1879 Moorish Influence

OMG! OMG! OMG! OMG! OMG! OMG!OMG! OMG! OMG! OMG! 

You can see it from a miles away the ornate carved structure with is central steeple towing several stories above and we are staying there.....

So do you think I may have like it ????

Yes!!!!!!!

It is the most amazing place I have ever stayed and the most expensive but what AN experience for the mind, eyes and the body, we were treated like royalty and the room was fit for royalty. They only have about 8 suites so a very small hotel, we were so lucky to have this opportunity we are dinning in tonight and doing a 3 hour intensive cooking class down in the basement tomorrow, one on one with one of the executive chef. 

Check out the we'd site www.villacrespi.it

As because a picture tells a 1000's words and in this case it will save you my readers having to read 10,000 of my words to describe it.................

But I will give you a few words anyway just to entice you to check out their web site

The castle / villa was built  in 1879 for a textile merchant that spent a lot of time in Islamic countries so wanted a house to reflect that for his new bride as a wedding present, but as it took 20 years to build not sure how true that story is.my be it was a anniversary present. 

We are greeted by Kamal in the car park in behind the walls that surround the villa he was from India and when he saw my Aussie hat wanted to know " Do you like cricket " and his big white eyes lit up, we bonded over the next 3 days while we were there. He got the third degree from me asking a million questions as I alway seam to do....At one point I try to describe to him that I sort of do the job he does, but with his lack of English  I don't think he could get his head around if I did do what he did what was I doing in a place like this. So I gave him one of our pamphlets on the Retreat.

He likes the Australians as we will stop and take the time to talk as a lot of the other guest are a bit more pretensions as you could imagine.

He also has had a bit of a hard life like my man in Venice.

But Kamal told me he was lucky to have such a good boss as he gets to live in the villa and is given all food, medical and full  board and gets 800€ a month for 9 months and 500€ a month as a bonus for the 3 months that the place is closed in winter. He can go home to his family but doesn't get that payment till after the 3 month to make sure he comes back. He is 28 and lives a hard life at the villa works long hours I and 6 days a week, but said he is so lucky compared to the life he would have had back in his country. 

He was studying a uni in his country but his dad died a few years ago so now he has to be the bread winner for all his family back home. 

Today the villa it is k by a young chef Antonino Cavvavacciuolo and is run as a small hotel with a 2 Michelin star restaurant. 

The chef is a TV super star in Italy just named the most up and comming chef ...he is the Italian version of Gordon Ramsay with the Kitchen Nightmares TV show but Antonino is a big cuddly teddy bear and was so welcoming when we arrived and we had a photo and cuddles with him when we left.

We got to see one of his shows on sky while we were there and even thought it was in Italian he came across as a good guy, not like Gordon.

At reception which was the original central entrance with it internal blue domed ceiling 4 stories above and as this room was about 5m square it was a feat just to look at the ceiling as it was so high and so exotic. Each of the floors above also look down into this space and with the whole carved exquisite Moorish architecture going on it was just amazing, I stood for some time just sucking in the handcrafted beauty and the skill of the hands that built it 133 years ago. The original owner must of had loads of money.... BIG loads....

We are taken to our room on the first floor and well I was gobsmacked. We walked around the open carved painted stone walls in the corridor that I could see from below and now myself looking back down at reception with it single all glass counter and 2 clear Perspex chairs, the only thing that interrupted the view was the discreet little computer screen behind a big bunch of flowers the rest of the space was void of any distractions. Now that's the sort of office desk we all aspire to have!!! 

So back into our suite via double painted carved doors  we had a grand little entrance hall with  a chandler hanging from the ornately decorated ceiling 15 feet above and the floor was the most exquisite timber parquetry with a huge timber wardrobe that Kamal insisted to hang my 8€ Italian jacket in. I smiled and thanked him as he also struggled with out cases, but once he was in the our room and the bosses couldn't see finally he let me help get them onto the port racks, from then on we were mates. All the furniture was original to the house.

Off to our right was the bathroom with inlaid marble floors in cream, tan black and burnt orange, all in a swirl patten. The ceiling just as high with a waist to ceiling window covered in some white  sheers that you would expect in a lounge not a bathroom. The vanity was in carved walnut with a 50mm thick cream marble top and the walls were also in marble slabs with the colours from the floor. Back to the entrance hall and through another set of double doors in front was along narrow room with a single day bed, 2 dinning chairs and a round walnut table adorned with fruit, bottled water and hand made chocolate  and sweets from the kitchens below. This room had 3 large windows also waist to ceiling with the cream sheers topped with a rich peacock blue heavy fabric that was 300mm to long so in sat on the parquetry floor in excess and all held back with huge gold tassels.

The whole room just oozed with opulence the walls were also padded in the same peacock fabric and the ceiling with more ornate painting than the entrance with a larger chandelier that look in proportion with the room.

To our left through a grand opening was the bedroom copying the whole

Peacock blue theme. The extra large king bed with it plush white linen.

We are not going to leave,  it is a vast difference from the last few night that's for sure. We are left to settle in and after 20 mins a tap on the door and it Kamal with some pots of tea for us, and a with if their is anything you need jut dial 9, and your table for dinner tonight will be ready for you by 8.

The whole place just is so organised and an inspiration to us both.

So Kamal before you go how do I get to go and have a look up the steeple?

We it is under a bit of repair works but I can take you to the 1st viewing platform just 1/2 way up if you would like. Yep yep like an excited child when can we go. Now if you like, so we were off, we went to the top floor in the elevator and from there it was a stone spiral stair up 60 steps to the first viewing platform. The walls are all painted white and had slit windows all the way up so it was not to confined but once up the view over the surrounding lake and town was amazing. We looked for ages admiring the scenery. 

Me being me could see the next set of stair which were narrower and all open metal heading further up to the tiny platform further up Kamal  gestures if I take extra care he can take me right to the top but to be carful. We remove the temporary hoarding that the painter have put up and we venture the next 70 steeps to the top. The metal open steps are steep and low and thankgoognes for my hat to help protect my head as I gawk at the view the entire time. OMG it was fantastic it was a platform some 3m square on the top with the stairs taken out of the centre it was just enough space to walk right around in a single file. From here you could see forever and we spent some time just talking about India and his life here and there.