Podere del Cutignolo - Day 7: A relaxing day at home and an evening in Porto Ercole

Charlotte woke up in pain. Her ear infection was back. We spent the day at the estate, hanging out at the villa and by the pool. Weekends here tend to be much more crowded because of the commuters. This area is to Rome, what the Hamptons are to New York City. Many Romans have homes here. Many children and wives spend the summers here while the husbands commute. On the weekends, especially before August, everyone is here in full-force, and the beaches are much more crowded. But, staying in the country at this beautiful estate…that’s relaxing.

Porto Ercole

In the evening we drove to Porto Ercole for an outing, we enjoyed an apertivo of a gelato as we had a passeggiatta around the marina. Later we had a late dinner of ravioli at home. But, not just any ravioli - special hand-made ravioli della Maremma.

Podere del Cutignolo - Day 6: Parco della Maremma

Today, we did get an earlier start. We drove to the Parco della Maremma. When we stopped at the information desk, the woman we spoke to actually recommended against doing any of the hikes today. Due to last night’s storm, the paths were still very wet and muddy. Instead, we drove to the Park’s Marina di Alberese. Everyone was hungry, so first we found a snack bar near the beach and we had some panini for lunch. Afterwards, we changed into our swim suits by the car in the parking lot/forest and then enjoyed the waves on the magnificent natural beach.

We had timed the day perfectly. It was gorgeous when we were at the beach, then later in the day when we returned to the villa, the weather turned. At night, the rains finally hit our area -- we had a huge thunderstorm.

Selvaggia came over but Josh and I decided we did not want to go out in the weather. So we stayed home. We watched episodes of Curb your Enthusiasm in our room while Selvaggia read Avery a bedtime story.

Podere del Cutignolo - Day 5: Magliano

Today was the first semi-cloudy, blustery day we’ve had since we started our travels. We didn’t really have a plan. We talked about going to the Nature Park (Parco della Maremma), but in reality, the kids seemed perfectly happy sitting around in their PJs watching movies.

Magliano in Toscana

In the end, Josh and I asked Selvaggia to come over – she made lunch for the kids while we took a drive into the countryside. Last night’s drive with the kids to Saturnia put us off from getting them in the car for another tour. We were headed for Scansano but stopped in Magliano, and liked it, so we decided to stay for lunch. And, a hardy, Tuscan lunch it was. Tagliatelle con cinghiale, pici amatrci and mailletone…we could hardly roll ourselves out for a passeggiatta afterwards. Like many Italian hillside towns, Magliano has an extensive wall surrounding it. But in Magliano, you can climb up and walk a part of the wall. We thought the kids might like to do it another day. We also discovered that there will be a concert in the town square on Saturday night, and the kids might like that too. It doesn’t start until just about 10pm…another reason to keep the kids on a late schedule.

Back at our villa, Olivia was in the pool, Charlotte was on the computer and Avery was watching "Stuart Little." Soon everyone was in the pool playing.

At night, we were treated to a fabulous light show – nature’s fireworks. In the Tuscan hills, we could see the lightening between the distant clouds. At our place, it never rained.

Podere del Cutignolo - Day 4: Saturnia

The plan was to have a low-key day at the house and by the pool and then do a late-in-the-day field trip to Saturnia. As such, we had a late breakfast. I did some yoga – mostly stretching to try to work out the kink in my back. The kids played in the pool. We pulled out the old-fashioned, charcoal barbeque, and Josh grilled burgers and chicken for lunch.

After lunch, Avery took a nap, Josh went for a bike ride, the girls watched a movie (the Devil Wears Prada for the 10th time since we arrived here!), and I took a bath. Actually, I took a nap first, and then I took a bath. Now that’s a vacation!

By 6pm we were in the car heading for Saturnia. We had a bit of a time trying to locate the natural hot springs, but eventually, we found them. There are two forceful, gushing, waterfalls that cascade down into several layers of pools, ultimately creating a river of hot, sulfuric, water. There were many people enjoying the baths, and our kids did too. By the time we left we had some happy, but tired campers. We were hoping for a peaceful ride home, since the outbound journey was quite problematic in the backseat. It was certainly picturesque. Tuscany, with the setting sun in all its glory – the stuff of dreams.

At home, I made a quick dinner of tortellini and garlic bread while the kids showered. Afterwards, the kids retired to watch a movie; Josh and I stayed outside on the terrace and enjoyed some pecorino and salad with a nice bottle of red.

