hollywood billionaire

Chapter 275 Passalacqua Manor
From Lugano to Lake Como, it is the Swiss highway SS340 from west to east.Along Lake Lugano, follow the road signs in the villages along the way, and keep driving on the winding trails with European characteristics without median lines to divide traffic. If the weather is fine and there are no dangers, you can cross the border and enter Mena in at most one hour. In the small town of Jiao, you can see Lake Como, a paradise on earth with vast expanse of sparkling water.

At this moment, Han Yi and Antoine Gashe were speeding south on the November [-]th Trail near the lake in Menaggio.

Han Yi, who was sitting on the left side of the back row, raised his eyes and could see the gem-like blue and clear lake water, as well as the majestic North Glen Peak in the distance.

Why can a long and narrow lake in the hinterland of a continent become a secret resort that Europeans are proud of?
There is just a lake sandwiched between two mountains. This geographical feature is everywhere in the motherland, but how wonderful can the scenery of Northern Italy be?
How breath-taking and magnificent is it to make a Hollywood star who has seen it before leaving behind everything in Beverly Hills and traveling thousands of miles to live in seclusion here?

Antoine Gachet can be introduced thousands of times, and the vivid words can't compare with the first sight after lifting the mysterious veil.

Really different.

How to describe it?
The first thing that sets the tone for this amazing scene is today’s bright and clear sky.

It is common knowledge that there are low and peak seasons for European tourism.What separates the two is the climate change in different seasons.

Lake Como is located in the northern suburbs of Milan, on the edge of the Po Valley and the Bataan Plain, the most densely populated area in Italy.This geographical area mainly has a humid subtropical climate, with cool winters and hot summers.

Such climate characteristics are particularly obvious along the coast of Lake Como.From a large perspective, Lake Como is right at the junction of Southern Europe and Central Europe. After all, whether you go west or north, you can reach Switzerland in an hour.Coupled with the fact that it is surrounded by Alpine mountains on both sides, water vapor and cold air are concentrated in one place, resulting in the towns of Lake Como often seeing snowfall in winter.Not only on the mountain tops, but also in the valleys, there is snow.

When the weather is so cold that you have to turn on the heater to stay indoors, human beings' yearning and longing for natural scenery will undoubtedly decrease, which forms Lake Como's off-season for tourism.Every year from mid-October to Easter, the number of local residents will significantly outnumber tourists. Some resort hotels will even close their doors and wait until the end of March to reopen.

Starting in April, the crowds brought by Easter and warmer weather gradually wake up Lake Como from its slumber. In addition, the rich have the habit of going on vacation throughout the summer - yes, no matter where you are in Europe and the United States No matter which industry you are engaged in, whether it is finance, law, entertainment or industry, as long as your income and status reach a certain level, you will inevitably start to follow the old money's annual plan and give yourself a three-month long vacation during the hottest season.

This is the fundamental reason why in June, it is hard to see anyone in the corner offices of Wall Street, and one private jet after another is queuing up to take off from Teterboro.

The real top rich people do not need to stay in the company all the time. They have hired a smart and capable operation team. They only need to give some instructions in emails and conference calls every day, or even do not give instructions, and the company can run smoothly and well. Go down.

With hundreds of years of habits accumulated, summer vacations have become a way for people to highlight their wealth and power.If you cannot go on vacation for at least half a month between June and September, it means that your life is on the fast road to the cliff of failure.

As a result, all walks of life are trying to find ways to be carefree and unrestrained in summer. The "workcation" that has become popular this year is a poor imitation of the lifestyle of the rich.

In 2016, when we are halfway into the age of awakening, workcation has become a yardstick to measure whether a company is good or not.More and more companies are allowing employees to work while traveling.Of course, employees in each country have different definitions of working holidays.

East Asian countries do not have this kind of culture. Even if they go on vacation under normal circumstances, they are always on standby.North American countries are slightly better. If you have the opportunity to work on vacation, you will still complete the task within the specified time.

Europeans are more outrageous. As soon as June comes, investment bankers in London and Paris disappear. Phone calls are not answered and emails circulate, which directly leads to the second quarter of each year. Under normal circumstances, investment activity and investment The worst quarter for returns.

