Sunday Morning: At ‘Home’ in Italy

Anna Rita, the owner of the place we’d rented in Bologna, and I wrote several times before our arrival. In one email she said she hoped we’d find the place we expected. . .


We didn’t. It  quite simply exceeded our expectations!!

I wrote about this place after we had booked “Cassiopea”, our home away from home.  It had some 50 guest reviews and a 5 star rating. . .it also had a deck that called out to me.  Could it be that good? we wondered. Yes, it could!

(I love ‘my’ deck!)

On this Sunday morning the church bells are chiming and I am watching the sun rise over the neighboring roof tops from the front room of the most charming apartment we’ve stayed in to date in our travels. 


Our fourth floor apartment is some 60 steps and four flights of stairs from the entry door, so it isn’t for those who can’t walk and haul suitcases that far (now you see why we travel with small bags and wash clothes along the way).


All the rooms are much larger than we expected and are so beautifully decorated with Anna Rita’s artistic eye.  And details are important to her and her husband Piero – right down to the stapler and tape on the desk where I write to the shampoo and soap in the bathroom and the French Press and coffee in the kitchen.

And several of you knew I had my fingers crossed that Anna Rita was still greeting guests with one of her homemade ricotta cheese tortes. . . .well, she didn’t disappoint. She even had set the table for us! (It is soooo good!)



We’ve had unseasonably hot weather for our stay here with sunny days and temperatures in the low 80’s.  Our time draws to a close tomorrow as we head south to find that Tuscan Sun – although it can’t be better than here can it?

If you go:  We rented through Vacation Rental by Owner and used PayPal for the required deposit, paying the remainder owed upon arrival.  (Anna Rita and Piero picked us up at the train station – another very nice touch.) We are paying 104 euros, or $135 US which includes the cleaning fee.