10/10 Excellent
Terrance B.
29 Sept 2018
Can't keep this little Piemontese gem a secret. Gotta tell you about it!
We arrived at Casa San Guiseppe CASALBORGONE much later, hours later than arranged, two extremely tired and stressed Australians to be greeted by our patient and understanding hosts, Franca and Sergio. That was the start of two wonderful weeks in this charming village in Piemonte and the warmest hospitality ever. Franca and Sergio are extremely proud of their village and region in general and are splendid ambassadors for Piemonte. The house itself is steeped in family history, is remarkably well equipped for anyone who likes to shop locally, buy seasonal produce and prepare their own meals. The house was huge, capable of accommodating 6 people. Bedrooms are spacious, two separate bathrooms give flexibility and we appreciated free wifi and a tv that offered some programs in English. The kitchen was equipped with everything we needed for preparing our own meals. Arriving at the end of September, we were treated to Piemonte enjoying an extended summer and found the back garden and paved area outside the kitchen were just the ticket to enjoy a leisurely lunch of roasted local pepperoni and melanzane ( all roasted in our oven) cheeses recommend by Franca and Sergio and purchased at the Monday market in CASALBORGONE. The friendly staff at the local PRONTO supermarket and Luisa and Alberto at AL RAVANIN specialty fruttivendolo soon got to know the Aussies who ventured out every day. My husband has Sicilian heritage, but speaks no Italian. I took Italian language classes ages ago and speak 'un poco'. Franca, like myself believes the best way to learn a language and a culture is to be daring and try, whether that is Italain or English. Perhaps other travellers might not like to stay the length of time that we did, but we live in a small Australain village and so tend to gravitate towards the 'village' atmosphere of somewhere such as CASALBORGONE. We found it an ideal base to make trips to Asti, Alba, Chivasso, Turin and Barbaresco.
Franca and Sergio treated us to a guided walk around CASALBORGONE followed by a festival dinner featuring local products. How lucky we were to be there for that celebration!! The following Sunday they arranged to pick us up and take us for a 'Sunday drive' to point out significant landmarks. Again we were treated to Franca and Sergi's genuine Piemontese hospitality and generosity. We will be spreading the word about this little gem of a place and the extra-ordinary and genuine hospitality of hosts Franca and Sergio.
Terrance B.
Stayed 14 nights in Sep 2018