LA CANTINA

We hesitated to write a review because we enjoyed it so much. We arrived at La Cantina w/our two kids (7 and 10) after several days exploring the sites of Rome. Colleen picked us up at the train station, arranged for a rental car, helped us grocery shop and then drove us up the hill to beautiful Piegaro. As soon as we arrived we were breath taken by the beautiful views of the Umbrian hills surrounding us. Every room in La Cantina has a window with a picture perfect view of Umbria. Our first evening was spent drinking wine and eating local delicacies while watching the sunset on our patio o/s the apt. Our kids spent the evening searching for lizards and swimming in the pool. Piegaro is a sleepy, intimate village located centrally to all we wanted to see. Our kids played soccer in the town piazza in the morning while listening to the church bells ring. Everyone in town is warm and helpful. It is a lovely place to come home to at the end of the day. The apt. has all the comforts of home, with the style and beauty of Italy. We can't say enough about Colleen and Tom. We felt like we were visiting family. They are a wealth of information, energy and warmth. The kitchen at La Cantina is well stocked with everything you need. There is a central washer/dryer and a great video library for our kids. Really the place is so special that it was hard to leave at the end of the week. With-in 1-2 hours you can reach all the major attractions (and more) of both Umbria and parts of Tuscany. It's rare that the actual experience exceeds expectations, but in this case it really did. Colleen and Tom did an amazing job renovating the old glass factory. We saw all the units and hope to come back with family and friends in the near future and stay in the incredible 5bd Villa! Thank you so much Colleen and Tom!

Piegaro is a nice quiet village with a friendly butcher, baker, grocery store, three bars, a restaurant and a gelateria. All you need. There is also a very interesting glass museum. The town is within easy day trips of all of Tuscany including Sienna. By easy I mean less than 90 minutes. Perugia and Assisi are about 45 minutes by car, and there are plenty of other interesting towns and villages close by. The view from Antica Vetraria's poolside terrace is nice and the terrace is a great place for an evening meal of local wine, cheeses, ham and salami. While we did not cook any meals during our stay, the kitchen is fully stocked with pots, pans etc. The staff speaks English. Highly recommended for friendliness, ambience, location and history!

"So we've been back home again for over a week now. Many things were better in Umbria -- the weather, the pasta, the wine, the landscape and the time our family could spend together. Before we came to L'Antica Vetreria we asked ourselves and wondered how holidays in an old glass factory would be. And we found a little paradise with ancient walls, a real glass oven in the apartment, a nice village with friendly people and everything one needs for nice holidays. The children liked the pool very much and enjoyed our walks to the bakery every morning and we loved the evenings with a glass of wine and looking over the hills. Thank you very much again for everything. We think we will return some day."