I got your Q’s.
Now here are your A’s.

Do you have more questions you think we could all benefit from? Send them to me!

What days, exactly, do we have the castle?

We have the Castle from Saturday, April 9 until Sunday, April 17th. So if you're getting to the Florence area on the 8th, you'll need to spend the night somewhere else, then journey to the Castle on Saturday the 9th.

You could plan on staying in Florence until the morning of the 9th, or get a place in Montespertoli or anywhere else around the Castle. Let me know if you want some suggestions!

Why on earth are you doing this castle thing, you crazy nutjobs?

I think it was about 5 or 6 years ago that Steve and I started talking about how cool it would be to just rent a big fucking villa somewhere in Italy and invite all our friends and party like rock stars and show off this country that means so much to us… all for our 50th birthday. But then it was just a pipe dream, because who on earth could afford something like that.

But once I get an idea in my head like that, and how cool it would be, I can’t stop thinking about it and starting to plan. So I made a list of properties and stuff, but it never went anywhere.

Then our family suffered a few horrible tragedies, and one of the byproducts of that was an inheritance that made the dream finally become reality.

In light of the dream of doing this in the first place, and the devastating losses that made this finally possible, we just want to be surrounded by our favorite people in our favorite country, and we want our favorite people to have a trip of a lifetime. We have the means to make that possible right now, so why not?

Is this castle thing going to be constant group activities, or will I have some ME time?

This castle thing will not be one big group activity. The only group activity I am planning — and it would would be great if everyone could show up — is a dinner at the castle restaurant to celebrate our birthdays.

But the whole thing is not going to be one big roaming, 60-person march through Italy. There are optional small-group things you can do that I’ve planned, like the Florence walking tours, or larger-group things, like the progressive cocktail hour. Or you can plan things in small groups on your own, like winery/olive oil farm visits. But the way to think of this is like, you’re staying at a hotel where you know everyone. But you don’t have to all hang out as one hive 24/7 because that would be difficult and exhausting and Steve would hide under his bed the whole time.

Speaking of the walking tours of Florence, if I want to sign up for one, which one is right for me?

I am so glad you asked.

The daytime walking tour is really intended for people who have never been to Florence before and want an orientation of the city, either because they plan to go on their own at some point during their stay at the castle, or because they just want to see it. The tour is kid-friendly, but remember that it is limited to 20 people.

The evening cocktail tour is intended for people who do want a little history with their drinking, but are mostly interested in seeing a side of Florence that a lot of tourists and day-trippers miss out on. This tour is not kid-friendly (what with the cocktail bars and such), and it’s also limited to 20 people.

What is the closest town to the castle?

Well, the very closest town is about 1 km away, and it’s called Baccaiano. Baccaiano is most famous for being where the serial killer who stalked the Florence area in the 70s and 80s, the Monster of Florence, killed one of his victims so… yay?

However, about 5 km away is the adorbs-pants town of Montespertoli. This little town literally could not be cuter if it tried. Founded in the 11th century, Montespertoil boasts ancient churches (like Pieve di San Pietro in Mercato, founded in 1059), beautiful restaurants, sweeping views, and market day. (Tuesdays, apparently.) There is also a place to rent electric bikes in town, so if you want to roll through the Tuscan hills in style, this is a good option.

What if I have a medical emergency? Where are the closest clinics/hospitals?

What if I want to go to Rome at some point?

That’s great, Rome would love to have you! Contrary to popular belief, Rome around Easter time is relatively quiet, since everyone is partying their faces off in Vatican City and not really bothering with Rome proper.

My recommendation would be: drive to Orvieto, park, then take the train into Rome. Rome is not a city you want to drive into… ever, in your life, ever, it’s not good… and Orvieto has very much become the parking lot for commuters into Rome. Also, Orvieto is freaking AWESOME, so if you wanted to grab breakfast or lunch there, too, you absolutely 100% should.

Ping me for recommendations on what to see and do in Rome!

What’s the weather usually like in Italy in April?

The rental agency I’m working with for all the castle stuff seems to think it will basically be ice storms the entire month and that all we’ll do is huddle inside and look like those velvet paintings of the children with the sad eyes.

I chose April because Italy in the summer is, in my opinion, freaking BRUTAL. And Florence is basically all stone: stone streets, stone buildings, narrow streets, so Florence becomes one big pizza oven in the heat. It smells like pizza in the summer, too, if by “pizza” you mean “raw sewage.” So 90 degrees in the air feels like 190 walking through the city. It’s not great, Dan. (I’ll buy you a cocktail if you get that reference.)

The last time I was in Italy in April, a few years ago, it was glorious. I would say it hovered around 75 degrees the whole time. Yes it rained a few times, and Steve and I were super smug about how the tourists and native populations of Rome, Florence, and Lucca would run inside at the first drop, leaving only Seattleites on the streets. Rome might have the history and the art and stuff, but those pasta-swilling Caesar-lovers lose their shit at the sight of rain.

So while I can’t predict the weather, I would say prepare for rain by bringing an umbrella at the very least, but I don’t think it will be freezing cold either. The company I work for has an average weather chart for Italy in April that says around 62 degrees. But it is warmer than that these days because the planet is on fire and we’re all going to die.

Where should I get my Euro? And do people need us to pay cash? Can we pay with just cards?

Get your euro at a cash machine in the airport when you land. Don’t worry about heading to a bank here and dealing with their surcharges and such. Your exchange rate will be better at an ATM anyway.

You’ll need a combo of cash and cards; I would not rely solely on either. For a street market, like the kind where you’ll likely buy produce in Montespertoli for our progressive cocktail party, they’ll take cash. Restaurants will almost always take cards.

I am trying to book train tickets to and from Florence and Milan or Rome. There are a million train stations. HELP ME FOR THE LOVE OF GOD.

The train station you want in Florence is Firenze SMN, which refers to Florence, Santa Maria Novella. You want Milano Centrale for Milan, and Roma Termini for Rome.

Which is the best airport to fly into?

That all depends. If you’re planning to just come for the week we have the castle, I would fly into either Rome or Milan and, depending on when you land, either spend the night in Rome or near the airport in Milan, then take the train the next day, or take the train to Florence after you land.

If you’re coming from within Europe, I would look for cheap flights directly into Florence.

I am going to rent a car. Do you need an international driver's permit to rent a car/drive in Italy?

The answer is technically yes, though whether car rental agencies would ever ask for it is another thing entirely. I am getting one because better safe than sorry, even though I've never needed one when I rented a car in France, Switzerland, Ireland, or Scotland. They are cheap and easy to get through AAA so why not?

Have you used Europcar for your car rentals?

I have in Ireland, and we are using them again in Italy. I was happy with them in Ireland, so we shall see how they are in Italy.

Do you recommend a rental car agency?

I recommend Auto Europe to get the best rates with a number of companies.

I am not going to rent a car. How can I get to the castle?

There are two ways to get to the castle without a car: bus or taxi. 

You can catch the #37 bus at the Autostatzione Sita Firenze, right across the street from the main entrance of the Firenze SMN train station. You SHOULD be able to take it all the way to the Montegufoni Sn stop, but that is not a guarantee. Ask the person you buy your tickets from if the bus stops there, or ask the bus driver when you get on: "mi scusi, fa questa fermata dell'autobus a Montegufoni Sn?" If they say no, take the bus out to Via Volterra Nord, then it's about 10-15 minute walk to the castle. If they say yes, it's like a 1 minute walk to the castle.

There is no Uber in Florence, so your other alternative is a taxi. When you get to the Firenze SMN train station, follow the signs to the taxi stands. It will cost you around $85.