Tag Archives: Holidays

Costa de Prata, Portugal: Cliffs and Pristine Beaches

Posted on October 12, 2014 | Leave a comment

The nature, sea and light of late afternoon.

We cross the garden of the romantic beautiful Areias do Seixo to have a walk in the cliffs of the Costa de Prata. An organic chicken coop, where “real” chicken run outdoors and are fed grain, near an organic kitchen garden (picture below). The promiscuity of dunes gives a surreal touch to the landscape. The air is crisp.

We head towards the dunes

following the crafted signs of the hotel (above, pictures 3 & 4). As we move forward, we discover a wild part of the magnificent Costa de Prata. What a setting! Dunes shaped by the wind, short vegetation, porous high cliffs and the incredible light and sunset!

Nature, the eternal provider of wellness…

until we completely destroy it. Our species is so good at destroying all that is beautiful and rare … But that’s another story. While the light changes, we find the stairs leading to the beach, like a pirate treasure!

Motionless shape of a single fisherman

with his long cane in front of the ocean. Waves that break on the rocks, we silently walk. We try to avoid the darkness on the way back to the hotel and get lost in a field. A dog barks and gets closer.

The race to find the hotel before dark night, crazy giggles arriving up to the chicken coop. On the terrace of the hotel, a fire waits for us. I go to my room to shower before dinner.

Informations

Areias do Seixo – Charme Hotel

Areias do Seixo: Awesome Eco-luxury Hotel in Portugal

Portugal: Comporta, Miles of Pristine Beaches

DESTINATIONS, HOTEL REVIEWS & LIFESTYLE

L’And Vineyards: The Design Hotel Amidst Vineyards

Posted on October 6, 2014 | Leave a comment

Rolling the windows wide open and seeing the road,

and playing the Black Keys (my favourite band of the moment)! The Alentejo landscape has something unreal, olive trees lost in desert lands … white quintas lined with blue or yellow… white clouds looming on an amazing blue sky, in one of the least polluted areas in Europe (let’s pray very hard as it lasts)!

The trip from Lisbon to the L’And Vineyards is fast,

barely fourty five minutes. Stunning architecture of the hotel, maybe inspired by Alvaro Siza Vieira, one of my favorite architects. Straight clean lines, no useless frills (pictures 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 11 and 12). Time to explore and take some pictures of our suite, we reach the surrounding vineyards, the call of nature!

Soon the harvest!

The weather fluctuates between cloudy and light rain and vegetation starts to glow (pictures 6, 9 and 10). You can participate in wine tastings organized by the hotel. When we return, I swim in the outdoor pool (17 degrees) and the heated indoor pool (both on the picture 4). As for my long swims in the icy Atlantic, I spend hours swimming, floating, bubbled (lol). Especially when I have both pools all to myself!

Some of the guests attend the wine tasting,

while the others are preparing for dinner. I should do the same … Because tonight: gourmet dinner at the L’And, the one star Michelin restaurant of the hotel, to discover the cuisine of the talented Chef Miguel Laffan (coming up post). Mademoiselle Le K, it’s time to get dressed!

Informations

L’And Vineyards

L’And Vineyards: Minimalist Design Skysuite

Vila Vita Parc, Portugal: Stunning Gardens & Beaches

HOTEL REVIEWS, DESTINATIONS & LIFESTYLE

Many thanks to The L’And Vineyards for this lovely invitation and as always these are my opinions.

L’And Vineyards: Minimalist Design Skysuite

Posted on September 28, 2014 | Leave a comment

We drive south to Montemor-o-Novo in Alentejo.

Torrential rain in the morning in Lisbon and a sawtooth moral: torrential downpours for more than a week now! The sky is cleared early afternoon, when we arrive at The L’And Vinyards for a gastronomic stay. The hotel has a Michelin-starred restaurant.

We are in a beautiful countryside surrounded by vineyards: no noise, a bit worrying (lol)! I Can’t wait to discover our 120m² skysuite, leave luggages … and walk in the vineyards under a biblical light sky! The uncluttered design is signed Brazilian Márcio Kogan.

Tonight with any luck, if the weather permitting, I would be able to watch the stars from my bed! Very nice outdoor fireplace on the suite terrace, overlooking the infinity pool, the “garden of vines” and an artificial lake. I really enjoyed the bathroom in wood and black shale too (pictures below).