It was late, but we haven’t been too manic about the bedtimes while we’ve been on vacation, and as time rolls along we’ve become more and more lax. We’ll be back to a strict schedule soon enough. We might as well enjoy the stress-free, sleep-whenever-you-want schedule of the country vacation for now. After the hot springs, and wine, I melted into bed.

Podere del Cutignolo - Day 3: Club Capanuccia and Capalbio

Josh and I were up early. He left to go for a 2 hour ride – which turned into a 4-hour, 100km ride because he got lost. Actually, it wasn’t his fault. The road wasn’t well-marked. Before he left, I discovered a tree frog, wrapped up in one of our towels outside. Josh caught it and put it in a glass bowl so the kids could see it when they woke up. In fact, it was a big hit. Avery was so excited by the frog that he went upstairs to wake the girls up so they could see it. After an ample amount of wonder, we let the frog go on the grass. We also spotted some beautiful butterflies. Life in the country -- communing with nature!

I wandered around the villa most of the morning, trying to get on-line. Ultimately, I was successful but the connection was so slow, it was painful. When Josh returned, we packed up our beach stuff and headed over to the other side of Feniglia beach – near Ansedonia. Today, we were meeting a friend from RIS whose daughter, Vittoria, was a classmate of Avery’s.

In Italy, it's all about the beach club. While there are public beaches (such as the one we went to yesterday), all the action is at the beach clubs where the lettinos and ombrelloni are set up for you; where there is a snack bar and usually a restaurant; and bathroom and shower facilities. Members have the same "set-up" for the summer. Today, at Club Cappanuccia we joined our friends. We had lunch literally on the sandy beach, just a few meters from the water’s edge. The kids played and swam and everyone had a good time. On our way home, we stopped at a real grocery store in Orbetello to stock up.

I was excited to eat fish. I made a couple of Spigola and a couple of Orate and we drank some good Fiano di Avellino that Josh picked up in Rome. Considering that we are in Tuscany, I haven’t seen too many good white wines in the (two) stores yet.

After dinner, a tired Josh and I took a drive up to Capalbio to have a passeggiatta. This town has all the requirements: ancient walls, a fortress, ramparts, a beautiful porta, and authentic restaurants and shops -- ie. not filled with touristy crap. On top of all of that, from its perch atop the hill, Capalbio boasts a fantastic view of the countryside that stretches all the way to the coastline. Of course, we couldn’t take in the view at night, but we’ll have many more opportunities.

Podere del Cutignolo - Day 2: Rome, beach, pizza and gelato

This morning the villa was a flurry of activity. The technician came to try to figure out the TV, A/C and the oven. The housekeepers came to finish stocking the house and do some further cleaning. Josh left by 10am to drive to Rome. We had left a bag there filled with things we wanted to have here in Tuscany, but that we didn’t need (or have room for) in Sardegna. This included beach towels, wines, games, DVDs and bikes.

Orbetello

I borrowed the babysitter’s car (she was supposed to come with us but wasn't feeling well) and took the kids to Feniglia – the most well-known beach in this area. It is several kilometer long and sits on a narrow strip of protected wet-land that is part of the World Wildlife Foundation. It is really a beautiful beach although you have to take a long walk through the pine forest from the parking lot to reach it. The walk is wonderful and perhaps the best part of coming to this beach – that is as long as the kids go along with it.

By the time we drove to the beach and parked – 30 minutes, then walked to the water through the forest – 10 minutes, we only spent 40 minutes at the beach having a picnic (the water was cold!), before doing the reverse, and that was our 2-hour outing.

The after-dinner standard

Later, Josh returned from a successful day-trip to Rome, and we took the kids out to Orbetello for pizza – and it was really good pizza. We also shopped at Calzedonia so that Charlotte could have a costume (swimsuit) from Italia. For a grande finale, we took everyone to Le Logge for excellent gelato. It was a successful outing until we hit what we think was an owl in the road on our way home :(

Podere del Cutignolo - Day 1: Exploration

We almost didn’t leave the house today. Josh went for a ride this morning, and I spent the time unpacking, doing laundry, and figuring out the logistics of the house. Unfortunately, overnight, the pain in my back became worse and not better.

