2004
“Thank you so much for the magical week at Calboccia - it was perfect. What an amazing place. I can't tell you how restful it was to hike in the afternoon, cook, sit by the fire, listen to music, and breathe the Umbrian air. We also did some sight-seeing-- had a great adventure in Montepulciano (of which I pass along a souvenier!). I left a new supply of candles and some new books for the library....Again, I can't thank you enough.”
N.H, California“Just a brief note as it is a very busy day following a very busy week following our return a week ago from Italy. We thoroughly enjoyed our stay at Calboccia. Our major problem was that we had too little time there. At least another 4 or 5 days would have been the minimum time for us to really get into the swing of things. The Essiccatoio was just right for us. Your restoration of the building (actually both buildings) is fantastic. The hill top setting is beyond description. In addition to Calboccia being so nice, we want you to know how wonderful Sestilio is as both the person who provides the orientation and the "on call" local resource. He really is a great guy, very informative, very interesting and very hospitable. We hope that at some point he comes to New York for a visit so we can be of assistance to him and his family. Finally, La Chusia was all that has been said about it. Dada and Claudio were out of town but the dining could not have been any better if they had been there. Clearly, their daughter has learned the family cooking secrets. Again, thank you so much for all your help. We hope to make a return visit in the future, possible during a cooler period. Do let me know how things are going along with you and if you have any NYC visit plans.”
B.R. and R.S., New York“I apologize for being so slow to contact you following our visit to Calboccia in early June, but we have spent the past month dealing with the aftermath of a large oak tree falling on our house a few days prior to our departure. We removed the tree immediately from the roof and had a full house tarp placed over the damaged area. It allowed us to leave on time and deal with repairs upon our return. All is now well. Needless to say, we had another wonderful two weeks at Calboccia. Weather perfect and no hitches whatsoever. Wild flowers and broom in full bloom and sunsets were spectacular, extending 'happy hours' on the stone terrace to double length. We were able to have Angelina provide our dinner on two occasions, and, as always, the food was excellent. On the first Sunday we enjoyed our noon meal at La Chiusa (superb, of course), and dined in a different restaurant each evening in the nearby villages (using Sestilio's and prior guests recommendations). It's impossible to get a bad or mediocre meal in any of them, so we all six of us returned with a good deal of added weight. Part of our eating ritual was our daily consumption of gelato as a mid afternoon 'pickup'. As you know, early June is probably one of the best times for touring. We visited about ten of the 'hill' towns in Umbria and Tuscany and seldom encountered more than a few tourists. It's a small world note. In Pienza we were having a cappuccino at a sidewalk table, and an American couple sat down to do the same. It turned out that the husband was a student who worked closely with me at the Georgetown University Library back in 1952. We didn't recognize each other at first, but, after our minds re-focused, we each remembered exactly what the other had look like 50 some years ago. This morning I gave information on Calboccia to a friend who expressed an interest. I will continue to sing the praises of Calboccia to everyone I meet. I met Gianni while walking on the road. He invited our group to have 'tea' at his Alpaca farm. It was a delightful experience. He and his wife are both intelligent and interesting people. It's obvious that they have a great affection for you. Warmest regards,”
J. & J. J, Maryland“I wanted to belatedly let you know we had a wonderful visit to Calboccia. We found it an enjoyable respite on our travels, and we would gladly recommend it to others. Both the house and property were beautiful, and it is a great base for exploring surrounding towns. Sestilio was charming and helpful; a good ambassador for the house. I'm now back at work after a ten week sabbatical, wondering why we all don't move to Italy and live there......”
A. L., California“Just a note to thank you for creating such a wonderful place in Umbria and for providing an opportunity to meet Sestilio. Without him, I would have failed buying vegetables 101 at the COOP. Our stay was more than hoped for. We were able to relax and enjoy all that beauty and wonderful food and not even think about work once. Again, thank you.”
S.T., New Jersey“We have finally returned home after seven weeks in France and Italy, and I wanted to tell you what a good time we had at Calboccia. Sestilio was great; we really didn't need him for anything, but he was there just in case. We so enjoyed the comments in the book from other occupants and used their suggestions. We had a wonderful meal at LaChiusa - the potato-cheese bread was the best we've ever had, and their gnocchi was wonderful. We also visited the alpaca farm and enjoyed that too. Never saw the wild boar or mushroom gatherers (we saw them other places). You have a wonderful place there, and we had a delightful time. I am glad I found you on the Internet. Thanks. “
N. H., California“I forgot to let you know how fabulous Calboccia is and what a wonderful time we had! Sestilio was such a sweet, nice and helpful man and the country was gorgeous. Talk to you later to fill you in on more!”
