After you have children, is a holiday with them ever really a holiday? When
the first of our two boys arrived three years ago, my wife and I recalled
all the great trips we had been on — Belize, Australia, Vietnam, Cuba —
sighed, and set our sights lower.
The best holiday since our children were born was a trip to Villa Pia, a
farmhouse on the Tuscan/Umbrian border tailored for parents with children.
It allows adults to relax by providing all meals buffet-style and a wide
range of comforts and essential distractions including two pools, a
trampoline and a yard full of toys. It was like a communal refuge for
battered parents and we came away remarkably rested.
But what do you do if you want to strike out on your own? Last September, we
chose Villa Vallerosa, still in Italy but this time in the relatively
uncharted holiday territory of the Sabine Hills, an hour north of Rome. The
big difference was that this time, with Tom, two and a half, and Jo-Jo, 16
months, we were going to self-cater.
Villa Vallerosa consists of six self-catering apartments, ours being a
two-bedroom, in a magnificently restored 19th-century villa. It’s really an
agriturismo and there are thoroughbred horses, sheep, goats, donkeys, doves,
pot-bellied pigs and countless lizards, bugs and assorted other creatures —
all of which kept the boys fascinated whenever there was a lull in the
quickly established routine of pool, excursion, lunch out, nap then pool.
But the real star of the show was Luciana, the owner of the villa. A former
air hostess, she restored the property with her husband Luigi and acts as a
one-woman tourist office for the region.
To enjoy the Sabine Hills you do need a good local source of information.
Despite the fact that Rome is only a short drive or train ride away, the
area has been bypassed in favour of the powerhouse tourism industries in
nearby Tuscany and Umbria.
This is a more natural, less manicured, less sophisticated Italy and Luciana
was an essential guide to discovering its charms. A trip to Castel di Tora
was typical. The village, generally held to be one of the most beautifully
situated in Italy, is set on a rocky outcrop above the azure waters of Lake
Turano, south of Rieti.
The best way to approach it, as recommended by Luciana, is over a mountain
pass not even marked on any map we could find. Sure enough, the road was
easily driveable by anyone with a head for sharp bends and it took us over
the top to superb views and then down to the reservoir’s edge.
We parked at the foot of the village and walked up through narrow ascending
streets in search of a plate of pasta. The place was deserted. We asked at a
shop and my wife’s fluent Italian (her mother is from Genoa) elicited the
advice that Pepino ran a small restaurant down some steps — but sometimes he
was open and sometimes he wasn’t. We arrived at the locked, low front door
of an ordinary village house at the same time as Pepino on his scooter and
ate gnocchi and strips of veal seared over a griddle, as we sat in his front
room.
Similarly, the Parco dei Mostri (Monster Park), about an hour from Vallerosa,
is barely mentioned in the guidebooks and we went only thanks to Luciana’s
enthusiasm. It is an old-fashioned theme park with huge heads and monsters
carved into rocks set in a lush walk through a ravine. It was basic, but the
kids clambered about happily. The biggest hit was the huge mouth of the
Bocca Grande, which echoed and amplified Tom and Jo-Jo’s shouts till they
almost deafened themselves and us.
The simple pleasure of a family picnic in the grounds after a brief stop at
the local supermarket to buy cheese, meats, bread and olives reminded us
again why we prefer holidays in Italy above all other destinations.
Which brings us back to the self-catering. Vallerosa’s kitchenette was small
but equipped well enough. But the time spent each day planning, preparing,
cooking and clearing up began, by the end of the week, to feel like time
wasted.
We did get away for a couple of evenings. Once, some friends, who had taken
one of the farmhouse apartments, babysat and then on the last evening
Luciana kept an eye on three sleeping boys while we went with our friends to
the best local restaurant in the area, La Vecchia Quercia in nearby Selci.
This was a treat indeed — a menu of regional dishes and pizzas served with
local vintages in a simple setting down a small sideroad to nowhere — the
very definition of a hidden gem.
And the whole of the area does feel off the beaten track. It was sometimes
hard work uncovering the joys of the Sabine Hills and those who like their
tourism on a plate should stick to Umbria or Tuscany. But for those wanting
to stretch themselves, the hills offer Roman history by the bucketload,
beautiful churches, the once immensely powerful Farfa Abbey, stunning
mountain walking and local people who have yet to turn their natural
disposition for hospitality into an industry.
