Tag Archives: Mountains

Madeira: Encumeada, Porto Moniz, Cabo Girão &…

Posted on July 19, 2015 | Leave a comment

Encumeada

Intense Blue From My Window!

The Atlantic Ocean, landing on the narrow track, then road to Calheta to stop at the Saccharum Hotel – Resort & Spa. Followed by a very nice dinner with our small team at the hotel’s Restaurante Engenho. Where I enjoyed an excellent salad with octopus and filmed my first Periscope (epic)! Yep now you can also follow my streams (live video where you can interact with me) on Periscope! We laughed a lot!

This morning I’m a little late (big mess with the time change, my phone etc …), starting at 9:15 am instead of 9 am (okay)! First stop: the Encumeada viewpoint at 1007 meters. Magnificent panorama of chains of very green mountains overlooking the northern and southern coasts of the island and valleys of Ribeira Brava and São Vicente (photo 1 & photo montage below).

We continue towards the northwest of Madeira: Porto Moniz.

Porto Moniz

The Famous Natural Pools

As we head the north of the island, the vegetation changes and the sky is overcast with clouds when we reach the village of Porto Moniz. Pretty impressive weather contrast between the South and North of the island.

What fun discovering the natural pools: shaggy rocks with the ocean in the background … Like a decor of the golden age of Italian cinema. Awesome! The water is cold but not more than Sagres (which is the colder water of all over Portugal for me!). Occasionally a clearing in the sky… Great experience!

Delicious fish for lunch on the lovely terrace of the Aqua Natura Madeira restaurant with direct views to the pools. I am hypnotised by the ocean, horizon, waves, rocks and sometimes the blinding brightness … (photos below). And my tweets (LOL)! I take this opportunity to visit this charming family hotel, with new facilities and ideally located with stunning ocean views.

Cabo Girão

Light & Vertigo

After a detour via the Saccharum, here I am at 580 meters above the sea level, on one of the highest cliffs in the world (no, these are not my feet)! Enjoying the different blues of the Ocean and beautiful golden light of late afternoon!

Câmara de Lobos

Picturesque Fishing Village

with colored boats (xavelhas). The specialty is fishing for black swordfish. It makes me think about Hemingway and The Old Man and the Sea … The navigator João Gonçalves Zarco who discovered Madeira in the fifteenth century, founded the first colony on the island in Câmara de Lobos (House of Wolves in English).

Dinner of very good fishes cooked on the grill at the Vila do Peixe terrace, enjoying the relaxing view (pictures below) … Time is pending. I could stay hours just for the peaceful view. To be continued …

Informations

Visit Madeira, Visit Portugal & TAP

Related posts : DESTINATIONS & HOTEL REVIEWS

Many thanks for this beautiful invitation to Visit Madeira, Visit Portugal and TAP. As always all my opinions are mine.

Club Med Val Thorens Sensations: Ski, Wellness & Parties

Posted on December 15, 2014 | Leave a comment

Bright mountain and slope views

from the bedroom for my first wake-up at Club Med Val Thorens Sensations (picture above)! The club is next to the slopes. After visiting the various facilities, I go to the Ski Room, trying “my” ski boots, skis, poles and helmet provided by the Club Med throughout the stay.

I am unable to know in what shoe I feel more comfortable. Thanks to the Skiing G.O.s for the perfect organization! And the material is brand new! On photo montage, the fourth and last fame: the locker with my equipment.

In the early afternoon, I start my ski lesson for beginner with Gaëlle, the instructor of the renowned Ecole de Ski Français (ESF). We are five adults (let’s face it) slightly stressed by what’s going on (LOL)!

Finally, I can fully enjoy the breathtaking panorama, blue sky and pleasant temperature. To my surprise, I’ve quickly had lots of fun to slide, turn and slow down for two hours. We go back the Ski Room really tired but a bit euphoric. Then we’ll drink and relax on the Epicurious couches.

A Really Deserved Turkish Bath!

Day 2: in the morning, I agree to join a more experienced group that will ski on a blue slope, without understanding the concept of blue slope! For my first time on the chairlift, I am captivated by the view and don’t imagine what awaits me …

At the top: mild panic, the slope is … yes, steep! I take too much speed and can’t control my right turns! Do I need to specify that Val Thorens is the highest ski area in Europe?

A skier friend helps a girlfriend and I (we are the same beginner level). And he suggests us to use the chairlift going down to the station. Ok, we go back to the chairlift (that never stops) while our expert skier friend goes skiing.

