Tag Archives: hotel

Bricco Rosso: agriturismo hotel surrounded by vineyards

The plans were up in the air when we left Ca’ San Sebastiano wine resort and spa: where gourmet and luxury meet agriturismo. We only knew that we would have to get closer to the Mediterranean France and that we wouldn’t have time for Torino this time. I asked the GPS to bring us first to Asti, then to Alba. We had been told that they would be pleasant towns to stop by but we knew nothing about them other than that they were famous towns of the renowned wine region of Langhe in Piedmonte.

The further south we drove, the more we missed Ca’ San Sebastiano and the lush, almost mystical surroundings. We were in the heart of the Langhe region, one of Italy’s most important wine-producing areas and the roadsides full of warehouses were a proof of it.

Upon reaching Asti we decided it was too big for our taste, continued to Alba, and came to the same conclusion. Had we decided to tour the Langhe region during several days we could have maybe used Asti or Alba as a base, but since we were limited with time we just wanted to return to the countryside. After all, we live in Paris all year round, and prefer holidays in the countryside, so we continued driving.

I kept searching for the hotel at the agriturismo website. We visited some properties but nothing felt right until we saw Bricco Rosso, a red building majestically standing on a hill, surrounded by vineyards.

We agreed upon the price: 80 € for two adults and a child, including breakfast. Our room had a view on the pool and the hills.

The rest of the afternoon was spent in the pool and watching a dog running up and down the rows of grape yards. There were swings for children. We were probably the only guests of the hotel. There were still some wedding decorations left and it was explained to us that the hotel hosts a lot of wedding and other events.

We liked the hotel because it was surrounded by beautiful scenery and silence. Our room was comfortable, very clean and big enough for three. Breakfast was limited but sufficient. The staff didn’t speak English but we managed… For dinner the hotel staff recommended a local pizzeria trattoria, located in Dogliani (a five-minute car drive away), where we had a simple but ah-so-tasty dinner. In fact we fell in love with Dogliani, which is a super cute and authentic village full of old buildings and churches. It was a lot of fun to walk around in Dogliani after the dinner and to discover tiny alleys and watch children play football. The next time we would probably try to stay in the center of Dogliani and rent bikes.

Would we stay again in Bricco Rosso? Maybe, if the price stays interesting (a lot of the other hotels nearby were a lot more expensive).

Tip: If you end up staying at Bricco Rosso and it is important for you to have eating facilities on the ground, then find out in advance if the restaurant is open for hotel guests (or is it only open during events).

https://www.briccorosso.it

Agriturismo in Italy: https://www.agriturismo.it

For dinner in Dogliani: La Lanterna, via Croce, 5, Dogliani. Tel. 0173-71261 / 3347177828

Ca’ San Sebastiano wine resort and spa: where gourmet and luxury meet agriturismo

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When planning the second part of our summer holidays, we looked at the map and asked ourselves what options we have besides taking the usual “Autoroute du Soleil” from Paris to the south of France. We have taken that highway dozens of times, and yet there obviously are a lot of sightseeing along the route, we wanted something new. We had four nights to spend somewhere before our arrival in the French Riviera.

Upon a friend’s suggestion we decided to make a small detour and cross the Alps to the Italian side and head toward Piedmont, home to the Slow Food movement, Eataly, truffles and Unesco World Heritage sites.

I had made some inquiries about what to see in Piedmont and everyone had told us to head “south-east of Turin” because this is where the famous wine-producing area called Langhe is. It almost seemed as if outside Turin and Langhe there wasn’t a lot to see… However, we had found on Internet a very charming small boutique-like hotel in the north of Langhe and wanted to stop there. And what a pearl we found!! Our first stop in Piedmont, Italy was Ca’ San Sebastiano, a fantastic wine resort and spa. Look at these photos and the colours –no Phohoshop needed!

