What we did on our summer holiday

We went to a lovely Tuscan agriturismo (farm with self-catering apartments) for a week. We thought, as it was the Hungry Mouth’s first trip away, even a week might be too long if she couldn’t cope with the heat or got ill. But in the event the weather was much cooler than we expected for mid-September. We landed in Pisa in 32 degrees but as we drove off to find a supermercato, a hailstorm - of the kind that dents cars - hit us! Very dramatic, but the tiny tot just slept through it all. She also coped very well with the flights (a little yowly at first, but then she fed and slept).

Podere Capiteto (http://www.greve-in-chianti.com/capiteto.htm) is essentially a farmhouse set in a huge olive grove overlooking Florence. In every direction were fabulous cypress-studded views and guests can wander at will over the farm and eat al fresco under the olive trees. Mario and his wife, our cheery hosts, invited us to pick fresh figs, plums, grapes and pears from their trees and vines…they also make some tasty wine besides their olive oil. The pool is large (12 by 4m) enough for the three apartments and there are a variety of comfy sunloungers, swingseats etc to enjoy the sun on. The pool is not fenced and there are some nasty steps that wouldn’t suit a toddler, but luckily the Hungry Mouth has only just reached the sitting-up stage (a holiday milestone in fact).

On the Saturday we went to the nearby market at Impruneta and also to Greve in Chianti, which was conveniently having its annual wine festival. For 8 euros we got a large wineglass and 8 generous tastings of chianti classico or riserva or vin santo from the producer’s stall of your choice. At the market we stocked up on vegetables and fruit and bread and slices of the regional specialty of roast pork. Because of the Hungry Mouth’s bedtime routine, we did not go out to eat in the evenings. The open-plan kitchen had no oven, but we managed to cook delicious pear- and artichoke-stuffed pasta with pesto, asparagus, fried chicken etc and for breakfast we enjoyed various cornetti, pancakes, scrambled eggs and pancetta, fruit and yoghurt.

The rooms are very spacious, and Mario kindly supplied a beautiful traditional cot and lots of linen. The windows have those excellent Italian shutters that allow you to keep out bugs and let in as much light or air as you wish. Our bed was delightfully firm, thanks to Ikea expanding into Italy. There was only a shower, no bath, so we tried various ways of washing the Hungry Mouth: first the bidet (a bit of a tight fit), then the basin (slithery) and finally the shower, with one of us sitting cross-legged in it to hold her while the other polished her (she seemed to like the spray, so that was the winning solution).

Although it’s possible to catch buses to and from Florence, we were so glad we hired a car. It would have been a long 3 km walk with baby and groceries from Impruneta’s Coop, too. One day we drove to visit Volterra, a pretty fortified town set in classic Tuscan countryside that has alabaster mining and carving as its unique selling point. Indeed the porous, translucent white stone is very lovely, and there are some workshops where you can watch carvers at work – we went to Alab’Arte, where Roberto kindly presented the Hungry Mouth with a tiny alabaster dolphin that we’re sure she’ll enjoy chomping on later. So touristy is the town that we were actually able to eat pizza for lunch, but delightfully, not to tourist standards – the pizza was perfect.