiore are fantastic - also a big thanks to Poppy for sharing her toys! Best wishes for the future. J, R, R &C (June 2009)"  
"We have had a fantastic holiday in Tuscany - the house has been perfect. It ha been a great location to explore Lucca, Pisa and Florence. Thanks for all your advice and suggestions - the 'White Sands' beach and Mountain Pools at Massa were amazing! We would recommend 'Antica Osteria del Sole' pizzeria in Montelupo - great pizza! Spray the VAPE for hassle free al fresco dining. S, E, W & J Aug 2009 (Norfolk, UK)" 

"Thanks for a fantastic Tuscan Holiday! Your house and Nozzano Castello were beautiful and was the perfect base for our adventures. We are all heading back to London feeling very relaxed and even have a bit of colour back in our skin! Thanks for all of your help in getting around and we loved the local restaurant. We will be back next year! (J, B, C & T. 2008. New Zealand)"  
"Nozzano Castello and its surroundings have certainly made an impression on us, we can't wait to return! Thank you so much to Dorothy and to Poppy for all your advice, and help in our medical hour of need! Viareggio is a must, as is a bike ride around Lucca's walls. We're now packed for the next leg of our journey, Perugia! We'll keep you updat ed. S&I , Chester, UK (July 2009)"  


"Thank you so much for making us extremely welcome, and you made us feel very much at home. Your home is lovely, and would not hesitate to come back again. (V&B Stilling. 2008. UK)" 

"We all had a wonderful stay here, the house was lovely and thank you both for a lovely welcome and making us feel at home. We visited many places, including the busy town of Pisa, and Pistoia is a very interesting place to visit. The local cafe/pub is very friendly (beside the Post Office). Staying near Barga next week, so it will be a change and hopefully just as nice as here! (family Graham. 2008. Scotland),"  
"We had an enjoyable holiday at Nozzano Castello, which is ideally situated for exploring beautiful Tuscany. The house itself was comfortable, we paid for the welcome basket, which was superb and much appreciated - thank you Dorothy!. The advice and information packs provided by Dorothy are excellent and invaluable. As were all the extras for the children, such as travel cot, bed guard, stairgates and highchair not forgetting the toys and DVDs - thank you Poppy. Bedrooms are spacious, the kitchen has everything and more that you could possibly need and the front room had a large tv, hifi, dvd etc. Lucca is only a few miles away, with lots of amenities, and the local supermarket has a vast array of food (and other luxuries!) at similar prices to the UK. There is an Italian restaurant within a 2 minute walk, which we found to serve amazing food with superb service. All in all we enjoyed our first taste of Tuscany, and exploring the area, with still lots to see, and found the house to be good base and good value for money." June 2009.
Value: Good,   Met expectations: Yes – satisfied,   Recommend: Yes,   
Overall: Good. 
"A lovelly typical tuscan town house, the middle two stories of which make up the holiday home. Access is via a private shaded garden where we sat and chatted through the hottest part of the day. One end of the garden is the foot of the shear wall up to the castle. The house has all the charm and character for which we hoped, plus a large telly with "Sky" for the children. Dorothy the owner lives close by and was on hand to be helpful (with advice or translations etc), though never at all intrusive. Dorothy, you are a star. Its about 4 miles into the beautiful medieval walled city of Lucca which we visited most evenings to listen to the players and singers and perhaps enjoy a glass of juice (?). Half an hour to the airport or tower at Pisa, less than an hours drive to Florence and a bit over the hour to San Giminiano. All very much worth the treck. Its possible to get by without a car as Nozzano is well served with buses and even a railway station, but there were six of us so we hired a car. We thouroughly recommend this house, this village, the area, the country. DS 8/08
Value: Excellent,   Met expectations: Exceeded them,   Recommend: Definitely,   
Overall: Excellent 
 
