Agriturismo Dai Du Bourdei

The owners are around, friendly, and really considerate. I was able to finish talking with my son in the pool, even though the manager had to put off mowing the lawn for an hour. Little things like that mean a lot. It’s out in the countryside, with a summer walk into Carpegna along a road where you can pick plenty of blackberries. The pool is kept in great shape. Breakfast is mostly sweet, and the homemade treats are very good, especially the walnut cake. The pear jam was my favorite. The rooms have a few small quirks you’d expect in a renovated farmhouse that still has original fittings. A piece of my handle came off, but I replaced it later. Even with good mosquito screens on all the windows, some bugs can get inside. I even came across a fascinating scorpion. I’d still highly recommend staying here, and it’s a great base for visiting the Simone and Simoncello inter-regional park.

The one lovely part was the nature around the place. The room had mold on the ceiling and smelled strongly of damp, and it hadn’t been cleaned or maintained well. The bathroom fan was clogged with dust. The TV above the bed made noise whether it was on or off. All that for 90 euros. Even with the problems right there, the manager wouldn’t budge, just said they’d have changed my room if I’d told them. Polite words, as usual. I’d swap Leopardi’s poem "La ginestra" for Dante’s warning at the entrance: Abandon all hope, ye who enter here.

The place looks lovely outside, it’s in a good spot, and the farmhouse has been nicely renovated. Inside was another story: tiny showers, old mattresses, and poor cleaning. The SPA wasn’t available, and the pool was being used by family members. There was drinkable tap water and a generous buffet breakfast with some homemade desserts, but the desk was unattended. It’s run by a young man. To me, the management felt only a little better than a hostel with en-suite rooms, and the prices were high.

The hosts gave us a really warm welcome. This is a beautifully restored farmhouse in a lovely mountain setting, with parking on site and a spacious shared area. The garden and fantastic pool are peaceful places to unwind. Breakfast is a lovely Italian spread, if that’s your thing, with coffee, cake, homemade jam, honey, and yogurt.