We discovered Casa Regina during a random search on the internet and, boy, did we fall on our feet! The house itself is every bit as wonderful as the photos suggest and the owners, David and Colleen, are the friendliest and most welcoming “landlords” you could wish for; everything you can think of is provided. The village is charming, the shopkeepers helpful (our Italian is virtually non-existent apart from the basics – hello, goodbye, please and thank you, but a phrase book helped) and the surrounding area was a revelation to us. Being off the usual tourist routes it is unspoilt (there weren’t many tourists of any nationality) and driving on winding roads through the foothills of the Alps covered in mile after mile of vines, heavy with grapes as we were there in August, was a joy. You are in easy reach of the Italian lakes but take our advice and visit Lake Orta rather than the bigger Lake Maggiore – what a gem. The only drawback was that 12 days was not long enough to do and see everything we wanted to and we hope to return sometime. We drove all the way from the UK this time, stopping over in Dijon both ways, but you can fly to Turin or Milan and hire a car. Take our advice and discover Casa Regina and Refrancore for yourself – we’ve recommended it to our friends.