Vivaldi in Vermont

We just returned from a vacation to New England to experience the beauty of the fall foliage. Many of the premier inns had modified American plans including dinner as well as bed and breakfast. Our biggest mistake was The Governor’s Inn in Ludlow, Vt. Since we were paying gourmet prices ($80 per person per night), we expected a good dining experience. What a disappointment! The pretension was almost as thick as the cream.

The innkeepers were so into presentation that they lost sight of good food well-prepared. The dinners were theatrical performances complete with costumes and prepared speeches. The innkeeper announced that the music would be Vivaldi. Poor Vivaldi (poor us). Instead of “The Four Seasons” we only heard the first two seasons over and over and over on a 20-minute tape loop.

Having now lived in California for many years I had assumed that the word had gotten around about high-fat cooking, good nutrition and healthful food preparation. I have never seen so much cream in two days as I did at Governor’s Inn.

MRS. ALBERT MARSTON

Beverly Hills