Tag Archives: hotel

Palazzo Stern in Venice

Palazzo Stern is one of those romantic, historic and beautiful hotels that makes one dream. Built during the 15th century, it follows Moorish style. Its inhabitants have been art collectors and traders, and who knows what else. Today, its premises are full of sculptures, mosaic, paintings and pieces of art that reflect these different owners and periods of history.We chose this hotel based on an offer on http://www.verychic.com; a French website that sells hotel deals around the world. We liked the fact that Palazzo Stern is situated right next to the Ca’ Rezzonico Alilaguna stop and many important art collections. The day of our arrival I called the hotel about our late arrival and was told that upon availability we will receive an upgrade. This is exactly what happened: there was an upgrade from standard to deluxe and we had a room overlooking the courtyard and the Rio Malpaga canal. The deal we got from http://www.verychic.com included a bottle of prosecco, which waited for us in the room. With ice and a weather forecast, of course. Our room was comfortable. Nothing trendy, not very large, but cute in a way. It felt like being away from home. The heating worked very well, so well in fact that we had to turn it off as it was getting too hot. The bathroom was something that made me smile every time I entered it. Not the decoration I would like to have at home, but something you would expect in a renovated 15th century palace.There is no restaurant at the hotel but buffet breakfast is served until 10h30. In addition, there is a sumptuous bar that we did not try because we were too busy to learn what Aperitivo hour in Venice is like… Our three nights were very pleasant, so would I stay again at Palazzo Stern? Yes, I would, if I got a very good deal. But then again, there are so many palaces in Venice, so why not to be adventurous…?

PROS:

Very easy Alilaguna transport to and from the airport
Alluring design and architecture
Room very warm, even in January
Very pleasant and not-too-touristic neighborhood (Dorsoduro): perfect for art lovers, excellent restaurants

TIPS FOR THE HOTEL:

The front desk staff was always polite and correct, but I would have expected something special from a four-star hotel of that price category. Smile more people, smile, especially in a city like Venice that relies so much on tourism!
I would have liked to learn more about the history of the building right at the arrival or the first morning. Maybe a leaflet in the room? So much must have happened during the last 600 and plus years!
The front desk had no information on the nearby museums and galleries, which I found strange because Dorsoduro is The Art Collection quarter of Venice (a tip: if you don’t know something, maybe call to find out?)

Hotel Palazzo Stern – Dorsoduro 2792/A – 30123 Venezia – tel. 041 2770869 – fax 041 2412456 info@palazzostern.it – http://www.palazzostern.it

Aperitivo hour in Venice

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Between the visits of the day and the dinner of the evening, there is this hour (or two) when one sits down, relaxes and reaches to a glass of prosecco or something else. Tonight, we returned to the hotel to rest a little bit but will now head back to this amazingly cute and traditional wine bar and shop called Cantina del Vino Gia Schiavi, so conveniently located almost next to our Moorish palazzo. It is going to be another moment of Cicchetti e l’ombra in Venice! Yesterday we shared six little cicchetti whose flavors ranged from pistacho mousse to truffle and dried flower petals. Delicious!!! One flavor I did not taste yesterday is pumpkin, so I must hurry up now –Cantina del Vino Gia Schiavi closes at 8 p.m.!

Buona sera a tutti!

Arrival in Venice

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I have been to Venice only in winter and I absolutely love the crispy cold weather with blue skies. It is such a great time to visit this grand, sumptuous European city! So far, I have just walked around, crossing dozens of tiny bridges. One remarkable visit took place at La Fenice, the theater house originally built in 1792 but since then twice destroyed by a fire. Extravagant, as many things in Venice. In addition, I have been overdosing on fabulous tramezzini and ciccheti, not forgetting prosecco. Our hotel, located in a Moorish 15th century palace, offered us one bottle too, and since we are flying back to Paris with only hand baggage, there is no choice but to open the bottle now…

Will be back pronto!

Paris-Venice by Emirates?

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Did you know that since November 2012 it has been possible to use Emirates miles toward Easy Jet flights? This is indeed a very welcome partnership for Europe-based travelers like us who use Emirates for Africa- and Asia-bound flights and accumulate a considerable amount of miles every year. It is fantastic knowing that we can now use these miles toward a long weekend in old European cities in winter or toward some beach time in the Mediterranean in summer.

