Tag Archives: Restaurant

Açores: mes adresses à Ponta Delagada

24h à Ponta Delgada

Promenade dans le centre historique

Premier jour de ce voyage aux Açores, où je découvrirai deux îles de ce superbe archipel de l’Océan Atlantique, São Miguel et Santa Maria. Je suis très excitée, ça faisait longtemps que je souhaitais visiter les Açores!

Departure at dawn from Brussels to Ponta Delgada (the capital of the Azores in São Miguel island), with a stopover in Lisbon with TAP airline. We arrive in midday with a changing weather, both cloudy rainy and from time to time sunny. It’s part of the charm of the archipelago, 4 seasons in one day. 

Dans la veille ville, le temps semble s’être arrêté, avec ses imposants monuments (Portas da Cidade de Ponta Delgada, 1783) et églises (Igreja Matriz de São Miguel) datant du XVIe siècle. Rues pavées, un square, des façades aux couleurs vives (photos ci-dessous)… 

  

Où siroter un thé des Açores

Louvre Michaelense

Prenez le temps de vous perdre. Ainsi je suis tombée sur l’adresse : où siroter un thé des Açores! 

Louvre Michaelense est à la fois, une boutique (photo 3 ci-dessus), un salon de thé (2) et une épicerie fine (1) qui propose une sélection d’objets et produits locaux recherchés, aux packaging régressifs dans un cadre désuet. Le concept m’a fait penser à A Vida Portuguese (à Lisbonne). Convivial et très actuel. 

Où dormir

  

La Casa das Palmeiras

J’ai d’abord vu de loin la toiture qui contrastait avec l’architecture locale. Construite en 1901, La Casa das Palmeiras ressemble plus à une de ces villas Art Nouveau de la Côte d’Azur. Récemment entièrement rénové, ce petit hôtel de 10 chambres est un petit bijoux. Idéal pour un élégant week-end.

Superbe adresse, less is more!   

    

Quoi de neuf?

Découvrir du Street art

Quelle surprise! Je suis une créative, alors vous imaginez mon bonheur en découvrant ces oeuvres de Street art disséminées de parts et d’autres dans Ponta Delgada. Toutes mes excuses, j’ai perdu mes notes avec les titres des oeuvres et noms des artistes. Oups!

 

Où boire un verre et dîner

La terrasse de l’Azor Hotel

C’est toujours un grand plaisir pour moi de séjourner ou dîner dans un hôtel décoré par Nini Andrade Silva! J’aime beaucoup son travail et sa personnalité. Elle a cette capacité à dramatiser l’espace et à créer des univers uniques dans lesquels on se sent bien.

Après un long moment sur la superbe terrasse de l’Azor Hotel, nous dînons au restaurant A Terra Fornaria. La cuisine et service sont top. Résolument mon adresse chic et relaxe de Ponta Delgada! 

 

Photos & vidéos : © Mademoiselle Le K – Tous droits réservés.

Informations  

Visit AzoresVisit Portugal, TAPLouvre Michaelense, Street art avec Walk & Talk AzoresCasa das Palmeiras – Charming House, Azor Hotel

Autres articles : HOTEL REVIEWS & DESTINATIONS

Un grand merci à Visit Azores, à Visit Portugal et à la TAP pour cette superbe invitation. Comme toujours, ce sont mes opinions.

Seychelles, La Digue: Nature & Friendliness

Welcome To La Digue

After A Long Rain

Epic arrival at La Passe harbour, by ferry from Praslin at midday, under a heavy rain. So I canceled the rental of the bike. And I wait patiently in the veranda of my bungalow that the rain stops.

On the island, you can’t rent a car. A very good point considering its area (9.81 km2)! One moves by bike, buggy or taxi (bugy or car). It gives a charm to this small island of the Indian Ocean!

Around 3 p.m. the rain stops. If the weather allows, I will visit the island before dusk, in bugy (no time to bike). First stop: Grande Anse, awesome fine white sand beach, with turquoise emerald water and granite rocks, a marvel! But dangerous for swim (photos and videos above and below). 

