We have stayed at a variety of properties
around the world. This was one of the best. Plenty of
room, clean and well maintained, beautifully furnished,
well equipped, CD player, satellite radio, satellite
television, great location and the village water was
safe to drink and excellent tasting, what more could
you want.
The village of Nicola were Rocca
di Nicola is located was just great. Founded sometime
before 1130, there are no streets only pathways throughout
the village. Parking is in a large public lot adjacent
to the town. The property itself is very beautiful and
in top condition. Two living rooms, two terraces both
with fantastic views, one large fireplace, a fully equipped
kitchen and three bedrooms, what more could you want.
The owner, is a wonderful lady. She had a beautiful
welcoming gift of fruit, crackers and wine. She has
fully equipped the property with all of the paper goods
and other essentials you would need for your stay. The
two restaurants in Nicola are both very good and very
reasonable. They quickly get to know you as the folks
staying at the house, and are most gracious with their
service.
Previous folks have mentioned the
chickens crowing. Coming from a rural background, we
enjoyed it. In fact, after a day or two it became a
part of the background that we just did not notice.
The location is great on the border
of Tuscany and Liguria. The views from Villa Luni's
terraces of the villages below and the Mediterranean
Sea less than 4 miles away on the horizon are beautiful.
You are within short driving distances to Carrara, Pisa,
Luca, Cinque Terra and the delightful coastal resort
town of Lerici which is less than 10 miles away. Little
longer drives to Florence, Siena and San Gimignano make
for great day trips.
You are staying in Nicola. You literally
walk out your back door and you're in town. Since this
is a hilltop village, you would need to walk down the
hill to get to the next group of villages. Down would
not be a problem, walking up would provide all the exercise
one would need.
As mentioned both restaurants in
town are simple but very good and reasonably priced.
There is a large supermarket in Carrara that was easy
to get to and a delight to shop at. Great selection
of wines, cheeses and meats combined with a super deli
and bakery. If you go to the service desk you can request
a store card which provides a nice discount on all your
purchases.
The owner has supplied the bathrooms
with all the toiletries you could need as well has providing
built-in hair dryers, one less thing to pack. Lerici
is a wonderful little coastal resort town only about
10 miles away. A great selection of restaurants, gelato
shops, a castle and a beautiful waterfront make for
a fun visit. Easy parking in large lots at the entrance
to the town.
April, 2006
Manola, we had a wonderful time in
La Rocca and Francesca was a terrific hostess. We couldn't
believe how well the villa was supplied with foods and
other necessities. It made it very easy to enjoy the
villa. We had dinner twice at Cervia and thought it
was excellent. Liked it better than la Fiorella, which
was also good. Cinque Terre, Santa Margherita and Portifino
were beautiful and the weather was perfect for our visit
by boat. We boarded the boat for Cinque Terre in Lereici,
so we didn't have a problem parking the car. Thank you
for all of your helpful suggestions and instructions.
Steve
Ciao Manola and Francesca,
I want to thank you for making our
short stay in Italy so enjoyable. Francesca was so helpful
arranging for a cell phone. We loved the villa and hope
to visit Tuscany again; hopefully soon...Our flight
from Rome was delayed 4 hours so we didn't arrive back
home until about 3 AM. I then had to fly to San Francisco
for work, but still a nice visit.
Again, thanks for everything, and
hope to see you in the future.
best wishes,
Jiim
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