August 2014

Elizabeth and Domenico,

I’m back London today getting ready for a busy Sunday lunch service but thought I’d pass on a heartfelt thanks for our wonderful family week in Pergolaccio.
The whole family were blown away by the house, the garden, the pool and those views! Everyone seemed to find their own favourite part of the place over the week we were there.

Special memories include
Breakfasting on  toast with fresh ricotta from the shop in Orta with compote me and Billy Ray made each made morning form blackberries we picked on the hedgerow.
Family diving competition after a boozy lunch – long time since I managed such a good back flip!
Massive BBQ’d steaks from the farm butcher you gave us the nod about washed down with the best Montefalco Sagrantino (Fattoria di Milziade Antano)
Being the only table not part of a massive Italian family birthday celebration at Sunday lunch in the garden at La Mulinella
Roasted figs (with amazing honey)  from the trees after EVERY meal
Drinking Campari and watching the sunsets
Another couple of things:
We all agreed that having the kitchen garden really made Pergolaccio extra special- what am I going to do without those tomatoes and courgettes?
We loved Oberdan in Todi – service was madly slow (although quite sweet) but we thought the food and wines both made up for it

Thanks again for such a memorable week and hope to book with you again next year.

Regards

Michael and family

…………..

September 2010

 

Hi Elizabeth,

We got home to the US last night and I wanted to send you a note to thank you very much for letting us rent your villa last week. We had a wonderful time! Your villa is beautiful! We did many things during the day but at night we sat outside the villa and drank many many bottles of Umbria wine and some nights cooking dinner. We very much enjoyed the grounds and the especially the view. Thank you also for the wine and oil you left us, it was very good. We left you 1 bottle of the wines we bought from one of the vineyards, please enjoy.

We tried to clean as best as we could before we left, there was some melons left over if Marisa would like to take them (her food is fantastic, we really enjoyed the meals!) I will highly recommended your villa to my friends and family.

Hope to keep in touch.

All the best,

Angela

……………

June 2009

Dear Domenico and Elizabeth,

You have created a paradise in Todi. What a home, what a week! There is a flow to life here: the birds, gardens, colors, light and creativity. We all had a time we’ll never forget.

James

……………..

June 2009

Dear Elizabeth and Domenico,

We had the most amazing, relaxing time in your beautiful home. You have created a truly magical place. Thank you for sharing it with us!

Jeanette

……………

May 2009

Elizabeth

Thanks again. We are home, safe and sound. Weather didn’t slow us up too much. It was a wonderful and special experience for our my wife and myself and our two children and their spouses. Had an incredible night at the restaurant in Aqualoreto, they were having and a party for one of the locals and had karaoke set up, and invited us to join in I was able to sing “My Way” in the most incredible setting in the village square being cheered on by the towns people. Hopefully it won’t have an effect on Italian-American relations. I have a strong recommendation in Assisi at the Osteria Piazetta dell’ Erba on via S. Gabriele dell’Addolorata. Everyone thought that his was one of our best restaurant meals, also with great local Assisi wines which were excellent. When you update your “handbook” you may want to include it. Will definitely try to return to Umbria in the future.

Tom

…………….

May 2008

Dear Elizabeth

The BAD part of getting over jet-lag is that the vacation recedes into memory, rather than experience. I went back to the Pergolaccio website (and our photos) yesterday and almost felt like I was back in Umbria. (My attempt at making Fiori di Zucca wasn’t so successful, but I’ll try again.) Luckily, our local produce season copetes with yours, so that’s one way to keep our vacation alive. I wanted to thank you for your warmth, caring and hospitality during our trip. You were so gracious about your availibility, suggestions to make our stay perfect. You an your husband have created such a special place at Pergolaccio – I feel so lucky to have been able to experience it and to share that with my family. We dream about going back. Also, meeting you in Rome was wonderful. Your suggestions (and making reservations!) at Gigetto and Taverna dei Fori Imperiali were perfect. We had wonderful meals. And most of all, your generously (and unanticipated) hosting of Alessio’s incredible dinner at Fiori Imperiale – that was so gracious of you! Thank you so much! We would love to see you in Los Angeles if you are ever on this coast. Our family extends its best wishes to you and yours. Thank you again for everything!

