Casa Carina 4

“ What a fabulous villa! ”

We had a wonderful holiday in Casa Carina, what a fabulous villa! Comfortable stylish with the most magnificent views. Mario was invaluable! He welcomed us and guided us up the steep but manageable path to the idyllic venue set on two levels with the pool which was a delight to regularly jump in and cool down. Our week was so peaceful, relaxing and enjoyable, Mario gave us such a warm and kind helpful welcome. Thank you Mario! Would highly recommend. A 5 star experience.

“ Lovely villa and host (beware the driveway) ”

We stayed a week at Casa Carina in early October, and had a wonderful time. The villa itself is spacious and charming (save the disconcerting ceramic mask on the wall), and its best feature is the covered veranda with a beautiful view across the valley to the nearby villages of Colelungo and Morre. I thoroughly recommend relaxing there as the sun sets, sipping wine and listening to the local wildlife (we heard cicadas, crickets, owls, other birds of prey, and wild boar) and watching the bats chase down the insects.

Mario is a lovely host and could not do enough for us. HIs wife made us some delicious lasagne and tiramisu which were waiting for us on our arrival along with a couple of bottles of local wine. Mario also offered to stock the villa with supplies from the local supermarket if we had so wished. He brought us firewood when we wanted it, and kindly took the time to make recommendations of local walks and restaurants, and to walk with us about the local agriculture (olives and vineyards). We happenned to be there around the start of the grape harvest, so he obtained a bottle of mosto from his friend and brought it to us (it was very tasty).

I have very few negative comments about our stay: The fixings of the toilet seat had been broken by a previous guest, and it would have been nice if the seat did not move about so much, but I believe that Mario was still looking for the necessary parts to fix it, so that's understandable. I would echo the comments made by other guests about the driveway. It takes about 8 minutes to get from the house to the main road, and he driveway is steep and heavily rutted in places, covered with loose stones and dust. We had a front-wheel drive rental car, which coped with it all, but I am glad the rental car came to us with considerable pre-existing scratches and dents, because I did not have to worry too much about chipping the paintwork on it. I would not have wanted to drive a shiny new car up and down that driveway, and rear-wheel drive would be a no-no. Apart from laying rough concrete for the length of the driveway, I'm not sure there's much that Mario could do about it. Overall, we had a wonderful week, thanks in no small part to Mario's kindness and readiness to help. I have no hesitation in recommending Casa Carina to all. But Mario, please get rid of the ceramic baby's-face mask to the right of the fireplace; I'm still having nightmares about it! ;-)

“ Beautiful Stay ”

Casa Carina was everything we hoped it would be.

It’s a wonderful, peaceful, beautiful location. Despite the heat of August, the house wasn’t too hot.

Mario was an excellent host - he helped us with the drive leading up to the house, and was incredibly friendly and welcoming. He even helped with an issue with our car, and gave our girls the opportunity to meet his horses.

Altogether we had a wonderful time and could not fault it.

“ A True Umbrian Escape ”

Casa Carina is a smaller villa full of rustic charm, located well off the beaten track. We had a super week here, surrounded by the sights and sounds of unspoiled nature - in particular there were lots of butterflies. The pool was ideal, very refreshing on a hot day and the villa had pleasant outdoor spaces to relax and unwind, along with pretty walks on the doorstep. There was ample room for the four of us (good to have the two en-suite bathrooms) and we experienced it all in some of the best and worst weather. We were glad we to have a pack of cards and decent TV with Casting option when the rain was pouring down and the wind was howling!

Mario was an excellent host, always responsive and able to offer help and advice as required. We were very grateful to have a selection of wine and groceries waiting for us on our arrival after a long day of travelling. The kitchen could have been slightly better equipped but it was adequate for our needs. We cooked a few meals ourselves and also enjoyed eating out at a couple of excellent local restaurants (Osteria La Cruccola in Acqualoreto and Kairos in Izzalini).

We made trips to Todi (the nearest town), Assisi, Orvieto and Florence (a long but brilliant day). The duomo in Orvieto was particularly awe-inspiring! We visited Trebotti organic winery on our return from Orvieto for a fascinating tour and tasting experience. Definitely recommend!

Do heed the advice regarding the track to the villa - it has some extremely steep gradients to negotiate which are not for the faint hearted! A 4x4 would cope fine (would definitely recommend), but if you have a front wheel drive hatchback like we did then you might want to disable the traction control when you leave the main road. We got used to it though and it's worth the effort for the view when you get there - all part of the adventure!