Last weekend some of our miles were about to expire and we put this new partnership to the test. As a result, Venice, here we come! There were no hidden costs and indeed even the airport taxes were included in the package. The simplest and quickest purchase ever. Bravo Emirates-Easy Jet partnership! This photo was taken in Venice where we celebrated our one-year wedding anniversary. I very much look forward to picturesque walks, Venoto wines and sarde in saor (sweet and sour sardines), one of my favorite Venetian dishes! Moreover, for the first time ever, we have already booked a hotel and will be staying at Palazzo Stern by the gran canal.

Last but not least, I would love to hear about your favorite spots in Venice: galleries, restaurants, wine bars and other places of interest. Be my guide!

PS To follow my travels and life in Paris, why not to check Pearlspotting’s facebook page?

Bringing a little bit of Châteauneuf-du-Pape home

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France is a very diversified country. Each region has its distinctive history and culture that translate into specific types of cuisine. Tripe and cider in Normandy, crêpes and galettes in Brittany, bouillabaisse and ratatouille in the Mediterranean, socca in Nice, snails in Burgundy, duck and foie gras in the south-west, choucroute in Alsace, etc. The list is next to endless.

Every time I travel inside the Hexagone, I discover something new food wise. And it is almost as fascinating to live in Paris, and visit restaurants, grocery stores or food fairs to discover products of those regions that I have visited. It is like bringing a tiny bit of vacation home…Earlier this year we visited the Salon des vignerons indépendants and saw a stand that looked familiar. It said AOC Châteauneuf-du-pape and the bottles had Château des Fines Roches written on them. We knew immediately where they are located: 15km from Avignon, in the southern Rhône Valley. Fines Roches refers to the château around which the grapes to make this wine grow, but it is also a place where we had a fabulous lunch in August 2006!We started talking with the owners and ended up buying some bottles of their red. And last week we opened one of these bottles, a bottle of AOC Châteauneuf-du-pape Château des Fines Roches (2010) to celebrate our wedding anniversary. And this week the winemakers, the Mousset-Barrot family, sent us an invitation to the Salon des vignerons indépendants that will take place in Paris during the last weekend of November. Très sympa!

Links:

Château des Fines Roches (hotel & restaurant): http://www.chateaufinesroches.com

Salon des vignerons indépendants: https://pearlspotting.wordpress.com/2013/03/27/wine-tasting-at-salon-des-vins-des-vignerons-independants-2/

Discover South West Crete by boat

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The southwestern coast of Crete from Paleochora to Hora Sfakion is famous for its stunning nature, distinctive culture and strong history. It is one of the most remote regions in the island, located behind rough mountains, and many of its beautiful pearls are only revealed to those who take the effort to reach them by boat or by foot.During our two trips to Crete this year, we visited all of the ferry line stops except Sougia and the Gavdos island.

1. Paleochora is the largest of these ferry stops, and a very good base for exploring the famous southwestern corner of Crete. One-day trips are organized from Paleochora to visit the famous “pink beach” Elafonisi. We visited Paleochora last May but because the high season had not yet started, the ferries were smaller and not capable of accepting cars (check this if you are traveling by car!). However, despite this small disappointment, we spent four lovely days in Paleochora and stayed at Hotel On The Rocks (http://www.hotelontherocks.gr).

2. Sougia is a laid-back, small village that lived its golden years during the Romans and the Byzantines. It is 40 minutes away from Paleochora by ferry. We did not visit Sougia, but the photos look appealing. For more info, visit http://www.sougia.info.

3. Agia Roumeli is 1h30minutes away from Palechora and one hour from Hora Sfakion. It is the “official” main base for exploring Europe’s longest gorge, the Samaria Gorge. We did a day trip to Agia Roumeli from Hora Sfakion, and enjoyed beach time. If you are not using the opportunity to explore the gorge (you definitely need running/hiking shoes), then there is nothing much else to do except watch colorful fish to swim by your feet.

4. Loutro is a tiny, delightful village only accessible by boat or foot. The fact that there are no cars makes it very charming. I fell in love with Loutro and could spend one week there. In a way it is this picture-perfect Greek village that you have always dreamed about. There is a nice beach right in the center and the water is very clear. It seems that every single house on the waterfront is a hotel or a bed and breakfast, and the restaurants are multiple, too. Since Loutro is not easily reachable, I would recommend reserving accommodation at least for the first night. We only made a day trip to Loutro (15 minutes from Hora Sfakion) but if I ever return to Crete, Loutro will be on my must-do list!! I would bring a pile of books with me, and when I get tired of reading, I would rent a boat for a day (I saw ads for 60€ per day) and catch octopus. Talking about relaxation…

