Summer holidays for our family for the last ten years or so has meant France or Italy....the beaches of the French Riviera or the lush green hills of Emilia-Romagna, northern Italy.
sea vs. mountainsfamily of 4 vs. family of virtually a whole villagebaguettes & cheese vs. pasta & salamidaily swims vs. daily walksthe splash of the Med vs. total silencethe twinkle of the yachts at night vs. the twinkle of the stars
We love both to be quite honest....Italy has the warmth, hospitality & love of family, we eat well, talk & hug & have long lingering meals.
We love the peace & quiet, it's isolated & the pace is slow & often languid.No one hurries....you can spend three hours at least just having coffee, wine plus a snack or two....olives, salami, tomatoes, bread....yet when you get up to leave, they ask you "why the rush?"
Yes, we stay near & visit with family, but everyone we meet, related to us or not, is this way....it's really something very special, I've never felt so welcome anywhere.
The only thing we miss - possibly - is the sea, so after spending 3 weeks in Italy last summer, this summer we will have 3 weeks in the south of France.
Yet, as always, we wonder when we will visit Italy next....I came across the gorgeous Villa Pia this week, a family villa located in Lippiano, Tuscany which is a stunning region, known for great food & wine.
Villa Pia offers child-friendly & all-inclusive accommodation & it has 17 bedrooms, each one big enough for families to share - interconnecting rooms are also available.
Two swimming pools, a treehouse, a sand-pit & a variety of play activities will keep your children entertained and in the meantime, adults can enjoy beauty treatments, yoga plus Italian, art & cookery classes.
Sounds wonderful doesn't it, it certainly looks beautiful....to find out more, take a look at their website here....