Tuesday, September 07, 2010

CALA DI VOLPE

SARDINIA - SEPTEMBER 2009

The north-eastern Sardinian coastline known as the Costa Smeralda, or «The Emerald Coast», was largely undiscovered until the early 1960s when the Aga Kahn, looking to escape the crowds of the Côte d’Azur, bought some twenty square kilometres (five thousand acres) of white sand beaches and coves. Sensitive to the granite coastline and to the eucalyptus, juniper, and myrtle that surrounded the area, the Aga Kahn chose the French architect Jacques Couelle (1902-1996) to develop a resort offering the most luxurious accommodations and amenities conceivable.

Couëlle, a self-taught architect, nicknamed «the architect of billionaires» and a friend of Pablo Picasso and Salvador Dali, built some exceptional homes and the Hotel Cala di Volpe. His design of the «home-landscape» Hotel, completed in 1963, stands as a masterpiece that irrevocably shaped the coastline. The renovations of the Hotel in 2001 and 2008 were overseen by Jacques Couelle’s son Savin.


"ROOM WITH A VIEW - Another one..."


"ROOM SERVICE"


"VIEWS FROM THE BALCONY"


"INSIDE - Each of the one hundred and twenty four rooms and suites celebrates Sardinia's natural beauty and artistry. White washed walls are decorated with trompe l'oeil paintings, unique to each room. Handcrafted furniture is painted to match each room's singular theme, complemented further by ceramic tile work. Curved walls lead down angled passageways and up winding staircases"



"IN THE MORNING - The hotel’s exterior was conceived to look like an ancient Mediterranean fishing village, with interconnecting terracotta rooftops, turrets, porticoes, and terraces..."


"PRIVATE BEACH with a view to the fleet of real yachts floating in the emerald sea. Wonder what the fake Vuitton is doing there... :-)"


"SWIMMING POOL - Huge..."


"PASTEL PATCHWORK"



"SUNSET COLOURS"


"EVENING"

48 comments:

Trotter said...

Hi Folks!! I’m back after my holiday week but my L4/L5 back pain is still around... It seems I’ve to go to the gym... ;). Meanwhile, just to remember, I show you the masterpiece Prince Aga Khan created in the 1960s in Northern Sardinia: the Cala di Volpe Hotel... Forget the outrageous prices, enjoy, leave your comments and have a great week. I’ll return to surfing and commenting on your blogs probably by the weekend, as there are still too many papers to deal with after one week off and an anniversary is on the road... ;))

Lakshmi said...

I hope you are feeling better..loved your post..the blue sea which is my fav colour..reminds me of my trip to Bali..

Rakesh Vanamali said...

Wow! I'm amazed at the architecture of the buildings! Truly unique! Brilliant pictures, as always!

Hope you get to kick that pain off for good!

BLOGitse said...

How do you find these places which are not too packed?
I can't enjoy a holiday if the beach/pool area is totally packed and the feeling is restless 24/7.

You should buy a gym ball! That saved my husband's back...

Sylvia K said...

Fantastic post as always and superb photos! What a gorgeous place! I am sorry about your back -- I have a similar problem that does manage to crop up now and then. Hope you're feeling better soon.

Sylvia

Thérèse said...

This architecture is awesome! And seems to fit the country. A treat for the eyes.
Hope you back gives you some relief...

PeterParis said...

You certainly know to choose the places where you go! (I wonder where you were last week? Maybe we will learn in a year or so!) :-)

joo said...

Hi, what a fabulous place you show us! Really beautiful.
Hope your back is better now!
Take care and have a nice evening:)
Joo

alicesg said...

Lovely and cozy hotel. Hope you will be better and your back will not be in such pain.

Jen Laceda | Milk Guides said...

I need a vacation!!! And that's indeed a LARGE pool!

P.N. Subramanian said...

Get well soon. Do not neglect the survical spine. Cala di Volpe Hotel looks like Heaven on Earth. Superb photographs.

Ron said...

Great post! I really like the room with a view:)

Cergie said...

