The AirBNB Experience

Accommodation for this trip is through a variety of sources, including for the first time for both of us, AirBNB. The AirBNB model is one where hosts rent you a room of their house/apartment. Cheaper than a hotel, more personal but more of a mixed bag as every experience is different. 

Our first AirBNB experience was with Martina in La Spezia. We were greeted with a smile and some water. Martina's apartment was very well setup with post it notes with helpful advice. Martina made us feel very at home and had a supply of maps, time tables and tourist information for us to use. She went out of her way to help us, including making phone calls about the status of the local ferry. It was not hard to see why the inside of her front door was covered with post it notes of thanks from guests.

As we walked to dinner Michelle instructed me that if something ever happened to her I was to marry Martina.  High praise indeed!

Our next experience was with Roberto and his parents in Poggibonsi. Roberto had been very helpful via email before the trip but due to our late train (there seems not to be any other type in Italy) was unable to be there when we arrived, instead leaving his father Piero to let us in and show us around.

Piero turned out to be the most lovely man, with the gaps in his grasp of the English language filled in by smiles and hand gestures.  Our room was lovely, complete with a key to it that may have been made a hundred years ago. Piero was lovely, but Roberto was out of this world.

Through the course of our emails beforehand,  we had mentioned that the trip was our honeymoon.  Roberto subsequently arranged for a nice evening bottle of local red wine and a rose for Michelle.

Then he proceeded to be the most helpful person on earth. He was like our own personal Poggibonsi tourist information consultant. Nothing was too much effort to try and arrange.  We were overwhelmed.  His guest book - a bit more formal than Martina's post it note door - was filled with glowing recommendations, every 2nd one finishing with an offer of accommodation if he is ever in their country. 

Wow. 

Michelle, if something ever happens to me..