Maybe in case it is misinterpreted I should clarify the title; I have mislaid my spectacles. I have three pairs of glasses. My best ones kept for when I need to be smart, were a gift from a friend and came from a small factory in the north of Italy. My worst ones, an old scratched scruffy pair that I keep in the kitchen drawer and use when I forget to bring my glasses down from home I put on reluctantly. The third pair, my everyday glasses I use constantly and it is them I have lost.
My eyesight is such that to read or write I require glasses. The mislaid pair are a simple soft bendable frame which I rely on, both for reading in bed and for daily work. Yesterday I was busy doing routine maintenance and had my glasses with me. I was at the pool, in the dining room, the kitchen, tool shed and routes in between same. But can I find my glasses? No, they have vanished. My work colleagues have long suggested that I tie a cord to the glasses and wear them round my neck, but hell, I am not that old and infirm yet. I so refuse to do that. Instead I hook them unfashionably in the neck of my ‘t’ shirt. So I plod on periodically loosing my glasses, but inevitably finding them shortly afterwards. I have become absent minded, to the extent when I have lost my specs I have asked Mauro or another team member if they have seen them, only to learn they are on my forehead… Such is life.
But the one thing I do see is the marvellous place of Bellaugello, for that no glasses required. Summer is upon us, the weather is hot and the cicadas are singing in the trees. A slight breeze ruffles the trees, and swallows dart over the infinity pool at Bellaugello Gay Guest House. Their precision flying low over the pool almost but not quite skimming the surface as they come for a drink never ceases to amaze me. I so love it.
Recently we succumbed to a new and different visitor to our pool, a unicorn. The unicorn seems to be the ‘must have’ accessory for every gay pool, and being me I had decided not to follow the trend but to be the only pool without a unicorn. Until last week that was achieved. It all changed, when with a lot of blowing two delightful guests launched a huge happy inflatable unicorn onto the pool. What fun! I can see the attraction, I so wanted a shot.
This of course led to a deep discussion as to what will be next year’s must have pool accessory. Over the past years we have seen bananas, flamingoes, unicorns, so what next? I need to know. With the infinity edge I worry that any inflatable will topple over the side into the canal, but the Unicorn managed not to. It just deflated slowly and in the morning looked decidedly dejected, of course until the guys came to blow it up again.
Summer means not only lazing sybaritically poolside but also exploring the stunning countryside around Bellaugello. My neighbours are harvesting, the corn and wheat is good but not plentiful, there has been little rain. The sunflowers are looking special and generous. On the way back from town I managed to find a field with the flowers actually facing the road, so pulled over and got out of the car to take a few snaps..
Back at Bellaugello we have been organising barbecues and ‘giro pizza’ evenings. I find the intense heat of the bbq grill leaves me requiring a generous glass of chilled Grechetto, that superb crisp Umbrian wine. Simple honest, Italian food and wine, I love it. La dolce vita…
Recently we had the pleasure of hosting a family party, two guys celebrating their tenth anniversary returned to Bellaugello and brought their families. They rented the entire property for their exclusive use. For me and the team it was a great pleasure to be part of the happy celebrations.
My assistant, Mauro looking totally in control as he has the table ready for an evening barbecue. He is here once again for the season. Every year he becomes more and more an integral part of the business, I am proud to have him on the team. Mauro has the knack of not only, (but not in this case) finding my glasses, but also remembering returning guests and their preferences for the daily breakfasts taken on the terrace which he serves with a cheeky smile.
Our pizza evenings with home made pizzas made using our own sourdough bases and cooked in the wood oven continue to be a roaring success. The informality of the evenings is so relaxing for the guys, the conversation flows freely. The chance for them to try their hand at making their own pizzas is enthusiastically taken up.
I can assure you it is not as easy as it looks… They do well and their pizzas are delicious. It is not everywhere one gets the chance to cook one’s own designer pizza in an ancient wood fired oven, so come on, join us and you can have a go too.
Now I need to sign off, I have more chores to attend to and need to continue my seemingly never ending search for my glasses. Squinting at the computer screen is not easy and the auto-correct spell-checker keeps throwing up red error lines. Four in that last sentence to be precise! Maybe I’ll head back down to the pool for another check..
I leave you with a view taken early this morning over said pool. It is bliss.. We still have some suites available for the second half of August and through September so why not jump on a plane and come take a dip. We would love to see you. Click here to make a booking at Bellaugello
