I had a terribly early flight to Pisa. I’m not a fan of flying at dawn, because I’m not a morning person. If I get up before 6am, I always feel strange all day. An interesting fact, my cousin has a chemical imbalance. She can’t wake up very early, because she can have seizure like symptoms due to a chemical imbalance in her brain while sleeping. I just feel like I’m half sleeping. I also wasn’t happy about the early flight because I had a little cold. For some reason, I keep getting sick just before I go to Italy. I’ve been ill the previous two times as well, but the minute my feet hit Italian soil, I’m cured. Hoped for that this time around as well.
So, I got my customary Costa coffee after checking in. During the security check, they did some chemical swipe on and in my bag. They’ve never done that before, but it all cleared.
To get onto the plane, we had to go outside to this container thing. It’s a real drag with budget flights, because they make you go there for boarding, and then you may have to wait for up to an hour in a container that has no toilets, not enough seating, no heating, no cooling. Then you have to walk to the plane. Then there are also those people who don’t pay attention to the directions as to which door they need to take. They get on at the front, and then push their way through all the way to the back. Got a window seat at least. Can’t stand sitting in the middle. Believe me, after all that, even a Ryanair seat feels like heaven, when actually, it’s the lowest end of budget flying.
The flight was uneventful. The weather was quite clear, and I enjoyed taking lots of pictures and videos. However, at one point there was an interesting reflection on the clouds. I think it came from the plane. It was as if the reflection of the plane was surrounded by a rainbow. I tried to capture it, and I hope I succeeded.
After landing we got the car. We had to take a small bus to the pick-up site, but luckily it arrived quickly. The sun was shining quite warmly, and I took the opportunity to catch some sun.
Once we had the little Fiat, we were on our way. We had to cross through the whole peninsula, so even though we had an early flight, it was quite late by the time we got to the hotel. The journey there was fun though. It’s been a while since I’ve actually used one of those car maps to navigate,
The hotel check-in went uneventful. I made a video of the hotel. I quite liked the room. It had a fridge, which is not as widespread as you’d hope. However, the real bonus feature of the room was the view. The hotel itself is on top of a hill. Pretty much middle of nowhere. However, when you step out to the balcony, Italian countryside at your feet.
As the sun was setting, it was getting colder in the room. There was some extra blanket, but I was still getting cold, which really didn’t do much for me already having a cold. So I decided to be the troublesome guest, and go down to ask for a heater. There was a radiator in the room, but of course at the end of September they didn’t switch it on centrally. Sadly, they said that they didn’t have one. I asked them politely, that it would be so nice if they could get me one, because I was afraid that my cold would get worse. Since there was no electric kettle in the room, I couldn’t even make myself a hot tea. In the end, they did get a small heater from somewhere, and I was ever so grateful. I made good use of it right away.
Review:
Lovely hotel, though some things could be sorted
This is a lovely hotel high up on a hill. The views are incredible of the sea and the valley below. However, because of this, in bad weather it can be hard to get to.
The rooms are a bit Spartan. The TV is pretty small, and the channels are in Italian. It's a common problem in Italy. The bed is comfortable. The double bed was two singles pushed together and not locked. I know this can bother some people. There is no tea service, and this is also common in Italy. The bathroom had a shower, and also a bidet. However, airing it out was solved by the window not closing properly, which in the cold could be a problem. Toiletries were bars of soap, shampoo and a cap.
Breakfast wasn't very big, and they weren't always on top of refill. The view from the breakfast room is beautiful though.
The receptionists were very helpful, though their English a bit spotty. I had a problem with the temperature being unusually low for September, and also suffering from a cold. They got me a space heater, which helped a lot. I also kept the bathroom door closed. Housekeeping was good, the only thing I would say to the hotel is to do what most hotels do, and only change the towels if they are left on the floor. More economic that way. Also, I kept hanging my towel next to the shower, and they kept putting them back under the sink. I so knew I would forget to hang it before I got in the shower.
The surrounding area is great for small hikes, but the terrain can be difficult, so best bring proper footwear. Getting a parking spot late in the evening can be difficult, and best done with a smaller car. Not to far by car there is an are with shops for food and the like.
Overall, nice hotel if you like to be in the middle of nowhere. I don’t know if they close for winter, but possible, since the steep hill must be hard for a lot of cars in the snow. I did enjoy my stay, and would return. Must be great for weddings as well.
