Tag: #holidaydestinations

Holiday destinations: Brussels, Belgium

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I’ve visited Brussels on the multiple occasions and I always like returning to this city made famous by its French fries, waffles, seafood and beer.

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Brussels is the largest city and a capital of Belgium. It has a population of 1.2 million and it has been increasingly becoming multilingual with increasing numbers of migrants, expatriates and minority groups speaking their own languages.

Historically it was a Dutch-speaking city, it has seen a language shift to French from the late 19th century onwards.

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Today the majority language is French however all road signs, street names and many services are shown in both languages. If you fancy a short break then Brussels is a great destination as it is only 2 hours away on the Eurostar.

There’s lots to see in the city from the famous chocolate shops to enjoying its cafe culture in the Grand-Place area.

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Here is a short list of my suggestions:

  1. Grote Markt (Dutch) / Grand-Place (French).
  2. City Museum – Maison du Roi (French) – Broodhuis (Flemish).
  3. Hôtel de Ville – Town Hall.
  4. Heysel Park and the Atomium.
  5. Basilica of the Sacred Heart (Koekelberg Basilica).

I hope you enjoyed reading this review.

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Pauline

Bank Holiday stay at the Talland Bay Hotel in Cornwall

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Last weekend, I was with my husband in Cornwall for an extended Bank Holiday weekend. We decided to stay at the Talland Bay Hotel based on the corner of South East Cornwall.

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Atmosphere:

The Talland Bay Hotel has a very informal atmosphere. All members of staff were extremely friendly and made us feel welcomed as soon as we checked-in. The hotel is also dog-friendly and hotel’s décor features paintings and sculptures of cats and dogs which made me believe that the owners of this retreat must love animals. What’s more, we discovered that you can even dine with your dog in the conservatory brasserie.

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The hotel offers bed and board for pets which includes a cosy blanket, feeding mat and bowl and even a complimentary doggie treat. Simply amazing for anyone travelling with their four-leg companion 🙂

Location:

The Talland Bay Hotel has a perfect cliff-top setting at Porthallow between Looe and Polperro and is just yards from the South West Coast Path and Talland Bay beach. Great to go to for a picnic or a bit of sunbathing.

Facilities:

The Talland Bay Hotel has received a bundle of awards including taking Silver in the ‘Small Hotel of the Year’ category at the Cornwall Tourism Awards 2016/17 and Gold in the Taste of the West Awards. In addition, it also has a great restaurant onsite which is headed by chef Nick Hawke. It was recently awarded four Stars and two Rosettes from The AA. I am a massive foodie and I decided to have a couple of dinners in there and I wasn’t disappointed -everything we chose from the menu was delicious.

All visitors can relax at the guest lounge with an extensive mix of furnishings and beautiful art or have a drink at the bar. It offers a wide choice of drinks including Cornish Pilsner that my husband loved, a range of gins and a selection of cocktails.

I am a massive fan of any outdoor green spaces and the hotel grounds have a lot of beautiful features. There are lots of interesting sculptures decorating the grounds, in addition to footpaths and sunny terraces overlooking the coast path and the sea.

Room:

This small, privately-owned luxurious, boutique hotel has only 20-rooms. We stayed in a sea view suite (no. 1) which was simply stunning.

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I loved its white, modern décor combined with some timeless seaside theme inspired accessories.

The interior of each of the bedrooms and reception is diverse and individually designed.

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Our bedroom had a flat screen TV, massive and very comfortable king-size bed, coffee table and a couple of couches to relax on after a day of sightseeing. We also had a small make-up desk and a massive mirror to help anyone to get ready.

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What I liked the most was the view… It was simply breath-taking! After we arrived at the hotel I sat at the window frame and just admired how stunning it was.

Our bathroom was spacious and it had a simple white décor. Some soft towels, bath robes and White Company toiletries were also provided.

Overall experience:

We had a wonderful time during our stay at the Talland Bay Hotel. I travel a lot and it was one of the coziest hotels I’ve ever stayed in. The room was beautiful, the views were breathtaking and the service was faultless so I would recommended it to anyone who travels to Cornwall.

Website:

For more information visit:

www.tallandbayhotel.co.uk

Address:

Polperro Heritage Coast, Porthallow, Looe PL13 2JB

I hope you enjoyed reading this review!

X

Pauline

 

 

Holiday destinations: Riga, Latvia

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I have recently visited Riga for 3 days with my husband. It is the capital and the largest city of Latvia and by means of 696,593 inhabitants (2015), Riga is the largest city of the Baltic states and home to one third of Latvia’s population. The city lies at the mouth of the Daugava and is frequently described as the pearl of the Baltics.

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We really enjoyed our romantic walks around Riga’s historical centre which is a UNESCO World Heritage Site. There were also a plenty of local bars to visit and some traditional restaurants that served some tasty, local dishes.

It is definitely worth visiting if you decide to travel to Eastern Europe. Flight from London is just over 2 hours so it is a great destination for a short (& cheap) weekend break.

I hope you enjoyed reading this review.

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Pauline

Holiday destinations: Bansko, Bulgaria

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I have just came back from my winter holidays with my family in Bansko in Bulgaria. This mountain resort is an excellent choice for your ski and snowboard holiday in Bulgaria.

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Bansko was voted as the best winter resort in Bulgaria with the longest ski runs and the richest cultural history. The town of Bansko is situated at the foot of the Pirin mountain in the south-western Bulgaria, 160 km from Sofia (around 3.5 hours’ drive from the airport).

