We cannot believe that another wonderful year has gone by and nearly two years since we first moved to Casa Verde. Here in the hills it is sunny again after a very fierce storm with high gusty winds last week, unlike last Christmas we currently have no snow. This is just a little ironic as many of the regions of Tuscany have just introduced a new law that says all automobiles must carry snow chains or have snow tyres fitted between the middle of November and the middle of April.
This year we have continued to improve Casa Verde for visitors and ourselves. The gardens are becoming more open and cultivated month by month, including the planting of eight new olive trees. The house has had new outside lighting installed, new windows in the lower part of the house, a new gravelled parking area and new paint here and there, so more and more it feels like an attractive home for us and a beautiful holiday hideaway for our visitors.
It has been a difficult year for Italians and the Italian economy, but despite ‘austerity measures’ the Italian people will always give visitors a generous welcome and offer good quality food and service to their guests. We have had a very successful year for visitors with more than eighteen weeks of bookings, mainly of course in the summer. We already have six weeks booked for 2012, and despite the apparent gloom of another recession, high fuel and food prices we are very confident that we will be able to offer our customers a good value and exciting holiday here in the Tuscan hills. Our visitors last year came from Australia, Poland, France, The Netherlands, Israel, Italy, The Czech Republic, The USA and Denmark as well as the UK and with the Euro crisis it does mean some improvement in the exchange rates for holidays into the Euro zone.
The festive season here is shorter than in the UK but just as crazy in the shops. Though where you find a nice fruit and nut Christmas cake and a good wedge of Wensleydale cheese is beyond us! It all begins officially on the 8th of December on the feast of the Immaculate Conception when everyone puts up their decorations (rarely before) and ends at Epiphany on the 6th of January when children traditionally get their presents (this is fortunately not much adhered to anymore).
Darren and Malcolm (Our cats Caramella and Alfie.) send our warm wishes for the festive season, with our love and great anticipation for 2012, to all our missed family, friends and guests a Happy New Year.