B&b San Nicola

It’s a peaceful spot for a night or two away from the city, though the B&B sits in a small, quiet hamlet a few kilometers from Serramazzoni (MO). It occupies an apartment made by renovating a little church. Breakfast from the very kind owner, Mrs. Francesca, was generous and varied. The shared kitchen is used by other guests too. The rooms were acceptably clean, and the windows have mosquito screens. The bedroom is roomy. The mattresses, bed bases, and pillows are older, but comfortable, and the supplied linens were clean, if loose. The shower has a wall-mounted showerhead. The country-house decor mixes furniture in different styles and colors with all sorts of objects that invite you to linger. I especially liked the floral wall decorations.

A bit off the way, but the place has all the comforts. On the first leg from Sassuolo, taking a detour along Via Vandelli gets you there.

The main problem was how cold it got inside. Heating ran for at most two hours in the morning and two in the evening, and with outside temperatures down to -3 degrees, a shower at 10 a.m. was miserable. It may be lovely and cool in summer, but in winter it’s freezing. Sleeping in is hard too, since you can hear other guests talking in the kitchen. The room’s bathroom isn’t connected to it, so you have to get dressed to walk over, even though a curtain separates it from the kitchen. The kitchen is shared with other guests. The bed itself was comfortable, and there are excellent restaurants nearby. The exterior looked like the photos, with things piled up. Inside was clean, though untidy. In our room there were cups on the wardrobe, a folded-up camp bed, and plaster Egyptian busts in the bathroom. The windows were difficult to open and close.

Breakfast was plentiful and excellent, and the B&B felt welcoming, very clean, and compliant with anti-Covid regulations. The prices are really competitive. The driveway to the parking area needs attention. It’s dug up, with too much grass in the middle, enough to bother the sensors on low cars.