After a crack of dawn flight from Stansted, big mix up with the Hire Car company at Ancona airport, my partner and I were frazzled to say the least by the time we were on the road and heading for Monterchi, the delightful little village where Il Mulino is situated. But any stresses melted away as soon as we started driving down the cypress tree lined dusty road towards this perfect little house. And to be greeted by our hosts Paul & Sofia who live in the smaller house next door. They were wonderful and so friendly - big welcome basket in the kitchen and fridge full of essentials. And within an hour I was in the pool, it was was about 80 degrees, beautiful sunny day and just far too hard to resist! Over the next week or so my partner and I had a wonderful holiday - out sightseeing and driving around during the day (also recommend the Gucci outlet only an hour's drive away near Florence!!) and back to Italian feasts at Il Mulino, bbqs and freshly made pizzas (my partner is a chef). Once or twice Paul & Sofia came over and joined us too. they are a lovely couple with the best behaved children I have ever seen. The house itself is beautiful, airy and very traditional, dramatic views of sweeping hillside wherever you look. Wine lovers paradise of course - some beautiful wineries nearby and you can find some amazing wine deals in the local shops. All in all a wonderful week, full of happy memories, big red wines, fresh pizzas, banter with our lovely hosts, dips in the pool at dusk and days spent discovering hidden Umbria & Tuscany. I would say this place is perfect for couples or families - it truly is a little slice of heaven and I would always recommend. Fond memories indeed for us :)