Whenever I've passed through Bergamo before I've thought it would be worth a visit in its own right, one of the key cities in Italy's richest region, with spectacular Venetian defences surrounding the acropolis, a great vantage point for sunsets.
On this occasion I did stay over, but not for long enough. I think Andrea probably sees too many transient guests like me, stopping by only for the convenience of the airport. Bergamo's reputation as the 'Città dei Mille' might even refer to his many guest reviews. His place is effectively a discrete hostel for a small clientele, in a palazzo complete with coaching-house courtyard, high-ceilinged rooms with festooned four-posters, and simple quirky features that make it a place for the imagination to run wild.
Andrea himself is genial and original, striding up to meet his guest flanked by a pair of dogs who accompany him up two storeys while he explains the entry system. Nothing here is too complex; he's colour-coded the keys, and inside, nothing occurred to me that he hadn't already thought of. The decor is simply improvised, the apartment retains a faded elegance, and the hall is heated by a wood-burning stove that makes it toasty.
I was let down both by the doorbell and by my own SMS, so I missed our original check-in time, but Andrea was gracious enough to go with the flow while I sought wifi at the pizzeria next door and we met after dinner instead. For some reason on this trip Airbnb hasn't let me respond to its message feed without being logged on, and some of us still use only dumbphones.
Still, this was a serene night in a comfy bed (in easy reach of the airport of course), and one that I mean to repeat.