Villa Ariola, its position and surroundings offer something for everybody. The Villa itself is beautifully spacious and well appointed – there’s enough of everything and everything works, which has not been my experience in other holiday villas. I also really appreciated the number of bathrooms; I hate having people waiting for me and this never happened. My sister is a keen (and excellent) cook and she was in her element in the lovely Ariola kitchen.
My sister and brother-in-law and their little daughter spent most of the time at ‘home’, sunbathing, swimming, playing, pottering and soaking up the peace and beauty of the place. It was a joy to watch all their stress dissolve during our stay.
My husband and I, on the other hand, covered a great deal of ground. We did a lot of walking through the stunning countryside right on Ariola’s doorstep, we checked out the beaches and made a couple of very satisfying day trips, one to Firenze and one to the Cinque Terre. We also visited a vineyard recommended by Lynn & Bill and couldn’t leave without buying a few gallons of local wine to take home (just as well we’d come to Italy by car!).
I know and love Italy but I’ve made a few mistakes with holiday destinations in the past. Irola, however, is the real deal: off the tourist track and immersed in the best of rural Italian culture.
If we can possibly coordinate our work schedules again, I know we’d all love to go back to the Villa Ariola this summer.