We fell in love with the style, described as “…an almost Provencal style with the addition of some charming details and authentic objects, mainly found in the various Italian and French ‘brocante’ and antique markets” in the hotel’s website.

At arrival we were taken to our room, the Lavanda Apartment. When we had called, we had just made a general booking for two adults and a four-year old without asking too many questions, so what we walked into was better than we could have expected. The apartment had a big bedroom with a fireplace and an even larger living room with an equipped kitchen, a sofa bed and a balcony facing the garden.

The pool area where we spent the rest of the day was overlooking the hills, wineyards and Medieval churches. It was serene and pleasant. There were mainly Italian tourists, a nice mixture of couples of all ages and families. For dinner the hotel had suggested a buffet table that we had prior to the arrival been hesitant about (mainly because of the price, 25€/person), but it was so worth it. It was straight from an Italian movie featuring romantic life in the countryside: fresh homecooking dishes with tons of delicious vegetables, pasta of course, fresh herbs, dark red wine from the local grapes… Our daughter, a big fan of grissini, spinach and olives, was in heaven.The next morning we had a breakfast (a combination of homemade cakes and cookies, jams, cold cuts and cheese etc.), purchased some wine to take home, said hi to the swimming pool, and hit the road. We did not try the spa and its famous vinotherapy and hay bath, and missed the wine tasting and cellar visits, but we will definitetely be back. Maybe we will rent bikes and tour the nearby hills.

I think in future we would fly from Paris to Turin, visit some of those famous museum including the famous Egyptian Museum, rent a car and drive to Ca San Sebastiano, located only one hour from Turin by car.

This was our first-ever agriturismo* experience, and we now regret not explorig the concept before but better late than never, right!

TIPS:

There are many differents kind of accommodation options: mainly rooms and apartments but there is also an other apartment called Orangerie located 8 km from the hotel that can host up to 5 people. I personally thought the booking options were not that simple to understand, so best to call the hotel directly and tell them what you need. And if the hotel is not full, visit different options like we always do! E.g. we saw a family with a baby on the ground floor and their apartment had a small terrace where the baby could play.
There are mosquitos in the evening -a lot of them!!- so be prepared.

CA’ SAN SEBASTIANO: Via Ombra 10 -12 Fraz. Castel San Pietro – 15020 Camino.

Phone: +39 0142 469595 Cell: + 39 339 5030545 info@casansebastiano.it

PRICE: 70€/room including breakfast (such a great deal, especially considering this was in early August!) and 25€/buffet dinner/adult (our four-year old didn’t pay).

*Agriturismo: the word basically means “farm stay” but in practise the concept goes beyond that. Here is a great article to learn more about agriturismo: https://www.walksofitaly.com/blog/hotels/what-is-an-agriturismo

Arrival in Kuching: first impressions

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The Scoot flight from Singapore to Kuching landed a little after 9 pm on a Monday night. The money exchange bureau at the airport was closed but a taxi driver accepted Singaporean dollars. Our journey to the Waterfront Hotel started. Everything looked much more developed than we had expected, and Kuching seemed like a big town. Everything felt very different from what we had seen on our previous trips. There seemed to be a balanced mixture of traditionalism (ancient temples etc) and modernity (fast-food chains etc). There is a French word “dépaysant”, which loosely translated means “exotic, unfamiliar”, and this is indeed how we felt. The check-in at the Waterfront Hotel was friendly and professional. We were very hungry but the only way to eat was to order room service (overpriced, especially the beer, but tasty). Our room was clean, modern yet a bit bland. The room could have been in any of the world’s 4-star hotels.

Like often, everything looked brighter in the morning. We really liked our view.

There was the Indian neighborhood on the left, the 19th-century Old Court House Complex in front of our hotel, the old Chinatown on the right, and more hotels on the far right. The majestic Sarawak river calmly flew in front of us.