C. R, California'Calboccia' was the 'slow' part of our trip through Italy-after a week and half running around the cities of Northern Italy, it was time for some open space! We took more time to do everything. Long hikes in the woods to explore abandoned houses, three hour long dinners, languid sunsets, lots of reading in front of the fire and sipping wine on the porch outside. We locked our watches away and developed a slower rhythm and took it all in. We are now ready to head home, relaxed and re-charged. Thank you for allowing us to experience Umbria in this way. Our honeymoon memories will always be linked with your home.”
K.M. and I.L.,Germany and California"We loved our stay; it immersed us in the essence of Italy. You have created a small paradise, with peace, quiet, and magnificent views. We deeply enjoyed visiting the hill towns in Umbria and Tuscany, walking the cobblestones, visiting the churches, squares, and museums....Staying in and cooking dinner was also delightful, and we got the sunset thrown in.”
J.B. and J.N., California“I think I finally know what 'civilization' is - or what it is 'supposed to be.' It's not living like a hermit, and its not what goes on in the larger commercialized cities. It's here....where you can feel that a near perfect balance has been achieved. A week is too short a time for a place like this. The days seem to be a unique combination of peace and relaxation, and the feeling that you need more hours in the day to see all that each town has to offer. Bill and I are in Italy for the first time. This is his birthday trip and I am so glad to share it with him....We can't think of a better place from which to base our daily outings. This has truly been our 'home" for these 7 seven days. “
W.S.and S.T., New Jersey“It has been wonderful! After a week at Calboccia, unfortunately we have to leave tomorrow! Too short a stay-we will be back. Right now we are sitting around the fireplace with a beautiful fire roaring after just finishing a wonderful dinner. I attended a cooking class at La Chiusa, which was great. Dada and Masha taught us how to make wonderful pasta and gnocchi and after spending the afternoon in kitchen, we were able to enjoy the dinner and all of Dada's special desserts. I thank God for the opportunity to visit this romantic farmhouse high up in the hills of Umbria. We shall return. Thank you and Sestilio for all your help.”
J.C.,California
“What a wonderful week! After reading the preceding pages in the House Guest Book, I continue the tradition. Like the others who have written in these pages, my wife and I thoroughly enjoyed our stay at 'Calboccia'. So much, in fact, that we spent 2 of our 7 days staying right here in this magical place. I thoroughly enjoyed sitting on the deck, sipping the wine we purchased yesterday at Montepulciano, watching my wife as she washed clothes and chased the sun around the house to find a place to dry. We dined at many wonderful restaurants in the area...but none compared to those at 'Calboccia"!While our entire trip was fantastic, the time we shared in this beautiful place has been the center piece of our trip. Sestilio was an unexpected bonus, making us feel so welcome. God willing, we will return soon.”
F. & J. N., California“We leave tomorrow after a lovely week in and around Umbria. Sestilio was most helpful, and was pleasant and very welcoming. It was a good feeling knowing he was available if we needed him. Our thanks and appreciation. Our thanks also for creating these lovely two houses for wayfarers to relax and feel at home. Yes, and as also for previous guests, we appreciated your library which we did not have enough time to more than skim, and your tape collection which set the stage with opera for being in Italy. It has been a lovely experience which we will talk about for a long time. Again, thanks for providing this wonderful setting from which to appreciate Umbria. We shall cherish our memories.”
N. & A. H., New Hampshire“Having gotten up early to get ready to go, I am sitting at the desk in the living room. There is a thin cloud layer of white very low in the valley. There is another much thicker layer above. A gold light is behind the clouds above and so they look different. Now I see light on the hills on the other side of the valley. Perhaps not having a camera is just as well. No one instant is the same here. The beauty of many moments will remain in my mind's eye. I am lucky to have been here this week. Thank you and thank you............This place is one for sharing experiences and since I had a very special someone with whom to share, I am lucky beyond words....These moments will never be forgotten; they are beyond the clouds.”
D.L., California“Fell in love with the Niccone Valley the minute we drove down into it. We had just come from Tuscany, in the Montepulciano area, and thought that it was beautiful, but the woods, the deep valley, was so green compared to Tuscany. This was what I thought Italy would be....We have felt so at home here and even with the adventure of next week in Venice, we are reluctant to leave 'Calboccia.' The view of the valley below from 'Calboccia' will forever be imprinted in our minds.”
