On a recent visit to San Luis Obispo, named "the happiest city in America," my hosts took me to San Simeon to visit William Randolph Hearst's castle, Casa Grande, atop La Cuesta Encantada (The Enchanted Hill). The setting is magnificent, with the mountains in one direction and the Pacific Ocean in another.
The castle was decorated for Christmas. I opted for the tour of the Grand Rooms which included the Assembly Room, the Refectory (the term for a monastery dining hall), the Billiard Room and the Theatre. The rooms were filled with Spanish and Italian antiquities and art.
Finding Del Monte catsup and French mustard on the table in the dining room was a major surprise!
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