The kids spent most of the day playing in pool. A German family is renting the other apartment at the stable. They seemed really very nice and it’s a shame that they don’t speak much English because they have kids the same ages as ours.

Between the pain in my back and all the laundry and work in the house, I was in a completely grumpy and foul mood today. By the late afternoon, I felt I really needed to get out of the house and so Josh took me for a drive to the beach. Charlotte stayed to babysit for Avery and Olivia for an hour. We drove to the Torba beach and it was crowded. The sand here is dark but the water looked nice.

Back at the villa, I made dinner for the kids. Selvaggia, the babysitter, came over to stay with the kids while Josh and I drove to Orbetello. We had planned to eat dinner out, but we had eaten a bit with the kids and weren’t too hungry. Instead, we discovered a great gelato place – Le Logge just off the town’s main square. After taking a stroll, we drove further on to Porto Ercole where we met up with friends from Rome who were just finishing their dinner. We took another stroll – this time through Porto Ercole. The entire Argentario peninsula is really an exceptional place. After this evening, I was more excited about spending the next 3 weeks here.

Getting out of Santa Marinella for Tuscany

Instead of “enjoying the morning on the beach” as we had planned. We decided to get out of Santa Marinella as soon as possible. Josh and the girls made a quick escape, driving down to Fiumicino to return our leased car, and pick up a new rental. Avery and I stayed behind with a few of the geriatrics at the hotel. We didn’t even bother going to the “beach” since it was windy and the water was rough.

It was after noon by the time we had the new car loaded up and were on our way. Even though we were heading to Tuscany and could probably have managed to find some great, off the beaten path restaurant for a full lunch, the vote was to stop at the Autogrill for a quick panini. I was disappointed, but went along with the majority.

Of course, as a result of our brief lunch break, we arrived at our villa while the housekeepers were still there getting the place ready. Still, the kid changed into their bathing suits and went to the pool.

View from the Master Bedroom looking over the lawn and the apartments

The house is situated on a large piece of property, just outside of Marsiliana. There is a large grass area off the back terrace. To the right, the former stables, have been converted into two apartments. The pool, which is located beyond the lawn on another field, is shared with the occupants of the two apartments. The owner had explained to us when we visited in April that one of the apartments is rented by an Italian family year-round and they generally come up on the weekends. Today, that family along with some of their guests were present at the pool - and not all too friendly. The area surrounding the estate is beautiful. To one side there are vineyards, to the other, the hillside. The views from the upstairs bedrooms in particular are awesome.

After swimming for a bit, the villa was ready and so we moved our luggage inside. The girls watched TV while Avery, Josh and I ventured out to the grocery store. There is a small market in Marsiliana -- about 3 km away. There is not much else in the town besides the market, a post office, a hardware store and a couple of bars. It became clear that we will need to venture further for a better grocery store. We are really in the sticks here – but it’s tranquil.

I cooked up some dinner and we ate outside. I was sore and my back hurt. The kids were also tired. Silva, the estate manager came by, along with a local girl who would be our babysitter while we are here. I was glad to be in a place where we could now settle in for a time; but it had been a long day.

Leaving Sardegna ... and a sad welcome to the mainland

On the Ferry from Olbia to Civitavecchia

We woke up early to grab a bite to eat (or in my case a cup of coffee) before catching our ferry. We were smarter this time and had only packed our overnight things in one small bag, thereby avoiding the unloading of the entire contents of our car as we had done when we first arrived in Olbia. Therefore, packing up took only moments. We took the two-minute drive down to the port, and boarded the ferry which left right on time at 9am. I was so engrossed in my book, The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo that I hardly left our cabin. The kids watched a movie and then did some exploring around the ferry. While it was not the same ferry, it was set up in the same way with all the accoutrements, but it all seemed less novel this time around.

We arrived in Civitavecchia around 2:30pm and disembarked. Everything had gone smoothly up until this point. Now, we drove south 12km to Santa Marinella where we’d be spending the night. When we arrived at our hotel, Josh discovered that the rooms did not have air-conditioning, (he’d made the reservation here based upon a recommendation). He then unequivocally decided we were not staying.