Bonsoir Gil, quelqu'un t'a-t-il déjà souhaité un heureux anniversaire en dehors de ta charmante épouse ?
Au moins il y aura moi qui suis pourtant absente de la blogosphère pour encore au moins une semaine ayant des amis néo-zélandais à la maison mais je ne voulais pas louper "l'affaire importante" !
Je suis sûre que vous allez avoir trouvé un coin très chaleureux pour fêter cela à deux ou en famille ou avec tout un tas d'amis !
Ce lieu de villégiature que tu montres cette fois-ci me conviendrait tout à fait avec ma petite-fille qui est une vraie casse-cou : les balcons me semblent bien sécurisés !
Encore heureux anniversaire Gil et à plus tard !

eye in the sky said...

Happy happy birthday, to my absolute favorite blogger IN THE WORLD and an amazing wanderlust! Hope you had fun! And here's wishing me more more more fabulous travels around the globe, good health and lots of smiles all around you!

Costa Smeralda is such a beauty!

A Lady's Life said...

Welcome back Happy Anniversary and belated Birthday!!!

Sorry you have back problems.
Probably due to too much exercise lol

This is such a nice cozy place.
and seems pretty quiet.
:)

Pietro Brosio said...

Hello Gil! First of all I hope you feel better now. Fantastic pictures and collages of the Cala di Volpe Hotel! I'd like to see the prices!! ;-)
Have a great weekend!

My Unfinished Life said...

the hotel has been done is a tasteful wasy, it subtle but very very chic...and it reminds me of neemrana fort palace hotel, very similar sensibilities went into redoing that fort into a hotel and though it had hills as the surrounding landscape instead of beaches, it was the same feel of luxury!!!
nice shots of the hotel and the beach!!!

Nikon said...

I love the harbor and that incredible pool!
It looks a bit expensive :)
I hope that you are feeling better.

Anonymous said...

Oh, how I'd like to visit Sardinia. Wonderful photos. So, who's birthday was it?

Paz

Anonymous said...

HAPPY, HAPPY BIRTHDAY!

I send a big hug and kiss from NY,
Paz xoxo

alicesg said...

Happy Birthday to you, Trotter. Have a great time celebrating with your family. Thanks for your comments in my blog.

Oman said...

Ah. Beautiful place, it is almost like a dream. The seascape and the arched place is such so awesome.

Gattina said...

Your beautiful pictures make me accelerate my countdown ! Only a good month to go and I am off to the Red Sea in Egypt !! 2 weeks of sunshine at the beach !

juka14 said...

Hi Gil, hope you had a nice holiday. The hotel looks great, ideal place to relax.

diane b said...

I like the way the hotel is designed to look like a fishing village rather than a tower block. Good enough for Aga Khan and good enough for Trotter. Looks like a magic place. Join in the fun of doing back exercises with me.

Chuckeroon said...

A birthday, plus a back pain! So, that makes you a very young looking 97? As for the photos, I think I'm preferring the sneaky one with a hint of Mrs T putting her feet up the balcony, and enjoying the view. Good wishes for your recovery....as for your maoning about having to go to gyms Huh! I give you no sympathy ;-)

rochambeau said...

Happy late BIRTHDAY Gil!!!!
May this be the first part of your best year yet in every respect!
This Hotel Cala di Volpe, is one of the most unique. Thank you for sharing the Emerald Coast with me and all!

xox
Constance

Rhonda Hartis Smith said...

Love the architecture and beauty of Sardinia! Hope your back is feeling better soon.

yyam said...

Hope you had a great break!!!:)

Love the room with a view shots! And that humongous swimming pool!!!:)

Regina said...

Truly a perfect getaway.
Beautiful captures!
Thank you for sharing Trotter.

Have a great new week.

Daniel Chérouvrier said...

L'argent ne fait pas le bonheur !
Mais cela devait aider l'Aga Khan à réaliser ses rêves.

Rajesh said...

Very beautiful. You always show places that are very new to me and awesome.

Joy said...

That first photo was nicely framed, Gil! And those doors are so pretty. You definitely got a great room there. What a view!

