We have had a very enjoyable 2 weeks staying here. Owing to its proximity to the A4/E70 autostrada, Cascina Serenella makes a very good base for a holiday. We were able to visit Venice, Brescia, Verona, Padua, Ferrara, Milan and Mantua during our stay, all being within 2 hours drive. But we also enjoyed relaxing days at home, enjoying the sun and the occasional barbecue, as well as visiting the picturesque Desenzano market and taking a boat trip on Lake Garda. Certainly, there was no lack of things to do! (There are several leaflets with suggested excursions in the living room, and Stefano gives you an information leaflet on arrival, outlining shops, restaurants, etc, as well as other information.)
During all this time we found Stefano to be very helpful, sorting out any minor difficulties we had quickly and efficiently, allowing for the fact that he has a full-time job elsewhere. In this regard it was a great help that he speaks pretty good English. His (non-English-speaking) family were delightful, including their cat Alfonso, who, it has to be said, wasn't always quite as well behaved.
During our stay we didn't get around to trying any of the local restaurants, but enjoyed good quality home-delivered pizzas on a couple of occasions, as well as buying fresh bread, croissants, meat, wine & beer, etc, from local shops in Calcinatello, just down the road. Everything else we got from the Auchan supermarket, about 15-20 minutes drive away.
I should add that, if you are looking for absolute peace and quiet, this is probably not the place for you, as it is close to a railway line to the north and the autostrada to the south. However, we found that we quickly got used to this, and it didn't really disturb our sleep, sunbathing, etc. The kitchen, if a little cramped, was fine for everyday cooking. We particularly liked the fact that the layout of the house and garden gave us all ample personal space, as well as providing many large tables, chairs, sunloungers, hammocks, etc, where we could eat and enjoy or avoid the sun as we chose. Certainly,we found the interior of the house was very cool during the hottest part of the day.
I should add that I'm in a wheelchair (severely disabled) and found everything on the ground floor easily accessible, including the wet-room style bathroom, as was much of the garden. I would definitely recommend Cascina Serenella for people with a broad range of disabilities.
All bookings are direct with the owner 