Casolare Puccini

Francesca made us feel completely at home, she was so warm and kind. We had a lovely time, especially spending August 15th barbecuing and swimming in the river. Pets are welcome too, which I nearly forgot to mention. Thanks, we'll be back soon!

The area is gorgeous, with the river, fresh air and peaceful places to relax. The garden outside is pleasant too, though it's neglected and open to the road. Sadly, we wouldn't choose to stay here again. The apartment has potential, but it's badly cared for and the service was poor. For €108 after Booking discounts, plus €6 tourist tax when Booking showed €4, it felt far too expensive. The usual rate seems to be around €60-70 a night, and even that feels high for what we got. There were bugs in the bed, salt fell from the kitchen hood, and several electrical wires were exposed where baseboards should have covered them. The outlets didn't work, so we had to run an extension cord from the bathroom to get light in the kitchen. The few lamps around the place were plugged into dead sockets. We woke up to no gas. That was fixed over the phone, but hot water still didn't work. A technician came and couldn't resolve it, so we were told to use the bathroom in the neighboring apartment, which opens with the same key. That didn't feel safe, especially since our bedroom door wouldn't lock properly and a hidden inside door behind the sofa connected the two apartments. Next time we'd rather bring a tent. Poor value. What a shame.

The Wi-Fi was excellent, which mattered a lot since there was no phone signal. Getting into the place, though, was a real ordeal. We arrived at 8 PM in the dark, and my husband and daughter had to follow a string of messages on a sort of key hunt, without any clear idea where to look. The phone wasn't working either, which made it worse. It might be worth finding a better way to leave the keys than away from the front door. The house is very dated and only a few metres from the road. Once inside, the room looked like it might be nice, especially the mezzanine, which seemed to be the only newer part. But the lighting was dim and stayed that way, one lamp was broken and couldn't be moved, the kitchen cupboard doors were crooked, and the huge wardrobe was practically useless, with crooked doors too. Cleaning wasn't great either. Parking on the street up the hill was awkward.

Francesca was so kind and welcoming that she made me feel like family, just like camping with my grandparents and uncles when I was a kid. I'll definitely come back for a few days away from the daily rush. I stayed upstairs in the "Dino" apartment. The interior felt a little dated to me, but it was comfortable and had everything I needed. I especially loved the skylight, with stars at night and sunrise the next morning. Out back there's a lovely courtyard with a fireplace for grilling and tables and chairs for eating outside. From the outside, the property looks almost anonymous and doesn't show its potential. Its setting in the green Lima Valley is wonderful, with no bothersome noise.