I spent a week at La Montagnola Retreat, the home and small villa of owners Sabine and Stefan. It sits on a bluff on the northwest corner of Lake Bolsena in Lazio, Italy.
Stepping out of your rental car, having driven an easy hour and 45 minutes from Rome, the first thing that hits you is the silence. Your ears strain to hear what they are used to hearing.
The second is the expanse of the view over Europe's largest volcanic crater lake. And then once you settle in, there is afterall so much to hear. Crickets. A light wind. Your footsteps on a gravel path.
And there is so much to see. The ever changing light. Cloud formations. Stars. Flowers. Vines. An herb garden. The languid octopus tentacles of rosemary hedges. A procession of busy ants running up and down a tree. The spectacular rise of the moon every clear night, emerging as a bright pink-orange visual bang over the far side of the lake. Every night we look for it. We can't miss out on it.
There is so much to do. A walk around the property. A short drive for a long lunch at a near by scenic village. Go for a swim. Sample and take in this beautiful, serene, 5-star+ experience that you've lucked into simply because Sabine and Stefan have such exquisite taste. You'll find your favorite spots on this property. The swing or the hammock or the wrought iron picnic tables with footrests. You'll log hours by the pool, under an umbrella, or as we did, camped out under the cabana. The heat here is restorative but not punishing. The shade is temperate, the breezes are velvety and all are available to you all the time. Who needs a sauna with 10 different rooms when every sensory experience can be felt in nature. All you have to do is hear it, feel it, see it, wait for it to find you. And at the end of the day (or the beginning, or middle) you can retreat to your generous room, enjoy the huge showers (with great water pressure), the soft lighting, welcoming bathtub, and at the end of the day (or middle or beginning) collapse into a comfortable bed.
There is so much to think about. It's amazing what your mind will choose to think about when you aren't required to think about anything. Beyond the view, beyond the silence, this is the best thing La Montagnola has to offer--a 360 degree perspective you can only see behind closed eyes.
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