Sorry I haven't visited sooner. Been under the weather.

Many thanks for visiting Norwich Daily Photo and leaving your comment. Come visit again tomorrow!

Olivier said...

waouh encore du reve, toujours du reve..la vue depuis la chambre est magnifique.

Emery Roth said...

I'm just back from photographing the last of the fishing villages in Maine - very different from this world. This looks like a lovely place to relax with a good book and a cool drink. I'm still getting the stink of herring out of my nose and my clothes.

Emery Roth said...

P.S. Happy birthday.

RNSANE said...

I am sorry you are suffering ( ? )
but it is difficult to work up too much sympathy, my friend, when you are staying at such a posh resort with scenery so gorgeous, azure seas beckoning, in your palatial abode. I am simply drooling, believe me. I did get a call from Royal Caribbean, offering me a two day complimentary pre-inaugral sailing in a balcony cabin on the Allura ( of course, I have to pay my own air to Ft Lauderdale ) Nov 29th - it includes ALL drinks so I may have to see if I have frequent flyer miles to go. Retirement is hell, really, since my job loss. I never knew a $90,000 reduction in income would be so devastating!

Have fun, you rogue you.

Anonymous said...

the 1960's huh? Wasn't that like...yesterday? LOL...as always photos to drool over Gil. And don't know who's birthday I missed but a very HAPPY BIRTHDAY! ~~

Joseph Pulikotil said...

Hi greetings:)

Lovely,beautiful photos with amazing clarity and gorgeous colors.

The write up is interesting and educative. I wish I was there. But as they say-If wishes were horses then beggars would ride.

I greatly admire your photographic skills.

Best wishes:)
Joseph

magiceye said...

amazing images!!!!

Jo's-D-Eyes said...

Hi Gil ,
Im back indeed and you too, great to travel with your pictuteres on the blog, I love the sunny colours, this is Italia right? fantastic food too hmmm, enjoy:)
Greetings JoAnn Holland

S-V-H said...

It's interesting what Prince Aga Khan and his money could add to the island! Beautiful architectur and a nice lifestyle - something to wish for us "little people"...*smile*...

Thanks for sharing!

And belated HAPPY BIRTHDAY Manuel!!!!! sorry for not to mention it in time!

Why are you not on facebook, Manuel? The whole world would have known your Birthday and all would have come to congratulate you - including me :)

Thank you so much for your kind comment and taking your time to stop by on my blog Very much appreciated.

I was busy too with my HB (husband) again and his health problems and also with doing new art work... we all have a privacy too behind all this Internet thing, right? ....*smile*...

Susanne

Pat @ Mille Fiori Favoriti said...

My husband's cousin lives in this region of Sardinia. We hope to visit her one day but I doubt we will stay in such a luxurious hotel as this one... I loved seeing its arched windows and views in your phoros.

Hope exercise will help your back, Gil!

leo said...

Lovely view from the balcony. And that is one mean big swimming pool :D

Trotter said...

Hi Everybody! It seems you weren’t so much impressed with the jewel of Prince Aga Khan, but I tell you that’s an impressive resort… As well as all the other Starwood Luxury Collection hotels in the neighbourhood… Provided that you forget the obscene prices they charge for lodging and food… ;))
Hope you had a nice vacation time, at least for those in the Northern Hemisphere and thank you for the supporting comments!!

Lakshmi,
The back needs much more care than I’m able to give… but the blues are always the best… ;))

Rakesh,
The architect was definitely a guy with great ideas… ;)

Blogitse,
Find out the prices they charge and you’ll realize why the place is far from being packed... ;)
I’m definitely going to the gym... ;)

Sylvia,
Thanks! Better to find a way to live with that back pain since it seems it isn’t easy to get rid of it...

Thérèse,
It’s perfect to fit in the environment...

Peter,
With the traditional delay in posting it maybe one year till we see the September 2010 pictures... But with the reduction of the places visited, it may be anticipated some weeks... ;))

Joo,
My great pleasure to have the chance to post all these for you!!