Unfortunately after the breakfast we realized our daughter had fever. It kept coming and going during three days but stopped -as a doctor we had consulted had suggested- as abruptly as it had started after 72 hours. This however made us lose a few days so during her sick days we only walked around in different parts of Kuching and met our guide-to-be James to plan an efficient program for the rest of our stay. The elections that took place in Malaysia during our stay added an extra element of excitement to our already adventurous journey. The streets remained calm in Kuching, the capital of Sarawak but many places were closed and everyone we met was holding his breath while waiting for the results. We ended up staying one full week in Kuching. During the first days we kept wondering whether we should move to another hotel or not. We usually like smaller hotels with a bit more charm combined with local touch, and the Waterfront Hotel just felt a bit dull. In the end we decided not to change: the staff was very friendly and the breakfast was great, but more about this in another post!

Kuching grew on us. We loved the fact that there was no tourist invasion. We were literally on the other side of the planet. A lot of the times it was only us and the locals. In retrospect I can say that Kuching was so different from anything else we had seen before that it took some time to get adjusted. On the other hand this is exactly what I love about traveling and why we travel –the goal for us is to find places that are “dépaysant” (exotic, unfamiliar, new, fresh, different…) and Kuching was all of that and beyond. We loved Kuching.

More detailed posts to come about accommodation, eating, sightseeing. Stay tuned!

Previous posts about our journey (in chronological order):

May travel dilemma

Borneo: Sarawak or Sabah?

Fabulous and stylish Indigo Hotel Singapore Katong

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This hotel review could be very short because one sentence could sum it all up: we absolutely adored Indigo Hotel Katong Singapore! It probably is the most stylish, originally decorated hotel I have ever stayed at. We slept there for three nights in the beginning of our journey and loved it so much that we returned for one last night on our way from Borneo to Paris. I would love to return to Singapore just for Indigo Hotel and I believe we will do so very soon!

***Click the photos to see captions***

LOCATION, NEIGHBORHOOD & GETTING AROUND

Hotel Indigo Singapore Katong is located in a charming neighborhood called Katong, home to fascinating and diverse Peranakan culture. The neighborhood is both residential and touristic, but we definitely felt that we were getting a very authentic experience. There are some really great (some very cheap) restaurants withing a walking distance but those looking for a more “Western experience” will also find what they need.

We loved Singapore because of Katong and our hotel, as simple as that.

Charming East Coast Road

Traditional houses

Hotel Indigo seen from the street. The white building is where their famous restaurant Baba Chew is located. This is also where the breakfast is served.

The drive from the airport takes 10-15 minutes and costs 10-20 SGD (6-12€). If your taxi driver doesn’t know newly-opened Indigo Hotel Singapore Katong, tell him it is next to Holiday Inn Hotel.

There are many buses that take you from the hotel to the city center, i.e. number 31 and 32. The duration of the ride depends where you want to go but to give you an idea, Marina Bay Sands can be reached in 25 minutes. There is no metro near the hotel.

RESERVATION & PRICE

For the best price go here: https://www.ihg.com/hotelindigo/hotels/gb/en/singapore/sinki/hoteldetail

If you aren’t already, become a member of IHG Rewards Club, which by the way is the world’s largest hotel loyalty program. We compared prices and got a very good deal by booking directly. Breakfast was included. If you have any questions, click “Need help?” at the bottom of the website and you can chat with an assistant. We did this to get clarifications about taxes (10% + 7%), the cost of a child and the membership. The person who helped us was very professional and fast. Both of our reservations were very last minute (less than one week before arrival) and we paid around 130€ per night (2 adults and a child, breakfast and taxes included).

ROOMS

We stayed in two different rooms. We asked for a room with a view and on a higher floor and these photos are from our first room on the 12th floor (room number 1205). All the rooms look pretty much the same but the main difference is that some have a view on the Peranakan houses (East Coast Road) and some look at Holiday Inn Hotel. We preferred the city view but the other one is not bad either.

Our lovely room.

Bureau. Perfect for children too.

