Il Casolare di Libbiano and Hotel Cannero, Italy

We stayed at two wonderful small hotels in ITALY the first week of April ’08. This was slightly early in the season, which meant lower rates. We enjoyed good weather and fewer crowds than during the high season.

• Il Casolare di Libbiano (Loc. Libbiano 3, 50053 San Gimignano [SI], Italy; phone/fax 0039 0577 946002, www.casolarelibbiano.it) is a charming farmhouse eight kilometers from San Gimignano in Tuscany. The inn has its own vineyard and vegetable garden, lovely views and a nice swimming pool (in season).

The inn has five double rooms and two suites. Our room and bath were modern and comfortable and we had access to an adjacent lounge.

We opted for half board (breakfast and dinner) at €160 ($240) per night and enjoyed the delicious 4-course dinner provided, although without a menu choice. A double room with only breakfast cost €120 ($180) per night.

The owners were charming and the service was wonderful.

• Hotel Cannero (28821 Cannero Riviera, Lago Maggiore, Verbania, Italy; phone 0039 0323 78 80 46, fax 80 48, www.hotelcannero.com ) is a lovely, small hotel of 55 rooms in two adjoining buildings directly on Lake Maggiore, the closest lake to Milan in the Lake District. The boats that tour the entire lake, including the northern end, which is in Switzerland, stop at the dock in front of the hotel.

The hotel is beautifully furnished and has an especially nice dining room with a terrace for when the weather’s nice. The service was excellent and the owner very attentive.

The half-board standard double room price was €162 ($243), and a double with breakfast cost €116 ($174). The breakfast buffet was sumptuous and elegant. Dinners with the half board included four courses with a choice of meat or fish.

We enjoyed a trip by boat to Stresa with views of the beautiful shoreline and the Alps not too distant plus many other towns and islands. Stresa is larger than Cannero and has several famous elegant resorts.

CAROL NAPPER

Elkton, FL