Road to Pesaro, we left Rome at 10 am on Saturday morning 09 August and by noon time we had arrived at the East coast of Italy on the shimmering blue Adriatic. I was expecting a lot of traffic on the road and in fact some congestion, the highway is still under renovation in large parts, however we were almost alone on the road and it felt strange, I was wondering where are all the Italians on holiday, were did they all go. I think a lot of people have stayed home this year, cannot afford a vacation with the kids to the beach. We stopped in Ancona for lunch at a restaurant we found in our food guide for Italy, the celebrated Gambero Rosso (red shrimp). It was a nice lunch, fish and salad, meat and vegetable and fresh fruit for dessert and mineral water.
The last leg of the trip after lunch took us through beautiful Fano which is a few kilometers from Pesaro. Our hotel The Alexander Museum Palace Hotel is on the beach, it is own by a Count, formely an Italian Ambassador and an Art connaisseur. The hotel is formal and somewhat sterile in a minimalist style, all white, contemporary art everywhere, even in the underground garage. You feel you are invited to stay but do not touch anything. There are many rules imposed by the owner, today we were at the pool, which is beautiful like a magazine picture perfect, the attendant comes to us and says that the umbrella shading us from the sun has to be taken away because it might rain, the owner does not want his white umbrellas to get dirty. It seems that the comfort of the guests is secondary. The hotel though beautiful and clean appears strangely empty. It is pretentious for no reason.
Pesaro is two cities, one is the beach resort, the other is the old fortified city of the Sforza Family, the city of the arts with its G. Rossini music festival. The economic crisis though has had a negative impact on merchants and the city. Things are difficult and there are many good sales. The beach is not crowded and in fact half empty, people are staying away and it is the height of the vacation season, not a good sign. Many of the old villas built around 1900 have been renovated and are now for sale for a handsome price. I wish I had 3 million euros to spare, they are so beautiful and elegant.
For breakfast in the morning, we walk down Via Trieste to a beach front cafe for cappuccino and chocolate croissants. Lots of melted chocolate inside, so good.
The waiter was the same as last year, totally uninterested in his job, no smile, just a shrug. We left him a small tip, got a big smile from him, a thank you and good wishes for FerrAgosto. Italians are so funny, they can be at first glance indifferent but if they think you are interested in them or show kindness then they become friendly and animated. We also found out in this case that his mother owns the place and makes him work the tables, must obey la mama!
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