S. & N. N., California“We love people with vision and the fortitude to make their dreams appear before them. We also love risk takers. You are such people. It's clear that you love 'Calboccia' by the love that you have poured into this property. Thanks for the opportunity to spend time here. Sestilio is a gentleman; calm, eloquent and expressive. We only spent an hour with him going through the "opening up" process, but we know that had we had any kind of problems, he would have been there to help. He made it clear that he was only a phone call away, and we took him at his word. Quite reassuring. Grazie a lei, Sestilio. We're sorry, summer people, but we hardy and adventurous winter types get to see stuff you don't: the cold air sharpens colors so the hills across the valley are truly RED next to green next to umber-you get the idea; the moon and stars.....more on that later; you summer people see the leaves on the trees as shelter from the sun; oh, I know they rustle hypnotically in rhythm with the3 birds and the soft summer breezes; however, you can't see through them to the packs of wild boar who are speaking in Cinghialese and plotting to assail you (we can see them doing it and have time to escape to shelter inside!); we winter people see the trees as future firewood for the long evening reading by the fire- reading wine labels; the moon and the stars - the moon should pay rent for parking on Jan's roof- it almost brings one to tears - the clarity and presence of it; what can one say regarding the stars except for this story: New Year's Eve, we saw mezzanotte come and go. At 2 AM, Deborah noticed that as the dew on each leaf of grass reached the freezing point, a momentary diamond brilliance flashed forth-hundreds of diamonds in the grass, or as she described it, a "pave of diamonds", lay before us. The brilliance lasted for 20-45 seconds but the effect it has on the memory will last years- then we looked up at the duomo of twinkling stars!! The immense and the minute.....
Summer people, we envy you being here! Every minute you spend here is a minute we wish we could share with you. After visiting St. Francis' cathedral, Orvieto's cathedral, cathedrals in Rome, Gubbio, etc, we realized there is one 1.5 km from where you are sitting reading this. Drop in, open the unlocked gate and door. Sit in one of the pews for a minute. Look at Mary and her son, and leave satisfied that you have spent important time here.”
F. & D. M., California2003
“A quick note to say that we enjoyed sharing your home. It was a special week for all of us - made all the more special by seven days of sunshine (cool nights, however). Not having other guests about was an extra bonus. We admire the labor of love Calboccia has required. Beautiful hints of spring all around us and the vista of olive trees and vineyards with a soft red cast as the sun set will be hard to equal. Sestillio is a gem. Your spot is very special. Warmly,”
M & P M. (Massachusetts)“We just wanted to thank you for giving us the opportunity to stay at Calboccia. It was wonderful. We can't say enough about your fantastic home. The picture of the valley, the castle across the way, the olive trees and the house itself will stick in our memories forever. We wanted you to know that Sestillio was very helpful and is a great representative for you. I think you both have a good system going together. We ate one night at La Chuisa and it was fantastic. We let them choose for us and it was food to die for! Thank you again so much and know that Calboccia will always get our recommendation.”
L J (California).
“Just a quick note to let you know how much we enjoyed our stay at Calboccia. It was everything and more than we had anticipated. It was truly breathtaking to sit on the terrace and watch the sun set over the Tuscan hills. I also wanted to let you know how much we appreciated being met by Sestilio, who led us to Calboccia and explained the workings of everything in the house, as well as offering useful advice on trains, groceries, entertainment etc. We took a guided walk in the hills around Calboccia with David Lloyd-Edwards, which was a lot of fun. When we told him about how good Sestilio had been to us, he said that you were very lucky to have such a person greet guests. The guests who were upstairs during our stay were fun and friendly – we even enjoyed an evening of wine and food with them on our last night. One of them is a judge, I am a lawyer, although I work as an editor….. We hope to return to Umbria/Tuscany some day, and if so, we will most likely be in touch again. Thank you for offering such a lovely place for travelers like us to visit. Kind regards,”
P P (Canada)
“We had a great time in our two weeks at the upper unit. On our departure day (27/9), we had a boar walk in front of the car about 100' below the house at about 6 am, previously we saw a red fox on the road also. Weather was great, Sestillio was helpful, and after driving down from France for 2 weeks, it felt like home. We did attend the function in town, which was fun. We hope to reserve again some time in the future. Everything was as your website indicated, and so we were very happy with the experience. Now, the more mundane task of hearing matters in superior court, which is my usual day job, will be an interesting transition from having to decide which red to have with our 3 hour lunch. Thanks again.”
