Destination: A Tuscan Farmhouse by Jim Langford

This past July, my wife and I had the pleasure of spending two weeks in Italy's Tuscan region. Our center of operations was a renovated two-story, six-bedroom farmhouse that had been built in the 13th century as a monastery in the village of Terontola, approximately five kilometers from the picturesque mountain town of Cortona.

Villa Sant'Andrea has had many lives these past 800 years. It onced housed a leper colony and at one time it was a thriving bed and breakfast inn. The current owners have turned it into a haven for tourists that is not only a fabulous retreat to return to each evening, but it also is an idyllic escape that serves as a hideaway your clients might just never want to leave. Our party certainly didn't want to leave and we could have stayed forever. Until our money ran out, of course. This was a true vacation. I don't think that
farmhouse has seen as much joy or heard as much laughter as it experienced from our party during those two weeks in July.

What we referred to as the great room or living room looked north towards Florence. A swimming pool, approximately 50 yards from the house also looked north and gave us a good excuse for late afternoon swims and drinks by the pool.

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