20 CLICKS TO THE NORTH OF BERGAMO LIE THE LEGENDARY SAN PELLEGRINO TERME'. SO FAMOUS THAT 450 YEARS AGO, A SMALL CONTRIBUTOR TO THE RENAISSANCE, LEONARDO DA VINCI, LEFT THE WHITE MARBLE CLIFFS OF CARRERA, ITALY TO GO AND TASTE THE WATER STREAMING FROM THE ALPS. HE WOULD CALL THE WATER, "SWEET WATER" AND INSISTED ON DRINKING IT FOR THE REST OR HIS DAYS
SAN PELLEGRINO BOTTLING COMPANY WAS SOLD TO NESTLE 5 YEARS AGO. TODAY THE SPA THAT WAS WORLD FAMOUS AND ATTRACTED TOURIST FROM AROUND THE GLOBE IS CLOSED FOR EXPANSION...A NEWFANGLED ULTRA MODERN SPA IS CURRENTLY BEING DESIGNED AND WHO'S DRAWINGS WE WITNESSED THAT SHOULD NVEIL ONE OF THE LUXURIEST SPAS IN THE WORLD
COS, DR. BOB AND MYSELF MADE THE SHORT TREK YESTERDAY TO SEE FOR OURSELVES WHAT IS GOING ON IN THE FOOTHILLS OF THE ALPS..I HAD HEARD THAT SAN PELLEGRINO TERME' PRODUCED THE ONLY NATURALLY SPARKLING WELL WATER IN THE WORLD....PURE MYTH!..HOW DID WE FIND OUT?
THAT IS THE STORY THAT WILL BE TOLD..
IN THE CENTER OF SAN PELLEGRINO, A TOWN DESIGNED ALONGSIDE THE FIUME BREMBA, IS AN ANCIENT CATHOLIC CHURCH WHICH THE TWON GREW OUT FROM..THE HOTEL NEXT TO THE CHIESA IS THE HOTEL IL PAPA..IT IS THE OLDEST HOTEL IN SAN PELLEGRINO AND T IS PERATED BY THE GREGARIOUS GIORGIO.
WE STOPPED IN THE RESTRAUNT WANTING TO HAVE A TASTE OF SAN PELLEGRINO AND A SHOT OF ESPRESSO WHEN GIORGIO STARTED BREAKING OUT WITH THE HISTORY OF THE TOWN..HE WAS BORN AND RAISED THERE AND TOOK THE HOTEL OVER FROM HIS FAMILY..SEATED QUIETLY IN THE CORNER AND ROBUSTLY ADDING COMMENTARY WAS HIS 87 YEAR OLD MOTHER.
HE TOLD US ABOUT HIS BASEMENT IN THE HOTEL THAT DOUBLED AS HIS WINE CELLAR...IT WAS 400 YEARS OLD WITH WINE OLDER THAN ANY OF US STORED WITH CARE..DESIGNED IN ROMAN STYLE, AT ONE TIME IT WAS HIS REFRIGERATOR, WHERE HE COULD STORE BLOCKS OF ICE THAT WOULD LAST FOR A YEAR. THE COLD CELAR WOULD KEEP VARIOUS FOODS FRESH FOR LNGER PERIODS OF TIME.
HOTEL GUESTS FROM AROUND THE WORLD WOULD ENJOY A BOTTLE OF WINE AT HIS RISTORANTE AND THEN TAG IT WITH THEIR NAME AND ADDRESS.
THE HISTORY LESSON CONTINUED WITH THE UPDATE OF THEIR CASINO..ONE OF ONLY 4 IN THE ENTIRE COUNTRY OF ITALY..IT IS UNDER REPAIR..IT OPENED IN 1097 AND HAS AN ELABORATE AND DECORATIVE FACE..ALSO UNDER CONSTRUCTION IS A FACE LIFT TO THE GRAND HOTEL ALONG THE FIUME'...
ALL OF THIS AFOREMENTIONED LIES WITHIN A QUAINT PICTURESQUE TOWN THAT MOVES AT A SPEED COMPLETELY OPPOSITE THE SWIFTLY FLOWING RIVER... THE PEOPLE SEEM TO KNOW THAT THE CITY IS SPECIAL AND WITH THAT THERE SEEMS TO BE A RESPECT TO ALL THAT TRAVEL THROUGH OR LIVE THERE. NATURAL SPRINGS FEED THE RIVER POURING DOWN FROM THE ALPS THAT APPEAR FROZEN , SNOW CAPPED AND FADED IN BETWEEN LARGE WHITE CUMULUS CLOUDS...THE RIDGES OF THE MOUNTAINS SEEM TO SPAN IN ALL DIRECTIONS UNENDING INTO THE HORIZONS
ALL IN ALL IT WAS A SPECTACULAR SHORT VISIT THAT WE LOOK FORWARD TO REVISITING WHEN THE WEATHER WARMS UP...GUESTS WILL ENJOY THE DAYTRIP TO ONE OF THE ENDLESS NATURAL RESOURCES THAT LIE WITHIN THE SMALL PENINSULA OF A BELOVED COUNTRY WE AFFECTIONATELY CALL ..BELL'ITALIA
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