Thus, our quest for alternate accommodations began. In retrospect, we should have just driven back to Civitavecchia where we would likely have found far more to choose fromc. Santa Marinella, which turned out to be a huge disappointment as far as the town is concerned, has only four small hotels: the one we’d reserved without air-conditioning; an overpriced one; a cute new place that was full; and our last stop -- the place we chose, in our desperation, to spend the night. We’d been off the boat now for over an hour and a half, driving around. We were hot! The kids were stir-crazy. They had two rooms available. We said “okay.” The word “skanky” does not begin to describe the place. It was other-worldly bizarre with a strange variety of people. Could it have been that it functioned in part as an old-age home?

Even the sea, and the “beach” which was set up on wooden scaffolding was skanky. Granted, we’d just come from Sardegna – home of the most beautiful beaches and seas, but still… The whole experience was negative. Charlotte asked if people actually come here on vacation? When we asked the lifeguard, a local, where to eat in Santa Marinella, he said “nowhere.”

We’d intended to drive to a pizza place in Civitavecchia, but everyone was too pooped to make the 15 min. drive, so we settled on the one place in town the lifeguard said was “not bad.” Compared to the hotel, he was right -- it was not bad.

The ironic thing was that in the end, the air-conditioning in the girls’ room was not working, so they offered to move them to two single rooms instead. As such, we had to restructure the sleeping arrangements so that Olivia, Avery and I shared the triple room, Charlotte was down the hall in a single, and Josh was on the floor below in another single. In our triple, I opened the window to hear the sound of the sea and turned the air conditioning off. – ironic since it was the air-conditioning that put us in this sh-t hole to begin with. But, Josh locked himself away in his cool cave with the air on high.

On our way back to Olbia

Three days ago, I asked to speak to the manager. He was not on the premises - nor has he been since. And, and he never called me as promised despite the fact that I left my cell phone number. I honestly think this will prompt me to become a member of Trip Advisor to report on the lack of professionalism demonstrated here. It’s such a lovely place – but the front desk staff is not empowered to do much for guests… and the manager who might be empowered is never around. Perhaps, from the hotel’s perspective, that’s a good strategy.

Anyway, we got up to pack and have breakfast, and I was still waiting to speak to the manager who I was told would not be calling me.

Our plan was to visit the historical center of Cagliari on our way to Olbia. But Josh was anxious to get to Olbia so he could watch the last mountain stage of the Tour. In the end did a “drive through” and got a sense of the place. Then Josh drove 150kph to get to Olbia by 4pm. The kids were really good in the car. I’ve discovered that as long as you keep feeding them throughout the drive, they stay out of eachother’s way.

Unfortunately, we didn’t get the same rooms at the Hotel Panorama as last time. Apparently, we were upgraded when we first arrived in Sardegna. The only reason I cared was because I was looking forward to taking a bath in the gigantic bathtub. No such luck. Only showers in these rooms.

Olbia

We went out for a gelato as an apertivo, and for a walk down the Corso in Olbia. It’s really a very nice little town. But, it was still so hot outside at 6pm! We all went back to the room to take showers before dinner. We returned to the same restaurant for dinner where we had eaten on our first evening upon arriving Sardegna – except tonight we ate outside. It seemed fitting. In fact, Avery remembered he’d had ravioli at this restaurant on our first night and he wanted to have it again.

Charlotte was sad to be leaving Sardegna. She felt the time had gone by too fast and she was worried that there’ll be nothing to do once we arrive at the house in Tuscany.

Villas Resort - Day 6

Today was our last full day in Costa Rei. Once we made it to the beach at 11am we stayed and enjoyed the entire day. It was a bit cooler and breezy by the water.

Our Villa

Josh was up early for his longest ride today. Afterwards, he drove into Villasimius to pick up the requested binoculars, along with a Bioncle for Avery’s birthday. He also stopped at the pharmacy to get a new bottle of ear drops for Charlotte. Again, another prescription medication purchased for only 8 euros.

By the time Josh met us at the beach it was lunchtime and I broke out the sandwiches. I was soaking it all in. I would have stayed until dusk but the troupes were weary and wanted a change of scenery.

We had some downtime back in the room. I filled the jacuzzi tub …it would still be hot when we returned after dinner.

Our last dinner at the Villas Resort was my least favorite. It was a special Sardo meal – I’m not liking the Sardo cuisine so much. It’s a simple cuisine of roasted lamb and pig.

Once the kids went to bed, I took a jacuzzi bath and gazed up at the stars. I was so tired by the time I got out, that I immediately went to bed and fell asleep. But, subsequently I woke up and did not have a great night of sleep.

Day 5 - Avery turns 5!

