It started with a New Year's Wish that my husband and I shared, to visit Italy and reconnect with the place that my great-grandparents left years ago. That place was Abruzzo. Each of them from a medieval village not far from one another. We needed a convenient comfortable location to use as the base for our explorations. With a map in one hand and stars in our eyes, we searched the internet for a rental. One that would have a beautiful garden, for me, the painter, and a roof top terrace for my husband, the amateur astronomer. Through Google Search we found the Casa Rosa and it met both the requirements, not only that, but it's name was 'Rosa', my sister and grandmother's name. It was a good omen.
We connected with its owner, Joanna Mundy, to make an inquiry and found, to our delight, a kind, patient and helpful person who guided us through our first trip across Italy. She helped us in every aspect of our trip, providing us with maps and detailed information about our drive to the Casa Rosa and the conveniences found in Sulmona, a larger city, a few miles away. We did have a TIM card that through Google Maps helped with our navigation through Abruzzo, but nothing beat actual knowledge of the area. For that, Joanna proved invaluable. She answered our questions quickly, so that not a minute of our one week trip was wasted.
The Casa Rosa, itself, is a beautifully restored home, well appointed, with everything you need to make your vacation a good one, at any time of year. Bugnara, a picturesque village with ancient alleys, staircases and churches was a joy to explore. The only thing that could have made our vacation better was to have arranged for a longer stay! Thanks so much, Joanna, we can hardly wait to return!