The drive winds through an olive grove

To arrive at this secluded villa

And finally you arrive

And enter the cool and inviting hallway

Prices Currency Conversion

Rental periods
19 - 26 April 2008	2400 euros
26 April - 31 May 2008	2800 euros
31 May - 28 June 2008	3600 euros
28 June - 6 September 2008	4400 euros
6 - 27 September 2008	3600 euros
27 September - 20 December 2008	2400 euros
20 December - 3 January 2009	3600 euros

Notes on prices
Prices are for 2008 for the property per week in euros.

Changeover day
Rental starts at 4.30-7.30 p.m. on the day of arrival and ends at 9.30a.m. on the day of departure. Arrival-departure days are Saturday's and the minimum booking period is 7 days. Outside of the main season this is negotiable.

Accommodation

Notes on accommodation
This is our home, not a rental property and we have refurbished, decorated and furnished it to our own very high standards. The pool is fenced. The house is generally child friendly, though the living room is rather more adult. There are some toys, a hairdryer and a modest DVD collection. High-speed wireless broadband (computer not provided) available at 35 euros per week. We did not even consider air-conditioning during the refurbishment as with really thick walls and good 'heat management' (details in the housebook) we are able to keep the villa at 20-22 degrees during the Summer. Oil for the central heating (only needed during the Winter) is about twice the UK price and is charged separately, though there are 2 large and excellent real fires (in the kitchen/breakfast room and the living room) and these really heat the place up. There is a huge log-pile, for which there is no charge.

Amenities/Facilities provided

Accessibility
With advance notice it is possible to put a bed in the study, which is easily accessible by wheelchair. A quadraplegic friend and her husband stayed very happily for 2 weeks, but please discuss your needs before booking. Bathroom 5 is on the ground floor, but it does not have a shower.

Outside
There are 2 large outdoor tables to seat 8/9 and several places where these can be put to enjoy the different views or to eat in either the sun or in the shade of either the pergola adjoining the villa or the gazebo by the 16 x 39ft pool. There is a large barbecue and plenty of pool loungers, sun umbrellas and garden furniture. On the bedroom floor there is a large balcony (with 2 tables and 8 chairs) with views up to Cortona and bedroom 2 has a Juliet balcony with views over the pool to the 14th century chapel in the local hamlet and down the valley. There are lovely walks amongst the trees, a grouping of 4 hammocks and for the more active, outdoor table tennis, a badminton set and 3 bikes. There are two good fig trees that produce from August to October, a mature plum and walnut and we have planted an orchard of nectarines, plums, apples, pears, apricots and almonds as well as 5 vines.
Swallows nest under the eaves and we normally have pairs of woodpeckers, hoopoes and hares

Coast/Beach
There are several guarded beaches on Lake Trasimeno (20 minute). There are ferries going out to the island and there is also sailing.

Golf
Golf Club Perugia is 20-30 mins drive and is just over 6000 yards in length. Whilst the holes are not very long, the course is quite challenging. There is an excellent practice ground, chipping greens, a practice putting green and two resident professionals. It also has a restaurant open for lunch and dinner, from Wednesday to Saturday and a new swimming pool complex. Contact golfclubperugia.it. There is a new 9 hole course near Bettolle (20 minutes away). Antognolla golf course, which is a full 27 hole RTJ II course is scheduled to reopen late 2008 (about 25 minutes away).

Special interest holidays
Cookery courses- we can arrange one day courses with a local (english speaking) lady who meets you at the shops in Cortona, teaches you what and how to buy the best local produce that day and then takes you back to her home to prepare, cook and eat it.
Etruscan Tombs- we can arrange a tour of 3 very significant local local tombs by one of the leading authorities- a highly entertaining American, who lives nearby.

Travel
Ryanair flys from Stanstead to Perugia (40 mins drive). Meridiana from Gatwick to Florence (1hr 20 mins drive). BA, Easyjet and others to Pisa (1 hr 45 mins drive), Ancona (1 hr 50mins drive, Bologna Forli (1 hr 50 mins drive) and Rome (2 hrs drive). Car hire is essential.

Distances
If you can drag yourself away from the pool, the villa and the grounds and Cortona, then Sienna, Assissi, Montepulciano, Perugia, Arrezzo, Pienza, Lake Trasimeno and scores of hill-top villages are all within an hour's drive and Florence and Rome, which are not very car-friendly, are easily accessable by rail from Camucia (5 mins drive) or Terontola (7 mins drive). Enormous quantity of excellent restaurants, shopping and more than all the usual facilities within a 5-10 minute drive.

Further details
There are about 30 restaurants in and around Cortona and another 15 in or around Camucia (i.e. all within a 10 minute drive), so the choice is awesome and it is difficult to get a bad meal. We're happy to brief you on our favorites. Cortona only has one level road, fortunately the main one, otherwise it is extremely hilly, quite fascinating and you keep on chancing upon the most unbelievable views- anyone (and not just Frances Mayes of 'Under the Tuscan Sun') who has been there longs to go back. It has an enormous amount of fascinating Churches, really ancient historic buildings, excellent museums, exhibitions, music festivals, opera, concerts and even an open-air cinema in a roman amphitheatre showing English films once a week. It has several great shops, especially Maledetti for leather and a market on Saturdays. Camucia is more modern has shops selling most things, a good and very large market on Thursdays and two good supermarkets, the newest, only 3 or 4 mins away. There are plenty of banks and cash machines.
The surrounding land is criss-crossed with paths suitable for walking or cycling and for those wishing to raise their heart-rate the hills of Cortona are very steep, fabulously rewarding and only a few 100yds away. There is an impressive new tennis and country club in Cortona, a spa in the neighbouring (4 star) hotel, sailing on Lake Trasmeno (20 mins drive), three golf courses within 30 mins drive and horse-riding at several local schools.

Booking notes
We can hold an option on the house for you for 3 days. Reservations are guaranteed on receipt of a 30% deposit (non-refundable). The remaining balance must be paid 8 weeks before the rental commences along with a 500 euros damages deposit. This will be returned, less charges for any damage, breakages, telephone, broadband, additional help, etc, following departure.

Guest comments
We all had a lovely time at the villa - the photos and description on the website do not do it justice. It was everything I imagined a Tuscan villa to be but better. We had a problem with one of our bags and (the lady who looks after the property) could not have been more helpful. Thank you again for letting us share your home.
What a fabulous house, just lovely, lovely. Many thanks for letting us share it.

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and has advertised this property with us since April 2007.

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