How long before a house feels like a home? It took the 20 of us just a few hours at the lovely Masseria Pistola, an all-new 11-bedroom villa in Puglia, Italy. The wonderful staff would put out a superb breakfast at 7am--delicious local Stracciatella, fruit, salmon, cereals, eggs, pancakes--and we'd linger there until noon, ready for lunch by 2pm! (True to Indian Standard Timing!) We'd swim, sunbathe, fall asleep on the cabanas by the pool. Tea and dinners on the long tables outdoors and in the courtyards; they'd string fairy lights and light candles for celebrations. We brought in a band, a barbecue, even a pizza truck. We'd walk the gardens full of lavender and roses; the honey and chillies would come straight from its own grounds. On our last night, even the house managers broke into song (there may or may not have been some entertaining renditions of Coldplay and Eminem). Parting yesterday was definitely a sorrow--after a brief night drizzle, the morning light was pure Italian gold. Amazing new memories made in a place with a history that dates back to the 1700s--my favourite kind of family holiday. #puglia #masseria #masseriapistola #italytravel #italydoesitbetter