Bathroom (shower behind the mirror). Love the tiles.

There are many little well thought-through details. The drawing on the wall behind the bed. Beautiful cement tiles. Shower that looks right outside (you should use window shades while showering). Some rooms have a round bath tub. A feet-washing bowl with nice products. Traditional candies served in glass jars. The list goes on. There is a complimentary handy, a cellular phone guests can use during their stay. I used it for maps and making free phone calls to Borneo. Fantastic!

Pretty cement tiles and flower-print table

Carpet in the common area.

BREAKFAST

The breakfast was a delight. It consists of a buffet, fixed menu of classical dishes like eggs Florentine, but in addition there were three regional dishes every day. What a great way to discover Asian delicacies! We enjoyed exotic fruits, creative fresh juices like watermelon mixed with beetroot, and tasting laksa, nasi lemak and Singaporean signature snack kaya toast. Coffee selection was excellent.

Eeyore enjoyed watermelon too first 🙂

Local specialties

Regional flavors

Breakfast is served in the premises of Baba Chews restaurant that we never tried, but every time we walked by in the evening it was crowded. Hotel guests enjoy discount while dining and wining at Baba Chews (http://babachews.com.sg).

SERVICE

Impeccable. Once again, I do not have anything to add. We had questions about buses, restaurants, sites, shopping, medical care, Ramadan –you name it, and each time we were answered with patience and smile.

When we returned to Singapore for our last night, the flight landed really early making us arrive at Hotel Indigo before 11am. “No problem, we have a room for you and we won’t charge for the early check-in” the young man at the reception told us.

SWIMMING POOL

We used the pool a lot, morning, afternoon and evening. It was very pretty to watch sun sets from the infinity pool (the pool closes at 9pm). The music was cool, not too loud. Clientele was very discreet, young’ish and chic. Locals, Asians, French, Canadians… It felt like The Place To Be In.

There is a gym next to the pool but we didn’t try it.

CHILD-FRIENDLINESS

Very child friendly! Our three-year old daughter slept for free with us. She didn’t pay anything for breakfast. Every morning she was given a plastic plate with a mug and cutlery. They brought her black olives even when they were not part of the breakfast buffet. The chef customized her pancakes. High chairs were naturally available. Our daughter napped approximately from 1pm to 3pm and we were allowed to keep the room until she woke up, so instead of checking out at the midday we got extra three hours for free. They gave her an origami butterfly and always addressed her with kindness. The coffee table in the room was very practical and perfect for her size. She would sit on the sofa and draw, read or play. She loved Hotel Indigo and was inspired by atmosphere. And you know what they say? Happy child, happy parents!

PROS & CONS

+Close to the airport (10-15 minutes by taxi)

+Authentic, charming neighborhood called Katong

+Opened in 2016, everything is new and works like a dream including Internet

+Creative, cool and stylish decoration

+Awesome breakfast

+Beautiful infinity pool

+Superb service (reservation, reception, room service, breakfast, pool…)

+Room comes with a handy, a cellular phone you can use while staying at the hotel. Local and some international calls are free!

-Honestly I cannot think of anything negative. Some people could argue that the location is not ideal (metro is quite far away), but being in between the city center and the airport was ideal for us. And as you now know, we love Katong and would not stay elsewhere. However, a shuttle bus (maybe in partnership with the next door Holiday Inn Hotel?) to the city center would be a nice gesture!

TIP! Ask for a room with a view on the Peranakan houses (East Coast Road side).

Previous posts (in chronological order):

May travel dilemma

Borneo: Sarawak or Sabah?

Blue Turtle Hotel in Tissamaharama: Stylish and comfortable boutique hotel in lush surroundings

Sri Gemunu Beach Resort: stunning location with friendly service

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If you read my previous post Dalawella Beach: Picture perfect and safe for swimming, you already have a pretty good idea about the area. We chose Sri Gemunu Beach Resort as our base in Dalawella beach, located on the northern end of this wonderful beach (where the big rock is).

