Benvenuti! We’re thrilled to welcome you to our little corner of Italy. Whether you’re here for a peaceful retreat, to explore the countryside, or to enjoy a taste of authentic Italian living, we hope your stay is unforgettable. Before you leave, we’d love for you to share your experiences, memories, and favorite moments in our guestbook. Grazie mille for being a part of our farmhouse story!
6 entries.
wrote on May 14, 2025
at
10:03 am
Caio! My Italian friends George and Mark! What a great trip this past April to visit you along with David. The pictures above bring back so many memories of countryside outings, bottles of wine, great food and drinks. And, of course, the meeting new friends Jean and Bea from France. Some of the best days were spending time around the house and surroundings hectares. The mowing, raking and of course the building of a condo for the fowl! Our great Al Fresco Easter brunch out in the pavilion. I must admit the travel in the area and amazing food and drinks were experiences number one! As I notice my credit bills for meals in the USA I wonder how Italy can be so delicious and inexpensive. Thanks so much for your hospitality and generosity. Looking forward, as is Daivd to our return visit in the fall. Ciao For Now!
wrote on May 13, 2025
at
11:15 pm
I was quite excited through the winter and early spring of the year anticipating to my first visit to Umbria, traveling with my friend Bill, to spend some time with George and Mark in their new retirement villa. We departed LAX the second week of April arriving in Rome the next day to be greeted by George and Mark at the airport. Who then whisked us off to the north in the direction of Orvieto and then basically to the east to their lovely acreage about 20 minutes into the surrounding hills.
I'd seen pictures, but of course they never do a place justice. I was excited to actually spend a whole three weeks. During that time, at a leisurely pace, we could explore not only the house and property (which is vast) but we're able to take excursions several times a week to towns basically within an hour radius of the house. These typically included a lunch and a bottle or two of wine at our destination.
We also managed to visit a couple local wineries. The first one was a hit, complete with a private tasting in a decommissioned chapel on the property. Beautiful charcuterie in courses. Lovely, red and white wines to taste and a trunk full of six packs of their vintages to consume over the course of our visit.
We were joined for over a week during the middle of our time there by two friends of mine and now their's who drove from Normandy to Orvieto. A long two day journey, but they stopped to visit friends and a couple new towns they wanted to visit, along the way. Jean brought games, his wonderful sense of humor and love of cocktails.
His wife, Bea' had packed some wonderful French cheeses from Normandy, which pretty much survived the journey, as well as her love of cooking... so we had wonderful meals both in the house and outside on Easter Sunday.
To help them shorten their return journey, we spent the last day and evening across the border to the north into Tuscany, visiting a small town called Ponzano, which actually has a famous Italian butcher who is known for doing his family style "carnivore" dinners. I had enjoyed his meals on previous visits to Tuscany in years past, but it was new for most of the group and consuming vast quantities of cuts of meat in a half a dozen courses AND several large bottles of bottomless Chianti. George had booked a hotel walking distance from the dinner which made for a convenient stay. We met a young couple at the table who had driven from Bologna and were returning that evening... a total of about a six hour round trip! I didn't have a chance to investigate why in the heck they weren't staying overnight as well!
Our last evening was spent in Rome. We had lovely cocktails at the top of the Spanish steps and a dinner at a restaurant within walking distance as we had a flight out of Rome early the next morning through London back to Los Angeles.
Bill and I got excited and booked a ticket again for a couple of weeks in October so we will get to experience central Italy in a different time of year which I'm looking forward to.
I hope friends who are reading this will have a chance to visit Umbria in the near future as well!
Ciao
wrote on December 27, 2024
at
9:42 pm
Thank you gentlemen for a blessed winter stay in Italy. Thanks for the warning and to dress in layers. I really enjoyed Colonnetta di Prodo and all the beautiful scenery of the surrounding hills and valley. I had fun on our outings to the market, hardware and other locations to outfit your new wonderful farmhouse. Day trips to area towns, Orvietto, Monte Falco, Assisi plus the local winery Cantine Neri and their delicious wine and views. You can never say too many wonderful things about the meals in Italy, great delicious food and wine every day in the towns and at home. Mark is a great chef, plus he follows the recipe. Can not wait to visit again in the spring. Give Monkey a hug from me. It was good to see him. He seems to be settling in really well. CIAO for now!
wrote on October 12, 2024
at
11:15 am
Oh what a lovely time we spent here with you beautiful men. Such a delight walking the property with you, exploring hidden nooks, and hearing about your plans for renovation and development.
We cannot wait to sample the first pressing of olive oil and taste the apples from trees that have been growing for years without appreciation! And to see how you update the house and really make everything your own.
What a gift you gave us — sharing your farmhouse, Orvieto and the region. We have sweet and wonderful memories to enjoy!
wrote on October 4, 2024
at
11:18 am
George and Mark rolled out the welcome mat for us when we arrived at their country villa just out side of Orvieto, in the Umbria region of Italy. Their new home is incredibly comfortable and picturesque. They were very generous to offer us the downstairs guest bedroom which was very private and perfectly appointed. Also, In our short visit we never had a bad meal whether it was at home or in a restaurant. George and Mark introduced us to two amazing restaurants in the old town of Orvieto, which even though we continued touring around Italy for 2 weeks, were by far the best. Just proves that locals really know where to dine! We hope to return in the future and would enjoy a longer visit. But not too long, lol. Thank you guys for such a great visit!
wrote on September 30, 2024
at
10:22 pm
Benvenuti alla nostra casa!
We're so excited to welcome you to our Italian farmhouse. This place has been a dream come true for us, and we hope it offers you the same sense of peace and relaxation that we enjoy here. Whether you're sipping coffee on the terrace, exploring the nearby olive grove, or just soaking up the countryside, we want this to feel like your home away from home.
Please feel free to leave a note here with your thoughts, experiences, or favorite moments during your stay. We love hearing from our guests and hope your time here creates memories to last a lifetime!
Grazie mille for being part of our journey.
Warmly,
Mark and George