Happy Birthday Avery!

We all slept in very late. We rushed to the restaurant to catch breakfast before it was over. We sang Happy Birthday to Avery over coffee cake. Then, he and Olivia disappeared to the kids’ club.

Later, we all met at the beach. Charlotte had woken up with an ear infection – actually she had been complaining for a couple of days but by today it was serious. Fortunately, I had anti-biotic drops with me…although when I looked closely, I discovered they were from 2005. Needless to say, she was not very happy about not being able to swim -- at least she could get her body wet.

We left the beach to enjoy a proper lunch by the pool. Then the kids took some time to swim in the pool -- even Charlotte with her head out of the water.

Soon, it was nap-time for Avery; and Tour time for Josh. The girls had some downtime on the computer.

We went back to the beach for the end of the day. As the sun gets lower on the horizon, it is an absolutely gorgeous time each and every day to be by the water. As per Avery’s request, we took a walk and climbed the rock. Josh brought his camera along this time and took photos.

At the hotel, we had a special birthday cake for dinner. We sang to Avery again. All the kids went to the mini-disco -- it has become a nightly routine. Afterwards, Avery demonstrated his tango with Charlotte for the other little guests.

Apparently, despite the fact that it was a full and fun day, Avery didn't want it to end because we got no cooperation from Avery at bedtime. Our little boy may be a year older, but his antics are the same.

The Villas Resort - Day 4

This morning, it was I who woke up early. In the 2½ weeks we’ve been in Sardegna, it was the first time I woke up early – does that mean I’ve finally caught up on my sleep? At 7am I went out on the terrace to do yoga – Josh was right – at this time of day, the temperature was very pleasant.

Thus far, each and every day at the Villas Resort had been about the same. I thought perhaps today would be different than all the other days. Why?

1. I woke up early

2. I did a full yoga practice for the first time in months

3. There were actually clouds in the sky

4. There were waves on the water – making for a different beach experience

In the end, it’s really just more of the same. But I am searching high and low for uniqueness in a day. It seems I am not a candidate for a 3 week beach vacation in a beautiful island where there is not too much else to do besides eat and swim.

But, let’s ponder for a moment the people-watching. This resort is quite international. There are British, Dutch, Norwegian, Swiss, French, German, Italian, Canadian, and ofcourse, American people (us) here. But it’s a bit of a freak show. The Dutch kids never wear shoes, and their parents rarely change out of their bathing suits – even for dinner. There is an Italian that looks like Captian Hook, always wearing a bandana on his head and a hoop earring, along with the requisite tattoos, and his companion who is always in hot pants. There is the German crew that are here doing a photo shoot on the beach every day…an odd cast of characters that look like they are straight out of the movie Boogie Nights. The Swiss are from Geneva and have two little girls who are the most well-mannered, compliant, and docile kids I’ve ever seen. When I found out they were Swiss, and not French, it all made sense. Then there are the Italian moms with too much make-up and too high a heal. And the tattoos are everywhere.

Lastly, let me comment on the Villagio Turistico across the street. Yes, our calm, tranquil sophisticated oasis is located next door to I Grand Viaggi, a village that accommodates 11oo guests. When we first arrived and saw the section of the beach filled with 500 blue umbrellas and chairs and discovered that we were down the beach in our own spacious, private area, we were very relieved. Even, passing by I Grand Viaggi (or IGV, as it is known) on the golf-cart, we commented, “Boy, are we glad we are not staying there.” But then, by Day 3, it became apparent that actually, like it or not, the IGV experience would become our experience.

Each evening as we retired to our villa to take in the sounds of nature and the chirping cicadas, we were welcomed by the thumping disco party of IGV from across the street. In fact, they even use the base in the afternoons sometimes for god-knows-what? Step -aerobics? Are we still in the 1980’s? When Josh called to complain, the staff at our resort said there was nothing they could do. Not true. Actually, you could call them and ask them to turn down the volume. At this juncture, Josh was told that IGV's guests could not be deprived of their music. Quickly, Josh made it clear that we are their guests, and thus we should be the ones that they are worried about -- afterall, we are paying to stay here. Sad that this point needs to be made, but this is Italy, and Italy is not known for customer service or satisfaction. Later, we would be informed that we are the only ones (apparently ever) that have complained. It’s certainly an interesting social commentary. Here is what we know:

1. Italians love it loud -- as evidenced by the countless birthday parties we’ve attended. If it’s not deafening, it’s just not fun.

