We have very much enjoyed our stay at Villa Gioia and thank you, and in particular Luisa, for all the help that you and your people at the Villa have extended to us. The Villa has proven to be a great place for our group of 14, not only enough rooms, beds and bathrooms for our somewhat demanding crowd, nicely situated to permit us to place kids or families, respectively, together without disrupting the intended togetherness, but also with considerable general space inside and outside for meals and common activities. Located in the triangle of Bari, Trani and Castel del Monte, close enough to the beach and the airport without being disturbed by one or the other, the Villa was an excellent starting point for common pursuits, but also permitted to pursue individual interests, for instance for my wife and myself who have more of an interest in the culture than in the beach. We had visited the area half a lifetime before and knew about the major sights, but were very impressed again by the beauty and the sheer number of the offerings, in particular the churches in larger and smaller places dating back to a time before the more northern domes in France and my country were erected. We were also very impressed by the degree and quality of the restoration efforts, the walls of Castel del Monte were obviously the same that we saw during our first visit, but what a difference in appearance inside and out.
A particular thank you goes to you. Luisa, for your patience and help when we had special dinner or other requests; the vacation would not have been as much fun without your advice and assistance, including the very practical assistance to get the reservations in the right places. Inge and I enjoyed most our dinner at Antichi Sapori in Montegrosso, with its very tasty oil, and the only disappointment was to find out after our return that they distribute their oil in Italy, but do not send it abroad.
So altogether a very positive experience and a great thank you from all of us.