Lately I have been posting several times a day on Instagram and neglected Joelle Magazine. Among the different tags I created, one, #Breakfast AroundThe World With Joelle has been quite popular with instafriends. But after my recent trip to the North of Sardinia at the hotel Capo d’Orso, in the small commune of Palao , the breakfast beat them all. Why? Simply because of Valentina Rosso’s soft notes of the Harp to the overall enchanting experience.
Six in the morning , I wake up gazing at the beautiful view of Cala Capra Bay and the chimes Caprera Island in front of my room’s vast terrace perched over by a blue sea , olive trees and old village tiled rooftops village typical of an authentic Sardinia or even the region of a more exotic French Provence. Slowly, My husband and I pack for the day in silence and head to the sea the wind carrying the aroma of myrtle, arbutus, rosemary and wild juniper filling our beings with sweet scented air, flower-filled stone arches , and a few ” Buon Giornos” from the staff.
We reach one of the paths to the sea suspended wooden solariums. There, as we sit on teak loungers shadowed by trees, we pick our prayers books , meditate for a while and plunge into the fresh deep green waters. The swim is reinvigorating, the fish feast us as we take ourselves seriously into laps until we reach one of the most beautiful sandy beache of the region, Cala Selvaggia nestled amid lush natural vegetation and protected by the famous Roccia dell’ Orso. Flanked by coves sheltered from the winds , the landscape is superb. We rest a few minutes on the sand looking at the sky turning bluer than ever and the crystalline waters framing this perfect moment of peacefulness.
We decide to walk back through the park of the estate. We pick some rosemary and camomile leaves for tea. We stop at the L’Incantu ( The Enchantment) the Thalasso Spa. We indulge in long warm showers, and walk together, refreshened and energized to the outdoor upper level stoned paved breakfast court . Later in the afternoon I will meet the therapist for a “Scent of Gallura Ritual”, an aromatic scrub with flowers of salt followed by a Mediterranean massage with oils of Sardinia while my husband will try his first golf class with Gianni ,the charming instructor.
The sun now high in the sky , reflects it’s warmth over a silver sea as Maria in black pants and white shirt, whose sweet, quiet expression resembles Pompeo Batoni’s Madonna with short hair, welcomes us to sit under a large Olive tree wrapped by the roots of a pink Bouganvillae . At our back the elongated, golden arp. And yes, the freshly squeezed orange juices, the Miele di Corbezzolo and the one that still contains hexagonal-shaped beeswax cells of the honeycomb. Fresh croissants, locally made ricotta cheese, flavored pistachio , walnut and hazelnut olive oils , buffalo mozzarella imported daily from Naples and Burrata from the region of Puglie. Home made orange, strawberry and blackberry jams, olives, smoked and marinated salmon, herrings, white sardines in vinegar, crostata di albicocche ( apricot custards), eggs poche on whole west toasts, and succulent fruits grown under the sun. We pick some into our stylish marine hotel bags for later. We will have dinner only at eight.
She likes to teach the instrument to small children. Her touch on the chords is soothing, the notes caressing one’s soul, her movements gracious. I am surrounded by angels, the breeze carries me away to what I suppose is heaven. I taste heaven, I smell honey, I am grateful to have found this place and to have met you dear Valentina!
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