2. Italians are resigned to the fact that their opinion doesn’t matter and their voice doesn’t count. They just accept things as they are. There's nothing they can do.

3. Customers don’t really have any rights in Italy. No right to complain, no right to question things, no right

Therefore, countless times, we end up in this very situation. Niente da fare.

The Villas Resort - Day 3

Josh woke up early to go for a ride; in fact, he went along the same route that we drove last night to Villasimius. Apparently, at 7 in the morning, it was still reasonably temperate. By the time, we were all up and ready for breakfast at 9am -- it was another scorcher.

We spent the morning at the gorgeous beach until we couldn't take the heat anymore. Upon returning to our room and seeing that the housekeeping had yet to be done, we took a drive north into the town of Costa Rei for some gelato. Again, the more gelato we have, the more we miss Gracchi.

We went to dinner early again tonight, and thus had to sit inside where it was cool. Avery and Olivia joined the kids club for the 9pm "disco" party. By this time, we had moved from inside the restaurant to the "lounge area" by the pool. When Olivia and Avery joined us, they decided to treat us to a show of Tango dance. Olivia had studied various styles of world-wide dance for her last "unit of inquiry" at RIS. She taught the Tango to Avery. Avery even picked a flower and held it in his mouth between his teeth for the dance. He got so hot and sweaty that in the end, he took off his shirt. It was really so very cute! Afterwards, the parents were tired and we retired to our room to go to sleep.

The Villas Resort - Day 2

On the way to Villasimius

I could say Day 2 was a repeat of Day 1, but hotter. In fact, it was so hot today that we decided to eat dinner inside in the air-conditioning. At 9pm, with the sun down, it was still 88degrees. We decided to go to dinner early in order to have time to take a drive to nearby Villasimius afterwards. It was dusk, and the coastal drive was absolutely beautiful. We checked out the beach in Villasimius and then walked in town. As expected, there were the requisite number of souvenir shops...selling the usual crap. Still, it was nice to have an outing away from the hotel.

The Villas Resort - Day 1

We are going to have to adjust our Italian schedule. Breakfast at The Villas Resort is only served until 10am, not 11am which means we have to wake the kids up “early” if we are not to miss breakfast. It’s a shame since they were so sacked out this morning.

After we enjoyed breakfast with – once again – great coffee, Avery and Olivia went downstairs where they were the only two young guests of the mini-club. But, miraculously, they didn’t seem to mind. Josh went off on a bike ride (in the blazing heat – he must really love to be on his bike!). Charlotte hung out on the computer in our villa, while I went to the beach!

By the time I arrived, Olivia and Avery were already at the beach with the two counselors from the mini-club. That's what I call personalized attention! They were hunting for fish and rocks and having so much fun. When the counselors went off for lunch at noon, we all stayed at the beach for a while. Charlotte and Josh had joined us and we all swam together. Afterwards, we returned to the hotel to have lunch by the pool.  It was a restful afternoon. The girls spent almost the entire day at the beach. Avery took a nap. Josh watched the Tour and I caught up on emails.

Late in the day, the rest of us returned to the beach. The scenery is gorgeous and unspoiled, with the hills of Sardegna as a backdrop. Our particular section of beach has some enormous boulders and rocks located about 20 meters out into the sea and they make for a great climbing excursion with the kids.

When we returned to our villa, all the kids piled into the jacuzzi tub on the terrace to get clean --that is after the half hour it took to fill it up! Then we walked to dinner. Another delicious meal. Life is good.

Good-bye Travel Charme; Hello Costa Rei!!

This morning, Avery woke up with a start and exclaimed: "Today are we going back to Italy?" Anytime we are out of Rome, he thinks we have left Italy. But in fact, the day had finally come -- we were able to pack our bags and hit the road. Of course, it took us the better part of the morning to pack, have breakfast, and load up the car. In the meantime, I asked the GM to waive our incidental charges in addition to the 20% discount that had been offered. I felt 20% was insufficient. He agreed to waive half of the charges and had already "comped" us by offering wine at two of our dinners, so in the end our discount was closer to 30% and I was satisfied. Still, we were happy to be moving on. I don't think we'll be staying at a brand new hotel any time soon -- lesson learned.

