Cosmopolitan UK – September 2019

COSMOPOLITAN · 127

I

had reachedthepointwhereI just

needed tohittheemergencystop

button onmylifeandescape.You

know thosemomentswhenyou

feel yourselfgettingannoyedwith

everyone andeverything?Whena

cross look onyourcommutesends

you into a spiralofself-loathingand

you snap ateventhoseyoulovemost?

I needed peace,greenhills,greatfood

and unfetteredaccesstoa cellarof

wine. I neededBorgoPignano.I just

didn’t knowhowmuchI neededit

until I got there.

LA DOLCEVITA

You might considera

palatial 18th-centuryItalian

farmhouse (turnedelegant,

restored countryestate)too

romantic a destinationtotravel

to alone. I certainlydidatfirst,but

I was so wrong.BorgoPignanois no

ordinary hotel.Founddeepinthe

Tuscan hills,it’salsoa workingfarm

set in 750 acresofland,complete

with its ownwaterfallandhiking

trails. It hasa yogastudiowith

individual andgroupclasses

bookable onrequest,anartist

studio withatleastoneartist

in residenceandrenowned

classesinpaintingand

sketching,itsownsoap

laboratorywithworkshops

usingnaturalingredients

grownonthegrounds,

horsesfortrekking,a

smallspaandexquisite

cliff-sideinfinitypool.

Theroomsareall

unique,somewith

four-posterbeds,

somewithfrescosand

deep-setmarblebaths.There’s

a library,anartgallerywith

revolvingexhibitionsandevena

Romanesquechapel.Fordining,

VillaPignanois peacefulandquiet,

whiletheriotousfarmhouse-style

SocialTablenextdooris where

guests– groups,couples,solos– talk

toeachotherthroughmouthfulsof

Florentinesteak,cookedoverthefire,

andexcellentSangiovesewines,

grownonvineyardsthatare

widespreadinthispartofTuscany.

BACKTOBASICS

I spentmyweekendreadingand

swimming,learningtosketchin

theartiststudio,walkingthetranquil

groundsforhoursand,atnight,

tradingstorieswithotherguests

oversweetVinSantoandhomemade

cantuccinibiscuitsuntilthe

embersofthecommunalfire

haddiedout.I leftBorgo

Pignanoa nicer,calmer,more

refreshedversionofmyself.

I feltfull– oflifeandboar

ragout– ineveryway.i

Roomsfrom£265pernight(with

breakfast);Borgopignano.com.

BAfliestoFlorencefrom£53,or

Pisafrom£34(bothone-way).

GET THERE ✈

Dear Instagram,

please make a

‘Tuscan sunset’ filter

WHERE:AmyGrier

found her arty side

at Borgo Pignano,

Tuscany

THE BOHEMIAN

MINI-BREAK

GO SOLO

One in six people

now holiday

alone (up from

12% in 2017)*