Country Life: 22nd June 2022 Early Property Pages International

International SUMMER 2022

BETWEEN SEA AND SKY The world’s most spectacular beaches

Will move for food: best gourmet destinations PAGE 34 CLI361.cli_cover.indd 25

Discover France’s most beautiful villages PAGE 38

Cradles of genius: where British minds thrived PAGE 52 16/06/2022 09:54

Country Life International

The return of La Dolce Vita D

EMAND for luxury properties in Italy has soared in the past year: price growth is at its strongest in more than a decade, up 4% on average, according to Knight Frank.

‘For the lockdown-weary buyer, Italy delivers on all fronts,’ the agents explain in their latest report on the country. ‘Space, views, culture, history, good food and a healthy lifestyle; all are in abundance. For a new breed of hybrid worker, labouring under the dappled shade

of a cypress tree is an appealing alternative to a cramped spare room, particularly for Vitamin D-deficient northern Europeans.’

A significant number of buyers is also keen to take advantage of Italy’s flat tax, which enables people who meet a range of criteria, including owning or renting a property in Italy, to pay €100,000 per annum on all the income they generate outside the country. The market now looks set to see a further uplift,

because the Italian administration is making concerted efforts to attract a younger generation by encouraging investment, building more turnkey properties and embracing a green agenda. ‘The specification of new homes being delivered in Italy is on a whole new level,’ notes Aldo Flakstad, Knight Frank’s head of residential development in Italy. ‘Enquiries are from a younger demographic than we’ve seen previously, often 30 to 50 year olds with families.’

In for the long haul USTRALIAN airline Qantas has announced the launch of its first non-stop flights from Sydney and Melbourne to London and New York, which are scheduled to begin at the end of 2025. Initially, 12 ultra-long-range aircraft will power 18- to 20-hour direct flights from Australia’s east coast, according to the airline.

Qantas has also been working on making longer flights more comfortable for all passengers; in particular, the routes will feature a set of new, fully private, first-class suites with a reclining armchair and separate flat bed, ample amounts of personal storage and a 32in entertainment screen.

Created in Andalucia, flamenco enjoys a riotous homecoming in Seville every two years. Held in September, when the city’s fierce heat starts to cool, La Bienal de Flamenco sees the streets come alive as some of the world’s best performers give it their all (www.labienal.com).

Alamy; Getty

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News

California dreamin’

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DMIRERS of mid-century architecture and design have the chance to build their own property in California’s magnificent High Desert, about two hours away from Los Angeles. Developer David McAdam was an early pioneer of short-term holiday lets in the area around the striking Joshua Tree National Park and his company, Homestead Modern, has built up an impressive portfolio of sleek, low-impact modern rental properties that offer privacy, natural beauty and dark-sky energy.

For those who would rather build their own desert retreat, however, designs are ready made and prices start from $750,000 (www.homesteadmodern.com).

Postcards from an artist Alamy; Getty

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FASCINATING selection of letters and postcards written by artists such as Manet, Monet, Degas, Cézanne, van Gogh, Picasso (above) and Lucian Freud will be on display in Madrid this summer. Loaned to the Thyssen-Bornemisza museum by the Anne-Marie Springer collection, the letters form a central part of the exhibition, which explores the dialogue between artists, resulting in a close-up, intimate view of their work. Until September 25 (www.museothyssen.org).

Under the Portuguese sun

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ISBON has topped a list of the best places to live for professionals that choose to work remotely for extended periods. Great quality of life combine with a ‘digital nomad’ visa scheme to make the Portuguese capital especially attractive, according to Savills. Low pollution and a pleasant climate also counted in its favour, as did Lisbon’s strong transport links to the rest of the world, courtesy of its busy international airport.

‘Tech executives and entrepreneurs are drawn by Lisbon’s burgeoning status as a tech hub,’ comments Ricardo Garcia, head of residential at Savills Portugal. ‘Real-estate costs are low, companies are moving their headquarters to Portugal and the area is becoming more and more international.’ Miami and Dubai came in second and third place respectively, thanks to their favourable connectivity, climate and quality of life.

Venice to tax tourists

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N a bid to reduce damage caused by climate change and tourism, Venice will introduce a visitor entry fee from next January. Mayor Luigi Brugnaro made the announcement on Twitter in April, saying that the system will make for ‘a more balanced management of tourism’—according to UNESCO, human presence is having a detrimental effect on the city and its surroundings.

A dedicated online portal will be set up to pay the entry fee, with charges ranging between €3 and €10 per person.

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Savoie Sanctuary Val d’Isère, France Chambery: 89 miles, Geneva Airport: 108 miles Luxurious south-facing chalet in an elevated position, with glorious views over the village. This impressive property also benefits from private road access. 2 reception rooms, 6 bedrooms (4 en suite), further bathroom, study, cinema room, indoor swimming pool, double garage, terracing and balconies.

Freehold Guide €15 million

Guy Murdoch Savills Ski +33 6 29 38 26 68 gmurdoch@savills.com

savills

savills.co.uk

Luxurious Château Puymirol, France Agen: 10 miles, Toulouse: 64 miles Beautiful stone-built château renovated with quality workmanship and materials.