Along the road to the Costa Rei

The drive was really beautiful. The terrain in Sardegna is mountainous but also varied. The kids watched a movie most of the way -- but Avery complained because he was not enjoying Bend it Like Beckham as much as the girls. We actually stopped along the way to have lunch. Since we were taking the "new" four lane highway (the only one on the island) we were not taking the shortest route, but rather driving to the West coast before heading south and then up the East coast. We thought it would be a good opportunity to see the coastline and beaches on the West side of the island, but in the end the highway wasn't as close to the water as we thought, and we didn't want to make the additional detour. But we did stop for what turned out to be sit-down lunch in a restaurant next to a gas station and it was pretty good. From there we drove on to Cagliari and around the horn through Solanas -- where we stopped to take in the incredible views. This island is stunning all around. We continued on to Costa Rei, site of our next hotel. The Costa Rei beach has been rated as one of the top five beaches in the world.

We didn't arrive at The Villas Resort until about 5pm -- the drive had been about 3 1/2 hours (excluding lunch). Of course we had to call the hotel for directions because there were no signs for the place; and many places don't have an actual address. More and more we are discovering that Sardegna is not really part of Italy. They have their own language, their own cuisine, and their own way of doing things -- often not very efficiently. By making that comparison to Italy, you can imagine how slow and inefficient things in Sardegna really are.

It was still incredibly hot when we arrived. It has hit 100 degrees each and every day since we arrived on this island, and with not a cloud in the sky. I never thought I would complain about too much sun, but it's too much sun! We checked in, and were given the tour of the property -- the manager was wearing a black suit and I, in my shorts and t-shirt, was melting!

This is the smallest and thus most intimate of the places we are staying in Sardegna. The hotel has just over 70 accommodations -- many of which are, as the name implies, villas. Our villa is a two bedroom, two bathroom bungalow with an enormous wrap-around terrace which includes a jacuzzi tub for four. I knew that would be a hit with the kids.

As quickly as we possibly could, we changed and went to the beach. The beach here is really incredible -- miles of white sand and turqouise waters, and very shallow for quite a distance, perfect for Avery. We swam and enjoyed the sea.

Afterwards, we showered and changed for dinner. What a difference! Good food again. We loved the individually sized portions of fresh whole fish, the tasty prosciutto and melone, and the almond-crusted lamb chops. In addition, the outdoor, poolside dining experience featured during and after dinner entertainment. We were so relieved. Seems like we'll have a nice, relaxing stay here.

Travel Charme Resort Grande Baia - Day 4

We blew it. By putting off our boating excursion for a day, we missed our window of opportunity. Who knew the scirocco winds would begin to blow. It was so windy, there were white caps on the water – not a great day for a sea expedition.

Avery and Olivia went to the kids club for a couple of hours. Olivia begrudgingly. Charlotte joined Josh and I for a brief outing to Porto San Paolo. Here we confirmed what we suspected. Too windy for fun boating.

Instead we decided to pick up the kids from the club, and go back to Puntaldia to meet Bianca, Anna and Violetta for a pizza lunch. Unfortunately, the pizza was awful, as was the gelato. Funny how picky you get when you live in Italy – once you’ve eaten well, poor food just won’t do. At least, the company was enjoyable and the setting was nice. We said our good-byes and headed back to our “resort” for a rest -- although Avery was having none of it. The girls played on various electronic devices. I went for a swim in the sea and Josh watched "The Tour."

When I returned from the beach, I was presented with an offer from the hotel management. Yesterday, the hotel sales manager requested a meeting, and we spoke to her this morning over breakfast about our disappointment with the place. This evening, she presented me with a document, which, if signed, would grant us a 20% refund on the price paid for our stay. It certainly doesn’t seem like this is the first transaction of its kind. I told her I would think it over and get back to her.

I joined the rest of the family by the pool -- it was happy hour afterall. Tonight was the "grand opening" of the hotel's terrace restaurant. Finally a comfortable setting with views where one could enjoy the scenery while dining. It was a special evening of Sardinian foods, and the grilled meats were very tasty. Sardinia is also known for it's pecorino cheeses which were on offer. It was our last night at this hotel...and we were ready to move on... but this was a nice evening on which to wind up our stay. After dinner, while the kids went to watch a movie, Josh and I sat in the newly opened terrace lounge where we were offered a digestivo -- Mirto, which is like a grappa made of myrtle berries -- another local specialty.