Hey Guys,
I can't believe it has been a year since I was last in Italy. Remember my blog post on Procida? Well a few weeks ago I returned to complete my annual job working as a drama workshop leader in schools. Once my job was over, I head a little more south towards Tuscany, where I had an incredible experience working with a beautiful hotel...
Last week, I had the pleasure of being a guest of Casale Amati Country House. The manor house is located in a small village called Ortonovo, just an hour from Pisa. The complex consists of three properties. Two are connected (the two I mention here) and can be rented together as a huge 12 person manor house, or they can be rented individually as 6 person houses.
Myself and my friend and photographer for the trip, Morgyn, had an amazing mini-break. We relaxed around the hotel, took a day trip to Cinque Terre and a day trip to Florence. I will be sharing more from those day trips in another blog post, but for now, lets look a little closer at Casale Amati!
The Country Kitchen
(La Marchesa)
This beautiful, blue, country kitchen has everything you would need to create the perfect meal (and the perfect Instagram post!) The fully stocked shelves and cupboards are quintessentially Italian in every way - quirky, colourful and cute! Once you have stocked the fridge from the local supermarket, located just a few metres from Carrara station, you are ready to go with an Italian feast! We lined the fridge with cheese, wine and fruit. We also made sure we picked up some milk and bread for the morning.
This beautiful, blue, country kitchen has everything you would need to create the perfect meal (and the perfect Instagram post!) The fully stocked shelves and cupboards are quintessentially Italian in every way - quirky, colourful and cute! Once you have stocked the fridge from the local supermarket, located just a few metres from Carrara station, you are ready to go with an Italian feast! We lined the fridge with cheese, wine and fruit. We also made sure we picked up some milk and bread for the morning.
Oh, and look at this cutie below... He is the resident cat who you are welcome to feed and stroke. He loves people and was super sociable with us. A new friend I'd say!
The Living Room
The Living Room
(La Marchesa)
Next up is the room in which we spent all of our evenings. From the log burner in the corner, to the TV complete with Netflix, this room has everything you need for a cosy night in. Wine in hand, PJ's on, I enjoyed this room whilst watching Friends and having a good old personal de-brief from the busy days.
The Master Bedroom
Next up is the room in which we spent all of our evenings. From the log burner in the corner, to the TV complete with Netflix, this room has everything you need for a cosy night in. Wine in hand, PJ's on, I enjoyed this room whilst watching Friends and having a good old personal de-brief from the busy days.The Master Bedroom
This was probably my favourite bedroom of the Marchesa house. Sunlight streams straight through the window first thing in the morning creating a bright, airy feel. The room is decorated with little bits traditional of an old Italian life. Vases are dotted about the drawer tops, and a vintage baby cot is placed in the corner.
However, my absolutely favourite part of this room (as you may have guessed) was the beautiful peacock chair. Not only did this make the PERFECT photoshoot prop, but it added to the fun and sophisticated personality of the room. 
The Bathroom
The Bathroom
(Le Macine)
As we decided to sleep at the top of the Macine house, our closest bathroom was this beauty. I loved everything about this room. From the modern skylight that allowed light to flood the space, the gorgeous stone sink and wood mirror (see those details in my YouTube tour). However, of course, my favourite element of this room was the marble shower! Yes bloggers! I'm looking at you! Marble shower. The room was filled with clean tiles on our arrival and there were plenty for our four nights. Soap was also provided, we brought our own toiletries. 
Ortonovo
Ortonovo is the town closest to the hotel. It is sat on the top of an extremely high hill, giving beautful views over the area and even all the way to the sea! We decided to take a hike up to the top on our first afternoon and were not disappointed by the view!
We discovered some interesting artefacts on the way up..
It took us about an hour and a half to two hours to reach the top via the main road which winds and wraps itself around the mountain. When you reach the top, you are met by a small, residential village and grand views of the streets below. We particularly enjoyed trying to point out the manor house down below as we accented.
As we decided to sleep at the top of the Macine house, our closest bathroom was this beauty. I loved everything about this room. From the modern skylight that allowed light to flood the space, the gorgeous stone sink and wood mirror (see those details in my YouTube tour). However, of course, my favourite element of this room was the marble shower! Yes bloggers! I'm looking at you! Marble shower. The room was filled with clean tiles on our arrival and there were plenty for our four nights. Soap was also provided, we brought our own toiletries. OrtonovoOrtonovo is the town closest to the hotel. It is sat on the top of an extremely high hill, giving beautful views over the area and even all the way to the sea! We decided to take a hike up to the top on our first afternoon and were not disappointed by the view!We discovered some interesting artefacts on the way up..It took us about an hour and a half to two hours to reach the top via the main road which winds and wraps itself around the mountain. When you reach the top, you are met by a small, residential village and grand views of the streets below. We particularly enjoyed trying to point out the manor house down below as we accented.
My top tips when planning a trip would be to make sure you hire a car or have enough money in your budget to take taxi's (though this could end up adding up unless you are in a big group). This is because the house is located about an hour and a half by foot from the nearest station (Carrara). Carrara is just a short train ride from Pisa. We were lucky enough to be given a lift most days, so absolutely recommend a car!
All of these houses are self-catering. They are fully furnished with everything you may need to cook a 3 course Christmas dinner and bbq! But take note of the local supermarket which is a big one just beside Carrara station.
I hope you enjoyed this little tour around! If you are planning a trip to Tuscany soon, make sure you consider Casale Amati as a place to stay!
Thank You Casale Amati
Eb x
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