North Lincolnshire, England, United Kingdom

Vicki Burton,

I first read about Borgo di Vagli’s fractional ownership concept in a Sunday Times supplement. I cut it out and put it in my handbag knowing that I would be spending time in Rome in a few weeks to meet up with some of my relatives who live in South Africa. I suggested to my mother that she might enjoy a 90 minute train ride up to Tuscany for the day as I was keen to visit a little hamlet that I was thinking about buying into.The train from Rome Termini to Terontola was very scenic and followed by a short taxi ride to Borgo di Vagli where, Stefania, the resort director welcomed us with a cold glass of white wine as if we were old friends. We lunched under the shade of the Pergola on a hot sunny day, and it was there that I fell in love with the location and marveled at the high quality of the restoration of the hamlet – and although I had visited and soaked up the Hamlet for only a couple of hours, I knew I wanted to be part of it before I left.I had some funds due from a maturing savings policy and I had been thinking to buy a Porsche! However after my trip to Vagli I decided to make a commitment to spending regular free time in Italy; try and learn the language, try to drive the Italian way, learn more about the local wines and try my hand at cooking local recipes with fresh local produce – and to do all this, I would buy my home in Tuscany and just go with the flow!I didn’t really take much into account before deciding to buy – other than checking the purchase process with a lawyer.My aim was to visit Vagli at least twice a year – I love the climate in June and September. I also hope my sons and friends can take advantage of visiting and enjoying such a beautiful part of the world. I would love to visit more, but my hectic business and social life coupled with animal ties in the UK and not to mention the stress of flying with Ryanair – unfortunately limits more frequent visits.A dream of mine is to spend a few weeks driving down and staying at out of the way places en-route. It won’t be in 2014, but maybe the year after.I perceive ownership as more of a lifestyle choice, but when my arthritis eventually prevents me from visiting, my hope is that I will see satisfactory financial return on my purchase, which would make my many happy memories even sweeter.

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