Posts tagged ‘villa rentals’

January 31, 2013

Dining with the Mayor of Rome

Dinner with the Mayor of RomeI just returned from a tourism symposium in Rome. The first evening, after a day packed with informative meetings, Mayor Gianni Alemanno of Rome hosted a gala dinner for about 60 of us. The event took place in the Palazzo Esposizioni Museum after hours, which meant we were treated to a private viewing of the ‘On the Silk Road’ exhibition.

Rome never fails to lift my spirits and make me feel priviledged to be there. To walk past ancient structures mingled with the new, the many beautiful piazza’s, fountains, and historic buildings and monuments in this very ‘lived in city’ is a joy.

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November 6, 2012

Visit Italy next year.

As the year is winding down, clients are beginning to think about next summer’s holiday.  I admit that I am biased, but I can promise, a visit to Italy would not disappoint anyone in the family.  So many opportunities present themselves that the only problem is narrowing down the itinerary.  Rome has enough to take in, that one could never go too frequently. Tuscany, whose heart is Florence is much the same way….just more easily accessible rural options. A favorite being the medieval hill town of Siena where many of the  buildings and art works date from about 1260-1348 when Siena was one of Europe’s wealthiest cities.  Highlights are the  unusual fan-shaped piazza where the palio horse race is run twice in the summer and its magnificent Gothic duomo.  Lucca is my favorite walled city, west of Florence and we have just added a lovely 3 bedroom rental apartment right in the historic center, ask me about it (invitationtotuscany.com).  Then there is Veneto..with Venice as the crown jewel, Piedmonte, the Lake District, on and on.

Have a look at this brief video – you may get inspired !

May 5, 2011

Invitation to Tuscany: Arancio, Greve, Chianti

“A Chianti farmhouse apartment warm in color and hospitality.”

Though the area and the wine known as Chianti is much beloved by the modern traveler, this is a land that has been producing for centuries. Il Casolare is one of the ancient farm buildings that, like Topsy, just grew, and grew until it became the sprawling farmhouse whose contours extend long and jut up and outward. Its present owners took it in gentle hand and with a joyful sense of color and generous hospitality have transformed it into three large houses, all under the same roof, but individual in style and each with its own view of the ancient landscape that surrounds it.

Country living in these houses is not rustic. The owners have preserved the terracotta floors and chestnut beamed ceilings and let an ancient layout rule the day, yet they have successfully mixed the antique furniture with bold warm colors, attractive fabrics and all the good-quality appliances a modern cook would want. Continue below to learn more about the property.

Property summary

  • Il Casolare Sleeps 8
  • 1 double, 1 twin, 2 twin or double bedrooms, 1 ensuite shower room, 2 bathrooms, 1 of which is ensuite
  • Location: Chianti
  • Rentals run: Saturday to Saturday

Estate summary

  • Estate: Il Casolare
  • Three stylish apartments
  • Entire estate accommodates 22

Properties on this estate

  • Gialla – Sleeps 6
  • Azzura – Sleep 8
  • Il Casolare – Sleeps 8

For a stress free journey allow me to take care of all your travel arrangements and to check availability of this estate contact me, Coleen Lamont.

503.546.1058 – direct
866.297.1058 – toll free
Email: CLamont@peaktravel.com

or email me using this online form.

Read on to learn more about the amenities available in this area, and at this property.

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April 13, 2011

Invitation to Tuscany: Campalfi, Stigliano, Siena

Campalfi, Stigliano, Siena

Three apartments in farm buildings.

Campalfi, set back from the river Merse by about 200 metres, is a group of ancient farm buildings that once had all the necessities for the self-contained life of a small community. It has been converted to provide seven spacious dwellings. There is a central open-sided courtyard entered through an archway, around which are arranged the apartments, and to one side of this is a large dining-room where the English-speaking owner, a renowned chef, serves wonderful meals every Saturday night and on alternate evenings. The old granary has made a delightful cottage with a patio and an outdoor oven; a large ground floor apartment for five people is at right angles to the granary; and on the ground floor below the old tower is a light and airy apartment for two people.

The conversions are a harmonious blend of ancient tradition and modern comforts. All the apartments have a quiet, cool and restrained atmosphere and make excellent use of attractive fabrics and materials including old terra cotta floors, and simple, traditional Tuscan furniture. The hand of the artist owner is seen in the soft colors that grace the apartment walls and in the blossoms that drape arch and pergola alike.

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April 7, 2011

Invitation to Tuscany: Le Murella, Zanego, Montemarcello

Le Murella, Zanego, Montemarcello

A beautiful house in a forested dell near the coast

Check availability or Make an enquiry

Le Murella is a recently restored house set in a national park crowning the hill of MonteMarcello, in a small dell surrounded by Holm oaks. Set in its own terraced garden, this house is in an ideal position for exploring the hill villages and coast of the Cinque Terre, Liguria and Northern Tuscany; it’s also the perfect place to return to after your travels and relax under the pergola with a glass of local white wine.

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March 4, 2011

“Tuscany without the crowds”

When I read this article I thought of one of our properties. Perched high in the Apuan Alps, above Camaiore and Pietrasanta, Argentone looks out over stunning views of the Mediterranean sea, all the way to Corsica. It is set in a fold above the village of S.Anna di Stazzema, a famous centre of Partisan resistance during the second world war, the story recently told in a film by Spike Lee.

jacuzzi

Sleeps: 2 to 3
7 nights from £786.00 / €864.00

In Lucca, Tuscany without the crowds

By Joan Charlotte MatelliGlobe Correspondent / February 27, 2011

LUCCA — When it feels like the popular Tuscan destinations are more crowded with English speakers than Italian, it’s time to head to Lucca. Nestled in the foothills of the Apennines, only a short detour from the tourist magnets of Pisa and Florence, Lucca is an authentic, immersive Tuscan experience.

The historic center of the city is surrounded by the original, intact, Renaissance-era defensive walls. Enter from Porta Santa Maria, the northern gate to the old city, and you arrive in a bustling piazza with cafes and a few bike shops. If you want wheels, it is best to rent a bike. It is almost impossible to get around by car within the walls, as car traffic is prohibited on most streets for all but residents.

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