"La Preghiera - Simply the Best"

From www.tripadvisor.com

"La Preghiera - Simply the Best"
May 15, 2006: Jeff Rayner, a TripAdvisor Member, Toronto, Ontario, Canada

“As the title suggests - La Preghiera Luxury Bed & Breakfast is the very best accommodation we have ever experienced in our many years of traveling. We take at least one 2-3 week trip each year to Europe and, as a result, have experienced a wide range of accommodations. We have stayed in everything from 2-star hotels, to basic level B&Bs, to 5-Star hotels and lodges, but have never experienced luxury and service the way we did at La Preghiera.
Situated in the exceptionally beautiful and still very rural province of Umbria - about two and a half hours north of Roma, and easily accessible via train or car - La Preghiera'a literal translation is "the prayer". As that might suggest - La Preghiera is an 800 year old former monastery that has been lovingly and amazingly restored by it's owners John and Liliana Tunstill. Many of the original sections of the three buildings that make up La Preghiera are still visible and this provides a genuine feel for the architecture and building styles of that era.
The restoration, however, was undertaken with the idea that today's travelers desire all the conveniences that are found in modern, urban hotels. On this point, La Preghiera will definitely not disappoint. Each room is the epitome of luxury and modern convenience. Each room has a luxurious bathroom, with marble shower and all the amenities that one needs. The beds are fantastic! The most comfortable we have ever experienced.
The remainder of the main house, outside the bedrooms, is also fantastic! The common areas are very well appointed, yet so comfortable and relaxing that you sometimes wonder if you're back at home. If you want to have a great afternoon nap - try the couches in front of the huge fireplace in the sitting room. I slept there at least once each of the seven days we were at Le Preghiera.
The breakfast that is provided each morning is amazing! Comprised of locally grown or raised produce, cheeses, meats and baked goods - we had a distinctly different offering each morning for seven mornings. And the cafe con latte is wonderful!
Having said all of the above relative to the facilities, food, etc. - what really sets La Preghiera apart from anywhere that we have stayed is the people who run it. John and Liliana are the most accommodating, the most gracious hosts you could imagine. They're two of the best people we've ever met while traveling. Sally Ann manages the day-to-day operations and, again, she is the epitome of service. Sally Ann went out of her way to ensure that we had everything we needed to have the most enjoyable time while at La Preghiera. She arranged wine and cheese making tours for us, assisted with suggestions and reservations with a number of restaurants in the area and was always available when we had questions or needed directions. Sally Ann came with us on the wine tour that she arranged just to make sure the tour was up to La Preghiera standards. There is so much to do in the area surrounding Calzolaro that you'll be hard-pressed to get to everything. Do, however, make sure you get to the hillside town of Gubbio. It's amazing! The Roman Amphitheatre, the Church of Saint Ubaldo on the mountain and the rest of the town must to be seen to be appreciated.
The remainder of the staff at La Preghiera are also amazing! They all, in a very genuine manner, love what they do and what they do best is take care of their guests. I could go on and on about the many other attributes of La Preghiera, but the best way to experience them is to go there yourself. You will not be disappointed. And, if you do get there, ask John for a tour of the Toy Soldier Museum - it's phenomenal! We are planning to return again next year as we feel we have not only experienced exceptional luxury and service, but we have made new friends as well. “

Well quite a flood of guests this last week, Villa Moscatelli full, and lots of space taken in the main house. People from Italy, France, England and America, and several people wanting to, or in the process of, buying and renovating local properties. www.propertiesumbria.com.
All the guests want to know about the local wines, the food and the restaurants. Wine being such a big business is surrounded by hype and foolishnes perpetuated by advertising agents and producers of glossy table top books. Believe none of it, be guided by your own taste, not a preconceived idea of fashion, but taste as imbibed by nose, tongue, lips and mouth. Don't be fooled by price, often the prices are determined by the amount paid through the advertising budget to create an awareness; look at the cheap trainers with a little "tick" on them that people buy for hundreds of dollars, look at cheap clothes and shoes sold through "outlet" malls at mega mark-ups in relation to their manufacturing costs. So it often is with wine. Consider the small producer with no advertising or PR budget, is his wine therefore inferior? Come to Umbria and we'll organise a wine tasting for you, and then YOU can make up YOUR mind which wines are the best, for YOU.www.lapreghiera.com
At the same time we'll send you to the Vecchio Granaio, I Mandriani, Archibugio, Preledio and Erba Luna restaurants to sample local produce, and steer you clear of two or three places where the cost of the meal is worked out as you go along, and depends on your nationality. A couple of places to definately avoid!
The kind lady at the Erba Luna the other night, because she had read about our huge collection of postcards in a local magazine, runmmaged in the back room and found me a set of cards of Montone, made in the 1950's, what gems, what kindness, but, after all, here in Umbria, "a stranger is a friend as yet unmet". www.cartolinetunstill.com

John Tunstill

From 27 to 29 April 2006

La Preghiera, Calzolaro, Umbria
A lovely and special time with Edel and Laila Zollinger, guests here at La Preghiera, www.lapreghiera.com , for a Cooking Class.
We went to the market in Città di Castello for buying fresh vegetables, pecorino and ricotta cheese, tomato and other ingredients.
Then the mother and the daughter, learnt the art of making pasta, as ravioli with ricotta and spinaci filling, tagliatelle with ragù sauce, making antipasti, as Bruschette, cheese tart, breasaola filled with cheese, tagliata meat with fresh tomato, rocked and parmesan….and other typical Umbrian dishes!!!
We enjoyed so much…..!! A big thanks to Edel and Laila!!



Come at La Preghiera for a Cooking Class, you can learn a lot of things to make Italian and Umbrian dishes……..!! info at info@lapreghiera.com
www.lapreghiera.com

HEAVENLY HOSTS-PART 3 OF 3

HEAVENLY HOSTS- from Yorkshire Evening Post – Alison Bellamy

"You can enjoy a massage or beauty treatment from a local masseur or therapist, in your room or lying by the magnificent swimming pool, to help make your trip truly relaxing. Early evening was my favourite time, when the sunset never failed to impress. An early evening visit to a nearby shopping outlet which stocks designer clothes at bargain prices. We were told that we could save the equivalent of the price of our holiday in savings of luxury items.
There is a small chapel in the grounds of La Preghiera, where you can get married. It would be the perfect setting for a wedding, and because we had just become engaged, we started dreaming about the possibility of getting married there. But that would mean everyone we like and love could not be there when we make our vows, so we decided to stick to the original plan and get wed in Yorkshire. The food is spectacular and has to be tasted to be believed. Fresh local produce, hunks of bread, cheese and the finest wine I can ever remember. A visit to a local wine producers is also worth arranging, as tasting the local offerings is lots of fun (plus you can end up merry for just a few Euros!). the Italian people are utterly charming. The adore children and youngsters of all ages are made particularly welcome in restaurants and eateries, where there is a real family atmosphere until late into night.
Umbria is next door to Tuscany and Lazio, and really is true taste of Italy. You are not likely to find drunken Brits in the towns and village squares and I really felt like I had discovered the jewel in Italy’s crown. It is one of the few Italian regions to have no coastline, and its countryside is green and fertile, with an amazing view in every direction. La Preghiera is the place I will be heading for if I ever have a nervous breakdown. They wil look after you and cater to your every whim."