S & J N (Washington)“We have been meaning to write and thank you SO MUCH for the wonderful 2 weeks at Calboccia!! Sestilio gave us a great orientation, and everything worked out perfectly. We did quite a bit of sight seeing in Umbria. There were 4 of us who put on some substantial mileage - others got in some quality shopping. We cooked some outstanding meals in the Calboccia kitchens, and ate out at the recommended locandas on the other nights. All of the trattorias were fantastico! We especially liked the Locanda del Nonna Gelsa at Niccone -they pulled out all the stops for our group (we ate there 3 nights). We also managed to eat gelato almost every day at the little gelatoria downtown Umbertide next to the old church. We also made several visits to the bicycle shop "Cicli Alpini" in Umbertide - very nice folks! We had some great rides. We rode the little loop up to Preggio then over the top to Umbertide and back to Calboccia 4 or 5 times - a challenging climb, and an awesome descent with an incredible view. We rode to Assisi and back a couple of times - a nice, flat ride till you get to Assisi. The ride to Gubbio was very pretty, but a little more traffic than I had thought would be on that road. We had a nice ride over to Montepulciano, and Siena. We drove down to Perugia to check out the Jazz festival - very nice - and then rode a climb from Orvieto to Todi when it was 38 deg centigrade! Ouch! I guess the most memorable ride was at the Tour de France up the Alp du Huez 15k with 21 switchbacks at 12% grade - epic! We also had time to do some sightseeing in Rome on our last day. St Peter's is incredible! We look back at the pictures now and can't wait to start planning for the next trip in 2005- thanks again for the wonderful stay at Calboccia. I hope that we can meet some time - I would like to hear the story of finding, buying, maintaining property in Italy. From what I have read - it can be an "interesting" experience. We are going to be in Sonoma in October for the Harvest Fair. I don't know which I look forward to more - drinking great wine or biking the wonderful hills and valleys in the fall. If you are going to be around the first week of October, maybe we can meet up somewhere? Thanks again for sharing your wonderful house. Best wishes,”
P V (Wisconsin)“You are free to use any comments we wrote in our page at the house during our stay late September/early October this year (24.09.03-04.10.03). We have beautiful sunset and hill town videos; remember music filled evenings cooking our meals in glorious solitude after countryside day journeys. The people before us, writing in the house journal, gave day trip suggestions that one would never have seen in the traditional guide books. Your website is a great marketing tool for your property, and your guests are a tremendous asset to enhancing the stay. If ever any questions or suggestions, feel free to contact us. We've given your website to many since our return, unselfishly, at this point. Sestillio is a true friend to you, and a sure spokesperson to marketing your property. For the uninitiated, we easily felt like locals. We hope to come back some day. Thanks for the opportunity.”
C & K H (Illinois)“Another great stay at Calboccia—too short; like the others. We’ll be back.”
J & M B (Texas)“My family just got to spend three weeks here at Calboccia. I am sad as I sit here on our last night, knowing that we have to leave tomorrow, but feeling completely satisfied and delighted with our stay here. We couldn’t have wished for a nicer vacation. This house was the perfect fit for me, my husband, and my almost two year old little boy. We did a fair amount of cooking here and I found the cookbooks to be quite good. Sestilio kindly arranged for a local babysitter for us. Though those two nights were quite pleasant with tasty meals out, some of the best food we had was the meals Angela cooked for us at the house. I can’t believe she doesn’t own her own restaurant. Thank you for a beautiful and magical time here at Calboccia. We loved it.”
R, E, & T W (California)“Thank you for making our stay at Calboccia such a memorable one. We enjoyed the comfort of the house, watching the fog over the valley and the singing of the birds…and, best of all, the hammock. Truly relaxing. Grazie mille. We hope to be back.”
L & M K (California)“The peace, quiet, beauty and solitude of Calboccia are everything - and more. We liked the modern conveniences and intensely enjoyed the grounds, flowers, woods and sunset views! Of special note is the Calboccia library – fantastic; we’d like to spend a week just reading and re-reading some of these great books.
