Tag Archives: Short Break

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.

Lisbon and surroundings: A Beach in Guincho

Posted on September 2, 2014 | Leave a comment

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.

Informations

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

Portugal: Comporta, Miles of Pristine Beaches

Lisbon: Shopping, Beach and Night Market

DESTINATIONS & LIFESTYLE

Hillside Beach Club, Turkey: Watersports And Beach Party

Posted on August 17, 2014 | Leave a comment

I need to move, don’t you?

I love beach, but soon I need to walk, swim, dive (a must), surf (no comment, lol) …! Well to enjoy sports related with water: the only ones sports that really interest me at the seaside!

Here at the Hillside Beach Club, I started with the best: diving of course! Followed by a fast catamaran initiation: I haven’t done it for ages (picture 1)! Awesome when you can take the speed!

I regret not having had time to do a bit of water skiing. The facilities are new and the location is stunning: the pontoon is down a hillside (pictures 2, 3 & 4).

After sports, beach party!

No, I won’t play the jaded! It’s fun. A touch of Daft Punk, Pharrell and Azealia (Banks) mixed with stars in the sky, ephemeral bar on the beach, cool people and the sea, the sea, the sea … Good vibes!

Bye bye beach bar, we head to Le Pacha whose the small disco is desert tonight! Too bad, excellent extended remix of a song of Azealia (again!). Seriously I’m more into strawberries and almonds than alcohols (picture below)!

People prefer staying outside and chatting in comfortable white seats, along with a soup! Apparently it is a late evening habit in Turkey, just before going home. Around 1 am, I left the small team, to collapse in my bed! Tomorrow will be beach?