Wednesday 2 April 2008

Newsletter - April 2008 - Theme holidays, special offers, events

THEME HOLIDAYS

There are many ways to spend your time while at Villa Mimma, whether you are a sporty person or an art lover. Here are only a few suggestions:
Golfing
Piedmont and the North-West of Italy boast some great golf courses where you can play occasionally.
Imagine swinging your golf club with the Alps in front of you or while strolling in the park of an ancient Italian Villa. Some of the clubs have also swimming pools and club houses where other members of the party could spend the day if they don't want to join the golfers around the golf course.
I have gathered info on quite a few places and published them on Villa Mimma's blog and I will post comments as I receive them. Also, as an incentive to encourage golf holidays, Villa Mimma is offering 10% discount on the accommodation cost - simply mention this at the booking time and present your receipt of the green fee/s at the time of settling the balance.
Tennis
In Treville there is a private tennis court that can be booked hourly or, alternatively, people can gain unlimited access by joining the private club that the owners run. It is a tennis court in earth (not in the peak of its condition but good for a fun match), surrounded by beautiful trees and with a gorgeous view of the hills. The court is mainly used in Spring time, but it is available through the Summer and Autumn months too. Please ask for details at the time of booking your stay.
Cooking with Paola
This is not a cooking course by all means, but you can always enjoy helping Paola preparing an Italian meal that you can then share. Please ask at the booking time if you wish to try this experience.
Wine safari and grapes harvesting
During the harvesting season (September/October) we can arrange for you to enjoy
picking the grapes and making wine. There are various options so it all depends on how keen you are and whether you want to include a wine tasting experience or not. Let us know and we will go through the various possibilities with you.
How is "salame" prepared?
If you are at Villa Mimma when the local butcher is preparing his famous salame, you can go to his atelier and watch the process while it happens! You cannot help because of health and safety reasons, but you are more than welcome to watch....
Bees and beauty - an art altogether.
Near Villa Mimma there is a bee-farm with a factory that produces honey, but also creams and beauty products, all from natural extracts.
Wine tasting.
In Monferrato you are in the heart of a wine country and wine tasting occasions are not to be missed. You can arrange an appointment with one of the local wineries or you can take part in a proper experience guided by a sommelier. Whatever are your wishes, we will try to arrange the right thing for you. Simply ask!
The rice country and the old ways.
Not far from the hills of the Monferrato there are endless rice fields that are like mirrors of water that transform into these infinite green fields when the rice is growing to end up like brown squares after the harvest has finished. Well, about 30 minutes' drive from Villa Mimma there is a museum where they can show you how the rice used to be processed at the beginning of the century, with machinery still operated by the power of a water mill.
Horse Riding.
If stables are what you are after, there are a couple of places within a few kilometres of Villa Mimma where you can go for a ride and possibly a lesson.
Strolling around the Monferrato Casltes .
Giarole and Camino are two of the best preserved castles in the Monferrato region. Thanks to a collaboration with local experts, we can arrange guided day trips to view these castles, normally closed to the public. The day involves quite a lot, including traditional lunch and evening dinners and a horse ride in one of the best stables of North-West Italy. Ask for details if you are interested.
Venaria Reale and the Savoys .
This magnificent palace and the park surrounding it has been recently restored and is now open to the public. The palace, dated back to the XVII century used to be a hunting residence for the Savoy family before it became the country residence of the Royals with the first King in the Savoy dynasty, Vittorio Amedeo II, at the beginning of the XVIII century. It is definitely worth a visit and there is so much to see that you can spend a whole day here.

SPECIAL OFFERS
We have introduced a new special offer for golfers of 10% discount on the accommodation.
Check our website and our offers because we have several discounts for people belonging to different groups or associations (schools in the UK, TCI, ANBBA, Surrey Alumni, etc.)

NEWS FROM TREVILLE
3rd May : The artist Vera Vermeersch will exhibit her carpets and tapestries in Treville. It is an exciting event, so if you are in the area, do try to come to Treville and pay a visit to this unique exhibition.
6th, 13th, 20th June: Jazz concerts on the village square. More details on the programme of each evening will be available nearer the time on the Events page of Villa Mimma's website.

Many thanks again to those who came to Villa Mimma over the past few months and have taken the time to post reviews of their stay! We really appreciate your effort because having online reviews means that new guests can taste our hospitality even before getting to Villa Mimma. Thanks a lot!!!

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