Between *Glicine* and *Al mare*, those dinners suspended in the lift and in the garden

The lifts, hoisted flush against the rock face like sails since 1958, travel up and down from the garden to the beach, from the boutique to the Al Mare Restaurant beneath the chestnut trellises. The wisteria season, though blessed with a second flush of blossom, has come to an end, whilst the season of ripe lemons will take a few more months to reach its zenith on the terraces brushed with green. Yet, amidst a riot of hibiscus, St John’s lilies, olive trees and shady hedges, one can still joyfully immerse oneself in the botanical, gastronomic and architectural world of the Santa Caterina. The Gambardella family opened the hotel a full 122 years ago and, ever since, from generation to generation, right up to the current one, which now has in Crescenzo Gargano its most dandyish representative – yet one who is also keen to chart new courses towards contemporary trends (as demonstrated by the rooftop restaurant Senzafine, which combines Mediterranean cuisine with dishes from the Far East, and the opening of the flamboyant cottages at Casa Marchesa – ultra-elegant cottages with minimalist interior design overlooking the sea, are proof of this) – he manages it lovingly and generously as if it were his own holiday home. American couples fulfil their dream of a wedding amidst the waves of the Amalfi Coast here, but Italian travellers visiting in autumn can also enjoy the staff’s hospitality by treating themselves to lunch under the pergola or by moonlight, intoxicated by the scents of the garden, a cocktail on the terrace, a Michelin-starred dinner at Glicine.