Il Fontanaro

Slow Food in Umbria surrounded by roses! Book yourself onto Alina’s cookery classes, join one of the harvests (olive, grape, saffron), sample wines in the cellar, nod off beneath the umbrella pine. Lucia and daughter Alina are passionate about their hiddledy-piggledy farmhouse and its dreamy estate, have solar panels to heat their water, pick and press their olives on the same day in their own mill, and adore sharing it all. You skirt around the hilltop village of Paciano, then follow a winding lane to get here, to be greeted by big smiles, beautiful coffee, two toffee-coloured labs and an overflowing welcome basket. The treats continue: you have a ground floor apartment in the outbuilding to fall in love with, with bold prints and colourwashed walls, pretty floral sofas, American fridge and a country kitchen complete with a wonderful old-fashioned yellow ceramic stove. The romantic retreat has its own terrace with views – over the vineyards, the valley, the infinity pool. Pick peaches still warm from the sun, gorge on fat tomatoes, catch the scent of the roses as they romp over arbours and clamber up trees.