5 en suite bedrooms, original beams and fireplaces, high ceilings, ancient staircase, guardian’s cottage, well and parkland. Freehold | EPC = G

About 2 acres I Guide €2.5 million Alice Storrie Savills Global Residential 020 4579 6488 astorrie@savills.com

savills

savills.co.uk

Charming Waterfront Home Liguria, Italy La Spezia: 9 miles Detatched villa in an idyllic location overlooking the sea on the Italian Riviera. 3 reception rooms, 7 bedrooms, 6 bathrooms, swimming pool, 2 additional buildings, sea view terraces and private parking. Freehold

Guide €6.8 million Annabel Smith Savills Global Residential 020 4579 6462 annabel.smith@savills.com

savills

savills.co.uk

A New Cultural Destination Florence, Italy Firenze Airport: 1.8 miles, Cathedral of Santa Maria del Fiore: 1.8 miles Located northwest of Florence’s centre, in the heart of a lively neighbourhood lies Manifattura Tabacchi, a new cultural landmark. Hosting 1-3 bedroom lofts and apartments, Polimoda design school, ateliers, office space, a hotel, a theatre and kindergarten. The residences benefit from concierge service, communal rooftop garden, fitness area, bicycle lab and pets’ area. Freehold

Guide from €387,000 Harry Philpott Savills Global Residential Development 07807 999 493 hphilpott@savills.com

savills

savills.co.uk

Computer-generated imagery

Breathtaking Palatial Mansion St Lawrence, Jersey St Aubin: 4 miles, Jersey Airport: 5 miles, St Helier: 5 miles With planning permission for a palatial new mansion of c 13,000 sq ft, La Maison du Mont is the most exciting new development on Jersey in recent times, with panoramic views over St Aubin’s bay. 5 reception rooms, 5 bedrooms, 6 bathrooms, indoor swimming pool, private driveway and double garage, underground parking and car lift. Freehold

About 1 acre | Offers in excess of £22 million Trevor Kearney Savills London Office 020 4579 2750 tkearney@savills.com

Geri O’Brien Savills Jersey 01534 722 227 gobrien@savills.com

savills

savills.je

Country Life International

Food, glorious food Three grand gourmands reveal their ideal place to live abroad to Eleanor Doughty

Adam Handling, chef

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F I could live anywhere in the world, it would be Bangkok in Thailand. I love the food there and the culture—[people] sit on little plastic stools in the streets eating the most wonderful, affordable food that is fresher than anything you’ll ever get in this country. I first went to Bangkok about 10 years ago—my best friend lives there and he would show me the places the tourists don’t go to, where you get to taste some really incredible things.

Thai food over here very much caters for the UK market and it has to travel halfway around the world. Over there, they’re eating what they’re picking out of the ground. That is the great thing about it—the fish comes

out of the sea, then you’re eating it. Some of the meat markets are pretty grim—they do the butchery right in front of you and you think: ‘Do I really want to eat that?’ But then you decide: ‘Yeah, OK.’ The Thai work ethos is incredible—they work so hard. You see elderly ladies on the street making the same thing that they’ve made for years and they make it better than anyone—they’ve mastered their field. Asia as a whole knows how hospitality should be done, it’s so elegant. Even the Chinatown in Bangkok is more advanced than the one in London. It’s huge and the food is phenomenal.

One time, I was taken for a yellow curry, which is one of my favourite things, and we

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Food

Dr Annie Gray, food historian

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F I could live anywhere else, I would plump for Montreal. I have never eaten as well on holiday as during the two weeks I spent in Canada—it was unbelievable, from the ramen joint where we ate the staff dinner of pigs’ tripe, to incredible Canadian-Chinese fusion, up to the Michelin-starred food. We had breakfast every day in this beautiful café with hundreds of pot plants in it—terribly hipster, with amazing coffee, where they were growing courgettes in the window box.

It was a food lover’s heaven.

A lot of French-Canadian culture is still very influenced by old French culture from the 1730s and 1740s, before the French pulled out.

Linguistically, there are lots of very old words in use and some of the food—using fruit with meat, for example—is very mid 18th century and still being done today. The first time I went to Canada, I went to Calgary, which

is where people fly to go to the Rockies. It wasn’t amazing—I spent the entire week eating steak, but it was too salty. That was probably the wrong place to start to see Canada.

Montreal, however, was fantastic. I found it very chilled and loved the mixture of French and English without it being at all American.

‘Victory in the Kitchen: The Life of Churchill’s Cook’ by Dr Annie Gray is published by Profile Books Live in Montreal With more than 4,000sq ft and vast reception rooms, this grand six-bedroom house in the Westmount’s Priest’s Farm area is well suited to entertaining—and the solidwood kitchen is an inspiring backdrop for cooking adventures. CAD2.998 million (about £2m), Profusion Immobilier Christie’s International Real Estate (001 514 934 2480; www.christiesrealestate.com)

sat on these little tiny chairs that look as if they’re for children—my knees were pretty much under my chin and I was eating off a pink and blue plate with a soup spoon, munching this delicious meal. I loved everything about it.

Adam Handling is the founder of Frog by Adam Handling, the flagship restaurant of the Adam Handling Restaurant Group (www.adamhandling.co.uk) Live in Bangkok With two gardens and a pool, this four-bedroom house in a central area of Bangkok allows residents to dip in and out of the city’s bustle. THB59 million (about £1.375m), Savills (00 66 844 229 090; www.savills.com) June 22, 2022 | Country Life | 35

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Country Life International

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F I didn’t live in Britain, I would love to live in Tuscany in Italy. I lived in Florence for a few months when I was 21 and fell in love with it—with the wooded hills, the architecture, the people, the fields of sunflowers. The food there was almost like having a semi-religious experience. I didn’t realise food could be so delicious and I loved the wine—I have to admit I definitely like drinking Tuscan red wine. I keep saying to my wife that I’m going to move to Italy and live there and she says ‘great, enjoy it—but not with me!’ I like the idea of the peace there, but she thinks I would be bored.

When I lived in Florence, I was meant to learn Italian, but skipped class quite a bit and formed a rock band playing in the nightclubs and bars of Florence. I was hanging out with people from the Charles H. Cecil portraiture studio and they took me to all their great haunts. Florence seemed to be a city of carnivores and it’s certainly a place of incredible meats. I remember this thin-cut steak, almost totally covered in oil with garlic.

I couldn’t believe it. I had never had anything like that. There’s a lot of offal, too. Initially, I didn’t know that I was going to like it, but I was excited to try nose-to-tail eating. In

my experience of Italian food, the more expensive the restaurant, the worse the food. I remember going to a place half a mile off the motorway, where the truckers went, and the food was sublime. Italian food is at its best when it’s simple. I like the fact that they celebrate traditional recipes, it’s not about reinventing some new technique. You’re eating something that has been around for decades, even hundreds of years, or tasting something that is almost a taste of the past.

