Our 10th ANNIVERSARY Issue!

Join Doorways in celebrating a decade of
opening villa doors in Europe!
www.villavacations.com

Dear Friends,

When Doorways came into being, way back in the 20th century, the company had a staff of one-me, Kit Burns. I had a snug home office and a handful of Italian properties, some of which Doorways still represents today. The Casanova, Simpatico and Casavecchia estates in the Chianti region of Tuscany have remained popular with our customers ever since because of their simple rustic appeal and delightfully welcoming owners. The first winter a write-up about Doorways appeared in the Philadelphia Inquirer and, lo and behold, phone calls began to pour in. Unfortunately, the same week a huge ice storm knocked out the electricity in Bryn Mawr and the surrounding area, so my home was without heat. My lips were blue as I responded to those first exciting inquiries in my winter coat.

My husband, Bruce McGrath, suggested the name Doorways because my own experience with European travel was like opening a door to a different world. I was-and still am-enlivened by exploring a welcoming land and culture. I drew our Doorways logo, ordered the company stationery, and began to place the first reservations for Italian villa stays.

Doorways has come a long way since then. Today we have an astonishing assortment of villas and apartments, not just in Italy but also in France and Spain. We hire an intern each year from Italy and offer courses in Language for Travelers. The 20th century has given way to the 21st. The European Union has come into being and we've said hello to the Euro and good by to the lira, franc and peseta. Doorways now accepts credit cards for payment and, like most companies, has been transformed by the use of email and the World Wide Web.

Even with so many changes, the essence of Doorways remains the same as when I answered the first phone call and talked with the first customers, Bill and Anita Brattina, from Pittsburgh. Though the general trend has been toward more upscale properties, our primary consideration is still the quality of the rental experience, with an emphasis on the relationships we foster, both with our customers and with the owners of the villas we select to represent. Our Doorways web site has become an extraordinary tool, and is still evolving.

Selecting the perfect villa can be a daunting task, so we added some features to our website to make it easy for you. Try them by clicking on the links to the right under "Keys to our Website." Most particular, we have sorted them in the Featured Villas section so you can see at a glance all the villas of certain size, or on a wine estate or those that are air conditioned. Try it!

Kit Burns, President

Meet the
Doorways Staff



Behind our web site is
Doorways' dedicated
and attentive
staff of travel professionals.


Celebrate with us!

Our first ten clients to mention this newsletter when booking a villa will receive a bottle of premiere olive oil to be delivered to your home.

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COMING IN SEPTEMBER:

Watch out for our fall issue on Lucca, where we offer a range of terrific larger villas with pools, perfect for anniversary gatherings with family or friends (reunions, birthdays, weddings, reaffirmation ceremonies).