Eating in. You can, subject to availability, have a meal cooked and served for you in the house by one of several local women who are excellent cooks and provide traditional dishes. If you are cooking for yourselves, besides the shops in the local village there are several large comprehensively stocked supermarkets in nearby towns, a small organic outlet nearby in the valley and several markets selling foodstuffs. We have a barbecue.

Eating out. There are many places to eat locally and the nearest are listed and mapped in a file on the house. These include Michelin and gourmet restaurants, family run, organic, pizzerias and speciality restaurants. Good restaurants at all price levels can be found in all the towns and many villages.

• Nearby there is a wine-producer in the Niccone valley, which has guided tours in English and snacks. This relatively recent development is by the Venetion Gritti family who also run a restaurant nearby.

• In Umbria Torgiano, Montefalco (the Sagrantino of the Caprai vineyard was recently voted the second-best wine in Italy), Orvieto.

• In Tuscany, Montepulciano and Montalcino (the Brunello di Montalcino is one of the best and one of the most expensive wines in Italy) are well within driving distance.

  You could combine the trip with a day's sightseeing: Orvieto is obvious, but Montefalco and Bevagna are lovely small towns.

• Badia Coltibuona (in Tuscany) provides tours of their wine cellars and gardens and gourmet meals accompanied by a selection of their own good wines. Connected with the Medici family.

Cookery courses

Two locally in the Niccone Valley and some others a little further afield.