In this Q&A we meet 2 guys who daydreamed about finding a house in an area they loved – and then went and found it! They typify the sort of owners who want guests to have a genuinely authentic experience of Italy – tucked away in the beautiful hills and vineyards of the Oltrepò Pavese, away from mass tourism, a place to relax and unwind…
“The area is quiet, little trafficked, you are allowed to stroll through the vineyards at liberty. The scenery – views of the hills, the Alps, the valleys, castles and vineyards – is breathtaking. All for the curious and adventurous to discover. Truly off the beaten track”
1) Tell us a little about your holiday let
We have owned our vacation rental apartment since 2008 when we bought it during a stay of half a year in Italy. This immediately meant we had to sell our house in The Netherlands where we were born and had lived all our life. A dream came true: a home in Italy.
We found it while staying in Pavia (Lombardy) for the purpose of university study/sabbatical leave. During this period we learned to discover the beautiful Oltrepo Pavese area, only 30 km south of the historical university city. The house provided exactly what we were looking for: free standing, large enough, combined possibilities of living there and renting out part of it, habitable form the start with a newly designed interior (tiles, kitchen, walls, electricity, everything was already up to standard), a panoramic location in the hills, a large garden (but no vineyards), a lively village in the neighbourhood. And a reasonable price. It was there for us to buy it and so we did!
2) What made you buy it – was it financial, emotional, a connection with the area, or something else?
We sought a house suitable to be used as a vacation rental as well as for us to live in at the same time, in a nice area, with a view and space around it, in a region of interest for tourists. And this is exactly what this house provided. Mostly practical reasons, although the connection with the area had also already developed during the short time we had learned to know it.
What if we could find a house in a beautiful spot in this area? We daydreamed… and then we found it!
3) What’s the best thing about the region your apartment is located in? Is it the scenery, the pace of life, the locals, the activities, etc?
The best about the region is that it is still authentically Italian. Foreigners hardly ever come here, there is no big tourism industry. The only tourists that come here, are Italian themselves. The pace of life is slow, people are friendly, food is excellent, prepared according to (very) local, age old receipes. The area is quiet, little trafficked, you are allowed to stroll through the vineyards at liberty. The scenery, views of the hills, the Alps, the valleys and vineyards, castles and vineyards, is breathtaking. All for the curious and adventurous to discover. Truly off the beaten track.
4) What are the 3 special touches you add to enhance the guest experience?
As we are a very small rental, with only one apartment (max 6) or 2 B&B rooms, we can offer a personal approach.
1. We like to get to know our guests and invite them to ask questions about the region, the restaurants, the activities.
2. We provide detailed walking itineraries that we developed (and walked) ourselves, with maps, photos, tips and suggestions.
3. We offer a cooking workshop at what we have experienced to be the best little local and traditional restaurant in the neighbourhood. A small scale workshop with only our guests (so 2-6 people) with a real Italian cook in her own restaurant.
5) If a guest had just one day in your rental what would you recommend they do for the perfect experience?
To go experience the traditional Italian Sunday lunch, the pranzo, preferably at Az Agr Bagarellum in the same village as we are located in.
You take breakfast (a very light one) and go for a walk to the restaurant (approx 1 hour) via a route with beautiful scenery, vineyards around, climbing about 150 m. You arrive hungry and the meal starts (no menu) with antipasti of all sorts, primi piatti (at least two types of pasta or risotto), secondi (meat and/or fish) and dolce/dessert and caffe. Red, rosé, and dessert wines are served at liberty. All ingredients are local produce, the reicipies are simple, traditional and incredibly tasteful. The setting is very Italian with entire families of different generations at the few tables of the restaurant.
After the lunch, which might take 3 hours or more, you stroll home, along the same route, but now easier, downhill. Perfect!
To rent the 2 bedroom apartment in Lombardy from Stef and Nico, please complete the contact form which can be found through the above link.
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