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What our guests think ...
3.
John & Valerie (June 2004)
We
heard about Casa Marginetta via a 'friend of a
friend' who knows the owners (Steve & Trudi).
We
were looking for a fairly inexpensive week away
for just the two of us and Tuscany in June
sounded very appealing!
We
checked the Ryanair
web-site and found flights from Stansted
to Pisa for £39.98 each (return). We thought
that was quite a good deal, but Steve had said to
check prices into Genoa as they're sometimes
cheaper - and he was right! Just £1.98 each
(return)!
Even
with taxes and fees added, the total for the
two of us came to an amazing £50.58!
Less than the train fare to London!!
*
We
picked up a Ford Fiesta 1.2 from Hertz at Genoa
airport for the week. We booked this via
Ryanair's special arrangement with Hertz
as we found it to be slightly cheaper than via Hertz
direct.
It's
a fact that car hire is not particularly cheap
in Italy - our deal cost £135.59
-
but our view was that it's a luxury we could
easily afford - especially when flying to Genoa
had saved us an additional £76 on top of an
already bargain-priced fare!
There
is the possibility of 'extra charges' - I guess
if you return the car damaged, without a full
tank of petrol, or if you opt for things like
'Super CDW' and/or 'Personal Accident
Insurance' or maybe want to add additional
drivers etc.
However,
in our case, there was absolutely nothing extra to pay at
all!
*
The
drive down the coast on the motorway was very
spectacular and we stopped off for our first
'espresso' coffee in Sestri Levante - a very
beautiful seaside town - well worth a visit!
Back
on the A12 motorway for a bit, we then turned
off onto the A15 towards Parma as far as Aulla
where we joined the recommended 'scenic
route'
(S63/S445), by-and-large following the
single-track railway.
This
was the main route to Lucca in 'olden times',
but it has long since been bypassed by the
faster coastal motorway, making it a true
pleasure to drive now. Almost no traffic at
all!
We
stopped off at a lovely restaurant at probably
the highest point on the route in Giuncugnano
and had - you guessed it - more 'espressos'!
The proprietor then tempted us with some
delicious ice creams which I have to say were
fantastic! Maybe it was the panoramic view - or
the warm gentle breeze? We could have stayed
there all day!
Further
along the trail we came to Castelnuovo
di Garfagnana
and the beautiful Serchio valley. Stunning!
Don't miss the 'Rocca Ariostesca' fortress in the
centre of the town. The main route bypasses it,
but if you look carefully you will find it.
By
the way, Castelnuovo is easily within visiting
distance from Casa Marginetta by car or
train.
We
then travelled fairly speedily onwards,
conveniently stopping off at the 'E Leclerc'
hypermarket in Gallicano for provisions before
passing 'Devil's
Bridge'
at Borgo and the
railway station at Diecimo on the last leg of
the journey up the 'Valley of Gastronomy' to
Convalle.
Having
enjoyed a very pleasant drive, we would also
recommend it to others - but only if you arrive
at Genoa in the daytime. We imagine that it
would be quite dangerous in the dark and in any
case, what's the point of taking a scenic route
when you can't see anything? We went back to
Genoa by motorway.
*
We
reached Convalle and Casa Marginetta quite easily
following the directions that we were given and
were pleasantly surprised by what we found.
Considering
the amazingly low price - honestly, you can
spend thousands per week on Tuscan rentals if you
want to - it offered everything we had hoped
for and more.
Alongside
the beautifully natural rustic decor, there
were modern conveniences including 2 TVs, HiFi,
satellite TV, DVD player, refrigerator,
freezer, hob, oven, microwave, toaster,
dishwasher, washing machine, iron, ironing board
and even a
bread-maker!
*
The
weather in June was perfect. Long sunny days
meant that we could see Tuscany at its best.
Plenty hot enough to pick up a tan sunbathing
in the terraced garden and at the beach, warm
balmy evenings for a stroll down to the local
restaurant for a bite to eat and the ideal temperature for a comfortable night's sleep!
Although
a fan was provided - and we had the option of
an air conditioner in the Master Bedroom for a
small extra charge - we didn't need either!
Three hundred years ago, they certainly knew
how to make buildings that naturally control
the temperature! We could learn a thing or two!
*
We
visited Lucca and had fun climbing the 'Torre
Guinigi'.
The ancient oak trees growing on the roof were
an unusual feature!
Unlike
most English towns and cities where you find
pretty much the same names on every High
Street, Lucca seemed to be choc-full of unique
shops, both big and small, scattered all over
the 'maze-like' old town.
We
also found many lovely cafés to enjoy our 'espressos', including our favourite
in the magnificent ancient oval 'Piazza
Anfiteatro'!
*
All
in all, we had a great time and are looking
forward to our next trip back to Tuscany. You
never know, we might even buy property there
ourselves!
Finally,
we would like to say a big 'Thank you' to Trudi
and Steve for letting us experience their
wonderful home.
John.
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