We could choose between a downstairs room overlooking the garden (where the restaurant is) and the ocean (just behind the garden), and an upstairs room (comes with a proper sea view). Had we been just two of us, we would have probably chosen the upstairs room (around 95€/night including breakfast and dinner) but we took the downstairs room. It was very convenient for our daughter to be able to run straight from the room to the garden. The downstairs room -number 22, a nice one as it is on the far end of the building so very quiet- cost us just above 80€/ night (half board also).

Our room 22 is located downstairs on the right. It had more privacy than many other downstairs rooms.

Our AC room was clean and came with a four-poster bed with a mosquito net (that had some holes in it but the housekeeping fixed it very fast). The safe and fridge didn’t exist but we didn’t miss them (valuable can be left at the reception). The bathroom -again- was the weakest part of the room, but it was clean. There was a baby cot that however wasn’t in its best condition. The room was nothing fancy but it had a traditional design, and we were very comfortable and loved the fact that the ocean was just a few steps away.

The hotel staff was very welcoming. They let me use the reception telephone for local phone calls free of charge. The chefs was particularly kind and always prepared something special and extra for our daughter. He made sure we always had enough coconut and honey pancakes. One of the owners brought his little granddaughter to plays with ours. Small things maybe but all of our questions and requests were promptly responded with a sincere smile.

We ate at the hotel restaurant every night. There was a buffet, a mixture of Sri Lankan and Western food (this applied to breakfast too). After a few days the food got a bit boring but I guess buffets often do? We enjoyed Sri Lankan dishes but everything was a bit too westernized to our taste and we kept adding chili. Our daughter further extended her palate but pappadum and pumpkin curry remained her favorites.

The clientele of the hotel was mainly European: northern Europeans, Germans, English, Italians and French. The average age must have been around 60, but we did see some other families. The only thing that really bothered me was smoking as it is allowed in the outdoor restaurant. So when the wind blows from the right direction and you get a neighbor who loves smoking (regardless of smoke getting in your child’s face…), it is annoying, but not really a hotel’s fault (even if I would love to see all hotels in the world turn smoke free lol).

Would we return to Sri Gemunu Beach Resort? Definitely, any time! It is a great base to discover some important sites including Galle or just unwind at the beach.

Sri Gemunu Beach Resort: http://www.sri-lanka-resort.com

***

Previous Sri Lanka trip posts (in the order of appearance):

Planning Sri Lanka: Itinerary

Sea Shine Guesthouse in Dodanduwa: spotless seafront rooms that come with a smile and delicious food

Dalawella Beach: Picture perfect and safe for swimming

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Sri Lanka is famous for surfing but if you want to find beaches safe for swimming, it gets trickier. When you read guide books that are full of warnings about dangerous currents, you start to wonder if swimming is safe anywhere -especially for small children. We did a considerable amount of research prior to our trip and I have to say that information I found was not very helpful. What people call “safe” seems to be very vague to…

After four nights -just enough time to recover not only from jetlag but also from Paris fatigue- we left Sea Shine Guesthouse in Dodanduwa: spotless seafront rooms that come with a smile and delicious food. Time to start exploring! We hired a car with a driver (more about this in another post) for the rest of our trip and decided to head towards Unawatuna, one of the most famous southern coast beach destinations. We decided to stay away from hustle and bustle and chose Dalawella beach because it was close to Unawatuna in case we suddenly felt like visiting the action center.

We visited Unawatuna one afternoon and walked for an hour on the beach. That was sufficient for us. It was far too busy for us, not as clean as Dalawella, waves were strong and tourism in general very developed (sign boards were also in Russian!). If you want something quiet, stay at Dalawella like we did, or Thalpe.

