GOLF AT CASTELFALFI IN A XJR, 2018
Friday 20 July 2018
It had to be a longish leisurely trip, and we decided to go with the Jaguar XJR
Castelfalfi is in the country, 50 miles south of Florence
In the Tuscan contryside, sheeps are an integral part of the landscape...
The entrance of the Castelfalfi, the 5-stars resort built around the 27-holes golf course
The first day we tried the 9-holes Lake Course. Anna at the start of the n.4 hole
Originally, the building at the entrance of the pools was a station for bulls to impregnate cows....
Ernest Hemingway had set his priorities right.this is written on the wall of one of the best trattoria around Castelfalfi, the 'Rosmarino'; highly recommended for its excellent meat and Chianti at a very good price
This is how my Suunto Ambit 3 'reads' the 18 holes of the Castelfalfi Mountain Course
A double row of trees carries the golfer to the Castelfalfi golf club
The 18-holes Mountain Course. It is a very challenging golf course, you may lose your ball everywhere, and in front of you in this hole there is a lake and a very narrow green
Anyway, when you are aiming for the green of the spectacular 18th hole, you can't help smiling at the beauty of the scenery and the challenge of the whole course
The scenery is incomparable
Even with thunder and lightnings approaching, the view from the hotel is breathtaking
Much less appreciable is the vulgar glass that the bartender wanted to force me to use to drink my evening Martini. I really dislike people that want to 'reinvent' the classic dry Martini to show the world their brilliancy. They just show the world that they don't care about time-honoured tradition
Moonshine over the Tuscany olive trees is fascinating. Ansel Adams would have created a splendid picture here....
Inside the hotel, rare seashells are on display for the guests
Seen from above, the Mountain course is as beautiful as it is challenging
Well, you can't escape your daily selfie nowadays, so close friends Roberta and Paolo smile with us at the camera while we prepare to drive off on the 18th hole
The big 'blower' Jaguar fits perfectly, with its elegance and sheer presence, in the fascinating summary of this golf club on the hills of Tuscany. The XJR looks good around the best golf courses....
...and this is the 'improved' picture suggested by Google's automatic software. It looks stunning, though of course the sensation is a bit psychedelic
The hotel's guests can use the three large semi-public pools at 100 yards from the hotel
Paolo and Anna waiting to get some aperitive from the staff at the hotel. Time wasted... as it was impossible for me to obtain a proper conical stem glass for my Martini
Volterra
Volterra is one of the most beautiful middle age little towns in Tuscany, and probably of all Italy
This way everybody can understand that vegans, here, are not appreciated. This is because the locals defend the original values of their territory, meat and wine and good living
The building of the 'Cassa di Risparmio di Volterra' is one of the most beautiful examples of this type of architecture that you can find in Italy, or in any other place in the world
Great panorama from one of Volterra's terraces
Palazzo Vitti in Volterra is owned by this patrician family, once traders in alabastro, so they could allow themselves any luxury. This is the ancient Chinese chess set exposed in one of the rooms of that palace and every figure is exquisitely crafted that I suddenly wanted one set like that, even if it had to be unavoidably a replica
Back to Castelfalfi: La Rocca
Anna and Roberta ready for a nice, elegant dinner at La Rocca, the starred restaurant of the hotel
A very nice setting on the terrazza
Anna likes it
On-screen data are useful to remember when to take a picture...something that we did sometimes forget with the old prints
The castle hosting this sophisticated restaurant is perched over the valley and the golf club. It's really beautiful, especially at dusk
Anna, being the official photographer for our group, agreed to snap some pictures for fellow tourists as well
Black and white picture of the Tuscany countryside takes your mind instantly fifty, maybe one hundred years back
In this sophisticated restaurant they didn't object to my request of a good martini cocktail in an appropriate (almost) conical stem glass. This marks a significant difference from the bad disposition of the Castelfalfi hotels bartender, and makes this very simple but so pleasurable Martini an experience
A VERY nice setting....
A stunning sunset
Then the night comes and the little village becomes more and more special, more picturesque with its low houses, old churches, intelligent lighting. You only have to remove some modern street signs to get a really lovely Middle Age picture
Forte dei Marmi
Martini with Paolo at Fratellinis
Dinner at Franco Mare, Marina di Pietrasanta
A brilliant newcomer in the Versilia restaurant scene is 'Franco Mare'
Franco Mare is a nice spot, in the background of my Martini glass one can see the beach and the sea
Nice ambience
Also the 'crudité' was excellent if expensive
Massimiliano proved to be the perfect Maître when, after having mixed for me a perfect Martini (the bartender had failed the first one), showed his skills creating a special mayonnaise for Anna on the run; as you can see he did it all by himself. That's what a real Maître has to do
Spaghetti with vongole and seaweed were excellent
Oysters were very fresh and tasty, probably just a tad too big for me but excellent all the same
The sun setting gives the Martini glass unusual reflexes and the darkness of the night improves on the beauty of the private pool inside the restaurant
SUMMARY
The Faenza- Castelfalfi- Volterra- Versilia return trip was this time something like 410 miles or 650 kilometers (return trip to/from Faenza). Fuel consumption was 13,6 litres/100 km, always true to the tradition of horrendous fuel consumption of all the big 'Blower' British machines
