Rome is not too far away, so day trips there are also doable (we went by train from Alviano), and there are some lovely towns about such as Orvieto, and the intriguing Monster Park as well. Ideally you would want to have access to a car if staying here though (we did) as that makes exploring and the more mundane things like shopping so much easier.

As for Mark, he was an extremely gracious and helpful host who was always available to contact regarding any questions we might have had and he also was able to provide local assistance via his contacts in the town itself and his lovely caretaker/cleaner who was probably very frustrated at my lack of Italian but never showed it, only smiled and kept trying, always being patient with me! :)

Just reading back on my words above I realise I didn't say nearly enough about how wonderful the house is. At first I was a bit concerned that it might be too big for our little family of four (originally grandparents of our two small boys were also going to join us but due to health issues had to cancel) but it didn't take very long to feel right at home. That said it would have been spacious enough if the grandparents had been able to come as well.

Somehow the building is huge, but cosy and relaxing with a warm, pleasant feel about it. Some living spaces just feel warm and welcoming and this one definitely did. The dark wooden beams offset by the light brick and stone work really works and the furnishings are comfortable, practical but fit the decor very well also.

I've mentioned the views above already, but again I will say that they are spectacular, and as the house is just a little outside the town, you get the peace, quiet & calm of looking out across the valley as if you were somewhere remote when in actual fact the town itself is within walking distance (though we were generally lazy as it was a very hot summer and the walk is uphill, so drove!). We were also always so very surprised in the evenings to see how many lights lit up the valley below because in the day time it felt like you were mostly alone looking only at a lot of farms and countryside, not also a busy populated region of Italy as it was revealed to actually be once the sunset!Nevertheless, the villa remained aloof from it all and any noises from the surrounds were generally distant and in the background which added to the pleasant peace and calm feeling of the property.

To sum up we had a wonderful and relaxing stay in Umbria, and are sure anyone else also choosing to stay at Mark's villa would also feel the same.

Thank you Mark for being so accessible, helpful, warm and friendly!