 

 

I Continue My Island Tour

Clear Water Everywhere

Even when the weather changes from rainny to sunny (on the photomontage below). After visiting a succession of lovely coves (which I will not enumerate!), we stop at Chez Jules, the small Creole bar-restaurant of Anse Banane, ideally located facing the sea. Where I taste a Creole nougat with banana and coconut: very perfumed but too sweet for me.

Then back to my bungalow with a kitsch interior design (I like it), but super clean and very well equipped (photo 2 on the photomontage below). In fact, I should had to sleep at La Diguoise, but there was confusion in the dates.

The Gourmet Address

La Diguoise

I’m lucky enough to have dinner and have breakfast at La Diguoise, a refined small guest house (photo 3 above). Very warm welcome in a lovely Creole house with a beautiful garden where it is good to farniente! One of those confidential addresses you share with friends. 

Elodie is a very caring owner and a fabulous chef (video below). On the photo montage above, the succulent dinner: photo 1, homemade chips with pieces of coconut. And photo 2, a Creole dishes assortment with salads, fish and salt donuts. A delight! Photo 4, the breakfast served like a painting … in a really relaxing setting (photos below).

I really enjoy the slow rythm of La Digue island. I will go back.

 

  

The next day, Departure For Mahe via Praslin

Photos & vidéos : © Mademoiselle Le K – Tous droits réservés.

Informations  

Seychelles Tourism Board, La DiguoiseAir Seychelles.

Related posts : DESTINATIONS & HOTEL REVIEWS

Many thanks the Seychelles Tourism Board and Air Seychelles for this fantastic experience. Also many thanks to Elodie and her smiling team for the very warm welcome. As always, these are my opinions.

Switzerland: Graubünden Ski Weekend (Day 1)

Allegra (Hello)!

Perfect Timing

Flight to Zurich with SWISS airline, then a train and bus to Lenzerheide with a Swiss precision and I really enjoy it! From Brussels center to the hotel in Lenzerheide, it takes more than half a daytime in transportation.

Stunning landscapes and pure air: a real change of scenery, the Swiss Alps (first picture of the post). Welcome to the Graubûnden! In the early afternoon, we arrive at the cozy Hotel Schweizerhof Lenzerheide, ideally located opposite the bus station in the center of the village. 

The sun plays hide and seek. What a pleasure to discover my vast bedroom! As always, I didn’t sleep the day before my trip. The bed looks so comfortable … Neat simple interior design, I feel like in a nice cocoon with a panoramique mountain view from my balcony (below pictures).

  

The Scalottas Terroir

  

Gourmet Dinner

For this first evening: a 5-course tasting menu dinner at the Scalottas Terroir, elaborated with local high quality products. The restaurant is a 5 minute walk and belongs to the owners of the hotel. Forget the high heels, wear after-ski boots to go to the restaurant. LOL! My little team was really entertained when I arrived at the hotel reception desk in high heels!

Left picture above: our table nicely set up in the “Mountain Pine Parlour”. The atmosphere is cozy (thanks to Simone, our super waitress!) and the concept is based in slow food. The restaurant selects its ingredients at local producers concerned about sustainable development.

Since I don’t eat meat except chicken, I had a slightly different menu. Let’s say a (chicken) version of the menu dishes (below pictures):

a Grisons tartar duet (with une brioche de pomme de terre), Mountain pine soup (composed with apple raviolis), Swiss egg (poched egg with patatoe, cabbage, waffle and Andeerer Grantit cheese foam) and Highland ox duet. The dessert (a mix of sorbet and fruit pie) is also delicious. To be continue …

Photos : © Mademoiselle Le K – Tous droits réservés

Informations  

Graubünden FerienLenzerheide, ArosaSWISSSwiss Travel System (STS)Switzerland TourismHotel Schweizerhof Lenzerheide & Scalottas Terroir 

Related posts : DESTINATIONS & HOTEL REVIEWS

Many thanks to the Graubünden Ferien, Lenzerhaide, Arosa, Switzerland Tourism, SWISS and Swiss Travel System (STS) for this beautiful invitation. As always, these are my opinions.