Then I checked on a link, www.italyrentals.com
and as the page appeared on the screen, there it was, the villa we had
been searching for. A picture showed a dining room with a rustic wooden
table and exposed stonewalls. There was a pool for me and the nearest town
was a ten-minute drive away for Brenda. "Look", I said, probably
a little too loud, my voice filled with excitement.
"It looks great’ said Brenda,
"read to me about it."
"With its unique location on a hilltop 700 meters above sea level,
this fortified hamlet brings to mind the ancient splendor of a "gastaldo
longobardo".
The estate is entirely enclosed and has a private forest (40 acres)
where wildlife can often be seen. There are warm breezes in summer
and spring.
The main building is divided into 4 apartments, one of which is
reserved for the owner. A hay barn has been restored into two
apartments. The furniture is comfortable, rustic and tasteful.
A swimming pool (13m x 6.5m) with sun loungers looks over the peaceful
hills. It is surrounded by a well-kept garden with a portico with
garden furniture, table tennis, outdoor oven and barbecue.
Continuing to read, we found that Assisi was a
short twenty-five minute drive; going to Orvieto to see its duomo would be
an easy daytrip. We began to make a list of questions to ask the booking
agent, whose office was in Colorado.
The next day, we contacted Susan Broyles,
owner of Gira Travel and asked her our questions. Her answers confirmed
that this was the villa for us. What made us even more confident was the
fact that Susan had herself been there, so her knowledge was first hand.
We booked it.
A few weeks before leaving for Italy, a parcel
arrived in the mail from Gira Inc. In it was a map and directions to our
villa. Susan had also thoughtfully added a list of nearby towns to visit
and things to do. It was beginning to seem real – we were going to
Italy.
Suddenly, it was June and Brenda was driving
our rental car up a narrow, winding road. Somewhere in the hills above was
Il Palazzo del Gastaldo. The beauty of the countryside mesmerized me, but
at the same time, I was apprehensive. What if the villa wasn’t as
wonderful as it had appeared in the pictures. What had we done?
We reached the end of the paved road, and on
our left, was a large wooden gate, but still no villa in sight. Turning a
key, the motorized gate swung open slowly and revealed a long drive that
ended in a cluster of trees. Peering out from the treetops was the tower
of our villa.
