Tag Archives: Leisure

Martinhal Beach Resort & Hotel: A Room With A View

Posted on November 9, 2014 | Leave a comment

I like this kind of surprise.

By opening the door to my room, I am won by a kind of euphoria and I head straight to the window. I opened wide the curtains to enjoy the warm golden light of early evening, the last weekend of August.

Spectacular panorama for nature lovers ! A stunning 180 degree view of the Atlantic Ocean and Sagres cliffs. A part of wild Algarve in the extreme south of Portugal: the beautiful Martinhal Beach Resort & Hotel is located in a protected natural park.

Yes I love the feeling of being both outside and inside. The decor is very simple and stylish, with a 50’s twist and a Nespresso coffee machine.

But the icing on the cake: falling asleep under a moonlit night, lulled by the sound of waves … in an incredibly comfortable bed (lol). I tried to do a podcast, it did not work. Dizziness ! A thousand words: here are some amazing pictures !

Pictures below: panoramic overview from the room, left (pictures 1 & 2) to right (pictures 3 & 4). Pictures 5 & 6, the building rooms with ocean views. Last picture: my room.

Informations

Martinhal Beach Resort & Hotel

Martinhal Beach Resort & Hotel: Amazing Restaurant

Areias do Seixo: Awesome Eco-luxury Hotel in Portugal

HOTEL REVIEWS, DESTINATIONS & How To Prepare Your Travel

I was invited with a friend by the Martinhal Beach Resort & Hotel and as always these are my opinions. Many thanks to the hotel’s team.

Martinhal Beach Resort & Hotel: Amazing Restaurant

Posted on October 26, 2014 | Leave a comment

After six hours driving from Lisbon to Sagres… Yes, six hours! No joke, I will explain you why later (coming up post). We arrived around six o’clock at the beautiful Martinhal Resort and Hotel. Less tired than dazed, curious and happy to check out our room and the resort. And a bit hungry too.

Fantastic dinner at the O Terraçao

One of the best fish I’ve ever eaten

Initially the restaurant reservation was for 8 o’clock: no way! I need my time, so I changed the reservation and we arrive at the O terraçao at 9 p.m. Thankfully there are not many people and the atmosphere is relaxed. We sit near the large window to enjoy the view of the city lights of Sagres.

I choose as a first meal a salad with shrimps and fried pineapple (picture 2 in the photo montage above). While my friend has an excellent shrimp soup (1). Then we both choose a delicious fresh fish with a mashed sweet potato and Mediterranean vegetables.

Great desserts nicely presented

Above : my chocolate ice cream (picture 1) and the chocolate cake of my friend (picture 2). Super light! Lol! On the wall, beautiful pictures of traditional Portugese : an old woman and nun.

After these desserts we are so full, we decide to have a walk in the big property and stop at the M Bar (really cool surf bar). But at midnight something, it’s already closed! The Martinhal is a family hotel first. No problem, we even laughed a lot on the way back to the hotel room.

A Scandinavian vibe with a Brit twist

Great interior design in the restaurant (first picture of the post) and lobby, with a cosy atmosphere. Picture above: a view from the restaurant to the lobby. Picture below: one of my favorite part of the resort, the lobby is both modern and retro with a “Mad Men” touch.

Sunny breakfast at the terrace

First morning, I missed the breakfast

because I was sleeping (lol!). So the next day, I decided to wake up earlier to be ready fifteen minutes before the breakfast at the restaurant (still O Terraçao) closes! I’m defenitely not a morning person.

Pictures (above and the last one): do you see the view? Stunning, isn’t it? And the buffet is awesome with jams of local producers, many different breads and sun-kissed fruits (picture below). As for the dinner, the service is excellent.

Informations

Martinhal Beach Resort & Hotel

L’And Vineyards: Minimalist Design Skysuite

Algarve, Portugal: Anti-stress Massage @ Vila Vita Vital

HOTEL REVIEWS, DESTINATIONS & How To Prepare Your Travel

We were invited by the Martinhal Beach Resort & Hotel and as always these are my opinions. Many thanks to the O Terraçao team.

Review: The Skechers GOwalk & The Skechers Flex Appeal

Posted on October 24, 2014 | 2 comments

Skechers GOwalk: My Must Have!

Never without my GOwalk!

Initially, when I received these shoes, what a surprise! So far away from my style! I know this design is the big trend of this winter, but I’m not trends! It took me almost a month before wearing them around mid-August. Then I suddenly loved them (yes after wearing them): absolute comfort with the Memory Foam insole. A blessing for my feet!

Since then they go with me everywhere. They are lightweight and amazing for long walks in town. I even use them when I have to get to a formal appointment. And I swapped my Skechers GOwalk for high heels once arrived at destination. For few months, from the Lisbon Vogue Fashion’s Night Out to a fashion exhibition in Rotterdam … I’ve kept them with me (photo montage below)!

The day before taking these photos, I washed my slip-on sneakers in the washing machine. I feared they deteriorate but not, they stay fine. The only negative point about them is the smell. Maybe they need their ventilation system to be improved, or using antiperspirant materials.

Skechers Flex Appeal

Excellent design for indoor running

I’ve had my Sketchers Flex Appeal since summer and I haven’t really been diligent in sport. Actually it’s not true, I focused on aquatics. But I also test my sneakers indoors running on a treadmill several times.

En In addition to have a smart design, they also feature the Memory Foam, a flexible sole that takes the shape of the foot and work as a pillow for the foot during the effort. These sneakers are very light and flexible for a better comfort.

As a beginner runner, they perfectly suit me. By cons I have not used them outdoors, so I do not know if they have a good grip (on wet soils for example), or if they are easy to clean (mud etc …).