We had been in contact with Wijaya Beach hotel, located on Dalawella beach, by email and telephone and were pretty sure we would choose to stay there (we usually like to see the place before making the final decision). Despite Wijaya Beach hotel probably being the most cool place to hang out in Dalawella, we decided not to say there. Instead we chose a more low-key, not as fancy but equally perfectly located Sri Gemunu Beach Resort.

Wonderful Dalawella Beach, our favorite beach in Sri Lanka. Peaceful, very clean and oh-so-pretty. The beach is small as you can see, and there are many hotels along it. Sri Gemunu Beach Resort is located in the northern end of the beach (right where the big rock is). Right next to it is Rathna Guesthouse (the hut on the beach). The building on the right end of the photo with sun beds is Wijaya Beach.

Every morning we extended our stay at Sri Gemunu Beach Resort. We developed a very good routine: breakfast, beach time, lunch & nap, visiting & beach, dinner. The hotel was nothing fancy, but it was clean, staff very friendly and we felt comfortable. Buffet food was good at most of the time. The hotel overlooks the beach and we had to walk about thirty steps from our room to reach the beach.

If you are thinking of staying at any of the hotels located on Dalawella beach, and if you want to be able to swim then continue reading (nobody on Internet tells you this!) : there is a coral reef in from of Dalawella Beach and during the low tide the reef appears, creating a sort of a natural lagoon. During our stay (January 2017) the swimming was best in late afternoons. Some people also snorkeled in the lagoon but you can see small fish even without the gear.

PS I read somewhere that it is common to see turtles on Dalawella Beach. Maybe we just didn’t get lucky, maybe January was not an ideal month, maybe the moon should have been in a different position.. who knows! If you visit or have visited this beach and have seen turtles, let me know please 🙂

Previous Sri Lanka trip posts (in the order of appearance):

Planning Sri Lanka: Itinerary

Sea Shine Guesthouse in Dodanduwa: spotless seafront rooms that come with a smile and delicious food

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Due to some last minute cancellations, we had no taxi reserved upon landing at the Bandaranaike International Airport at 4 a.m. We prepared ourselves for some serious negotiating but that was not necessary: as soon as we walked into the arrival hall, there were several companies offering taxi services with prices written on sign boards. We used the Bandaranaike International Airport Taxi Service (when you arrive, the first company on your right) and the fixed price to Dodanduwa was 8740 Sri Lankan rupees (about 55€/58USD) for an AC van. In addition we paid 300 and 400 rupees for the use of two highways: Colombo-Katunayake Expressway and Southern Expressway. Plus some tip.

My husband and our daughter fell asleep very soon while I watched the night turn into morning. Black became pink, moist air created fog and I could see silhouettes of birds against a rising sun. It was all very pretty and I wondered if this is what the depiction of Garden of Eden looks like.

Depiction of Garden of Eden? No, just a typical image taken on the Southern Expressway on the way to Dodanduwa.

Sea Shine Guesthouse, where we arrived three hours later, turned out to be exactly or even better than we had imagined. Our room was very clean, came with a mosquito net and direct sea view. Like often in Sri Lanka (based on what we saw during our 15-day trip), the bathroom was the weakest part of the room, but it was clean and that was the main thing. We had reserved a non-AC room and as the house was built according to traditional Sri Lankan style, there was natural ventilation (but very few mosquitoes!) making it very nice to fall asleep while listening to the ocean.

Breakfast options were either Western or Sri Lankan and we opted for the latter (but it had to be ordered the night before). Delicious! We moved very little from our hotel, just wanted to relax, so we had lunch and dinner every day at the hotel. Mr. Sunil’s (the owner of the guesthouse) son Roshan took care of the cooking together with his mother, and everything was fresh, tasty and copious. We ate everything and never had any problem… Our daughter became a big fan of pappadums and expanded her palate to devilled chicken, fried noodles, grilled lobster, octopus, stringhoppers, dal, pumpkin curry and sambar.

Missing this breakfast! Chef Roshan’s dal was particularly delicious!

