Relais Il Canalicchio Country Resort ★★★★

One of the added benefits of heading to Umbria is its proximity to Florence. We couldn't resist spending a night in Italy's cultural capital to soak up its vibrancy and art. But boy, was I also glad to be driving into the undulating hills and to leave the rush of the city behind. We headed out as the late afternoon sun and a gentle breeze conspired to make the trees come alive and the ochre of the ancient hilltop towns glow a tone of rich honey. We passed manicured vineyards, gnarled old olive trees and towns suspended in time. The landscape feels as though it hasn't seen many changes since local boy St. Francis was simply Francesco. Umbria is less well known and thus less touristy than neighbouring Tuscany. Perhaps it’s because it's landlocked. It's the only area of Italy that doesn’t border the sea or another country. It's where traditions survive. It's the protected, beating, green heart of Italy, and one of its loveliest hotels has to be the Relais II Canalicchio. What was once a living, breathing, medieval hamlet, complete with a village church and tower, is now a sophisticated haven for lovers of food, lovers of nature, and lovers of rural Italy.

The town of Canalicchio charms you before you get there. It stands nobly, surrounded by rolling hills and spotted with slender cypress trees. Its streets are made of arched alleyways and cobbled stones. The screeching of swallows is the loudest sound for miles around. I knew this would be a place where we could deeply relax. We were greeted by lovely staff, shown to our room, and advised that dinner was best taken around sunset for the beautiful views. So once we had settled in our room we put on a change of clothes to better blend with our elegant surroundings and headed down for dinner. The ‘Il Pavone' restaurant serves food prepared from the fruits of the land – you’ll delight in trying rich olive oil, sun-ripened tomatoes, hand-picked beans and wine from local producers. Traditional regional dishes are prepared with professionalism and flair, served with a smile and enjoyed in a refined setting. I loved the draping patterned curtains and blue upholstery that brought a regal hint to the rustic setting. There were beautiful stained glass doors, exposed wooden beams, and yes, a spectacular view over the landscape below.

We slept like babies in an ocean of quiet, followed by a long, lazy morning in our gorgeous room, before heading down to a delicious breakfast. I was in my element surrounded by the classical décor. Our room had floral patterns, stone floors and a cast iron bed frame. Some of the wooden antique furniture had delicate and colourful frescos. There was plenty of space, and a breath-taking view from the balcony windows. The bathroom was sumptuous too, in a pretty shade of baby blue, with a walk-in rain shower and a claw foot bath.

We made full use of the facilities available, including the swimming pool, wellness centre and restaurant. Relais II Canalicchio is the perfect place for a relaxing rural break, and refreshed our conviction that Italy is the place where romance grows on trees.