La Miccia

Pergine was a lovely village, with olive trees around it and welcoming people. We stayed in La Miccia, a charming apartment in the village’s main square, and had a wonderful time in Tuscany with Irene. Irene is a true Tuscan, and her strong knowledge of the region helped make our trip feel special and authentic. One example was a visit to a centuries-old mill tucked away in the mountains that was still working. It was incredible. We definitely recommend “I am Tuscany” for the best experience in this beautiful part of Italy.

We had a good impression of Irene: she was quick and reliable to communicate with, greeted us warmly in person, and shared drinks and tips for planning the next days. She suggested places to visit and lovely routes around Tuscany, and was always available and ready to help. We spent five nights in Pergine Valdarno, a beautiful little Tuscan community. La Miccia is a spacious, nicely furnished apartment in the basement of an old stone house. It felt authentic, and the village did too. We chose it for its quiet setting, fireplace, and whirlpool, and were happy to pay extra for those features. We got lots of information about the apartment and area beforehand, felt prepared, and were personally welcomed and shown around when we arrived. There were several problems, though. The fireplace seemed to have been difficult for previous guests too, judging by the signs of unsuccessful attempts. We wondered if the wood was damp and tried several times, even buying dry wood ourselves, but couldn’t get a proper fire going. The firelighters burned out, the logs only glowed, and smoke quickly filled the apartment, so we had to air it out. We were concerned that carbon monoxide could also be produced and might be dangerous if someone didn’t know about it. We told Irene and asked her to address it if needed. We’d advise future guests not to use the fireplace unless it’s working properly. We got the impression that using it wasn’t really encouraged. When we asked about firewood, we were told it was probably too warm for a fire, even though the nighttime temperature was below 10 degrees Celsius. We were also promised the wood supplier’s contact details but never received them. Irene inspected the fireplace the next day while we were out. She thought it was fine and said it hadn’t caused problems in recent months, but we can only say there was definitely a problem during our stay. We suspect the vent wasn’t working properly, perhaps because birds were nesting there, and that poor airflow stopped the logs catching fire. The whirlpool worked overall, but several jets on one side were broken, so only one person could use the massage function. One of the two gas burners could only be lit with a lighter because its ignition seemed defective. The internet was out for the final two days, and Irene said it couldn’t be fixed quickly. That left us unable to make meaningful use of the TV with the Amazon Fire TV Stick for the rest of our stay. We can’t rate the stay higher because there were too many issues. We’d specifically chosen the place and paid a little extra for the fireplace and pool, and without the problems mentioned, our rating would have been better.

An amazing stay, with the best host we’ve ever had. Don’t miss the chance to experience life in a little Tuscan borgo.

Believe in yourself.