The next Malton Food Lovers Festival runs from August 27–29 (www.visitmalton.com) Live in Florence Properties with gardens are hard to come by in the Tuscan capital, making this early20th-century, five-bedroom apartment close to the city centre particularly appealing. €2.8 million (about £2.39m), Knight Frank (020–7861 1057; www.knightfrank. com)

Alamy; Getty

Tom Naylor-Leyland, director of Visit Malton

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Country Life International

The fairest of them all From ancient châteaux to sweeping vineyard views, Carolyn Boyd has the pick of France’s most beautiful villages Best for walkers—Conques

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HE Santiago de Compostela pilgrimage route takes in many idyllic villages, but Conques, on the path that leads from Le Puyen-Velay, is a particular highlight. Cobbled lanes meander between peach and ochre timber-frame cottages and its crowning glory is the 11th-century Sainte-Foy abbey. Look up above its entrance to admire its incredible

tympanum, which depicts the Last Judgement of Christ. Inside, the stained-glass windows by artist Pierre Soulages were added in 1990 and complement the Romanesque architecture with their modern design. The Abbey, with its enchanting cloisters, is also home to one of Europe’s greatest medieval gold artworks, a collection of reliquaries known as The Treasure of Conques.

Best for island escape—Ars-en-Ré

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NLY two of the enchanting villages on the Ile de Ré hold the prestigious title of Plus Beaux Villages de France: La Flotte and Ars-en-Ré. The latter is the more polished of the two and at its heart is a sun-drenched square and the Saint-Etienne church, with its distinctive black-and-white spire that served as a landmark for sailors. Browse the

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French Villages

Left: The cobbled lanes and timber-framed cottages of Conques. Above: Château Grignan dominates the surrounding landscape. Below: Ochre-coloured brilliance in Roussillon

brocante boutiques and galleries before getting into the back streets, where colourful hollyhocks climb up the façades of the white-washed, green-shuttered cottages.

The market takes place daily in the summer months and offers a great selection of products, such as fragrant soap and local honey.

Best for wine—Ménerbes

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LTHOUGH many wine villages hold acclaim for prestigious vintages, Ménerbes holds sway for its simple pleasures: sipping a local rosé wine on the terrasse of the Café du Progrès in the late afternoon after wandering the sun-drenched lanes and exploring the surrounding vineyards.

Among the most enjoyable to visit is the Domaine de la Citadelle, which not only produces excellent wine, but also has the quirky

allure of the Corkscrew Museum with its extraordinary collection of 1,000 tire-bouchons in almost every conceivable shape, age, size and place of origin.

Best for gastronomy—Grignan

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OU can’t miss Grignan for its sheer majesty. Surrounded by fields of lavender, its rambling pile of terracotta-roofed houses is crowned by a Renaissance château at the top. Wander its rosemary-scented lanes to the panoramic terraces and take in views of cherry orchards, olive groves and vineyards that thrive in the gentle climate. At the hotel Le Clair de la Plume’s Michelin-starred restaurant, chef Julien Allano serves a superb menu of the Drôme department’s abundant produce, including olives from Nyons, SaintMarcellin cheese and Montélimar nougat.

Best for a sweet tooth— Flavigny-sur-Ozerain

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F you love French confectionery, head to the home of the little white aniseed imperials that are sold in pretty tins everywhere across the country. Flavigny-sur-Ozerain is set on a hill in the gently undulating countryside north-east of Dijon.

Aniseed was first brought to the region by the Romans (Julius Caesar fought Vercingetorix on the same hill), but the sweets were made by the monks of the Abbaye de Flavigny, who founded the abbey in the 8th century. The sweets’ workshops are based in and around the Abbey, which is also a joy to explore for its Carolingian crypt. Elsewhere, the village has impressive stone gates and tranquil lanes lined with flower-bedecked houses; June 22, 2022 | Country Life | 39

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Country Life International Live in some of France’s prettiest villages

Ménerbes Set in nearly 5½ acres of grounds close to Ménerbes, this beautiful property comes with two houses (a main residence with six bedrooms and elegant reception rooms and another home with four bedrooms), plus an outdoor pool and a range of outbuildings. €3.8 million through Knight Frank (020–7861 1083; www.knightfrank.com) The château at Montsoreau guards the River Loire and is now an arts museum

Best for its château—Montsoreau

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Grignan Dating from the 18th century, this elegant bastide in the countryside near Grignan has preserved many original features, including terracotta floor tiles and marble fireplaces. The almost 5,600sq ft of living space include formal reception rooms, eight bedrooms, a home cinema and a billiard room. Outside, the grounds house a pool and many ancient trees. €2.15 million (about £1.83 million), Mayfair International Realty’s associate Groupe Mercure (00 33 147 055 137; www.mayfairinternationalrealty.com)

it was used as a backdrop for many of the scenes in the film of Joanne Harris’s book, Chocolat, in 2000.

Best for colour—Roussillon

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F all the dramatic landscapes to be explored across France, the ochre peaks around Roussillon are among the most striking. This village in Provence’s Vaucluse department is set on one of the world’s

Vézelay The 2,153sq ft interior of this village house has two bedrooms, a large sitting room and a striking vaulted cellar. €595,000 (about £507,000), Mayfair International Realty’s associate Groupe Mercure (00 33 147 055 137; www.mayfair internationalrealty.com)

largest ochre deposits and visitors can walk around the quarries, dominated by incredible red-hued cliffs. Roussillon itself is a triumph of yellow and orange houses, making it a spectacular sight in the early evening light. Take a stroll around the narrow streets to admire its galleries and historic buildings, before heading to the top of the village for exceptional views of the Monts de Vaucluse and surrounding countryside.

OLLOW the River Loire west from Tours and there’s no missing Montsoreau’s Renaissance château presiding over the village, looking every bit as elegant as the more famous ones in Saumur and Amboise.

Built on the site of an 11th-century castle, the current château—now home to a contemporary-arts museum—dates from 1450 and was built by John II of Chambes, private adviser to Charles VII, but it found fame in the 19th century, when Alexandre Dumas published his novel The Lady of Monsoreau in 1846.