In overall, we had a relaxing and lovely stay at Sea Shine Guesthouse. Of course it is a homestay, do not expect 5-star service, but we felt that the family went out of their way to make our stay comfortable. They played with our daughter, they taught her how to feed aquarium fish and always made sure she had what she needs for meals. There is no high chair but we had ours. In terms of sightseeing, there are a turtle hatchery nearby in Kosgoda (we didn’t visit), Galle (we visited from our next destination) and Hikkaduwa (we took a tuk tuk and returned by the beach). We appreciated the fact that there are some activities and towns nearby, but that the location of our guesthouse was very quiet (Hikkaduwa beach is very busy!). The beach was super clean, there were no beach boys and at night we only heard waves. Perfect! My husband went for a swim but I didn’t dare. I don’t estimate that the beach is safe for children to swim in, but most of the beaches in Sri Lanka aren’t. One should always ask locals what the sea condition is that specific day (sadly, a tourist drowned during our stay in Dodanduwa).

Should you be interested in Sea Shine Guesthouse, I recommend you to contact them directly. I didn’t get response to my email, so the best is to contact them on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/Sea-shine-Hikka-1548810175394587/ (type “Sea shine Hikka” on Facebook if the link doesn’t work) or by WhatsApp / cellular phone +94-71-9725703. Facebook and WhatsApp messages are responded by Mr. Sunil’s friendly daughter Dily (say hello from me 🙂 ). We (2 adults and a toddler) paid 5500 Sri Lankan rupees per night for a nice non-AC room (number 2), including breakfast, and in the end we were given the room for 5000 rupees. Websites like Booking.com etc have higher prices, so contact the guesthouse directly!

Sea Shine Guesthouse: http://www.seashinehikkaduwa.com

To read the first post about our Sri Lanka trip, see Planning Sri Lanka: Itinerary

Palermo with a baby?

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Prior to booking tickets to Sicily we were hesitating between the western and the eastern part of the island. We would not be able to do everything Sicily has to offer, so better stick with just one side of the island we thought. After a brief (read: shallow) consideration, we bought tickets to Palermo. Delicious, distinctive street food and a bit of history, here we come! So we thought.

Antica Focacceria San Francesco, a Palermitano institution, is a wonderful place to taste local delicacies.

In total, our trip in Sicily was going to last 12 days. We reserved two first nights at Grand Hotel et Des Palmes (a local institution, right in the center of Palermo), assuming that we will definitely want to stay longer. The plan was to eventually continue by a rental car from Palermo to one or two other destinations, preferably by the sea. After we had seen “everything” in Palermo…..

Palermo is a city full of history and art. Be prepared for a lot of walking!

Palermo, the capital of Sicily, is full of history and art. Be prepared for a lot of walking!

One week later (am writing this from San Vito Lo Capo) I am sorry to acknowledge that our two-night stay in Palermo was more than enough. We are very happy that we hadn’t reserved more nights. In fact we could not wait to leave Palermo behind us. Why? Do not get me wrong, Palermo surely offers a zillion things to do and see, but it was not the right choice for us traveling with a five month old baby. Below is a list of my/our impressions!

Only crazy tourists in Palermo with an ultra-Parisian stroller? (ok, we had a baby carrier too)

Palermo is much bigger (and chaotic) than I expected. The greater Palermo has over one million inhabitants, making it the fifth most populated city (with its surroundings) in Italy. My fault, didn’t do my research well enough. I expected more small streets leading to cute piazzas, but streets we saw were big, noisy and very polluted. The potential of the seaside in Palermo is not used as it could be argues the urban architect in me.

Streets of Palermo are busy. Humidity combined with pollution makes walking quite unpleasant…

2. In order to really understand and enjoy Palermo one needs to visit museums, churches, historical monuments etc., but how many museums do parents with a (crying) small baby usually visit…? Trying to get a feel of this fascinatingly multicultural city just by looking at the walls didn’t make us much more knowledgeable about Palermo’s rich past.

