Toscana in Balesin

Balesin Island Club was almost empty when we were there with the Lapez family. It was hot and a little dusty riding the jeepney to hop from one village to another. The roads traversing the island are not paved kaya pagdumaan ang jeep, ayy alikabok. I was also worried about my left hip which is susceptible to fractures even when seated. The jeepney ride was rough and patalbog-talbog yung hips ko. My left hip could crack from sudden jolts.

From Mykonos, we checked out the Toscana village which drew its inspiration from Italy’s world renowned quaint village, Tuscany.

Girlie and family went ahead to their rooms because they have to feed their adorable baby apo. Oyen and I decided to stay for half hour to see what’s inside this village called Toscana.

The main building makes me feel like I am a donya living in a sprawling Italian villa. The place is huge but it doesn’t feel empty. It feels very homey and cozy because the spaces are compartmentalized.

The flooring is made of clay tiles (tisa).

Vivid hues such as burnt sienna and bright honey were used in the Tuscan village’s hand painted furnishings and decors such as this center table.

The large arched doors lead to the swimming pool and garden area.

Where’s everyone?

It is such a hot day.

I spent several minutes marveling at this brick walls made of clay in different shades. Gandang-ganda ako.

I could not believe the amount of work done here. The sprawling village has an inner courtyard and several restaurants and yet no one was around to appreciate the place when we came. This beautiful place must be seen and admired. Ganda!

Those hardwood beams are expensive.

Mr. Bobby Ongpin certainly didn’t skimp on the construction budget. Imagine these long logs? They cost an enormous amount of money and effort to transport them to the island.

I’ve seen hundreds of natural granite stone slabs. Those cost a thousand each depending on the size. Bigger ones go up to P2,000 each. Why do I know? Kasi gusto ko rin yan, nagtanung-tanong ako. I wanted to buy one large piece, apakan sana pero ang mahal nga kaya wag na lang. I was told by the seller that Willi Revillame bought daw all his stocks for the garage flooring at his vacation house.

There’s a pizza place called Al Fogher but it was closed when we visited.

I could imagine myself seated here eating prosciutto ham pizza with arugula.

Another hand painted dining table

There are many other restaurants to choose from aside from al Fogher if you’re in the mood for authentic Italian food.
There’s just too many restaurants, parang over-kill. They were all closed on that day. Imagine the maintenance costs.
Trattoria Toscana
La Nena
Da Ventura
La Meridiana
Anghiari
Sezzano
Antico Posto
Molinello
La Terrazza
Un Rincón de Chile Cochagua

Brick oven for those pizza moments

There’s another swimming pool on the left side of the building

natural stones are used in the steps to the pool

They have 32 guest villas in this complex.

Look at that old tree

And look at the water view

And look at how clear the blue water is

The water on this side facing the Pacific Ocean is choppy.

The place is really gorgeous. It’s easy to forget that this is still Philippines. I would have enjoyed the nice scenery better if my mind was not occupied by so many things. Even if It’s so quiet and serene, I didn’t feel relaxed. It’s hard to detach my mind from life’s day to day worries. At saka ang init pati!!!

#thankyougirlieandgenju
#lovelyresort