Come for the roses, the irises, the hostas! You’ll find over 230 different varieties of plant here – they are Rosanna’s passion. With drowsy shutters, buzzing bees and walls festooned in roses, the house and outbuildings appear to be in a permanent state of siesta. As do the seven cats, basking on warm window sills and shady terraces. There’s a touch of The Secret Garden about the half-hidden doors, enticing steps and riotous plants, and the air is fragrant with lavender, oregano and roses, many from France. The house and farm, on a wooded hillside, have been in Rosanna’s family for nearly 300 years; she gave up a career as an architect to create this paradise 40 minutes from Genoa. Homely, imaginatively decorated, bedrooms have handsome furniture, books, pictures; bathrooms come with baskets of goodies. Everyone eats together at a long table in the conservatory or outside, where lights glow in the trees at night. Rosanna, Domenico, young Vijaya and Samjhana are the most delightful hosts, and the home-grown food is a revelation: agriturismo at its best.
We stayed for one night, en route from UK to Greece, and wish we could have stayed for longer in these beautiful surroundings; not even time to swim in the very inviting pool! Rosanna is a wonderful cook, and the Nepalese family who looked after us were sweet and very welcoming. Dinner was a communal meal, which can be intimidating, but Rosanna was a charming hostess and created a very pleasant atmosphere.