And here we are taught it was impossible to get back to the station with the chairlift. What? Here’s the choice: skiing or walking on the green slope, “the green not the black one”. Seriously? “It will be half an hour walking.” Oh yeah, we had 1:30 by skiing to get back to the station, L-O-L! Okay the view is stunning from the top …

I couldn’t see the end and me and my muscles were fed up. We arrive so exhausted that we take a light lunch to the Main Restaurant, where we find our anxious group! Then we head to the Turkish Bath of the Club Med Wellness Center. We dreamed of steam bath on slopes! And I continue with a back & legs massage at the Club Med Spa by Carita.

Party time baby!

Beautiful fireworks for the opening night

of the Club Med Val Thorens Sensations (picture above and last picture)! Needless to say, I am much more comfortable on a dance floor than on a blue slope! LOL!

As always, after the shows: the disco. On the photo montage below: the neon evening. And a picture of the team with torches to welcome us the evening of our arrival, enjoy : )

Informations

Club Med Val Thorens Sensations

Club Med Val Thorens Sensations: Great Restaurants & Bars

Scuba Diving @ The Hillside Beach Club, in Fethyie, Turkey

LIFESTYLE, DESTINATIONS & HOTEL REVIEWS

Many thanks to the whole the team of Club Med for this invitation and as always these are my opinions! Thanks to Isaline, my new BFF for this epic skiing experience!

Massage, Sauna and Spa at The Golf & Spa Resort Andreus

Posted on June 19, 2012 | Leave a comment

If my first golf lesson

was a real pleasure, I also woke up an old light pain in the shoulders and upper back (nerds understand what!). I choice a massage of the neck @ Wellnessalm, the award-winning wellness of Golf & Spa Resort Andreus. While normaly for me, massages = Asia (I know, it’s really basic!), I want to experience the famous Haki Strech & Relax, a 50-minute massage that “focuses on muscle tension in the neck, shoulders and head“.

Daniel, the therapist start the massage by my head, with the Haki oil (composed of essential oils and I get worried of my allergies, but no problem this time). A kind of new-age music gives rhythm to the massage, slowly but surely I’m drowsy. After the upper body, hands and feet are massaged with the Haki balm with essential oils too, offered at the end of the massage. No way to know the composition (nothing mentioned on the packaging, except the mention of “Organic Cosmetic”) : surprising, I like to know what I give to my skin!

At the end of the massage, Daniel left the room fifteen minutes to let me relaxe and slowly open my eyes. But the great surprise was the next day : I could turn my head from left to right and vice versa, with an unprecedented flexibility and ease : unlocked neck and shoulders and lightened spine! Fantastic! Often right after a massage, you feel good. But after a great massage, it is really the next day and following days, you can feel the benefits.

Then I reached the Vital Spa Andreus

for a sauna with essential oils of melissa, lemon and mint (picture 1): an unspected show in the dark and steam choreographed and acted by Haller Helli, the world champion of saunas (I didn’t even know it existed a world sauna championship!).

A girlfriend nicknamed Halle “Marc Jacob”, so let’s say, I had the privilege to have a private sauna with Marc (LOL!). On a pleplum music, he shakes with dexterity a wet towel in front of each one of us, for the essential oils to better penetrate our skin. It’s like a peeling that cleans the skin deeply and makes it extremely soft and smooth after.

I sat at the first level, where the lowest temperature is 50 °. Two higher levels, the temperature is 90°! Fortunately in front of the sauna, there is an ice water pool. But I prefered swimming in the large pool of warm water, surrounded by mountains, with the Dolomiti in the background (photo 2)! A bless!

Informations

www.andreus.it, www.suedtirol.info, www.meranerland.com, www.suedtirols-sueden.info, www.lufthansa.com

Related posts : DESTINATIONS, BEAUTY & HOTEL REVIEWS

Many thanks for this beautiful invitation to Suedtirol and Lufthansa. As always these opinions are my own.

Tag Archives: Mountains

Madeira: Encumeada, Porto Moniz, Cabo Girão &…

Encumeada

Intense Blue From My Window!

Porto Moniz

The Famous Natural Pools

Cabo Girão

Light & Vertigo

Câmara de Lobos

Picturesque Fishing Village

Informations

Club Med Val Thorens Sensations: Ski, Wellness & Parties

Bright mountain and slope views

A Really Deserved Turkish Bath!

Party time baby!

Beautiful fireworks for the opening night

Informations

Massage, Sauna and Spa at The Golf & Spa Resort Andreus

If my first golf lesson

Then I reached the Vital Spa Andreus

Informations

Search It!

Recent Entries

Links

ABOUT

Search

Archives