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          CHEAPER THAN HOTELS...AND MORE FUN TOO!!

     Unpack Once & Store Your Suitcase!  Tired of hotels?  Rent your own villa for a
very pleasant change of pace!

     Rent a Vacation House & Save!  You willl enjoy the rest of your trip even more!
This file discusses the many benefits of renting a private apartment or villa for your
European vacation.  It includes a listing of the type of properties that are available for
rent on a weekly basis in France, Italy, Spain, and Portugal.

     Are you thinking about a vacation in Europe with your family, or just a get-away
trip for the two of you?  If your plans include Italy, France, Spain, or Portugal, consider
renting a villa for a week, or longer.  Give yourself a chance to know the country and
enjoy the benefits of living in the style of the country you are visiting.  It is an excellent
opportunity to re-visit an area that you may have seen before, but did not have enough
time to thoroughly explore.  Language, culture,  food of the country...  Really
experiencing these adds flavor and spice to your trip and can create a truly  memorable
experience.  Isn't that why you are going?  And best of all, you can save money by
renting a property rather than staying in a hotel...the cost of a rental property is
generally much less than the price of a hotel!   You can select a property with a pool, a
tennis court, or maid service...take your pick!

     Catalogs filled with color photographs of the interior and exterior of apartments,
farm houses,
villas, and castles are available to let you make your own selection of what "looks
good" and will
fit your requirements.  These properties are not just rental apartments or houses.  They
are often second homes or family vacation spots that are enjoyed by professional
people and their families.  They are decorated and cared for as their "hide-away"
property and range from the "rustic" to the truly "elegant".  If you would rather have  the
company of a polyglot and cosmopolitan vacation group, try one of the "fattorias" that
feature individual apartments in a large complex that features all of the amenities of
pool, tennis, barbecues, etc.  These are frequently the destination for extended families
who can then share in the pleasures of the property together, while still being able to
maintain their own privacy when desired.  You will be amazed at how fast children
adapt to these spots, and enjoy the opportunity to experiment  in a "living" environment
with the foreign language that they have been studying in school.

     Some idea of the enjoyment that this type of vacation experience can bring can
be found in the following interview that was recently written about Suzanne Pidduck
and the property rental business that she established as a result of her family's
vacation experiences in Italy.  As you will notice, it is also a testimonial to the benefits
of foreign travel with American Field Service, or any of the many programs now offered
to students.

                         *******************************

     If I were asked what single event in my life was a defining moment, I would
respond without any hesitation or thought, "My AFS summer when I was sixteen in
Istanbul Turkey with the Kurdoglu family."  It was that 1963  summer of homesickness,
wondrous skylines, foreign smells, and an exotic culture that permanently altered the
way that I would look at life in general and travel in particular.
     It was a natural progression from my summer in Turkey to a major in
Comparative Religions at Mills College in Oakland, California.  It was also a natural
progression to a junior year abroad program in Florence, Italy, where I lived with the
Piancastelli family.  My earlier experience of living with a Turkish family had only whet
my appetite for a similar experience in a different culture.  By the time I left Florence to
return home, I knew that I had formed a permanent bond with the family, the city and
the country.
     Marriage followed a few years later to Kurt, who also has a passion for foreign
travel and languages, having lived and studied several months in Tours, France.
When our three children reached the age of six and eight (our boys are twins), we
decided that they were ready for their first European exposure.  That first trip to France
to visit friends initiated what became a continuous flow of U.S., French, Italian, and
Swiss children back and forth between California and Europe, as we re-established old
friendships and made new ones.  Our daughter Krista has lived in France and Italy, and
speaks both languages fluently.  Kevin has lived one year in France (when he was
twelve) and a year in Germany, both times with families.  Brian has lived in Mexico and
Bolivia.  All three children are now in college, where they have continued their
language studies.
     When the children were eight and ten years old, we decided to rent a vacation
home in Europe.  The Piancastelli family, with whom I had lived in 1967, sent me a
Cuendet catalog of properties for rent in Italy.  Along with another family, we selected a
beautiful, slightly dilapidated 18th. century villa, located midway between Florence and
Siena.  It seemed to be a natural progression from exchange student to staying with
friends to living on our own in a different country.  It was such a wonderful experience,
that I visited the headquarters of the company to ask if they would be interested in
establishing a U.S. agent to represent their company.
     Eleven years later I am still representing the Cuendet company, which has
expanded its properties to France, Spain, and now Portugal.  A sheet of tips on
living/renting in Italy that I prepared for my clients that first year has been expanded
into a booklet  that is updated every year.  I travel to Italy at least once a year to meet
with the company, visit new properties, and gather further information for my booklet.  I
have found that I can best serve my clients through first-hand knowledge of the
properties and their settings
     Involvement with foreign people and places has thus become an integral part of
my life.  My experiences have included living in a small apartment in Istanbul, Turkey, a
spacious apartment in Florence,  hosting several foreign students in our home, and
helping our own children live and study abroad, as well as organizing a flourishing
vacation rental business.  It has been very satisfying and rewarding to be able to
incorporate my passions and leisure activities into my work!  When I'm not working or
traveling, I hike every Wednesday with a group of women, and play tennis one or two
mornings a week.
                         *******************************

