We rented a house at Castello di Reschio in May of 2005.

It was heaven. Expensive, but heaven.

We had several family members join us there. It was a lovely house with a pool and several acres of land around. Had lovely living areas and the bedrooms were well thought out. The bathrooms were also well finished, to say the least. Showers and tubs in most of the bathrooms. The grounds were immaculate.

There is a restaurant on the estate which is private, but very wonderful with an excellent chef. They have a great pizza oven and you can make your own version of pizza before your eyes.

This is a way to experience Italy and live like a (rich) local - there is a small town nearby where you can buy groceries and meats and if you like you can cook for yourself, or you can go to Umbertide which is about a 10 minute drive. This is a great base for touring the Umbrian and Tuscan area - about an hour from Cortona and Perugia and near a freeway on the Umbrian side.

One of our favorite times there was when everyone else had gone off sightseeing (we have been to Italy many times) and my husband and I had a picnic on the grounds one lovely spring afternoon. It was quiet and peaceful and timeless - Italians have been doing this since antiquity.

If you have the cash, this is a once in a lifetiime opportunity to experience the best of rural Italian life in a lovely setting with all the modern comforts including wireless internet access.

Dolce far niente at its finest.