As the back garden of the rich, Lake Como’s peak season is naturally three to four months.From Vercana in the north to the city of Como in the south, a large number of hotels, restaurants and yachts are pointing to this wave of making enough money for a year.

But even in the peak season, there are differences. The best ones are at the end of September and early October, the first at the end of May and June, and the worst at other times.The weather in July and August is the hottest, the passenger flow is the largest, and the prices are the most expensive. In all aspects, you cannot get the ultimate experience.The temperature is not that high in May and June, but you still have to compete with a large number of tourists. After all, most European and American schools have summer vacation in May and June, so there should not be too many families who choose to travel together during that time period.

By the end of September, even companies with loose requirements will need employees to fly back to their home countries to complete the closing work of the year, and students will have already stayed on campus for almost a month.The passenger flow has dropped sharply, and those who can still stay at this time are the real rich who have money and leisure.The most important thing is that summer in Europe comes late and leaves late. At the end of September, the tail of the last summer is still hanging on.

Being at a distance, seeming to be there or not, is the most subtle, ambiguous, comfortable and thrilling state in terms of interpersonal communication and climatic conditions. Han Yi arrived at the shores of Lake Como on the afternoon of September 9th, and encountered such weather that he could even describe it as "rejection".

Above the head is the scorching sun, which is still hot. There is not a single cloud in the clear sky, showing an almost illusory pure blue, which makes people wonder whether the paints painted by the oil painters were collected from this sky.Compared with the blue sky of Lake Como, even Los Angeles, which is sunny all year round and seems to be covered with a bright color filter, pales in comparison.This kind of wonderful scene without any impurities can only be found in the secret realm that has never entered the industrial society.

Under the soft light, the lake water along the coast has become the absolute protagonist that can overshadow the sky.Unlike Nice, which is clearly layered, translucent near and deep in the distance, the crystal clear jelly sea, the water of Lake Como does not need any pretense - it is what people think a big lake should be, the most authentic and authentic. The purest and most beautiful look.

Lake Blue.

Only by being there, Han Yi could understand why this color was named so.

In the final analysis, all the colors that humans wear on their bodies, on their heads, and on their chests are gifts from nature.

The Mercedes-Benz car drove along the lake. Nearby were the mottled but still brightly colored exterior walls of the houses. In the distance were the dense green hills dotted with brown-red villas. Further afield, as far as the eye could see, there was the Alps. The peaks of the mountains are steep.Those with lower altitudes still show naked earthy brown colors, while those with higher altitudes are covered in white all year round.

This is true on both sides of the Taiwan Strait.

Lying in the deepest embrace of Europa, Lake Como enjoys the warmest wind in the entire continent.The sunshine, which was supposed to be unbearably hot, became lingering and lingering when the wind blew around it.

Here, Han Yi, who had never been interested in nature, learned its charm for the first time.

It turns out that without human beings, this planet can produce such magnificent beauty.

This was the strongest thought that lingered in Han Yi's mind when he first came to Lake Como.

But as the car continued to drive south, passing more and more quiet towns along the way, his praise gradually shifted to another aspect.It turns out that humans do not need to destroy in order to build.

Human beings and nature can achieve mutual prosperity and co-existence.

Lake Como is the perfect example.

These small towns that rise and thrive by the lake have been permanently embedded on both sides of the valley after hundreds of years of polishing. They are like shining spots on a diamond necklace. It is difficult to say which of these towns has a longer history. The snow maples, cypresses, palms and ginkgo trees that surround them are more ancient.

Human beings are polite tenants who live here. They don't make any mess or disturb. They take care of the areas that are needed and return the areas that are not needed to the earth. They live here with the Italian tree frogs, European green woodpeckers, greenshanks and other species that also live here. White-tailed Harrier, there is no essential difference.

Once again, Han Yi is not a person who is close to nature. The comfort and satisfaction that the steel forest can bring to him can never be given by a real forest.But even such a person who embraces modern civilization wholeheartedly has to admit that in terms of livability, ten Los Angeles cannot catch up with one Lake Como.

Here, everything is thriving, completely equal, and truly alive.

No wonder Hollywood prodigals like George Clooney also choose to settle here.

"It's amazing." Han Yi couldn't help but sigh softly.

"What do you mean?" Antoine Gachet asked.