D & P A (Washington)“Our three families ages 8 to 83 spent a wonderful 2 weeks at Calboccia. For the 4 children and grandmother, it was their first trip to Italy. The rest of us had been biking in Italy before. The two houses were perfect for all of us…we enjoyed every minute of our visit. We hope to be able to return to this lovely place again soon.”
S & P V and T, C, M and N L, and T M, and Grandma A M (Wisconsin)“What an absolutely wonderful vacation we’ve had – our honeymoon, as a matter of fact. The house and surrounding hills are so beautiful and peaceful; we are so glad that we stayed here as opposed to a city. Had enjoyable trips to Preggio, Montone, Perugia, Assisi, and Siena, but we also spent time in Umbertide, shopping and sitting outdoors at the bars. We were sad to leave. We can’t wait to return- hopefully soon.”
R & D C (Massachusetts)“As a Christmas gift this past year, I gave my husband this trip as a once in a lifetime offering. I couched the gift in the trappings of being a celebration of our 35th wedding anniversary. He couldn’t believe that I would actually put together a trip to Umbria and Tuscany on my own without letting him in on it all first! We traveled the countryside, hiked the roads, visited mountaintop villages, been lost more often than we would like to admit, and learned about the people of the region. The people here have shown great humor and courtesy to us in attempting to communicate to us. Three times, folks we had asked directions of actually got into their cars, left their own activities, and showed us the way we needed to go by actually leading us. One of my favorite moments was when Antonella and her son, Mattia, came to water the plants. We said “non parlo Italiano” and they “non parlo Inglese,” and we managed to communicate with each other using a phrase book and an Italian dictionary. Mattia’s (age 12) eyes were aglow as he told us about his school, his sports, the Calboccia property. It was fun. This place will stay in my heart’s memory bank for years to come.
P.S. I’m a “kept” husband and love “being taken” to Calboccia. Susan gave me a wonderful, unique, romantic drawn-out-dinner (2-3 hours!) escapade to the Umbrian countryside. We’re not only grateful to God for our marriage, but for the quiet, relaxed pace of our stay in this rural part of Italy. We’ve been cared for, pampered, well-fed and intellectually stimulated. Your library is tops! Susan’s the greatest for giving us such a gift! Thanks for the setting! Gloria a Dios,”
S & D D (California)“We are grateful for a wonderful week in this wonderfully peaceful place.”
S S and B D (New Mexico)“Clearly, one week is not enough at this special place. But it was a glorious week in all respects, nonetheless. We had both houses filled with my friends to celebrate my 50th birthday and I can’t think of a better place to have been!! We ate, cooked, laughed, ate some more, drank great wine, played games and ate more still! It was truly wonderful and I am grateful to all of them for coming and to jan for making this house available and so very comfortable. Thanks also to Sestilio for giving us the instructions, keys, and helping us so graciously, and to Angela for the great meal Wednesday night. Grazie tante!”
G C and friends (California, Minnesota, Spain and Italy)“We’re sorry that we could not make it a couple of weeks earlier to join Gianna for the birthday celebration, but thanks to her for finding this beautiful place – thanks to Jan and Sestilio, and we too enjoyed one of Angela’s spectacular dinners on our last night. Umbria is fabulous and we’ll be back.”
J & F A (California)“What a wonderful quiet week—everything here is so simple and refreshing! Thank you for sharing your home with us!”
S & J T (California)“Learnings We’ve Had. To the guests who find “Calboccia.”…Be at peace, simplify, let down, and just “Be” here. You are fortunate to have discovered this time and place; to be able to bring yourselves and perhaps other loved family and friends here. Keep a daily journal, along with your photos, films, etc. Pull off the road, stand, listen, breathe. Smile at everyone; no, smile “with” everyone. Celebrate the fathers and grandfathers walking with children; the nonnas who wave as you pass in your car on the village streets. There are many wonderful restaurant suggestions in the Calboccia housebook. Support these and other local artists. But also, shop the markets, the CO-OP, the Enoteca Enzio Bari, treat yourself to some real home cooking of your own. An energy will grab you and maybe even delight you with your own creativity and culinary gifts. Grazie Jan and Family for opening Calboccia to others and for the gift of Sestilio – a warm beautiful man with a good heart.”
C & K H (Illinois)
1991 -1993 1994 -1996 1997 - 1999 2000-2001 2002 2003 - 2004 2005 - 2007
Please contact Christine@calboccia.com, (behrsin3@earthlink.net), if you would like additional information.
Thank you for your inquiry.
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