The village around it is small, with only 500 inhabitants, and has attractive tuffeau stone architecture, riverside restaurants and antiques shops (www.ville-montsoreau.fr)

Best for mountains—Bonnevalsur-Arc

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HETHER you’re a winter skier or a summer hiker, the village of Bonneval-sur-Arc, in the Haute Maurienne Vanoise area of the Alps, will captivate you as much for its tiny stone dwellings with heavy slate roofs as for the beauty of its surroundings. The lanes aren’t accessible by car, so explore on foot or, in winter, on skis. The village is set at about 5,000ft and in summer it is surrounded by wildflower meadows. Up above, the Col d’Iseran is the highest

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This is the life.

Is it Yours?

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Country Life International paved path in the Alps, at 8,858ft above sea level, and presents a challenge for the Tour de France riders when it features on the route.

Best for views—Vézelay

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S you walk through the centre of Vézelay, up the gentle incline towards the Saint Mary-Magdalene Basilica, past enticing boutiques and laid-back cafés, you’re following the footsteps of pilgrims over the centuries.

The reward is the chance to enjoy the incredible view from the top, over the gentle rolling hills and vineyards of the Morvan regional park. For reverence of a more spiritual kind, enter the Basilica to hear the sisters of the Jerusalem Monastic community practice their four-part harmonies. On the summer solstice, the daylight shines through the southern windows to cast a series of perfectly aligned circles along the centre of the nave floor.

The reward is the chance to enjoy the incredible view from the top, over the gentle rolling hills Best for flowers—Gerberoy

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Beautiful at 40

In 1982, Charles Ceyrac, the mayor of the village Collonges-la-Rouge, established Les Plus Beaux Villages de France with the aim of keeping alive the communities in the country’s prettiest villages, which were in decline as industry drove people to the cities. The idea took off and the association, which initially counted 66 villages, now has 164, each adhering to

Top: Interior of the Saint Mary-Magdalene Basilica in Vézelay. Above: Tucked away in a Picardy valley, the village of Gerberoy is bursting with roses, wisteria and hydrangeas

strict criteria, such as having a population of less than 2,000 and maintaining a number of aesthetic requirements.

To celebrate the 40th anniversary, many events will take place across France.

Highlights include Les Nuits Solaires, which will see historic buildings in the Loire Valley village of Montrésor lit up with a colourful sound and light show from

July 1 to August 31; a festival of artists and artisans in the Allier village of Charroux on August 7; and a rally of guided visits to the association’s five villages in the Corrèze department: Collonges-laRouge, Curemonte, Saint-Robert, Ségurle-Château and Turenne. For more details, visit www.les-plus-beaux-villages-defrance.org

Alamy

ERBEROY is tucked away in a shallow valley amid the golden plains of Picardy.

Its cobbled streets are lined with fine brick and timber-frame houses brimming with flowers. Roses, wisteria, hydrangeas and hollyhocks add to the colours of shutters painted in reds, blues and green. Gerberoy’s beauty owes much to Henri Le Sidaner, the artist who moved there in 1901 and turned a neglected orchard into extraordinary gardens, complete with an Italian terrace, rose garden and pergola.

The village also has a few artisan studios selling art and pottery and a handful of restaurants, including l’Atelier Gourmand, with tables in its sunny walled garden.

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LUXURY HOMES FOR SALE IN FRANCE

EXCLUSIVE Aude Ref: A13367 €1,450,000 HAI 6 Bedroom house with 3 bedroom gîte, pool, stables, chapel, 14 acres and mountain views.

Gironde Ref: A13837 €4,410,000 HAI 11 Bedroom renovated château with swimming pool and guest accomodation, 17km from Bordeaux.

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Seine-et-Marne Ref: A13606 €715,000 HAI Charming 4 bedroom house set in the heart of 2 acres of wooded grounds.

Hautes-Alpes Ref: A06619 €1,563,400 HAI Beautifully renovated 12 bedroom property in extensive grounds with water mill. Great business potential!

EXCLUSIVE Drôme Ref: P5818JBF €937,000 HAI 6 Bedroom Provençal Mas with pool, in pretty and quiet surroundings close to village.

Val-d’Oise Ref: A13110 €1,099,000 HAI 5 Bedroom Mansart style family house with independent consulting rooms, ideal for running a business.

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Mantoloking, NJ | $8,748,000

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Custom bayfront home on the best street. Panoramic bay views.

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Tipperary, Dublin | €4,800,000

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Bellevue estate. Immaculate Georgian house and lakeside estate in the heart of Ireland. Approx. 250 acres.

Rocklow. Restored 18th century house with gate lodge, woodland, lake and paddocks. Approx. 100 acres.

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Country Life International

Life’s a beach From towering sea stacks to endangered penguins, the world’s most interesting beaches offer more than pristine sand and crystalline waters, finds Antonia Windsor

Reynisfjara Beach, Iceland

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HEN you first set eyes on Reynisfjara Beach (also known as Black Sand Beach) at Iceland’s southernmost town, Vík í Mýrdal, more commonly known as Vik, you will feel as if you are at the end of the world.

Dramatic rock pillars (the Reynisdrangar basalt sea stacks) rise from the sea against the backdrop of bleak, jet-black sand and white sea foam, fierce Atlantic waves and ever-changing light under hexagonal cliffs.

As you take in the moody atmosphere, you may imagine you’re in a film set and, indeed, the beach appeared in Game of Thrones. The sea stacks feature in ancient legends and are home to thousands of 46 | Country Life | June 22, 2022

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Beaches Tharros Beach, Sardinia, Italy

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ISTORY lovers will adore beautiful, secluded Tharros Beach, on a narrow spit of land at the Bay of Oristano. Overlooking it are an abundance of ruins and relics, the remains of the Phoenician-Punic and Roman port city of Tharros abandoned in AD1000 and a couple of rebuilt Corinthian columns that appear to make an altar of the sky. It’s especially lovely to visit during the spring, when you’ll find the grassy banks that line the sand dotted with red poppies and yellow camomile. The western beach is beautiful and uncrowded, albeit windy, and

the sea can be rough. The eastern one is more protected from the elements, but gets busier. Among the numerous restaurants nearby, Le Dune is famous for its fish dishes.

