From the welcome cake to the morning treats left in the apartment, Susanna and her family are most attentive to the needs of their guests, including having laundry done if needed. The apartment is quaint and truly Tuscan with stone walls and beautiful beamed ceilings, complete with some beautiful antiques and art work. The salon windows (living room) open onto Via Nazionale (the only "flat" street since everything thing is above or below via the many inclines and hills) while the bedroom windows overlook the idyllic medieval street just above Piazza Repubblica and Ristorante, Il Loggiato. This is my second trip to Cortona (my fifth to Italy), whereas I was here to study Italian at Polymnia for two weeks; I would only recommend that if you are not into crowds and festivals and tremendous heat, that you avoid July. June is delightful and of course after August. However, there are two air conditioners which cool the apartment and keep it at a very comfortable temperature, depending upon how cool or warm you may like. Do not pack heavily since the apartment is on the third floor and the stone steps are rather steep in parts before you get to the flat. Cortona is so compact that all the necessities are available at the numerous shops and stores, and an abundance of the many restaurants, enotecas and cafes. Sightseeing is plentiful from hikes into the hillsides, walking the walls of the city and viewing its many gates, visiting the numerous churches including the basilica, the Etruscan and Diocesan Museums, and seeing Bramasole and beyond into the many villages and other hill towns towns--but a car is truly needed if you may want to explore this part of Tuscany and Umbria which is only a few miles away. Cortona truly is a magical, alluring and captivating town to reside in and discover!