"Trey...Mezzo." Han Yimo read the signboard that flashed in front of his eyes, "I mean these small towns. Normally, I have no interest in rural scenery, but these places are better than …”

"More fascinating than Monaco?" Antoine pursed his lips and smiled, "Even more than Nice?"

"You can say that." Han Yi nodded, "I can understand what you mean now. Antoine, these small towns and Lake Como itself are more in line with my imagination of Europe."

"That's right, Mr. Han, these places are the essence of Europe." Antoine pressed his index finger down forcefully, and his tone suddenly became high-spirited, "When I was young, I also thought Rome or Paris were the most exciting. , but as I got older and visited more and more places, I realized that the advantage of Europe is not the cities, but the combination of human civilization and natural civilization. Europe is a mixture of natural scenery and cultural landscape. The integration is best done.”

"Look, whether it's Asia or the Americas, the topography, landforms, and natural conditions there are actually no worse than those in Europe. It can even be said to be more magnificent, such as Yosemite in the United States, and China's... that "Avatar" The place where the scene was taken.”

"Zhangjiajie."

"Yes, Zhang... that place." Antoine couldn't pronounce the convoluted name, so he simply skipped it, "I have been to both of these two places, rare beauty in the world. But these two places, with There is an essential difference between Lake Como - I am not saying which one is better and which one is not good, I am just talking about the difference - Yosemite, in the inaccessible wilderness, although there are many tourists, they are all tourists, and you cannot be there To find a three-star Michelin restaurant and a super five-star hotel with [-] rooms in the heart of Yosemite is completely unimaginable in the United States."

"However, in Europe, this is the norm for travel and vacation. Provence, Lucerne, Lake Como, just go to a suburb hundreds of kilometers away from the city center, and you will most likely see a restaurant that has been operating there for hundreds of years. , a five-star hotel converted from an old castle or historical villa, and there is a chef who may have won fifty Michelin stars living in it. This is the charm of Europe."

"The best natural scenery is in the countryside. The best cultural customs are also in the countryside. In other countries, hotel managers with the most experience and the most skilled chefs will flock to big cities to start businesses. . Only there can they get the most exposure and the highest income. But in Europe, even if they stay in a remote hometown, there are enough customers to support them and enough spotlights on them."

"For example, the town we just passed through, Tremezzo, has a world-renowned luxury resort hotel, the Grand Hotel Tremezzo. It is located in an art masterpiece called Villa Sorra Cabbiati , every brick and tile can remind people of the indulgence of the Belle Epoque. The murals left by famous artists, as well as the more priceless collection of tapestries, paintings, porcelain and Chinese vases, can be described as extremely luxurious. What is even more worth mentioning is that there The Italian-style garden is filled with blooming flowers, has direct panoramic views of the waters of Lake Como, and is paired with the most beautiful outdoor swimming pool I have ever seen in my life.”

“All year round, no room costs less than a thousand euros.”

"Then why don't we stop here?" Han Yi was a little confused, "Aren't we... just here to see the hotel?"

"Because this hotel will definitely not be sold." Antoine Gachet explained with a smile, "Like Villa d'Este, the Grand Hotel Tremezzo is one of the most profitable commercial properties in Lake Como. The Marlon de Santis family has been operating here for three generations. I know them very well because they came to me a long time ago to talk about joining forces to expand in Switzerland and Northern Italy... They are definitely not for sale. Will.”

“So, I think it’s better not to waste time on unrealistic targets. It’s better to go directly to the most valuable and most urgent properties for sale. What do you think? Of course, if you still want to visit Tremezzo If so, we can turn around and come back later and stay here tonight, everything is as you wish, Mr. Han."

"That's not necessary. Just like you said, Antoine, I'm only interested in assets that can be bought."

Han Yi waved his hand gently.

"Then, where is the property you said is the most valuable and most urgently wanted to sell?"

"It's next to George Clooney's house...5 minutes' drive."

Antoine Gachet deliberately made a dramatic pause.

"It is south of La Leo and west of Cernobbio, next to Villa d'Este."

"It is one of the most expensive private residences currently on the market in Europe. Both Winston Churchill and Napoleon Bonaparte have visited it. It has only nine suites and can accommodate up to [-] guests. , but the price of each room per night is more than [-] US dollars..."

"It's called Passalacqua Manor."

(End of this chapter)