What does “the countryside” mean in Italy?
If you decide it’s a country vacation you want, be sure to remember the following: The countryside means real country: not a condominium built around a golf course. The Tuscan and Umbrian countrysides have been largely kept free of pollution and pesticides. Thus, the natural environment is populated by insects and lizards which are natural and necessary for a balanced ecosystem. Their presence has nothing to do with lack of cleanliness. If you can’t deal with the possibility of finding a spider in your bathroom, ask yourself if the countryside (or renting) is what you really want. Water is at a premium in the countryside, and water conservation is a must. If a party of 8 people insists on all taking half-hour showers each day in August, water will run low and may run out. You will not be happy campers. The Queen of the Netherlands sits in her country house in Tuscany with the same water limitations as everyone else. If you can’t do the same as the Queen of the Netherlands, then you sho
