We decided to discover the city center of Liege by bike with a guide! How to plan a visit with a bicycle guide: contact Liege city tourist office, where you can also book bicycles. Ours weren’t electric: if you’re not used to cycling, prefer electric bikes because the distances are long and sometimes your guide can be in a hurry (lol!). What a fantastic breath of fresh air! Starting with the historic center, then its canals and parks: mixing history and nature! After the guided bike ride, we choose to continue alone “on a bicycle”.
We stopped for a long time at the museum of the Royal Belgian Institute of Natural Sciences. Fascinating: galleries with large mammals! Then we went to two exhibitions in different areas of the city, including one at La Bouverie, the modern and contemporary art museum. And if you want to extend your long day in Liège, with a short romantic weekend: here is a very very charming boutique hotel, the Hotel Neuvice. Beautiful modern decoration in a historic residence, with an efficient and very friendly team.
Hi everyone! I am posting this old article of Argelès-sur-Mer on the front page. An explosion of vitamin D with a blazing sun and temperatures that rise to 39 °. Let's go for a breath of fresh air in the South-South of France!
We landed in Barcelona and we are on our way to Argelès-sur-Mer in a rental with 36°, cause the air conditioning doesn’t, lol! Fortunately the very charming hotel Le Cottage, has a superb swimming pool! I really like this elegant little hotel with a lovely service, in a very pleasant French chic setting. Direction Racou beach (meaning “the corner” in Catalan), where we have lunch at Menje Aqui: really cool atmosphere. This area is preserved from mass tourism. From Now it’s 39 °: back to the hotel, where we cool down in the spa pool. At the beginning of the evening, we have a drink and dine at La Table de Valmy, the Château Valmy wine restaurant. A cosy terrace with stunning view of the vineyards and very good tapas of local products.
Day 2: early in the morning departure for a short hike on the coastal path of the Vermeille coast, accompanied by a very friendly naturalist guide. We discover an ancient buttresses and secret cove and very beautiful panoramas of the Mediterranean, the Pyrenees and the famous peak of Canigou. Later in the morning, we stop at a small producer of olive oil and proud defender of Catalan culture. Beautiful encounter. Its olive trees grows in front of the sea! In the afternoon, we do a little sea kayaking in another beach, the water temperature is almost perfect. But my love at first sight is the Racou, where we dine at Menje E Caille with enchanting decoration, delicious food and the best fake gin and tonic on earth! Then we walk through the narrow streets of the old village of Argelès-sur-Mer, far from the hustle and bustle.
Day 3: around 8 am-8:30am, we start a long electric bike tour, in order to avoid the heat. The route which passes through the domain of Valmy, includes a few sections on small picturesque roads in the countryside. Small stalls sell fresh peaches, the star fruit of the region. We end the tour at the Argelès-sur-Mer marina. From there in the afternoon, we take a boat for a 2-3 hour ride along the coast. One our stops is the port of Collioure (which reminds me of a Game of Thrones setting). Unfortunately we don’t have enough time to visit. Time flies quickly. Soon you will have to go back and get ready to dine in a beach club in Argelès-sur-Mer. Our last evening, a table facing my dear Mediterranean …
Hi everyone! Once more on the front page of the blog, an old article of the beautiful Tenerife which I hope will entertain you. And why not planning your next vacation when the borders reopen. Direction The Canary islands!
After a 4h30 flight
We collect the rental car for our mini road trip in Tenerife. Our hotel, The Ritz-Carlton, Abama is located in the south of the island. The sandy arid landscapes with from time to time banana plantations, are reminiscent of Africa. The huge rose-colored resort surrounded by a lush oasis of green plants, offers superb views of the Atlantic Ocean, as well as several swimming pools. I immediately have a feeling of space, nature and comfort. The quality of the various restaurants is outstanding and we particularly liked El Mirador and the Beach Club. We could easily consider never leaving the hotel!
Day 2: in the morning, we stop at the Mirador Archopenque to see Los Gigantes cliffs. Then we reach the north of the island. Second stop in the picturesque village of Icod de los Vinos, for the famous Drago de Icod. This unique specimen is an endemic arboreal plant (Canary Islands dragon tree) and it is believed to be between 800 and 1000 years old. Its base is 20 meters in diameter. Next stop: the volcanic sand beaches of Puerto de la Cruz, what a show! The ultramarine blue ocean, the white of the foam of waves on the shiny black sand, currents and a few surfers.
Day 3: very early departure and “sporty” long road to the Teide National Park to admire the eponymous volcano. It summit rises to 3,718 meters high. Stunning landscapes, incredible light. Sometimes, it feels like in a road movie in the south of the United States. Sometimes like in a lunar setting with a strong wind that pushes you far ahead! A must see! We take a short break in the postcard village, La Oratava. And back to the south of the island, we relax El Medano beach frequented by kitsurfers.