See the names? Signs like this show the rich and complex history of Palermo.

3. Our hotel choice was a big mistake. More about that later, but we should have searched outside the city, for example in Mondello, a nearby beach town, and just do day trips to Palermo.

This said, our stay in Palermo was not a great success. I am still beating myself up while asking “what did you think of bringing a small baby (with precious lungs) into a big city like Palermo?”. One week later I am still wondering how much of this feeling comes from the fact that we are very tired (accumulation of months’ fatigue…) and how much of it really is because of Palermo. Would I have liked Palermo more should I have gone there before the baby? Who knows. I think someone once called Palermo a rough diamond and I could not agree more. Just that when traveling with a baby one normally looks for smooth and not rough places (lol).

Miami, here we come!

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In less than five days I will be swimming in the Atlantic Ocean and I cannot tell you how great it already feels! Even if this fall has not been that rainy in Paris, I love the idea of soaking up the sun and playing with the waves. The importance of annual winter sun therapy cannot be exaggerated!

Miami is a great winter destination for Europeans: beautiful weather including warm sea water all year round!

When we decided to go away in late November, we hesitated between different destinations. It was not easy. If you want to be able to swim in warm water, and do not want to travel all the way to Asia or Africa, the options are quite limited for us living in Europe. We contemplated between Dubai combined with Oman, and Miami, and finally decided on the latter. Tickets cost more to Miami than Dubai (and I won’t be able to fly my favorite aircraft A380…) but seaside hotels are cheaper. In addition, there are great shopping opportunities in the US. Of course one finds almost everything in Dubai, too, but who does not love American outlets? Especially when we are about to hit the Thanksgiving and Christmas sales!

I have been to Miami and Florida before, but for some reason I am particularly excited about it this time around. I am getting into my bling bling mode and searching my wardrobe for dresses with matching shoes and bags to wear. What I know about Miami is that no dress is too extravagant! After all, I will be competing with southern American beauties so I have to look my best (lol).

Part of my dress selection for Miami!

Ok, now that I have disappointed you with my superficial side, I am going to tell you that I won’t be walking around in high heels all day long. Our current plan is to stay maybe one week in Miami and then head somewhere else for the second week. If we run into Donald Trump and he is about to sail to the Bahamas (does he sail?), we wouldn’t say no to an invitation. We may also check out the Mexican Gulf (the islands near Fort Myers etc.), something we haven’t done before. We will probably return to John Pennekamp Coral Reef State Park. The last time we snorkeled there some people in our group spotted hammerheads! However, unfortunately and according to my knowledge, snorkeling is not possible at the moment in Biscayne National Park…

Art and architecture in Miami. South Beach is the world’s most famous art deco district.

So, I am a fan of Miami and Florida, yes. When I first visited Miami just over two years ago, I was prepared to stay just one full day in Miami and then head to the Keys for the rest of the week. I admit that I thought Miami would be too artificial, too flashy, and I would have never thought that someone as intellectual as I consider myself to be (second lol) could fall in love in Miami. But I did. I loved the beach life, loved southern American fusion food (Bolivar: South American Fusion Food in Miami Beach), loved the art and architecture, and the people. I have worked a lot with Americans in the past and I just love that simplicity, straight to the point attitude, and their marketing and communications skills. So, during our last trip we spent 5 wonderful days at the Park Central Hotel in Miami South Beach and 3 nights in the Keys. Such a wonderful trip it was. That time it was for my husband’s birthday, now it will be mine. I am very confident that Miami won’t disappoint me this time either –how could it?!

Stunning view from our room at the Park Central Hotel.

What do you think of Miami and Florida? What would you do if the only thing you had booked was a Paris-Miami return ticket and two weeks of time? Any tips on great restaurants, things to do, hotels (all categories), snorkeling, etc.? Share your pearls with me please and I kindly than you in return.

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