5. Hora Sfakion is the easternmost stop on the ferry line. It is the capital of the Sfakia region, which is the only region of Crete that was not taken over by the Arabs, Turks or Venetians. Thanks to its rebellious nature, Hora Sfakion has remained very authentic (read my previous article Hora Sfakion: one of a kind). Today, this charming little village provides tourists with a variety of activities. One can rent a boat, hike all the way to Loutro or Agia Roumeli (and return by ferry) or visit the nearby mountain villages. Or simply talk to locals who are very friendly and happy to share stories about their daily life. We stayed four nights at Xenia Hotel –the only hotel in town– but there are several bed and breakfast places. To taste famous Sfakian dishes, you have a choice of several restaurant on the waterfront, or Three Brothers with an impressive view on the Libyan Sea. Visiting this part of Crete by ferry should be on everyone’s must-do list, regardless of one’s age group or interests, I reckon. Most of the tourists you will meet are those hiking in the gorges, and the places I mentioned above are quiet and authentic. As you already know, my favorite is Loutro, but I enjoyed every single village we visited on the ferry line. If I intrigued your curiosity, visit this wonderful website called http://www.sfakia-crete.com/sfakia-crete/ferries.html#B for more information (it is also where the map in the beginning of this article comes from).

PS Are you already following Pearlspotting‘s Facebook page?

Hora Sfakion: one of a kind

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The town where I was born played an important role in Finnish independence battle, so rebellious places around the world in general intrigue my curiosity. Since I first heard about Hora Sfakion, it has been on my must-do list.

Hora Sfakion is the capital of the Sfakia region, located behind the Lefka Ori mountains in the southwestern part of Crete. It has been an important resistance center against the Turks and the Venetians, thus the heart of the Cretan independence. Lonely Planet Crete (2012) writes “the more bullet holes you see in the passing road signs, the closer you are to Hora Sfakion, long renowned in Cretan history for its rebellious streak against foreigners.”Even if very little remains of the rebellious days, Hora Sfakion has its own personality that is very much alive particularly in local kitchen. For example, everyone visiting Crete and especially the western part will hear about the Sfakian pie and other treats. The village’s remote location has indeed allowed it to maintain its distinctive culinary culture that is now famous all over the island. Today this village of some 300 inhabitants is calm and picturesque. The time has stopped, it seems, and locals mainly live from tourists who use Hora Sfakion as a base for hiking trips in the nearby gorges.We stayed four nights in Hora Sfakion and tried to scratch below the surface to understand what being a Sfakian means today. Along our stay we met many lovely people who seemed proud and slightly reserved, and who never hesitated to smile. Xenia Hotel’s manager George was one of these true Sfakians we met, and willing to share some of his stories.

George described Sfakians as “friendly and sensitive” but continued “do not make enemies here”. When I directed the discussion toward famous vendettas, asking if they still exist, he smiled and responded “no”, but continued laughingly “you never know.”We then talked about the World War II and how difficult the life had been in this mountainous region immediately after the war. People had guns and traumatizing war memories, but no food. Before I realized, I was listening to a fascinating story of a group of Sfakians walking all the way to the Preveli Monastery, located 50 km to the east from Hora Sfakion. The Sfakians had come to the point where they were starving to death and something needed to be done. They knew that this important, rich monastery possesses over 2000 sheep, so off they went to steal some of them. The story goes that during several “missions” over 300 sheep were brought to Hora Sfakion to fill hungry stomachs. Apparently the monastery, regardless of its suspicion toward these rebellious people, remained powerless, because no authority would be able to confront the Sfakions. Nowadays, the life in Hora Sfakion is much more secure and comfortable, but the Sfakians have kept their playful and rebellious mind. The last story that George shared included once again sheep. George himself owns sheep but does not keep counting them on a regular basis. Once it happened that he was invited to a delicious lamb dinner by some local Sfakians. The evening was delightful, and everyone happy. A week later George met the hosts, who finally revealed the origin of the lamb dish by asking if he had appreciated the way they had prepared the lamb, emphasizing the words “your lamb”… I asked George if he got upset, and he responded truthfully “we spent a wonderful evening together and the dinner was delicious, so who cares about one sheep. If you asked me, I would give you one”!

So, if you are searching for an original holiday destination, think about Hora Sfakion. We are surely going to return there one day, and I am sure that the stories will get more fascinating the better we learn to know the famous Sfakian people…

La Régalade Conservatoire: consistent “régalade style”

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After Mandarin Oriental: when customer service goes that extra mile I took my husband to a fairly new restaurant called La Régalade Conservatoire. Out of four Régalades (three in Paris and one in St Tropez) I have been to two of them, so it was about the time to test this newest Parisian addition.

