If you are anything like us, food and festas are an important component to daily pleasure, for a comprehensive listing of the festas in our region check out the list at the end of our Blog and if you are looking for Great Italian Food when you look at Villas for rent in Tuscany then La Collina del Sole will not dissapoint, and if you are looking for typically local food while in your Holiday Villas in Lucca then yet again you have struck gold ! For the Best Italian food we suggest, Trattoria di Bonini Pier in Via Monteperpoli 147 – Monteperpoli 55032 their telephone is 0583 639 425 and 0583 62210, This Trattoria is HIGHLY RECCOMENDED. They are just completing a total refurbishment of the exterior and interior [ to a stone and bick finish ] They have an excellent and amazingly reasonable lunch menu for approximately € 10, including house wine ! There also have the most amazing a la carte dinning which is best appreciated in the evening in the downstairs restaurant. A handful of our favorites are homemade Linguini with Truffles when in season, Tagliatta of Beef with Grilled vegetables, all the game dishes are exceptional. The owner has an impressive list and knowledge of wines which are also well priced. The cost of an a la carte meal is approximately Euro 25, plus wine. It is closed on Tuesdays. To get there allow 20 minutes drive from the best Villa rentals in Tuscany you very own La Collina del Sole drive towards Castelnuovo, however just before the bridge into town and just after the FIAT garage, turn sharp left towards Paleroso and Monteperpoli, keep left and driving uphill towards Paleroso, you will see it on your left, it has a limited car park.

For an accessible “ Slow Food” experience only a 20 minute drive from La Collina del Sole when you rent a villa in Tuscany we suggest Il Pozzo in Pieve Fosciana, Via Europa 2 /A, their telephone is 0583 66 63 80. It has the BEST antipasto [mixed starter] dish in the area. Giordano and Maurizio founded Il Pozzo in 1985 and have formed part of the “Slow Food” movement from its inception. Their Menu Degustation has home-made pasta, home grown vegetables and herbs. Their list of approximately 120 Italian wines includes some from Lucca, Tuscany and further afield. They are passionate about the origins of the food they prepare and have won several awards. Il Pozzo has great food and good ambience any time of year, usually busy but capacious. They close on Wednesdays apart from August when they open seven days a week.

For a Fantastic experience of Local specialties in a truly local and very charming setting we suggest Trattoria del Pescatore in Lago Isola Santa, their Telefones are 0583 639408 & 333 709 5763 which is a mobile. Set in the heart of the Marble Hills a 50 minute drive from La Collina del Sole . Gabrielle Matzei set up his own small restaurant in Isola Santa a small village part of which he has restored and brought back to life. Specialties include local truffle which is sold very reasonably and Funghi Porcini, for mushroom lovers this restaurant is a must. He also has a permit you will need to buy if you want to fish for the succulent local trout of the lake. He is one of the most gifted cooks of the area and has had extensive write ups in gastronomic magazines including “Bon Apetit”. For his website check out www. anticoborgoisolasanta.it

Buon Apetito ! and now for festas ... Gallicano is hosting the gastronomic event called Il Pane e le Rose from the 14 to the 24 of June. San Romano hosts the tradicional "throw of Cheese rounds" on the 17th of June in Orzaglia San Romano Trassilico is hosting on the 17th of June a cultural and musical, street artist filled astronomy related gastronomic event; the mind boggles ! Pieve Fosciana has a Gastronomic feast in the historic centre of town on 17th of June For something different you could join the 31st Alpine pilgrimage on the 17th of June at Monte Argegna in Minucciano. In Silano however you have the festa of their patron saint Sant Antonio on the 17th. Also on the 17th you can visit the house of the Befana in Pegnana , Barga and if you are late for that, fear not, on the 23and 24there is a Gastronomic delight in the same town Pruno in Stazzema hosts from the 20 to the 24 of June the "sentieri di Pietra" event with more culture, music, astonomy and ... you got it FOOD Piazza al Serchio hosts a musical event entitled "Notte Bianca" on the 23rd of June On the 23rd of June you can also visit Gramolazzo in the region of Minucciano and join them in their yearly festa, dancing food and fun guatanteed OR go to Pian di Correglia in Correglia Antelminelli and join a "western" themed festa ... the choice is yours!