Carla

…………

June 1999

Hello Elizabeth –

I hope you found Pergolaccio in good condition when you returned. Every one of us love the atmosphere you and Domenico have created from the architecture to the furnishings and particularly how the house sits on that wonderful piece of land. It is truly an oasis of beauty and calm. A real soul place for me in particular. We’ve been home for two weeks, but my mind keeps reflecting back to Pergolaccio and Umbria.

I loved awaking to the soulful cry of the Cuckcoo, the hum of the bees busy at their gathering and watching the amazing variety of colorful butterflies drifting elegantly from flower to flower .

It was a joy eating breakfast down by the pool for the expansive views of the valley and ridges on the horizon line and the patchwork of greens and golds of the fields and forests that seemed to encircle us. The smells so fresh and pure of grass and hay freshly cut, mingling with the perfumes of the flowers and trees. There was such a sweetness about the air and the breezes were soft and cool. Delicious.

And the sky, what a sky. Sometimes a crystal clear blue or maybe filled with angry clouds. And at night, so black it made the stars and planets seem brighter and larger than we have ever experienced them. Then at eye level having the fireflies put on their spectacular light show for us. My god I even began loving the centipedes and milipedes that greeted us every evening as we made our way to bed.

We truely enjoyed the small food shops and the people who ran them. The fruit and vegetable man in Ponte Rio and the young woman and her husband in the small grocery store on the same street. All were helpful and smiling and extremely patient with our attempts to speak Italian. And who could forget the Monte Cristo cheese store, complete with cows in the background. The young man working there sharing in our enjoyment as we tasted and talked about the different cheeses. Wonderful. It was even enjoyable shopping at the Ipersides.

Cooking in your kitchen and on the Tuscan Bar-B-Q was wonderful. It took my husband Bob a little time to figure out just the right amount of coals to build up for perfectly succulent meats, but he and the other men enjoyed the challenge. And we sure did pick those cherries to make preserves for toast and wine preserves to serve with Gelato or over other fresh fruits. I hope you found both and tasted them. The preserves were make without added pectine and were runny I know. But we thought that they were delicious and piled them on our toast every morning.

It never seemed possible to leave the house before 11 a.m. for our wanderings to some mediaval walled village or other to visit its churches, walk the streets, and enjoy a long lunch. As much as we enjoyed our adventures, each of us always breathed a sigh of relief when we returned to Pergolaccio at days end, happy to share in putting together a wonderful supper.

The children loved being at the house. Even the baby was happiest there. We’d take her portacrib where-ever we wanted to settle or carry her around to see the flora and fauna. Kendal our four year old loved the pool and swings and garden and fire-flies and drawing pictures outdoors on the big table. Her only wish was for a peer to collect bugs with and share in her explorations of the property.

Pergolaccio was a happy, happy home away from home for us. It more than measured up to our fantasies of a week in Umbria.

And a special thank you Elizabeth for introducing us to Antonio Margaritelli. Not only is his work incredible, but he is Molto gentile. It was a real pleasure spending time with him. Each of us could not leave without buying something of his to treasure and have as a reminder of our wonderful visit. Of all the shops we visited in Deruta, his was the most remarkable.

Thank you for sharing your home with our family.

All my best. Judy

…………..

July 2005

Dear Elizabeth

Just a quick e mail to say how much we enjoyed our stay in your house. The situation is truly stunning and we never ceased to be enthralled by the amazing view. Your house was a continuous subject of discussion and admiration at your attention to detail and sympathetic restoration. It all contributed to a truly memorable holiday. Thank you also for all the very useful information- we made good use of it.

Now we have to readjust to everyday life which is difficult despite the good weather here.

Kind Regards

Christine

…………….

June 2005

Elizabeth

Having spent a wonderful week in your house and after a safe and uneventful fast trip back to Munich (under 8 hours driving..) we are now enjoying (mild/cold weather) in Munich and want to once more tell you, how wonderful Pergolaccio is (as if you wouldnt know)

Ulla and I think it is a wonderful place to let the soul swing (if that translates well from German die Seele baumeln lassen), especially because going places is a bit inconvenient and thus one is almost forced to sit on the patio and enjoy the view of green ridges and terracotta-colors house on the near horizon or enjoy the warm hues of your masterful plaster-mix on the inside walls.

