We decided on New Year's Eve: this was going to be the year we would finally make it to Italy.
So we planned our family trip meticulously. We wanted to see Rome and Florence, but then go somewhere peaceful to relax and enjoy the Italian countryside - we chose Umbria and rented a house in the hills.
We landed in Rome and spent the first five days of our holiday trying to see as much as we could. The city has so much to offer that you wonder if a lifetime would not be enough, but we did our best and enjoyed every minute.
On the evening of our fifth day in the Bel Paese, happy but really tired, we picked our rental car and started our trip towards our holiday house in magic Umbria.
It took us around two hours to get there from Rome and, as we started approaching the area, I began to get a little nervous. I had done a lot of research and then decided to rent the property, Casale Fara, through a trusted private members' club. However, would the house really match the pictures I had seen, would it really be as I expected it?
When we arrived, it was already dark. We were greeted with a big smile by the owner, which immediately pushed away all my doubts. As we entered the house, I was wonderfully surprised, as this was much better than I expected: beautifully furnished, with a spacious kitchen and enough room for a much larger party than the four of us.
As the kids were really tired, the owner explained the basics about the house and suggested to meet again in the morning for the full tour of the property. So we said goodbye and went straight to bed.
I woke up early, like a little girl who rushes to see what Father Christmas left under the tree. I opened the door and the best part of the house just paraded in front of me. The view was simply breathtaking, the typical postcard of Umbria's hills and, just under my nose, an olive grove surrounded by woodland and vines.
As I turned my head to check out the porch, I found a wonderful basket of fresh vegetables. They picked them at the property's garden and left them there to welcome us. That was the best present - I couldn't wait to get in the kitchen and start using the tomatoes and eggplants for the first family holiday meal I would finally cook. But I was not in a rush, as I knew I had few minutes left before the rest of the family woke up, so I sat staring at the view and enjoying the peaceful silence of Umbria's countryside.
As soon as the kids woke up, they jumped into the pool, while I enjoyed the fitness area and finally did my pilates.
When the owner came by, it already felt like an old friend dropped by for coffee. She explained how they make their own wine and olive oil and answered our questions about the farm. She also helped us create an itinerary to explore the area. She suggested Orvieto, Assisi, Perugia and the nearby village of Fabro Scalo. We were living our dream holiday and cannot wait to go back.
To find out how to book your dream holiday home in Italy, click here.
