At one of my favorite hillside villas, my client family observed a wild fox that stole the children’s shoes each night from the front steps. “Foxy,” as the family named him, became the subject of nightly stories; a tale forever etched in the children’s memories, a lovely lifetime gift. A note from my client read: ‘Foxy is much smarter than we originally imagined. He has taken to stealing our shoes and hiding them in his den down the hill in the vineyard. He stands guard over his quarry and tonight I had to muster all the prowess of an African hunter to reclaim a pair of sandals. He did manage to eat the better part of one shoe before the rescue. He is cute and will become the subject of many family tales in the future.’

I brought in a wonderful Italian chef, Giovanni, who taught the children to prepare pizza for lunch. The adults accompanied the chef to the neighboring village to shop for regional ingredients and toured wineries in the rolling hillsides in preparation for their own sumptuous Tuscan feast. The most enjoyable part comes when you finally realize that you can make your own hand made pasta accompanied by “sugo di carne” or “pollo alla diavola” or “tiramisu.”

In Siena, enjoy the spectacular medieval-style Corsa del Palio, held twice yearly on July 2 and Aug 16. Exclusive visit to the private Palazzo d’Elci: view the Palio from your private window, perched above the wild scene! Two or three windows on the top floor of the Palazzo can be reserved, a James Bond movie filmed here in the summer of 2007. From the windows of the Palazzo, you can see the festivities below: the square is filled with a wonderful procession of flag throwers, and a historic parade of the contradas dressed in their finery. There is still a lot to discover in Tuscany.

Family memories are intrinsic in planning these wonderful journeys.