That plus the delicious cherries and the herbs from your garden to give a salad the right touch are already worth the time and the effort of going there.

Enough praise for the time being WE ENJOYED EVERY MINUTE and well be back, hopefully next time with a chance to meet you in person.

All best wishes de Monaco di Baviera a Roma

Heinz

…………………

July 2005

Elizabeth-

Just wanted to drop you a quick note to thank you for sharing your lovely home with us. We had a lovely holiday in Italy, greatly due to our accommodations in Umbria. We watched a slide show of photos last night, and we all became sad when we looked at the photos of the view from the terrace. We really did not want to leave.

Thank you for giving us the opportunity to stay in your little piece of paradise. We hope to return some day.

Fondly-

Tracy, Ian, Hallie and Luke

……………..

July 25, 2005

elizabeth…

everything was just perfect…thanks!

your house is so special, makes me want to pack up my US existance and move off to Umbria….

best wishes

mike

…………..

October 7, 2005

Elizabeth – just a note to let you know how much we loved your house in Todi – it welcomed us on a beautiful day and we settled in as though it were our own. We cooked, read, swam, and totally relaxed. Many trips into the countryside which is gorgeous – on pilgrimages to Orvieto and Assisi and various eating spots. Did discover Visani which was our last lunch – 4 hours – and while we mortgaged the house to do it, found it splendid. Also went up the hill to an equally spectacular restaurant for another splendid and less pretentious lunch. It was a glorious vacation and your house, ambiance, view and wonderful fresh vegetables and figs and grapes was the best part. 3 of the 4 of us are cooks and thoroughly enjoyed your wonderful kitchen – truly a cook’s kitchen.

Judy

………….

June 8, 2006

Elizabeth!

I’m just settling back here at work, wading through the zillion emails that have piled up, and thinking how relaxed I was just a few days ago. Everything was wonderful — from our lazy breakfasts to the late nights drinking wine around the kitchen table, nibbling on wonderful leftover pizza. We also enjoyed cooking those fantastic artichokes and fava beans from your garden. The weather turned cool the last two days, but we spent them alternately relaxing with books and shopping. It’s such a luxury to get your whole family in one place and really spend time together — especially now that my sons are so much older and off on their own. My father painted some lovely watercolors and I took so many naps I never even finished the one book I brought to read! And, to top it all off, Dominick only called in to check on work once!

I’ve already recommended your home to a slew of people. You’re so lucky to havesuch a wonderful retreat to enjoy time and time again.

Thanks again for talking me into it! Best, Liz

……………

July 2006

We loved your house and everything about it, Its style and comfort, We were so impressed with all your creative and marvelous touches. The architectual imagination that went into remodeling the house was very evident. The landscaping, . all the beautiful roses, lavender and everything you are able to grow made me so envious. Our country house garden in northwest Conn, is pitiful compared to the wonderful one you have created. The kitchen is a joy. Your library was great! We appreciated all the creature comforts provided by the house.

With best regards. Fay

……….

July 2006

Elizabeth,

I just wanted to send you a quick e-mail to thank you for renting us your house in Todi. Pergolaccio was Paradise, and we all enjoyed living in your beautiful home for a week. I wish I didn’t have to leave! One of the highlights of our week was watching the world cup finals in the piazza in Todi. I’ll never forget it.

Thanks for all your guidance and tips on restaurants, food shopping, Deruta, etc. We took advantage of it all! Hope to see you soon,

Pat

…………..

July 2006

Hello Elizabeth,

I have been meaning to write to you to thank you for our holiday in your wonderful house in Tuscany. All the family really loved Pergolaccio – such style and comfort – and beautiful gardens in such a lovely setting. It was so hot…so we didn’t do as much sightseeing as we would have wished but when we did it was so good to come back to such a peaceful setting and your super swimming pool.

It has been so hot here since we returned home and we have been busy picking fruit and having friends to stay. Our purchases from Deruta have arrived and look very good in the kitchen – a touch of Italy to remind us of a great holiday. Hope to come again some time,

Kind regards.

Linda