Wow, wow, wow! We have never stayed anywhere quite like this or felt so well-looked after. The Casale was so beautiful; a lot of love and attention has been put into everything, from the knives and forks neatly arranged in the kitchen drawers to the stunningly-designed, ornamental gardens. The apartment was immaculate – it was lovely to see a mixture of the traditional and contemporary with original wall tiles in the bathroom and a modern walk-in shower in the master bedroom. There were 4 balconies altogether for our apartment. The steps and pool were cleaned every day before we arose. Fresh flowers, plenty of towels and toilet rolls were provided, as well as a welcome breakfast hamper with fresh fruit, juice, biscuits, coffee and milk.
We had a few outings to various places: Florence was 2 hours away by train (changing at Pisa on the way), Lucca was only 40 mins away by car and the Museum of Madness there had an interesting exhibition, containing a variety of sculptures, installations and paintings, including some Francis Bacon pieces. The beach with its vast stretch of white sand and abundance of bars and restaurants was only 15-20 min drive. One of our favourite days was spent up in the mountains, walking the tiny streets of Candalla with its paintings on the walls of what we guessed were the inhabitants of the charming, ochre-coloured houses. Angela had told us about a waterfall you can visit there too to bathe in the pools and cool down.
It was wonderful to be able to cater for ourselves and pop out into Camaiore (20-30 min walk or 5 min bike ride) some lunchtimes and evenings but also have the luxury of eating a 5 star meal in the garden with a table lovingly prepared for us by the gorgeous hosts. Both are chefs and amazing at it! We also ate in the upmarket Pizzeria and our 5-year-old wanted to order the pizza every night; it was that good! Angela and Simone had been to buy flowers for our table, which was a lovely touch.
Our hosts really made the trip special for us with their warmth and generosity. They truly want their guests to have the most wonderful experience with the best customer service imaginable, giving you enough privacy but also being there to ask for an Aperol Spritz if you need one! Angela, Simone and their staff made us all feel like the Royal Family and a part of their family at the same time, which is no mean feat. An unforgettable trip. Thank you.