An Enchanted Evening at Castello di Lispida
Isn’t it every girl’s dream to stay in a castle? This was one of the many things on my bucket list. I knew my husband would enjoy it and since it was his birthday, and we were on semi-lockdown due to covid, I thought “now is the time.” My friend sent me the link for Castello di Lispida in Monselice; Euganean Hills as most would refer to the area. After scanning the pictures, we booked a room for one night.
You wilt LOVE it!
First on our itinerary was to surprise my husband with lunch accompanied by eight friends at Ristorante La Montanella. We ate dishes fit for a king. Well, and a queen as luck would have it. ;) The king had lamb chops. The queen had pumpkin ravioli. For dessert, the best part in my opinion, we had almond and hazelnut cake with hazelnut ice cream and lemon sorbet. This was not any ol’ lemon sorbet. This was lemon sorbet with celery and olive oil. Now, one would think those ingredients in one dish is absurd and disgusting. Isn’t that what you’re thinking? Looking around at the restaurant, considering the dishes we had already eaten, I thought “this must be good because it’s on the menu at this fancy restaurant and everything else was delicious.” So, I tried it. Oh, how art thou divine! If you see this lime green and white dessert on the menu, you must try it! It’s truly refreshing.
Castello di Lispida
After lunch the plan was to have a couple of friends follow us to the castle and we would go for a walk, maybe a bike ride, enjoy the indoor & outdoor thermal pools, play games, and go out to eat. As it happened, we did only a few of those things. It was a very cold and rainy weekend, so we had pizza delivered, played games, took a short walk, and thoroughly enjoyed the outdoor thermal pool after dark and the next morning - in the rain. Sitting in the outdoor, thermal pool during the rain was unimaginably peaceful and rejuvenating.
Gli Ulivi apartment is the one we stayed in. There are eight apartments to choose from within the castle. The decor is not of a luxurious style, but is rustic and cozy. The bathrooms are equipped with a shower and a tub with jets to enhance the spa experience. (You can see the bathrooms in the video.) The apartment was very clean and well stocked with small appliances, dishes, and utensils. Check-in was easy, the host gave us a full tour of the grounds, and made restaurant recommendations. It probably goes without saying that my husband enjoyed his birthday staycation with friends. We plan to return in the spring. Hopefully we’ll have better weather for hiking the nearby trails, riding bikes, and breathing in the fresh spring air with no worries of COVID. I’m so sick of COVID.
During this time, with travel restrictions, I’m grateful that I live in the Veneto region because it has much to offer for day trips or a nice, weekend staycation.
Click the images below to enlarge.
‘Be patient, for the world is broad and wide.’ -Friar Laurence
Month of stay: Early December 2020
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