We had a great time at Valle Nuova. The breakfast was the best we've ever had at any B&B type place, full of fresh food and delicious home-made items from the farm (jam, juice). The rooms are comfortable, not fancy, but have an electric kettle and a small refrigerator and wifi and are otherwise thoughtfully laid out. Giulia and her parents are very friendly and helpful, and Giulia speaks English perfectly so there are no communication problems. The cats and dog on the farm are adorable. We also took a vegetarian cooking class with Guilia and her mom, which was fun and delicious--we made and ate a lot of wonderful food and also got to make local foods that happened to be vegetarian.

This year was our third time at the Locanda, and we are sure it won't be the last one. This time we were a little worried because of the first presence of our little child Giorgio (2 years old); but we knew the Salvini family, so we shouldn't worry about anything! Everything was perfect, they make us absolutely welcome, they treated us all like friends. So we had a wonderful time in this wonderful part of Italy, and our little boy had lots of fun in nature. We stayed at the Casina dei Cavalli, and everything is so accurate there that we immediately felt better than home. Unlikely this time we couldn't taste the excellent cuisine of the Locanda, but at our arrival we found so many wonderful welcome foods in our fridge: fresh milk, butter, fruit juice, fresh bread, eggs, jam and everything you need for a huge breakfast! Thank you Giulia! We hope to see you soon again.

When we arrived we were really in need of a vacation. Within 24 hours I was totally relaxed. The apartment Casina dei Tordi was perfect for us, a couple. The views from the patio next to the well-fitted kitchen were stunning. As I enjoy cooking in Italy, it was a real pleasure to finally find a rental kitted out with a working kitchen, and not just a few odd pots picked up at a garage sale. The pool was a short walk away, and I enjoyed passing through the cow yard. This is a working farm, after all! Best of all was the peace and quiet, the beauty of the surroundings, and the hospitality.

We chose to stay at La Locanda for a special anniversary, and we weren't disappointed.
The farmhouse has been well modernised and sits on a hill overlooking a charming valley. We were able to wander around the farm and fields, chatting to the very elegant local breed cows and watching the wildlife; this was the sort of relaxing holiday that we desperately needed. I just wish we could both ride horses as we could have borrowed some from Giulia and her family and explored the countryside a little better.

Our bedroom was comfortable, clean and we were pleased to have fresh water provided in the small fridge, and more on request, without extra charge. We were also given a complimentary snack when we arrived late on our first evening which was much appreciated.

The ethos of Giulia and her family was important to us as have our own organic business. It was wonderful to be served good, local Italian food at breakfast and dinner - Giulia's own preserves and condiments are fantastic and I wish we could have bought a jar of the citron jam back with us. The evening ritual of tasting Giulia's home-made liqueurs was fun although I was too much of a wimp for some of the more sophisticated flavours. Giulia has just started making her own sausages and charcuterie and we were lucky enough to try some - they were absolutely delicious.

We only stayed three nights so we didn't have much time to explore the surrounding area although Urbino is obligatory. The medieval town is virtually untouched and sitting sipping cappuccino opposite the ducal palace is a fond memory of our trip. We spent about three hours wandering round the palace itself as there is so much to look at. I found the medieval sanitation and water management particularly interesting!

The only real drawback to visiting the Locanda is the state of the local roads. It's a bit tricky to find (although Giulia and her family have taken a lot of care over signage) and the tarmac is rutted and uneven. You have to be extra careful on bends too in case a local driver is hurtling round in the middle of the road. Don't let it put you off though. The remote location of the B7B is one of its main charms. However if you haven't been before I think that the route from the Fermignano direction is probably a little easier than the one we took the first night.

We'd love to return sometime so we can explore the area better. Giulia and her delightful parents made us so welcome and it's really helpful that Giulia has impeccable colloquial English. We were lucky enough to visit just after a litter of kittens arrived so we sat and played with them whilst chatting to the family. All of Giulia's old fashioned roses were out too and we enjoyed their fragrance whilst watching huge iridescent beetles (rose chafers) munching on the petals.

We can't wait to visit again - thanks Giulia (and mum and dad)!