Despite my hopeful expectations, the girl on reception didn't greet our arrival by singing the words 'welcome to the Hotel California'. Spoilsport.
I've no idea what California has to do with this lovely hotel, but I suppose there is a certain 'west coast relaxed' feel to its location – in beautifully landscaped grounds just a couple of hundred metres from the beach. Our room was in a two-storey villa a little way away from the main hotel, near the swimming pool and surrounded by manicured lawns and shady trees. We had our own spacious terracotta-tiled terrace, bordered by jasmine and hydrangea.
This is the kind of hotel where you can't help but relax. We woke later each morning we were here, and did less each day. But the highlight was undoubtedly the food, especially the seafood. Dinner was served in a bright airy restaurant with a vaguely nautical feel. On out first night here we had pasta with scampetti, which was extremely good, then gilthead bream and an excellent veal chop. It was dark when we emerged from the restaurant to enjoy coffee and liqueurs on the terrrace, served by a mature lady with a striking resemblance to the actress Honor Blackman. There were a few families staying at the hotel while we were there, and the sounds of children enjoying themselves in the garden, squeakily making animals out of balloons late into the evening, was a slightly surreal but rather pleasant backdrop to Honor's refined service.
Ms Blackman was in fine form on our last night here, as I found her in the bar tasting varieties of limoncello offered by a handsome young Italian girl whose mother apparently made the stuff. Honor made her selection and put the chosen bottle behind the bar. 'I will reserve this for my best guests...such as this gentleman!' she flattered huskily. We never saw sight of the bottle again.
Our final dinner was again outstanding. Crostini with clams, then a wonderfully flavourful tagliatelle with morsels of langoustine and zucchine flowers. Pasta with aubergine, then roast chicken, which really did taste like chicken! Finally fresh fruit and pecorino cheese.
The taste of that langoustine tagliatelle will stay with me for a long time. Perhaps the song was right. You can check out any time you like, but you can never leave.
California Park Hotel, Via Colombo, 32, I-55042, Forte dei Marmi (LU), Riviera della Versilia
Tel 0584 787121
No comments:
Post a Comment