     Additional helpful advice from a seasoned traveler with over twelve years of
experience in renting properties to hundreds of satisfied customers is only a phone call
away.  The comments
of previous renters of many of the properties are on file and will be gladly shared with
you  when you call.  It is not possible to give you here very much of the information that
is available in the lovely catalogs that are available, but following are some brief
descriptions of the type of lodgings that you will find in the catalogs.  To help you in
your search, the properties are grouped by the name of the country and provence in
which they are located.

**********
ITALY:

EVELINA   The name of this property is actually  "Il Tondo."  It is an historic villa in
Fiesole that dates from the fifteenth century.  It was originally a guard post, destroyed
and rebuilt in the eighteenth century, and beautifully rebuilt after WWII.  It is owned the
lovely, multilingual, and very gracious  Signora Romanazzi who lives in one wing of the
villa.  Last year Il Tondo was featured in the Italian edition of House & Garden
magazine.  It has a classic "Empire" facade and a lovely garden.  While the location is
quiet and seems very rural behind its high stone wall, the villa is only 200 meters from a
bus stop, with frequent buses to and from Florence.  My husband and I stayed at this
property for a week in May 1995.

FATTORIA LA LOGGIA    This property is uniquely located   on a hilltop in the Chianti
surrounded by vineyards, but very accessible to Florence and Siena.  The Superstrada
that connects Siena and Florence is just two kilometers away.  Other reasons to stay at
La Loggia:  The apartments are comfortably furnished; breakfast is provided every
morning;  there is maid service everyday;  the wonderful receptionist, Ivana is always
available to answer questions (in English) and offer suggestions.  I also stayed here in
an apartment in June 1995.  Some slides are enclosed.

CASTELLO DI PERGOLATO   I recently visited this property while staying at Fattoria
La Loggia, which is close by.  The castle is quite large, about 10,000 square feet, and
is owned by a noble family from Florence.  Much of the structure dates back to the 15th
century.  It is difficult to find a well-preserved castle, such as the Castello di Pergolato,
to rent in its entirety, since many have been split into several apartments.  Staying in
this castle would be a delicious step into the past    canopied beds, faded velvet chairs,
silver picture frames filled with old family photos.  Some slides are enclosed.

CASTELLO DI QUERCETO   This tiny medieval village (and the surrounding forests
and olive orchards) is owned by the Ginori family, one of the oldest noble families of
Tuscany.  The winding uphill road from Ponteginori (west of Volterra) climbs to the
village, ending at the castle country home of the Ginori family.  While several
apartments and houses in the town are separately owned and occupied by local
families, most of the ancient dwellings in the town are owned by the Ginori family.  They
have converted some of these into vacation apartments for rental to vacationers.  With
absolute peace and quiet, and breathtaking views of the beautiful Tuscan countryside,
this would be great spot for a writer or artist to hole up for a few months!

FLORENCE APARTMENT IN PALAZZO GINORI   The Ginori family have two small
apartments for rent, located on the third floor of their palazzo in the historic center of
Florence.  The location can't be beat, as the palazzo is only a few blocks or so from the
Duomo.  Both apartments are simply furnished, and they can be rented for as little as
one week, as long as the two-month rate is paid, which is still quite reasonable.
Besides the third floor location other advantages are:  an elevator to the third floor, the
apartments are fairly quiet, and the landlords are lovely people.

**********
FRANCE:
"Allauch J372"
Located 2 km. from Allauch, a delightful hilltop Provencal village fifteen minutes from
Marseille.  Spacious villa, of a very high comfort level, situated on a quiet lane, with
beautiful split-level garden and pool.
Upper floor:  kitchen/breakfast room, sitting/dining room with gallery, two double
bedrooms, one twin-bedded room, bathroom, shower, two W.C.s.
Lower ground floor:  kitchen, living room, single bedroom, bathroom, W.C.
Garden with pool, terraces and table tennis.  Telephone available upon request.
Central heating.  Washing machine & dishwasher.  Price includes four hours of maid
service per week.
Sleeps 7

**********
PORTUGAL:
"Sao Bras de Alportel ZP20"
Beautiful renovated farmhouse with pool located in the countryside just a few
kilometers from Sao Bras, 20 km. from the charming town and beaches of Tavira, 25
km. from the airport at Faro.
Ground floor:  kitchen/sitting/dining room with doors to two terraces, one double
bedroom, one twin-bedded room, two bathrooms, sleeping area on the mezzanine.
First floor:  one twin-bedded room with doors to a covered balcony, bathroom.
Utility room by pool with shower and W.C..  Metered telephone.  Washing machine.
Maid service five days a week.
Sleeps 6