Tag Archives: Short Break

Costa de Prata, Portugal: Cliffs and Pristine Beaches

Areias do Seixo-Portugal-Hotel-21-Photo Mademoiselle Le K-copyright 2014

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.

Areias do Seixo-Portugal-Hotel-12-Photo Mademoiselle Le K-copyright 2014Areias do Seixo-Portugal-Hotel-13-Photo Mademoiselle Le K-copyright 2014Areias do Seixo-Portugal-Hotel-14-Photo Mademoiselle Le K-copyright 2014

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! 

Areias do Seixo-Portugal-Hotel-15-Photo Mademoiselle Le K-copyright 2014Areias do Seixo-Portugal-Hotel-17-Photo Mademoiselle Le K-copyright 2014Areias do Seixo-Portugal-Hotel-20-Photo Mademoiselle Le K-copyright 2014

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! 

Areias do Seixo-Portugal-Hotel-22-Photo Mademoiselle Le K-copyright 2014Areias do Seixo-Portugal-Hotel-25-Photo Mademoiselle Le K-copyright 2014Areias do Seixo-Portugal-Hotel-26-Photo Mademoiselle Le K-copyright 2014

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.

Areias do Seixo-Portugal-Hotel-27-Photo Mademoiselle Le K-copyright 2014

Photos : Mademoiselle Le K – copyright 2014, tous droits réservés.  

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Areias do Seixo – Charme Hotel 

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DESTINATIONSHOTEL REVIEWS LIFESTYLE  

L’And Vineyards: The Design Hotel Amidst Vineyards

L'And Vinyards-Hotel-Portugal-Alentejo-1-Photo Mademoiselle Le K-copyright 2014

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)! 

L'And Vinyards-Hotel-Portugal-Alentejo-On the Road-Photo Mademoiselle Le K-copyright 2014 L'And Vinyards-Hotel-Portugal-Alentejo-2A-Photo Mademoiselle Le K-copyright 2014 L'And Vinyards-Hotel-Portugal-Alentejo-3-Photo Mademoiselle Le K-copyright 2014

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!

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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! 

L'And Vinyards-Hotel-Portugal-Alentejo-2-Photo Mademoiselle Le K-copyright 2014L'And Vinyards-Hotel-Portugal-Alentejo-6-Photo Mademoiselle Le K-copyright 2014L'And Vinyards-Hotel-Portugal-Alentejo-7-Photo Mademoiselle Le K-copyright 2014

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!

L'And Vinyards-Hotel-Portugal-Alentejo-10-Photo Mademoiselle Le K-copyright 2014L'And Vinyards-Hotel-Portugal-Alentejo-11-Photo Mademoiselle Le K-copyright 2014

Photos : Mademoiselle Le K – copyright 2014, tous droits réservés.

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L’And Vineyards 

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

Lisbon and surroundings: A Beach in Guincho

Guincho-2-Photo Mademoiselle Le K-copyright 2014

Swimming in Guincho at 7-8 p.m.

After a long break at Santini in Caiscas – for the best ice cream in the world ; ) – we stop at one of the small beaches along the coast of Guincho towards Sintra (post to come), for a early evening swim!

The air is crisp and a bit freezy: few people on the beach, less in the icy water and powerful waves. Bad habit, I got used to go to superb desert pristine sandy beaches for miles in Alentejo. That’s why, I avoid the lovely beaches of Guincho crowded with people during the hottest hours.

Guincho-4-Photo Mademoiselle Le K-copyright 2014Guincho-3-Photo Mademoiselle Le K-copyright 2014Guincho-5-Photo Mademoiselle Le K-copyright 2014

Photos : Mademoiselle Le K – copyright 2014, tous droits réservés. 

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To go to Guincho from Lisbon, prefer the Marginal road along the ocean than the highway.  

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DESTINATIONS & LIFESTYLE