Live in Sardinia Set in Mediterranean gardens in the countryside close to Oristano, this imposing, beautifully renovated villa has more than 9,200sq ft of living space, including seven bedrooms and a sitting room with fireplace, plus an outdoor swimming pool. €1.25 million (about £1.06m) Pinna & Brunzu (00 39 339 116 0249; www.pinnabrunzu.com)

seabirds, such as puffins, guillemots and fulmars. However, the beach, which is about 112 miles from the capital, Reykjavik, is not for swimming: the waves here are dangerous. You should keep well away and never turn your back on them.

Live in Iceland Almost next door to the Icelandic House of Parliament, this villa has five bedrooms, elegant reception rooms, including a beautifully panelled entrance hall, and murals by Swedish artist Greta Björnsson. $4.2 million (about £3.34m), Sweden Sotheby’s International Realty (00 46 31 182 200; www.sothebys realty.com) June 22, 2022 | Country Life | 47

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Country Life International

T

HE verdant, hilly islet of Marathonisi is also known as Turtle Island; it is a protected breeding area for the endangered loggerhead sea turtles that visit during summer. Otherwise uninhabited, the islet has pine, olive and oak forests and two beaches, one with fine white sand, the other with pebbles and turquoise clear waters to rival the Caribbean.

The turtles use the sandy beach every year to dig more than 1,000 nests in which to lay their eggs and visitors must stay within a small section of the beach to avoid disturbing them.

Marathonisi is part of the National Marine Park of Zakynthos and there are boats and boat tours to reach the island or you can hire your own. There’s no guarantee turtles will be present, but you can search for their tracks in the sand or snorkel among the sea caves off the

coast. The islet is also home to another endangered species, the Mediterranean monk seal.

Live in Zakynthos Perched high above the sea, the Odysseus estate is the perfect place to escape from it

all, with each of its six villas promising different delights—particularly the largest, which has its own vineyard, as well as a scented garden. €7.7 million (about £6.55m), Greece Sotheby’s International Realty (00 30 210 968 1070; www.sothebysrealty.com).

Alamy

Marathonisi, Zakynthos, Greece

48 | Country Life | June 22, 2022

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Beaches Park, a Biosphere Reserve, and is an hour’s boat ride north-west from Puerto Vallarta on Mexico’s Pacific coast.

Live near the Marieta Islands Set where the rainforest meets the sea, 13,600sq ft Casa Papelillos, in Puerto Vallarta, has been designed by architects Elias Elias (www.eliaselias.net) to make the most of Nature. It has a panoramic sitting room, five bedroom suites and lush gardens, complete with pool and outdoor dining area. $4.95 million (about £4m), Guadalajara Sotheby’s International Realty (00 52 33 3627 6438; www.sothebysrealty.com)

Playa Escondida, Mexico

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LAYA ESCONDIDA (Hidden Beach), also known as Playa del Amor (Lover’s Beach), is a beach like no other. Take a walk through the lush green landscape of the uninhabited Marieta islands and you’ll be surprised to find the land suddenly disappears, as if in a scene from a sci-fi film: hidden in the gaping hole

Boulders Beach, South Africa

Alamy

T

HERE aren’t many places in the world where you can get up close to endangered African penguins, but on Boulders Beach at False Bay, outside Simon’s Town on the way to Cape Point, you can get within a few feet of them. The white-sand beach is dabbed with smooth granite boulders and is home to a colony of between 2,000 and 3,000 penguins.

Take a dip in the cool, clear water and a little quirky bird might jump in to join you. Boardwalks across the beach lead visitors to the best viewing spots and you can learn more about

is a sandy beach lapped by the waves of the Pacific Ocean, which is thought to have been created by bomb tests carried out by the Mexican government in about 1900. You won’t be able to access it from above as the drop is too deep, but you can swim or kayak to it from the coast through a 262ft cave. The beach sits within the Islas Marietas National

birds’ lives at the information centre. The R170 conservation fee for international adult visitors means that the beach is seldom crowded.

Live in Cape Town It’s hard to tell what’s more appealing about this Western Cape house, whether the long views across False Bay to Cape Point, the grandiose early 20th-century architecture, the beautifully designed interior, or the spectacular terraced gardens with swimming pool. R57 million (about £2.9m), Savills (020–7016 3744; www.savills.com) June 22, 2022 | Country Life | 49

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Country Life International Koekohe Beach, New Zealand

A

NCIENT Moeraki boulders pepper the long, sandy beach at Koekohe, on the Otago coast, on New Zealand’s south island.

These huge, spherical rocks appear at low tide and measure almost 10ft across. Many have cracks on the surface, creating a marbled look —you could trick your children into believing they are dinosaur eggs. Maori legend has it that the boulders are the remains of fishing nets or food baskets that washed up from the wreck of the ancient Araiteuru canoe that brought their ancestors to New Zealand.

More prosaically, they are calcite concretions

formed more than 60 million years ago from prehistoric mud. This is an area rich in wildlife, with a seal colony and dolphins that, paired with the boulders, make Koekohe a photographer’s dream.

Live near Koekohe Once home to Uchter Knox, 5th Earl of Ranfurly and governor of New Zealand, this period house has 10 bedrooms, more than 28 acres of gardens and grounds—and its own chapel. Price on request to Luxury Portfolio International’s associate Barfoot & Thompson (00 64 93 076 300; www.luxury portfolio.com)

Fajardo Bay, Puerto Rico

O

NLY five ocean ecosystems in the world have a large enough concentration of dinoflagellate microorganisms that they can create a striking glow-in-the-dark effect—and three of them are in Puerto Rico. One of these bioluminescent bays is at Fajardo, which also has beaches ideal for snorkelling and kayaking. To see the blue-green neon effect, which occurs when the microorganisms are stimulated by movement, you will need to take a walk at night. The less light there is, the stronger the effect, so it’s best to avoid the full moon.