Villa Vallerosa was a delight — Tom still talks about feeding the pot-bellied
pigs with the kitchen scraps. The only sour note were the mosquitos, which
helped themselves to our legs and ankles on a couple of days. But perhaps we
will leave the next self-catering holiday to when the children are old
enough to do most of the clearing up themselves.
NEED TO KNOW
Michael Harvey and family travelled with the Owners’ Syndicate (020-7801 9807,
www.ownerssyndicate.com), which offers a week in Apartment Epsom at Villa
Vallerosa for £675-£870 a week, including car hire but not flights.
Getting there: Ryanair (0871 2460000, www.ryanair.com) flies
to Rome Ciampino from Stansted and Luton. Weekend flights in May start at
£25. In August, weekend flights start at £65 one way. Stays at Villa Pia,
Lippiano, Umbria (07585 02027, www.villapia.com) cost from £610 per adult
and £290 per child (under 12) per week in high season. Italian Tourist Board
(020-7408 1254, www.italiantouristboard.co.uk).
Reading: Central Italy (Cadogan, £14.99), Italy (Dorling
Kindersley, £16.99)
FAMILY VILLAS TO BOOK FOR THE SUMMER
by Jeannette Hyde
If you want a family villa in peak season, you need to get moving. These
properties had availability at time of going to press. Prices are per villa
per week, unless otherwise stated.
Majorca
With cheap direct flights from the UK, this island, with its
beautiful beaches and countryside, is popular for families. One of the most
stunning fincas on the island is Son Torrella, a 16th-century former olive
and almond farm. The building wraps around a shady, cobbled courtyard with a
fountain and there’s even a tiny private chapel. The English owner has four
children, so as well as being a haven for adults, with a library of 17,000
books and five magnificent bedrooms sleeping nine people, the house is
child-friendly with cots and high chairs and a 17m pool with barbecue.
Continental breakfast and a simple first-night meal is included. Babysitters
and cooks can be hired locally.
How to book: call Katie Carr-Ellison, the owner (01665
578272, or see www.ownersdirect.co.uk, ref B663), from £1,850-£3,770.
Costa de la Luz
This is the quiet end of Andalusia — unspoilt beaches and less
development than other parts of Spain’s coast. Fly into Jerez and stay at
villa Casa del Sol, near Sanlucar. Newly available, it sleeps four and has a
10m pool.
How to book: Spanish Affair (020-7385 8127,
www.spanishaffair.com) from £630-£917, with car rental.
Corfu
Once outside the package- holiday resorts Corfu is one of the
loveliest Greek islands — winding roads, coves, fresh fish tavernas. Unlike
much of Greece, it has direct flights — so no faffing with ferry transfers.
Just 20 minutes from charming Corfu Town in the countryside is Stone Villa
Maria, which sleeps six, has a 10m pool and sea views.
How to book: James Villas (0870 0505058,
www.jamesvillas.co.uk), from £209-£1,269.
Catalonia
Many budget airlines have flights to Girona, near Barcelona, from UK
airports so it’s ideal for reaching nice bits of the Costa Brava. Just
outside the picturesque resort of Tamariu with a Blue Flag beach is Villa La
Paloma, which sleeps six, has an 8m pool, large gardens and shady terraces.
This is the area where Barcelonans have weekend retreats; it was was loved
by Dalí and Picasso. Childcare and local cooks arranged on request.
How to book: PCI Holidays (01305 835835,
www.pci-holidays.com), from £589-£1,585.
St Lucia
Many families now enjoy the Caribbean in summer when it is less busy.
The big trend is villas in the grounds of hotels. This means that families
have more space and privacy than in a hotel room yet have access to
activities and restaurants. Windjammer Landing in St Lucia has villas in the
resort, which has two kids’ clubs. St Lucia is eight hours by direct flight.
How to book: Expressions Families (020-7433 2665,
www.familyexpressions.co.uk) offers two weeks in a two- bedroom villa with
plunge pool in July or August starting at £6,818 for a family of four (two
adults and two children under 12), including flights from London and
transfers.