The menu is extremely reasonably priced: 35€ for a three-course meal. I reckon it is one of the best deals in Paris for sophisticated gourmet cuisine. According to the “régalade style”, you always start with country-style terrine (pork, though) and cornichons. The waiter leaves the pots in front of you, and you go on snacking as long as you desire, or as long as the starter arrives… sympa.

For the starters we had creamy squid and prawn risotto, and asparagus bouillon with foie gras (both starters come with pork (lardon) but it is possible to have them without). Delicious, light, easy to digest, tasty, interesting mixes… this says it all! For the wine we had short-listed a few options (the wine list is VERY impressive!) and following the restaurant’s recommendation chose a bottle of Graves (AOC), Château Haut-Peyrous “Retour de Palombière” (2009), a fabulous merlot & cabernet melange for 30€. Once again, an excellent price-quality ratio I say!For the main course, we ordered tuna and roasted lamb. Since the starters had been soooo delicious, maybe I expected even more from the main courses. They were very good, but that “little bit of something extra” was maybe missing, especially in my lamb. Or was it that I considered the lamb dish to be too winter-like to be eaten in summer? Maybe vegetables instead of potatoes would have ameliorated my dish? We shared a mixed cheese platter and a Grand Marnier soufflé in the end. I loved the cheese, but by the time the soufflé came, I unfortunately had very little room left in the stomach…There is something else that also cut my appetite a tiny bit. When I made the reservation on telephone, I had specifically asked if the restaurant has a habit of doing something for birthday guests. The person on telephone hesitated, so I quickly continued that a candle on my husband’s cake would be a lovely gesture. Apparently she noted it, but when the soufflé arrived, it had nothing on it… Well, this is just a minor detail but could be a more important detail to someone else I am sure.
We got the bill (just over 100€) and returned to rainy streets of Paris. The dinner was pleasant and my husband happy about this surprise discovery, but something gave us a feeling that the next time we will just return to one of the other Régalades, La Régalade Saint-Honoré.

PS The restaurant is located inside a five-star L’Hôtel de NELL, which was designed by a famous architect and designer Jean-Michel Wilmotte.

La Régalade Conservatoire: 7 rue du Conservatoire, Paris 75009. Tel. +33 1 44 83 83 60

Le Fooding review: http://www.lefooding.com/restaurant/restaurant-la-regalade-conservatoire-paris.html

Wine: http://www.discovervin.com.au/shop/item/chteau-haut-peyrous-retour-de-palombires-aoc-graves-rouge-2008/graves (we had a bottle of 2009 but this website has 2008 for sale)

Hotel: http://www.hoteldenell.com

Cancale: my favorite weekend trip destination from Paris

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Bretagne (Brittany) is one of my favorite regions of France. I love the seafood and the scenery the region offers. I am maybe partially subjective (my husband’s father’s side is Breton), but just a tiny bit… Bretagne is an amazingly stunning region full of cute fishing villages, numerous historic sites and friendly, down to earth people. The region is well preserved and it has more coastline than any other region in France (almost 3000km).When we have an opportunity to go away for a short weekend, we often choose Cancale. Cancale is exactly 396km from the center of Paris and if there is no traffic, it is possible to do the journey in four hours. We usually go by the A13 highway (which passes by Normandy) and drive until Pontorson. Right after Pontorson we turn right, direction Saint-Georges-de-Gréhaigne. After driving by another small village, Saint-Broladre, we watch out for a small sign “Chapelle Sainte-Anne” (be attentive, it is easily missed). Once we arrive at Chapelle Sainte-Anne we leave the car and walk to the sea (which is very near by) to admire Mont Saint-Michel. Wow, what a view! And so close to Paris! From Chapelle Sainte-Anne, Cancale is only 24km away. I strongly recommend choosing this route because it goes right by the sea and passes by oyster-farming villages. As a bonus, you have Mont Saint-Michel on your right-hand side most of the time (during the clear skies).Cancale has a lot to offer to a tourist in terms of accommodation and restaurants, but I will hereby share our usual addresses.