Water temperatures and tides also affect the luminescence, so it’s worth enquiring locally about the best time to visit the beach.

Live in Puerto Rico Set in tropical forest close to San Juan, this delightful hacienda has a four-bedroom main house built around a central courtyard and a pool, plus a two-bedroom guest house and stabling. $1.2 million (about £953,000), Luxury Portfolio International associate’s Luxe Reality Realty (001 787 745 8777; www.luxuryportfolio. com)

50 | Country Life | June 22, 2022

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Country Life International

A spark of genius Living abroad proved inspirational for four great British minds, as Carla Passino discovers It was in Bruges where William Caxton first encountered the printing press, which he later brought back to England in the 1470s

B

RUGES changed William Caxton’s life. He went to the Belgian city, then part of the Duchy of Burgundy, as a mercer, settling there by 1453, and came back as England’s first book printer.

A successful merchant, he later joined the household of Edward IV’s sister, Margaret, who had married Charles, Duke of Burgundy.

As part of her retinue, he travelled extensively across Europe, including to Cologne, where he had some of his books printed.

With his ‘hande wery & not stedfast’ from the effort of duplicating the translation of Raoul Le Fèvre’s Recueil des histoires de Troyes he had done for Margaret and his ‘eyen dimed with ouermoche lokyng on the whit paper’, Caxton embraced the printing process, which had the all-important advantage of allowing him to distribute copies of his books to everyone ‘attones’. Having learned the technique ‘at grete charge and dispense’, he opened a press in Bruges,

Bruges, Belgium This historic 10bedroom home sits by a canal and has its own dock and landscaped gardens, as well as 11,829sq ft of living space complete with fireplaces and stained-glass features. €3.875 million (about £3.31 million), Engel & Völkers Brugge (00 32 50 616 630; www.engel voelkers.com)

52 | Country Life | June 22, 2022

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BEACH • GOLF • RESORT

The Ultimate in Resort Living Royal Westmoreland in St James offers a Bajan resort experience which is second to none.

Enjoy world-class amenities including a Championship golf course and exclusive Beach Club at Mullins Beach, with our dedicated Concierge team to attend to every wish.

The exclusive, gated community is made up of a collection of stunning properties, from apartments to sprawling detached villas. Stay for a while, or for a lifetime with holiday rental, fractional and full ownership opportunities all available.

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Visit us at www.royalwestmoreland.com, E-mail us at property@royal-westmoreland.com Call us on 01524 917316 (UK) +1 (246) 419 7227 (Barbados)

Country Life International England, he quickly proceeded to found his own version of the Bourse in 1571. It was very successful, but he didn’t get the reward he expected: Elizabeth I, with whom he always had a difficult relationship, named the new bourse the Royal Exchange and granted the office of keeper to William Cecil. Despite his financial genius, Gresham ended his days in debt.

Clockwise from left: Financier Sir Thomas Gresham the Elder; economist and philosopher Adam Smith; the author and writer Mary Shelley and printer William Caxton

where he printed his Recuyell of the Historyes of Troye in 1473. Returning to England in the 1470s, he brought his new craft with him and set up a shop in Westminster, where he printed the very first books in the English language. He died in 1491 as he was about to print his 100th book.

Belgium would also prove a gamechanger for Thomas Gresham. A merchant and Crown agent to the Tudor monarchs, he was living in Antwerp, a thriving port and one of Europe’s commercial capitals, when, between a spot of bullion smuggling and a lot of spying, he had not one but three intuitions that would go on to make British history. The first was grasping the importance of foreign exchange rates and how to manipulate them to secure loans for the English Crown at the best terms: ‘He would every day send seemingly unconnected merchant friends, or else his servants, armed with a cash float, to buy or sell amounts of currency ranging from around £20 to £500 (in today’s values between £20,000 and £500,000) shortly before he planned to close one of his larger credit deals or make loan repayments, gradually raising or reducing the value of sterling in the direction that best suited him,’ Gresham biographer John Guy said in a lecture for the 500th anniversary of the merchant’s birth.

His second intuition was that his efforts to control exchange rates would always be partly frustrated, so long as sterling was debased.

Thus, he was instrumental in persuading Elizabeth I to restore the currency to the strength it had before Henry VIII and Edward VI had fiddled with it. His view that the more base metals were added to coins, the more fine gold would be hoarded or illegally exported was popularised in the 19th century as Gresham’s Law, although he never said that

‘bad money chases out good money’ (nor would he have been the first one to note it). But perhaps more importantly, he understood the power that bankers and merchants could have over rulers in need of funds and advised Elizabeth I to seek as much financing as possible from within the City of London rather than remaining exposed to the whims of foreign lenders and the vagaries of exchange rates.

When in Antwerp, Gresham also noticed how useful it was for merchants to have a place, the Bourse, where they could meet, catch up with the news and do business. Back in

What terrified me will terrify others; and I need only describe the spectre which had haunted my midnight pillow Much as Antwerp fed Gresham’s talent for finance, France and Switzerland nurtured Adam Smith’s genius for economics—despite an unpromising start to his visit. The success of Smith’s first book, The Theory of Moral Sentiments, had secured him an appointment as a travelling tutor to the young Duke of Buccleuch. Together, they went to Toulouse, but, saddled with his young charge, Smith quickly became bored: ‘The life I led at Glasgow was a pleasurable dissipated life in comparison to that which I lead here at Present,’ he stated in a 1764 letter to David

Antwerp, Belgium This early 19th-century property in Antwerp combines grand period architecture with an indoor pool, a roof terrace and a delightful urban garden. €3.4 million (about £2.89 million), Sotheby’s International Realty (00 32 3647 3072; www.sothebysrealty.com)

54 | Country Life | June 22, 2022

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Country Life International

Paris, France Soak up the views of the Arc de Triomphe from this threebedroom apartment, which occupies the third floor of a period building (with lift) and comes with a terrace. €5.7 million (about £4.8 million), Knight Frank (020–7861 1727; www.knightfrank.com) and a cornerstone of British policy for more than a century.

