Driving and living in the countryside of Italy

We decided to rent a automatic car this time.  It costs more - but I refuse to drive a stick shift on mountain roads.  We get to Budget rental by taxi and then wait.  The processing time takes forever.  They warn us that when we return the car in Rome that they will be very particular about scratches and dings on the car.  So we are very careful to check all the way around our rental.  We load the luggage and then discover that the pull over cover to hide the luggage does not work.  Back I go into the Budget office.  Two people come to inspect and finally declare that yes indeed the cover does not work.  This is noted on the paperwork and we finally are off.
Our plan is to drive through the wine region and find a tasting room to buy wine for our week at the rental.  But it is Saturday and nothing is open - or we decide maybe nothing is open in the morning.  We are to meet daughter Alexis and family at a the Conad grocery store in Citti Di Castle around 2:30pm.  So we end up buying grocery store wine.  The people who own the rental strongly suggested we stock up on groceries before arriving at the rental.  So we are a little nervous about the roads we will drive on.  But they turn out to be a piece of cake compared to some of the road experiences we have had in the past in Europe.
Our rental house is quite large, but as usual has some quirks.  The main house includes a kitchen, dining room and living room - all large rooms.  There is no bathroom.  You step out the kitchen door and go through another door next door into a utility room and a large playroom.  There is a bathroom there.  From the kitchen door you can also turn right and go up a flight of stairs to the Loggia - or bedroom area.  There are 3 bedrooms each with a complete bath.  We end up in the master suite which includes 3 rooms.  A room with two very narrow beds, a dressing area, a room with toilet and sink, and finally a large room with a double shower and a large bathtub.  Luckily I brought several small flashlights, as with the shutters closed it is close to pitch dark and their is a step up to the dressing room.  The compound also includes a Valletta which we have not rented and a pool room complete with pool.  The pool is still open even though the days only get to about 65 degrees and the nights can be around 45 degrees.  Needless to say we will not be using the pool.

 The main house is to the left, the addition on the right is the utility room

 The Valletta

The pool room.  Out door seating areas abound.  There is one behind the pool house.  There is a drop behind that area where they have a boccie ball court.  The pool is to the left.  More views below.

The compound is very big.  Here are some beautiful view from the grounds.

We met Daughter #3 and family here.  So there were be many photos of family this week.

 6 year old Lia got sick the first day we were at the villa.  She spent a lot of time sleeping on the couch in the living room.  So Sunday was a quiet day around the villa.  We had stopped at a grocery store before driving up the mountain - so were able to cook a lovely meal.

 Natasha - age 3 1/2.  Her verbal abilities are way beyond her years.  And she never stops talking except when she is in front of a screen!

These three photos were actually taken on Wednesday.  Daughter Alexis and husband Rob went to Florence for the day.  Then dropped off Rob at the airport as he had to go back to work.  Mike and I took the girls out in the morning and stopped at the grocery store for supplies.  They had this small playground inside - they loved it.  We had a great grandparent/granddaughter day.  And they got plenty of treats!