Dripping with elegance, yet putting on no airs—Il Pellicano is the epitome of casual elegance. The hotel’s service and amenities sparkle as brilliantly as the Tyrannian Sea, where it is built.

Il Pellicano Resort is located just beyond the town of Porto Ercole Italy. A little known small coastal village that will no doubt be the next town to join the nearby crowds of popular yacht stops like Viareggio and Livorno. If I didn’t know where I was, I might guess Greece from the clarity of the water alone.

The hotel is the love child of Michael Graham and Patsy Dalzell. Il Pellicano was conceived as an ode to their first encounter at Pellican Point in California.

Patsy was a socialite being courted by none other than Clark Gable, and Michael was a dashing British aviator. Michael was the sole survivor of a crash in the African bush after he jumped from the crashing plane without a parachute—and survived.

The hotel remains true to its romantic roots—being the perfect choice for new and old lovers alike. It also attracts those people who want privacy and exclusivity. I wonder if Bono who has been a guest of the hotel didn’t write "Beautiful Day" while staying here.

I particularly love the terracing of the hotel. This creates a sense of intimacy and privacy. Stepping onto the patio of our room, which overlooks the Tyrannian Sea below, my husband and I feel we’re the only ones at the hotel. It’s only during meals in the dining room we realize we’re not alone.

My favorite meal is breakfast. During my morning swims I can’t wait for the paper-thin pancetta, ten choices of breads and pastries, juicy fresh fruit, grainy cereal, yogurt in five flavors, and oh the coffee!

A dynamic young woman named Cinzia Fanciulli who is bringing many new thoughtful and exciting additions Il Pellicano overseas the hotel. Among these additions are the new spa facilities, an outdoor barbeque, and specialized classes, like the cooking class that takes place during my stay.

Under Cinzia’s thoughtful eye guests are made to feel more like family members than visitors. Tours are arranged, room service is delivered, and all my needs are taken care of without any feeling of stuffiness.

The rooms of the hotel are an extension of the intimacy that abounds. Plush down comforters, soft sheets, terracotta floors, and classic Italian furnishings reflect the casual elegant style of the public rooms of the hotel.

I can echo what the staff believes about the hotel: "A feeling of peace is particular to this place…a tangible and unique peace. In this site we try to capture these qualities, a soulful state, but…that which is essential in life is invisible to the eye.

Although the towns along the Argentario Peninsula where the hotel is located are not a hotbed of activity there is still plenty to see and do.

My husband and I decide to explore the back roads of Porto Ercole and the little Venetian style town of Orbetello. Taking the long way to town we cruise slowly along the curvy dirt road in our rented Renault. We pass an old fort and farmhouse, lonely stretches of beach, and a hip new villa. The land and its inhabitants seem varied as the hues of green in the Tyrannian.

Stopping at a little niche in the road my husband and I get out of the car and watch the sun penetrate the waters surface. To one side of us a centuries old towering fort plays island guard. Down the coast the rocky peninsula disappears into the horizon. Cypress trees stand out like stray whiskers on a neatly trimmed beard.

Before I get back in the car I notice something on the ground. Old shards of pottery are strewn along the side of the road. I walk along, following the path of stone breadcrumbs like a page out of Hansel and Gretel. Infatuated with the bits of old clay I promise myself to return and hunt for more.

Finally our wheels touch the pavement and we ramble through the yacht friendly village of Porto San Stefano. Our sites set on Orbetello we drive along the narrow waterfront road until we reach town.

Leaving the car and walking the old stone bridge into Orbetello we could be somewhere in Venice. It’s true, Venice is grander, but Orbetello is friendlier and feels untouched by the heavy hand of tourism. Without the large cruise ships and crowds to pollute the canals, it also smells better!

We wander the narrow cobblestone streets, past candlelit chapels, and through ivy-covered archways. We glance in shop windows that sell everything from diving gear to diva clothing. Finally we are beckoned to enter one of the shops, not by what we see, but by what we smell.

A perfect piece of Pizza is ours for the taking. For less than the cost of a cappuccino in San Marco Square, I am eating a huge slice of thin-crusted pizza with loads of warm melting cheese. As my tongue catches a wayward piece of mozzarella, I glance through the narrow streets to the perky shops with bargain prices. I can’t help but thinking: watch out Venice!

On my final day at Il Pellicano I step onto the terracotta-tiled patio and take in the smooth sea below. So clear is the water that I can see large boulders and hundreds of bowling ball sized rocks that dot the ocean floor.

Turning away from the sea I walk alone from the hotel, and keep a promise to myself. On this craggy arid land, on a lonely stretch of dirt road, I pick bits of broken pottery from the red dirt. When I return home I will make a mosaic to remind myself that the finer things in life whether they be dirt or water, are sometimes right under my feet.

 By Shannon Willitts Falk       March, 2001

LINKS WITH ATTITUDE

Straight from the horses mouth: the Il Pellicano web site.

Italy online. A great place to find out what is going on in any and every region of Italy.

Wonderful Italy! Another site loaded with information on everything to see and do in Italy.

 Little Venice here I come…Everything you want to know about Orbetello.