Alice SG,
You mean truly cosy? I wouldn’t remember to name it that way, but you are probably right...

Jen,
I can imagine; after having treated yourself to such a gorgeous New York holiday, you surely need a vacation... ;))

P.N.Subramanian,
That’s easy to say than to make it happen... But I’ll do my best to put this L4-L5 in order, I promise... ;)
It would be heaven on earth, except for the price you need to pay to get into Heaven... ;))

Ron,
That’s usually the best that a room has: a view... ;)

Trotter said...

Part Two:

Lucie,
Merci! Disons qu’après un certain âge, il faudrait mieux les des-avoir que les avoir… Ça veut dire les anniversaires… ;)). Mais c’est vrai qu’on a trouvé un petit coin sympa en famille…
Je suis sûre qu’un lieu comme cela te conviendrait; il semble convenir à tout le monde, sauf les prix… ;)

Eye,
Thanks a lot!! Great pleasure to read you ALWAYS!!

Lady,
Thanks! Too much exercise indeed… ;))

Pietro,
The prices, though obscene, are available at their site… ;))

Star,
Very chic indeed! I would love to go to that neemrana fort palace hotel after having seen the virtual tour they have in their site… Maybe in my nest time in Rajasthan… ;))

Paul,
A bit expensive? I would love to know what your concept of expensive is… ;)). It’s outrageously expensive… ;))

Paz,
Thanks!!
Would definitely love to go back to NYC… I’m truly missing it…

Alice,
Well the birthday was already gone, but thanks for the wishes!!

Norman,
Better to think of it as a dream, otherwise the prices would bring you back to reality in a very sharp way… ;)

Gattina,
I can’t believe you’re going back to the Red Sea once again… Did you make an investment in a holiday home there?
Hope you have a great time in your next trip…

Juka,
You have better to avoid relaxing too much, otherwise the hotel bill will bring you bankrupt… ;))

Trotter said...

Part Three:

Diane,
For me it’s perfect; I don’t know whether it still makes the Aga Khan happy… ;)
As for the back exercises, it seems there is no alternative… ;))

Stuart,
With parents on the 93 and 89 range it’s hard to be already 97… ;)
On gyms you are probably an expert nowadays… ;)

Constance,
Thanks! My pleasure to share all this with you…

Rhonda,
Thanks for the good wishes!!

Yvonne,
That swimming pool was really a treat… But with a wonderful sandy beach just nearby and a boat shuttle to get you there, you don’t need to spend much time in the chlorine waters of the pool… ;))

Regina,
My pleasure to share it with you and all…

Daniel,
Il ne fait pas le bonheur, mais qu’il représente une aide importante, c’est complètement hors doute… ;)

Rajesh,
It’s absolutely reciprocal: you also always show places that are entirely new to me… and awesome… ;))

Joy,
Hope you’re feeling better now!!
The room was a decent and nice one, but I wonder how would be the 250 square metres multi-level Presidential suite they have there… ;))

Olivier,
On rêve toujours et partout... ;)

Ted,
Thanks! I’ve seen some fishing villages in Maine when travelling to Quebec and some are beautiful! I’m sure you’re going to have a fabulous photo collection after that trip!!

Trotter said...

Part Four and final for the time being...

Carmen,
You must take that offer from Royal Caribbean!! With all drinks included, doesn’t make any sense to stay in San Francisco… ;))
$90,000 reduction? In this country very very few people have more than USD 90,000 per year, so such a reduction would put them at the zero base. ;))

Lynn,
Thanks! Yeah, the sixties were just yesterday... ;)

Joseph,
And what a ride it would be... ;)

Magic,
Thanks!

JoAnn,
Sardinia is Italy indeed, though there are some that claim that it should only be Sardinia... ;))

Sue,
Money helps, but health is paramount!! ;)
I’m in Facebook, but Trotter isn’t... that’s my second life ;))
My pleasure to visit your blog! Hope everything is running better now!!

Pat,
Don’t miss the chance to visit Sardinia!!

Leo,
Truly big, indeed!!