I am hosting a residence in Italy for friends and family.
I have booked a house from May 7 through July 9, 2022. But the final two weeks are reserved for my kids and grandkids. So the available times are through June 25. A calendar of who is coming when is here.
During this time I invite friends and family to come stay with me and explore Italy. I will be covering the expense of renting the house. Guests will need to cover their transportation, restaurant, and other incidentals. I’m doing this well in advance so you can fit this into your travel plans. If you have the time, I encourage you to think about doing this as part of a longer trip to Italy.
The House
The house is four bedrooms with two bathrooms. Carol and I rented the house twice before, so I’m quite familiar with it and the surrounding area. The house has a small kitchen, a large living and dining room, a large balcony with magnificent views. There is an unheated pool which is shared with the owner, who lives in the lower level. You can see the description here on VRBO:
https://www.vrbo.com/6053084ha
The bedrooms are these: (1) a queen, (2) a queen and a twin, (3) two twins, and (4) three twins. There are two bathrooms, none are en-suite. When Sara is with me (schedule undetermined) we will take the bedroom with the Queen, at other times, I'm flexible. There is also another small apartment upstairs with a queen bed. This could be rented if we have too many people at once.
The house is in the country high on a hill over looking the tiny town of Bettona with the city of Perugia in the distance. From the other tiny balcony you can see Assisi. It’s in the region of Umbria, which is often described as the new Tuscany. The views are quintessential Italian hill country.
My Role
I will be your host, counselor, translator, frequent restaurant companion, and occasional tour guide.
In general, guests will need to be their own drivers. I will rent a car for the duration. But with multiple people being in the house at the same time, wanting to go different places, and wanting to go places that I’ve already been to too many times (Florence), I can not be counted on to provide transportation. It is also the case that I cannot let anyone else drive the car I rent. There is not enough within walking distance to make this a good non-car location.
My typical day would include one meal in and one meal out. When I’m in I’ll probably do a lot of the cooking. You will be welcome to cook if I happen not to be in. Breakfast is probably a catch as catch can business.
Who is Invited
If I sent you a link to this page you’re invited. Heck, if you found it on your own you’re probably invited.
I also welcome you to consider inviting your compatible friends and family who I may not know. Especially if you're planning a longer trip with them.
Covid
It is, of course, impossible to know just what the covid situation will be in May and June 2022. So you have to make your own judgement about safety and your tolerance of risk.
I plan to go come what may. I'll be counting on the vaccine to keep me safe enough.
If you want to come, you need to be vaccinated. This is my mandate.
Towns to Visit
From the house there are many towns to visit (approximate times by car)
Perugia (30 minutes) is the largest of the local towns, and the source of Perugia chocolate.
Assisi (30 minutes) as in St Francis of Assisi has an iconic basilica that has been repaired since it was badly damaged by an earthquake
Spello (25 minutes) is a pretty little hill town with the infiorata (see events below)
Gubbio (50 minutes) is a medieval town with a remarkable and crowded race (see events below)
Todi (40 minutes) is a typical hill town
Spoleto (50 minutes) is the site of the two world’s music festival
Orvieto (1:10) has one of the most impressive duomo facades in all of Italy
Siena (1:40) is the site of the Palio horse race (see events below)
Urbino (2 hours) is home off the Ducal palace which has my favorite room in all of Italy
Florence (45 minutes car 2 hours train) is Florence
Rome (45 minutes car 3 hours train) is Rome
Events I might attend
Sunday May 15 is a festival in Gubbio called La Corsa dei Ceri. Three statues of saints are mounted on enormous posts and raced around being carried by eight or more people. Everyone in town is dressed in red, blue, or yellow depending on which is their saint. We were at the start one year which is a moment of high drama. Here is a video of that https://youtu.be/hLXmHCuw8QU. My plan would be to arrange hotel rooms the before for those who want to attend.
Sunday May 29 - Cantine aperte. Wineries in Italy are not generally as open as those in California. But I’m the last Sunday in May wineries all over Italy open their doors providing tours and tastings. There are plenty close to the house. Note that at other times we are in reasonable driving range of both Montepulciano and Montalcino. Tours and tastings are certainly possible at other times.
Sunday June 19 - the infiorata in Spello. A thousand people (so they say) spend Saturday night making pictures on the streets out of flower petals. Then on Sunday the crowds come through to admire them. And then In the later afternoon a religious procession goes over them effectively sweeping them away. The days before are also interesting as the residents are getting the flower pedals ready. The pictures are truly amazing.