Accommodation

By now you know I am not a hotel guy.  I prefer renting apartments from local people and preferably through the Internet.  I started investigating accommodation several months in advance once we had set our arrival and departure dates.  After a lengthy search I found a UK company that specializes in vacation apartments in France, Italy and the UK as well as other locations around the world.  Here is there website: http://www.homelidays.co.uk/

I like this company for many reasons.  You can find the accommodation you desire by using a map interface which means you can pinpoint exactly where your apartment is located.  This was very important in Venice where I wanted to be close to the Fondemente Nuove vaporetto stop, in Florence where I wanted to be close to the Uffizi and Palazzo Vecchio, and in Rome where I wanted to be within walking distance of the Borghese Gardens and the Spanish Steps.  The site also has very detailed information in each apartment which includes facilities, size, number of rooms, many photos, and testimonials.  Although renting an apartment for a week is the norm there are several for shorter stays.  Nearly all come with bedding and linens included and often you would find basic food items.

I was not disappointed.  The advertisements lived up to the descriptions on the website and some cases were even better than expected.  And the best thing was meeting the owners who would welcome you and were always eager to describe their region and tell you the best spots to visit.  Gian Piero would leave his personal laptop for our use and Maria Pia brought in a basket of vegetables and herbs from her garden.  For pampered North Americans most apartments do not have insect screens.  This is common throughout Europe but does not mean that there are no bugs.  We did not encounter many bugs (an occasional mosquito) as we were travelling in Autumn however in Summer you should expect a different story.  My suggestion is to take some screening with you or bug spray.

View from our apartment in Venice

Second bedroom in Venice, notice the floor which dates back 500 years

View from our kitchen in Chianciano, Tuscany

Filling our faces in the garden at Chianciano

Our bedroom at Catellina in Chianti

The infinity pool at Castellina in Chianti, too cold to try

Kitchen at Castellina in Chianti

Florence apartment, doesn't look like much from the outside however...

Kitchen and dining area, apartment in Florence

Lounge room in apartment in Rome

Bathroom in Rome, most apartments have smaller bathrooms and no bath

By the way I think Europeans have got it right, North Americans should have bidets.  What do you think?