This is the ground floor of a large house with beautiful views over the countryside that falls away from it and to the mountains beyond. The apartment itself is spacious and has all you need for a weeks stay although it was a bit disappointing that the washing machine was broken. Vincenzo, the key holder did offer to take us up to one of the other apartments to use theirs if we needed to but that took a bit of the convenience of having one away.

The terrace just outside the back door has fantastic views but in our opinion was a bit of a let down. Its basically just a large slab of concrete and would benefit from some plants or something to pretty it up a bit. It could have done with a sun umbrella as well. I've never known a place like it for flies either. You really need the fly screens on all the doors and windows. The pool was a welcome relief at the end of a hot day.

The little village that the property is in is quiet, very quiet. We did all our food shopping in Pescara when we had the chance.

There are plenty of lovely towns around that are worth a visit. Atri is lovely, so is Loreto Aprutino, Castelli and Castiglione are worth a visit as well. The Gran Sasso and the Campo Imperatore are just fantastic. The thing to remember is that once you get of the main roads, the roads are awful. The road surfaces are cracked, bumpy and in some places non existent. Whole sections are slowly sliding down the hills in places. It makes for extremely hairy journeys. We managed to get to most places we wanted to without a puncture but I think we led a charmed life.

We've been to a lot of lovely places in Italy in previous years and this certainly matches up in terms of charm and scenery to most other places we have been but also feels less touristy and more like real Italy.

We booked both apartments for the six of us - the top one for our son, his wife and their two little girls. We had the bottom one. Both were very well equipped. The views from both but especially the top apartment,are fabulous - looking over sloping hillsides to over hilltops, some with villages on them, the snowy Gran Sasso mountains to the west and the Adriatic to the east. We enjoyed the simple rural life around us. Watching Vincenzo , our neighbour, cutting and bringing in the hay, his offer of broad beans straight out of his garden, plus fresh eggs. Down the road apiece the restaurant owner took us into her barn to see newly born pups, plus cows, Turkey gobbler, goats, donkey, horses and rabbits - great for our grandchildren to see.
Annie warned us the roads had been damaged by storms, and they did require considerable concentration. We had visits to many delightful hill towns plus beach days, and then able to return to Collecimino for peaceful rests, absorbing the magical views

We booked this Villa wanting a quiet week away after the busy build up to our wedding, and got so much more than we imagined.

The views around are simply stunning and sitting out with a drink in the sunshine, commonly accompanied by monopoly was an incredibly relaxing way to spend an afternoon. Eating in was a real joy when sitting outside.

We flew in to Rome Ciampino, and it was my first time driving in Europe and after 5mins it felt pretty natural. I didn't come across any of the stereotypical crazy Italian driving that I'd heard to much about - which was a huge relief!! The directions given to us to the Villa were perfect. I took a sat nav with me to give me rough directions and time estimations to places, but it is very very easy to get lost on the small and windy roads in the close proximity to the villa. We had one pretty scary drive back from Penne one night in the dark - but in fairness, this was pretty much all our own fault for not looking closely enough for the right roads. Any directions ever given to us by Annie and Marek were spot on though, and very necessary as driving is essential to get anywhere around there.

The apartment was just what we needed really. Perfect for 2, nice, well equipped kitchen and lounge with games and cds in drawers to enjoy, and the outside I've already mentioned. The pool, even though located at the opposite end of the apartment to the outside sitting area, didn't feel like a chore to get to, and was ideal for a quick dip when getting too hot after a lot of sunshine.

Our highlight of the holiday has to be the huge array of incredible restaurants around. It might take a bit of a journey to get to some places, but they serve amazing food, with huge portions, for very little money! We went to a hotel in Penne that specializes in seafood. I walked in not so keen on it, but walked out a big fan. Again, Annie and Marek were superb hosts - booking us tables at restaurants to make sure they are open (just turning up is risky!!), and recommending particular dishes that never disappointed. Plenty of pizzerias nearby, one in nearby Castiglione MR was a favourite.

We enjoyed trips to the beach, a water park, and a couple of beautiful old hilltop towns. Though it took us a bit of time to realise that peak time for visiting places in Britain (12-3/4) is dead in Italy! Everywhere shuts up and it's like a ghost town! So either head out in the mornings, or chill out and go in the evening.

All in all an amazing week and we frequently talk about how good it was. A really special time away from normal busy life, and normal tourist areas. (An Italian phrasebook a huge recommendation!)

Thanks Annie and Marek for being such fantastic hosts! Always available for a question, but never intrusive.

Jonny and Abbey.

We flew to Rome Ciampino and the journey to Abruzzo was straight forward - motorway nearly the whole way - but spectacular scenery made it enjoyable. The directions to the Villa were perfect and we were met by the owners on arrival.The place was just as described but we were not quite prepared for how beautiful the views all around were - particularly from our private terrace and the swimming pool!
Marek & Annie were the perfect hosts- there if you needed any help, but not in any way intrusive. The apartment was spacious for the two of us and very comfortable. We enjoyed all meals outside just admiring the sheer splendour of our location.
Remote - yes , but a short drive down to the Adriatic and the beaches were a delight - warm sea and soft sand with only Italians in sight!
We visited many of the local hill top villages, Penne was particularly interesting to explore. We ventured high up to " Little Tibet " a vast plain in the Grand Sasso Mountains.Pescara is the nearest city and again well worth the visit.
After each outing it was a joy to return to Villa Collecimino to have a swim in the pool with a view !!!!!