Sunshine, apricots, a spa day and night markets...

It's been another warm month...  most probably a bit too hot for a few days if I'm honest (as seen in the news all over the world!). But we're back to more manageable temperatures now so all good.  

We've been busy at Casa Leana, the plants and grass have stopped growing to some degree so most of our time now is spent watering trying to keep everything alive!  The garden still looks lovely and we bought some new garden furniture in the sales for the top patio - it really sets off that area and we're delighted with the result and our guests love it too. 

We had a group arrive this month for their fourth visit.  We've been watching their familes expand over the years adding some gorgeous kids into the mix.  We love repeat bookings, it's great to see them back year after year, this group in particular feel like old friends rather than guests!  So much so that we were invited to dinner at the house and we got to sit on our new garden furniture for pre dinner cocktails!  I christened it by spilling my drink on one of the cushions!  Doh.  No permanent damage done thank goodness.  

We finally went to the spa pools just outside Siena - the ones I've been banging on about since the beginning of the season!  It was well worth the wait and the place is so much nicer than I remember.  We had a great day and felt suitably relaxed when we got back.  Such a lovely day out and we're definitely planning another one or two trips there before the end of the year.  

We had so many apricots on our tree again this year , I felt compelled to go and get the ingredients to make some jam.  As I said last year it’s a very sticky business but someone has to do it!  

The night markets in Anghiari have started again - they happen weekly throughout July and August and we try to attend every one - it is such a nice thing to do.  Great for kids (even though it doesn't really get going until around 9.30pm which is obviously an Italian thing!).  Pizza and wine followed by ice cream.  What's not to like!?

Our guests have, of course, been visiting some of the lovely restaurants out here - one that springs immediately to mind is Pieve Vecchia which is always gorgeous at this time of year.  If you visit around 7pm you can watch the sun go down over the hilltop town of Monterchi - one of the group that left last week said "it was like being on a film set".  You can't get much better praise than that eh?!!  

We've had some great reviews too this month so that always makes us happy.  One in particular from a lovely family who were spending their first holiday together abroad and it was their little boy's first trip on a plane.  They had the best time - seeing them on the day they left, telling us all about their trip is just the greatest feeling, knowing that we had some small part to play in that! 

D I A N A   xxx