But perhaps even more enduring is another masterpiece born at least in part from a bid to kill time: Frankenstein. Mary Wollstonecraft Godwin was only 16 when she fell for the ‘wild, intellectual, unearthly looks’ of Percy Bysshe Shelley, five years her senior and, shockingly, already married. After meeting her father’s stern disapproval the couple briefly left England for France in July 1814, and again in 1816, this time heading to Cologny, Switzerland. Byron and John Polidori had also rented a villa there, but an unusually cold, wet summer put on hold plans for boating and leisurely lakeside strolls. Instead, as Wollstonecraft Shelley wrote in her 1831 introduction to Frankenstein, ‘some volumes of ghost stories… fell into our hands’. Eventually, the group decided to write their own, but Wollstonecraft Shelley struggled to think of a story, until a conversation between Byron and her husband, Percy, on galvanism, fired her imagination: ‘When I placed my head on my pillow, I did not sleep…

I saw the hideous phantasm of a man stretched out, and then, on the working of some powerful engine, show signs of life, and stir with an

Cologny, Switzerland Set in the heart of Cologny, this spacious house has a large living and dining area, separate kitchen and a swimming pool in the garden. CHF7 million (about £5.8 million), Savills (0041 848 589 589; www.savills.com)

uneasy, half vital motion.’ Terrified, she tried to think of something else, but an idea hit her: ‘What terrified me will terrify others; and I need only describe the spectre which had haunted my midnight pillow.’

What started as a short tale became a book, which Wollstonecraft Shelley finished after her return to England and published anonymously in 1818. Her time abroad continued to shape some of her later endeavours —having co-authored the History of a Six Weeks’ Tour with Shelley and left England to settle in Italy in March 1818, she was inspired by her surroundings to write Valperga or, the Life and Adventures of Castruccio, Prince of Lucca, a historical novel about the war between the Guelphs and the Ghibellines in 14th-century Tuscany, before returning to travelogues with her last book, Rambles in Germany and Italy.

Getty Images; Alamy

Hume. Desperate ‘to pass away the time,’ he began writing a new book, which would soon morph into his masterpiece, An Inquiry into the Nature and Causes of the Wealth of Nations.

But Europe didn’t merely provide spare time for him to write: eventually, he moved to Geneva, where he met Voltaire, then Paris, where Hume introduced him to the leading minds of the French Enlightenment.

Among them was François Quesnay and his Physiocrats, who believed that no constraint should be placed on labour and trade. Smith shared some of their views, but fiercely criticised others and this critical engagement was the intellectual backdrop to the development of his own theory.

Tragedy put an end to his French days— the Duke of Buccleuch’s younger brother passed away—and after a brief stay in London, Smith retreated to his native Kirkcaldy, where he spent six years polishing his vision of laissez-faire (albeit tempered by more government control than he’s generally given credit for): ‘By pursuing his own interest, [every individual] frequently promotes that of the society more effectually than when he really intends to promote it.’

It became the basis for modern economics 56 | Country Life | June 22, 2022

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To discuss residency in Jersey, please call Kevin Lemasney, Head of High Value Residency Engagement +44 (0)7797 783457 or email k.lemasney@gov.je

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Country Life International

Trade up From a Moroccan hideaway to a romantic Italian tower, these spectacular properties are all for sale at the price of a one-bedroom flat in Putney, finds Holly Kirkwood USA, $699,900 (about £556,500) Built in 1890 and listed with the local Department of Archives and History, 4,500sq ft Beach-Fogartie House in Walterboro, South Carolina, has undergone a painstaking, award-winning renovation that preserved the original character while introducing 21st-century finishes and conveniences. The house has three reception rooms that are perfect for entertaining—the sitting and drawing rooms have fine fireplaces and the dining room’s walls are covered in vintage hand-painted Gracie wallpaper. There’s a kitchen with Aga and four bedrooms, including a master suite with Calcutta marble floors.

The house stands in 0.64 acres of lawned gardens. Through Mayfair International Realty’s associate Carolina One Real Estate (001 843 202 2030; www.mayfairinternationalrealty.com) Morocco, €650,000 (about £542,000) The exquisite Riad Orya, in Marrakech, combines Moroccan and Indian style and is decorated with original works by the current owner, a painter. With 8,073sq ft of living space, it has an extraordinary, double-height reception area, six bedrooms and a panoramic rooftop terrace. Christie’s International Real estate affiliate Kensington Properties (00 212 52 442 2229; www.kensingtonmorocco.com)

Morocco, €530,000 (about £451,000) Villa Zidana sits on Aglou beach, south of Agadir, directly overlooking the Atlantic. With 3,229sq ft of living space, this generous villa, which has been beautifully maintained, comprises three large bedroom suites and open-plan reception rooms, including a dining room with marvellous sea views. Outside are a spacious terrace, landscaped gardens and a huge infinity pool. Kensington Properties (00 212 52 442 2229; www.kensingtonmorocco.com) 58 | Country Life | June 15, 2022

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Upgrade flat South Africa, R7,950,000 (about £413,340) Set next to the majestic Jonkershoek valley, within easy reach of Stellenbosch, this substantial property was built with both family and entertaining in mind and has two spacious living areas and effortless indoor/ outdoor flow, with an openplan kitchen leading out to the terraces and the pool.

With four bedrooms in total, this sun-filled property also has beautiful views onto the surrounding mountains.

Sotheby’s International Realty (00 27 825 681 122; www.sothebysrealty.com) Italy, €195,000 (about £166,000) This historic gem is located just outside the hamlet of Pieve Santo Stefano and comprises two separate buildings— a traditional village property and a medieval tower house. With 2,260sq ft of internal space and rooms spread over four floors, the tower currently has permission for conversion into a substantial property with six bedrooms, five bathrooms and generous living rooms, but requires renovation, whereas the village house is in excellent condition.