For sleeping, we usually opt either for Le Querrien (starting at 59€ low season) or for Le Grand Large (starting at 45€ all year round). Both hotels are by the sea (the port) and have a restaurant. Le Querrien has three stars and Le Grand Large to me seems more like a two-star hotel. The latter has a free parking in front of the hotel (see the photo on the left). Both have a friendly personnel. It is probably fair to say that Le Querrien is more comfortable in terms of amenities, whereas Le Grand Large is more like a charming old grandparents’ house. Prices vary quite a lot according to the season and it is best to call them up. For example, last week we were at Le Grand Large and paid 50€ for a room with a sea view (the price they quoted on telephone was more interesting than the Internet prices on hotel.com and similar websites). We thought 50€ was very reasonable.My previous articles What to pack for Bretagne (Brittany)? and Eating oysters in months without “r” mentioned one of our favorite Cancale restaurants, Au Pied de Cheval, Cancale. We usually start here and fill our stomachs with a dozen of oysters. Last Thursday we left Paris at 10h and arrived in Cancale at 15h30. Good thing about Au Pied de Cheval is that it is open all day long, so there is no stress about arriving in Cancale at a certain time. For dinner, we usually go to another restaurant also on the main street (by the port) called L’huitrière, Cancale. I have been to many other restaurants in Cancale, and don’t mistake me, you can eat well everywhere! Should you wish crêpes & galettes, I recommend Crêperie du Port, Cancale.If you wonder what else there is to do in Cancale apart from eating oysters, I can tell you that there are fantastic beaches when you drive toward Saint-Malo by the scenic northern road. For hikers, there is also a GR34, which offers Saint-Malo on one side and Mont Saint-Michel on the other side. As we like jogging, we always take running shoes with us and take advantage of the clean seaside air. (Tip for runners: if you are in the center of Cancale facing the sea, start running toward the East, Mont Saint-Michel, along the bay. You can run for about 25 minutes along the beach (you will see when you cannot go further) and once you turn back and arrive in Cancale, it will make a nice 50 minute run)

Otherwise, some other great things to do in Cancale (and in Bretgane in general) are observing the tides (the tide around Cancale is one of the most important ones in the entire Europe) and watching fishermen collecting oysters, mussels and other seafood.If you have been to Cancale, what do you think is the best thing to do there? Do you have a favorite hotel or a restaurant? Does observing the tide seem like a pleasant pastime to you?

Links:

Chapelle Sainte-Anne: http://www.cc-baie-mont-st-michel.fr/chapelle-sainte-anne.htm

Hotel Le Querrien: http://www.le-querrien.com/

Hotel Le Grand Large: http://hotel-restaurant.hotellegrandlarge.com/

Restaurant Au Pied de Cheval: Au Pied de Cheval, Cancale

Restaurant L’Huitrière: L’huitrière, Cancale

Restaurant Crêperie du Port: Crêperie du Port, Cancale

Mandarin Oriental: when customer service goes that extra mile

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Walking into 251 rue Saint-Honoré is stepping into the world of true, ultimate luxury. This is the address where Mandarin Oriental started creating a small piece of paradise nearly two years.

It was my husband’s birthday yesterday and even if I am absolutely overwhelmed with work at the moment, I could not leave him without a surprise. So, I invited him for an apéritif at the Mandarin Oriental hotel. A fairly new 5-star hotel in the center of Paris, impeccable service, a great choice of drinks, original decoration and a lush terrace. A perfect setting for people watching, too. What else could one ask for?

We ordered a glass of rosé wine called AOC Côtes de provence Alycastre «Domaine la Courtade» 2011 and a glass of champagne, Ruinart Blanc de Blancs. We were immediately offered a lovely, truffle-flavored nut mix with giant black olives. When the drinks arrived, we noticed that the quantity was bigger than usually (prices were 10€ for wine and 29€ for champagne).

Our waiter Christian noticed that I was taking photos and offered to take one of us together. I jokingly responded that we actually live in Paris and do not need touristy photos, but it would indeed be nice to have a photo of us because it is my husband’s birthday. Christian acted like a professional photographer but after a photo shoot he made a smooth transition to the waiter’s role and brought us more olives (this time green).

After about five minutes Christian was back with a small cake (un cannelé) that had a candle on it! He congratulated my husband and asked if there is anything else he can do for us. As we were heading to a restaurant afterwards, and because French people usually don’t eat sweet food before a dinner, we asked if he could kindly wrap it up to us. “Pas de problème” was the answer, and a few minutes later the cake came back in a small box. We paid the bill, put a five-euro tip on a table, and left with a smile. If this is not an example of excellent customary service, then what is…. I don’t remember ever being inside a Mandarin Oriental hotel, but I will pay extra attention to it every time I see one during my future travels.

PS We continued to a restaurant called La Régalade Conservatoire, but a review will have to wait a little bit… All I can say now is that the food was excellent, but the service did not match the Mandarin Oriental level.

Mandarin Oriental Paris: http://www.mandarinoriental.com/paris/

La Régalade Conservatoire: http://www.hoteldenell.com/index.php?cat=14&ID=14&nom=La%20R%C3%A9galade%20Conservatoire

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