When my human was planning a vacation in Tuscany, she casually asked if her hotel, the five-star Il Falconiere in Cortona, accepted four-legged guests.
“Of course we do,” came the swift response. “We love dogs!”
She needed no further incentive, and decided immediately that I would accompany her. I was thrilled. I am an experienced traveler, have seen France, Spain, Switzerland, and Slovenia, but this would be my first visit to the smells and sounds of central Italy.
When we arrived, we learned that dogs have been welcome at Il Falconiere since 1994, when it first opened. Owners Riccardo and Silvia Baracchi are lifetime animal lovers and had seven canines when I visited. Six of them were English setters: they were Riccardo’s hunting dogs and remained at their humans’ home; they had no authorized function at the resort. The seventh was Giacco, an oversized, ebullient, at the time a two-and-a-half-year-old boxer whose official role was to greet canine guests like me. He was a little bit overpowering for my taste.
So I was happy to inspect our room, where I found a welcome basket just for me with a picture of and a personal note from…
