| 06/06/07 |
Positive
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We just returned from a wonderful week at Cottage Degli Ulivi and would recommend it to anyone and everyone. We were 3 families with a total of 4 children and the house was the perfect size for us (10 people in all). It had plenty of space for the kids to play inside or outside and a pool that the kids loved. This house would be perfect for two families with children in the summertime (but it worked well for us and we were 3 families). The house is 2 years old but still appears brand new as the inside and outside are immaculate. Additionally, the attention to detail in building this house was evident everywhere. The tilework, the bathroom fixtures, the windows, the appliances- everything is top of the line.
After email discussions with Nadia, we attempted to live in the house with only one car for 10 people and it was not a problem at all. We rode the four bikes into town every day which took 7-8 minutes (a short enough trip that we could buy a kilo of gelato in town and be back to the villa before it started to melt). The train station is also about a 20-25 minute walk and there is a nice park for the kids not too far from the train station.
Marsciano is a great town. If you are looking to get away from tourists and immerse yourself in Italy, this is your town. There are no tourists in Marsciano evidenced by the fact that we asked everywhere for a postcard of Marsciano and one does not exist. Also, no English menus. None of us spoke Italian but we were able to get by and communicate well with the locals. The locals are so friendly because it is rare they meet a group of English speaking tourists in their town. Todi, Assisi, Perugia, Spoleto, Orvieto, and Gubio are all accessible within 10-60 minutes by train or car.
The adults ate dinner on the front porch every night and drank wine while watching the sunset over the town of Marsciano. The porch offers an awesome view from up above Marsciano and one can see for many kilometers to neighboring towns off in the distance. It is a tremendously peaceful place and we never had any problem with bugs.
I cannot thank the owner, Miss Nadia, enough for her hospitality. She kindly responded to at least 15 emails before our trip, she picked us up at the bus stop when we arrived, she brought us torta al testo for dinner on the first night, she had essential groceries awaiting us when we arrived, she arranged for us to have a crib, a carseat and a highchair, she brought us a cake one night, her husband helped transport us to the train station on our final day. You will not find a kinder and more responsive renter in all of Italy. If you do spend a week here, you must have Miss Giuliana come to cook at least one night. She cooked the most unbelievable meal for us and we agreed that a highlight of the week was having her spend several hours in the kitchen teaching us her special cooking secrets. |
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Jason Lina, Alpharetta, GA
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| 11/13/06 |
Positive
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This house was delightful, well presented and spotlessly clean. The equipment especially the gym and sauna were well appreciated. At this time October 2006 the outdoor pool was unheated, but it provided a great cold dip after the sauna, Nadia, the owner, hopes to have it solar power heated next season.
Nadia was extreamly helpful with anything we needed. We stayed for three weeks and will happily revisit there.
It was convienient for sightseeing and the many local amenitites were close enough(by car) but still a good feeling of isolation without remoteness.
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Anonymous, Richmond upon Thames UK |
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