"A lovely house in a lovely village only a few miles away from Lucca. Very clean and ample room for me, my wife and two little boys. It really was like a home from home and as it rained most of the time we were in Italy we were so grateful to have such a home – because it did not matter about the weather. The bedrooms were - as was the living room – very comfortable. The Sky Tv and DVD’s kept the boys amused early in the day. Dorothy – the owner – was at hand to advise us on everything and even took the boys with her and her dear daughter Poppy to the local Halloween Party giving us a few hours rest. Nozzano was a great base for us less than half an hour from Pisa and only a few minutes from Lucca where there were regular trains to Florence. You have to try the local restaurant in Nozzano - only a stone’s throw from the house with good food and a good Italian welcome. By the end of our week we had become friends with Dorothy and our boys loved their time playing with Poppy. In all we had a fantastic time in Italy and so glad we chose this house as our accommodation for the week" Value: Good,   Met expectations: Yes – satisfied,   Recommend: Definitely,  
Overall: Excellent                          2008.
"Thank you for a very lovely stay at your wonderful house. It's truly a perfect place for visiting some of the most interesting places in Tuscany. Pisa & Firenze are very beautiful - bit crowded in the season. In Lucca you don't feel the tourist pressure that hard - and its a very charming city. A trip to the Aquapark in Cesina was needed (for the girls). For dinner we can fully recommend Il Borghetto especially their dinner "a la casa". Finally we can fully recommend your charming house and thank you very much for your kindness and good advice. Best wishes, M, M, E and P. Denmark." 2008 





Dear Dorothy - thank you so much for the warm welcome we received upon arrival. We enjoyed a wonderful week in beautiful Tuscany - Cinque Terre, Florence, Lucca, San Gimminiano - it was all worth coming back for. Warm greeting from Norway!
 ( Family B. 2007)"   
"Dorothy, we have had a lovely holiday here in Tuscany. Your house is ideal and genuine Italian in style. We loved it!! Pisa and Florence were beautiful. We also visited nearby beaches at Torre de Lago and Viareggio. However, the boys found the swimming pool just down the road to be great fun with its slide and diving facilities. Cost of living here is very reasonable and we highly recommend your house as a base for exploring Tuscany. By the way Nozzano Castello is a charming and friendly village and Lucca is a beautiful town. Best wishes J, J, C and S. Ireland."  






"What a superb week we have ad, really enjoyed everything about it and of course excellent weather. Thanks for your kindness to us. We would certainly like to come back again sometime. (Dunne family. 2007. UK)" 
"Wonderful welcome, beautiful house, lovely village and not enough days! Despite broken arm and local transport we went everywhere we had planned. Easy reach of Pisa, Viareggio and Florence - all worth a visit or two, especially Florence. Thank you for your kindness and advice - and Poppy for the shells! Love to come back - so much more to see!! We really think that Nozzano is a real gem and by are the prettiest village we have seen. We hope the new visitors enjoy the stay as much as we did. Finally, we would fully recommend anyone to stay in your Tuscan Base and enjoy a beautiful part of the world. (Watkins family, 2007. UK)" 
"We have had an excellent time here, the house is lovely, beautifully furnished and with our every need met. Thank you for your kindness and advice to us and for all the holiday information. This part of Tuscany is very beautiful and with lots to see and do. We wish you both, Dorothy and Poppy, best wishes in the future. (Clingan family. 2007. Ireland.)" 
" We have had a wonderful week here, thank you both for making us all feel so welcome and at home. It's a great location - we have loved visiting Lucca, the beach and Pisa, and there is much more we couldn't fit in. Florence had a lovely time with the garden and Poppy's toys... and when she is happy, we are happy! Pizzas from Il Borghetto are great for a night in and Villa Bongi is a superb restaurant - very hightly recommended for future guests. C, R and F. London."  
"We have had an excellent time, the house is fantastic, E so wants Poppy's room!! Location is great, so many things to see, unfortunately not enough days - there is always next year. (West family. 2007. UK)" 



"We really enjoyed our stay in the Tuscany area, and we would like thank you your kindness Dorothy, just as much as we would like to think that we've found a second home here in this lovely place. We wish you all the best. Family Kormos. 2007. (from Budapest)"