A Smartbox gift means doing an awful lot of research to find decent quality places that will not treat their Smartbox guests as second-class citizens and eventually I turned up Pian di Marte: a good choice, too. “Rustic hospitality” is what you’re promised, and that’s what you get at this converted monastery in the Umbrian foothills between Umbertide and Lake Trasimeno. Service is cheerful and friendly, rooms spartan and clean, food plentiful and excellent. Nights uncannily silent. Just one evening menu on offer, but usually flexible enough to cater for vegetarians like me and the wife. We ate well. The house wine was most drinkable, especially the red. Breakfast was varied and filling. Days were spent walking: one day up to the small hilltop town of Preggio, another doing a circular walk via Castel Rigone, another over the hills to lakeside Passignano. Great stuff. Just two little structural complaints about the room: glass in the bathroom door means that if someone creeps to the loo during the night, the light will wake up whoever’s left in bed. And shower shelves. What is it about Italian hotels that they refuse to install a handy small shelf in the shower? Here I had to have the shampoo sachet balanced on the sink, which meant leaning to stretch awkwardly through the shower curtain: I only slipped once, but it was a nasty moment! But these are trifles. We had a lovely four days.More
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