Christie’s International Real Estate (00 39 057 578 8948; www.christiesreal estate.com).

Italy, €490,000 (about £417,100) This stone-clad waterfront villa was built among the rocks of Capo Milazzo, looking out over the sea to the Aeolian island of Stromboli, in Sicily. Reached by a footpath, it offers total privacy, as well as direct access to the beach. Accommodation comprises an open-plan living room, a modern kitchen, a bathroom and a bedroom suite with a balcony; upstairs, the large roof terrace offers far-reaching views. Engel & Völkers (00 39 09 4133 7610; www.engelvoelkers.com)

France, €590,000 (about £501,800) This spacious three-bedroom villa lies within Voiles de Nacre, an exclusive private estate of 12 properties being built in front of the Étang de Thau, a large tidal saltwater lagoon in the Languedoc-Roussillon region that extends to the Mediterranean.

These modern properties will have exceptional views, with extensive terraces and flexible living spaces. Sphere Estates (020–3617 1360; www.sphereestates. com).

June 15, 2022 | Country Life | 59

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Country Life International

In a league of its own Letitia Clark embraces Sardinia’s distinctive culture, bold colours and pared-down cooking

M

OVING countries means you feel like a new-born every day. It’s a constant learning experience: when I moved to Sardinia, Italy, five years ago, I had a lot of cliches and stereotypes in my head that were quickly removed— cultural differences are one of the most challenging aspects of living abroad, but also one of the most stimulating.

Moving abroad hadn’t been my plan initially —working at a restaurant in London, I had been thinking of ways to set up something back where I’m from, in Devon. One of my colleagues, a Sardinian chef, was also dreaming about opening up his own place, so we decided perhaps we could do it in Sardinia. I didn’t know a word of Italian, but very quickly fell in love with Italian food, culture and language.

The landscape and produce are a source of inspiration Or rather, Sardinian food, culture and language. I was surprised at the strength of the local culture and how it is unique: Sardinian identity is very separate from Italian identity.

The island has its own history, music and language, which is an extra kind of symbolism: it’s still spoken every day and it’s fascinating how different it is from Italian. Sardinia is still relatively undiscovered—tourists know little about it beyond the beaches in the north of the island—but local people are proud of their heritage: they are famously stubborn and even take pride in this stubbornness, which I relate to. I like that sense of conviction. It’s a refreshing change to be somewhere where people relish their identity and are not afraid to voice that pride.

Island in the sun: Sardinia’s independent nature is reflected in its culture and cooking

Another trait that’s very specific to Sardinia is the incredibly close bond people have with their land of sheep-dotted plains, hilltop villages and olive-tree-studded valleys—and with what it gives them. I think that’s common in a lot of islands and something we probably had in England at some point, but we’ve lost it a little. For me, the Sardinian landscape and produce are a source of inspiration. Ever since my grandmother gave me Elizabeth David’s Italian Food, with beautiful watercolours of amazing purple and sage-green artichokes and the reddest tomatoes, I was inspired to try to capture those colours on paper. Fruits, vegetables, the green of a hedgerow, the wildflowers I find—that kind of thing inspired me very much in England, too, but I find Sardinia’s bold, sunny colours especially cheering and stirring. I always make market vendors laugh because I ask for the lemons or the oranges with the largest number of leaves.

The bond between Sardinians and their land also shapes the island’s cooking. Local ingredients dictate what you eat and what you cook to such an extreme extent here that there really isn’t any other option —your dishes have to work with what Sardinia produces or has available. I find it stimulating and inspiring.

One of my favourite Sardinian dishes is spaghetti alla bottarga (mullet or tuna roe). It’s very interesting in that, if it’s done badly, it can be one of the nastiest things in the world, but if it’s done well, it can be

delicious and creamy, satisfying and salty and sweet, with a slightly bitter edge. I’m addicted to that kind of bitter flavour, but when I first made the dish, at the first restaurant I ever worked at, it was absolutely disgusting.

Although it is supposedly incredibly simple, spaghetti with bottarga is actually very hard to get right. It requires literally four ingredients, but it’s about getting everything at the right temperature, with the right texture and the right consistency—the bottarga should be melted, not cooked, the oil shouldn’t split, you should only put half a clove of garlic in… all those tiny details that make or break a dish.

Italian chefs get a lot of rap for being pedantic, but I respect that mentality.

I find that my own cooking style has changed since I moved to Sardinia. When I was in London, I was always adding—finding and putting in new ingredients, expanding—but, now, I’m always taking away and shedding. I have embraced the old ‘less is more’ philosophy, which is obviously a bit of a cliche, but it’s definitely true of Sardinian cooking. This idea of downscaling, of things becoming ever simpler and more localised, is a philosophy I want to integrate in other aspects of my life.

A cookbook author and illustrator based in Sardinia, Italy, Letitia Clark is set to open her own farmholiday retreat in Baratili San Pietro, near Oristano, next year (www.letitiaclark.co.uk)

60 | Country Life | June 22, 2022

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WOODBURY HILL WOOD BLAKEMERE, HEREFORDSHIRE

A superbly located multifaceted private woodland with both commercial and amenity attributes.

Views, tracks, sporting, trees old and new, in all a great woodland opportunity. Sporting and mineral rights are owned and included in the sale.

For full details visit www.tustins.co.uk or contact the Selling Agents on the number below.

139.80 Acres (56.57 Hectares) | Freehold for sale | Offers over £1,100,000 Contact Mike Tustin or John Clegg on 01869 254938 miketustin@tustins.co.uk | johnclegg@tustins.co.uk Tustins Group Ltd Unit 2, Park Farm, Akeman Street, Kirtlington, Oxfordshire OX5 3JQ

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WEST STUDDAL, KENT CT15 5BH Between Sandwich & Dover.

An outstanding country house set in about 15½ acres of very private gardens & grounds including a recently planted vineyard.

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Excellent outbuildings, annexe / home office, indoor swimming pool & a substantial vineyard building of over 3,000 ft2.

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Offers in Excess of £2,200,000 www.finns.co.uk

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