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The resort offers excellent ski and snowboard conditions and infrastructure. There are a lot of hotels of various standards and prices based in there. I would personally recommend Premier Mountain Resort or Kempinski Hotel if you like staying in luxury hotels.

What’s worth mentioning here, the prices of hotels, ski rentals etc. are probably 50% cheaper than in Alps so you can stay in a 5 star hotel for the price of 2/3 star hotel in Austria or France.

Après ski

So what to do after a day on slopes? Après ski in the resort is really good and offers hundreds of bars, traditional restaurants and clubs where you can indulge after your skiing or snowboarding adventures. I will be posting some reviews of places that are worth visiting whilst in Bulgaria soon.

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Location

Bansko is a ski and mountain resort located in the south-western part of Bulgaria. The town is situated 6 km from the town of Razlog and 160 km from the capital of Sofia. The town of Bansko is located 925 m above the sea level whereas its ski area – at an altitude of 2000 – 2600 m.

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Resort information

Bansko ski resort is attractive in all seasons but I’ve only been there during the winter as I love skiing.

The ski season in Bansko lasts from 15 December to 14 April. During the recent years a multimillion Euros investment in a brand new skiing area has been made by Yulen, the company that runs the skiing area of Bansko. Numerous new luxury hotels and facilities in the area of the Gondola lift station have been constructed. It provides excellent ski and snowboard facilities, as well as a unique history and architecture of an old and new part of the town.

I hope you enjoyed reading this review!

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Pauline

Holiday destinations: Brussels, Belgium

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A few weeks ago, I took my husband to Brussels. It is one of these places where I’ve been to on multiple occasions and I always like returning to this city made famous by its French fries, waffles, seafood and beer.

Brussels is the largest city and a capital of Belgium. It has a population of 1.2 million and it has been increasingly becoming multilingual with increasing numbers of migrants, expatriates and minority groups speaking their own languages.

Historically it was a Dutch-speaking city, it has seen a language shift to French from the late 19th century onwards. Today the majority language is French however all road signs, street names and many services are shown in both languages. If you fancy a short break then Brussels is a great destination as it is only 2 hours away on the Eurostar.

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There’s lots to see in the city from the famous chocolate shops to enjoying its cafe culture in the Grand-Place area.

Here is a short list of my suggestions:

  1. Grote Markt (Dutch) / Grand-Place (French).
  2. City Museum – Maison du Roi (French) – Broodhuis (Flemish).
  3. Hôtel de Ville – Town Hall.
  4. Heysel Park and the Atomium.
  5. Basilica of the Sacred Heart (Koekelberg Basilica).

I hope you enjoyed reading this review.

X

Pauline

Holiday destinations: Paris during the winter, France

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A few weeks ago I travelled to Paris with one of my best friends – Natasha.

Paris is a capital city of France and it has a population of 12 million (2014) which covers 18 percent of the residents of France. In 2015 Paris received 22.2 million visitors, making it one of the world’s top tourist destinations.

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Travel:

We decided to go to Paris by Eurostar as it is the easiest way to travel to Paris from London. It takes under 2.5 hours and trains depart from King’s Cross Station in central London every hour. Prices vary from £29 for a standard single ticket booked in advance to £249 for a business premiere ticket including an access to the Executive Lounge and some complementary drinks and a meal on-board.

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Attractions:

Paris is wonderful and it doesn’t matter whether you travel there during the winter or during the summer.

The Central area of Paris along the Seine River is classified as a UNESCO Heritage Site, and includes many notable monuments. In addition, Paris is the home of many important museums and cultural institutions. There are many places worth seeing however if you are in Paris for a limited time (we were there for 3 days) then you should definitely visit:

  • The Eiffel Tower – an iron lattice tower on the Champ de Mars that was named after the engineer Gustave Eiffel, whose company designed and built the tower.
  • The Louvre – the most visited and the largest art museum in the world.
  • Arc de Triomphe – is one of the most famous monuments in Paris. It stands in the centre of the Place Charles de Gaulle, at the western end of the Champs-Élysées.
  • Notre Dame Cathedral – is a medieval Catholic cathedral on the Île de la Cité built in the 12th century.

Furthermore, I would definitely recommend that you either take a walk down the river or alternatively you can take one of many mini-cruises especially if the weather is nice.

In addition, if you love live-shows and cabaret then you should definitely visit Moulin Rouge but be prepared-tickets for a show and dinner are quite expensive and start at 190 Euros per person thus we decided to skip it this time.

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Hope you enjoyed reading this review.

X

Pauline

Hotel Gustave in Paris, France

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A few weeks ago, I travelled to Paris with one of my best friends, Natasha for a girl’s weekend away to celebrate her birthday. As she hasn’t been to Paris for a while we decided to book Hotel Gustave that is overlooking the Eiffel Tower.

Location:
Hotel Gustave is perfectly located on a quiet street just around a corner from the Dupleix metro station. It is served by public transport and located and a short 15 minutes’ walk from the Eiffel Tower. The whole of Paris is within quick and easy reach if you are staying here.

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Atmosphere:

As soon as we entered Hotel Gustave, we were welcomed by a friendly receptionist. He was extremely helpful and assisted us with designing of our ‘sightseeing itinerary’. The reception had a beautiful, modern décor and as soon as we entered we could fully immerse ourselves in our luxurious surroundings. In front of reception, there was a large relaxation area, a bar and terrace.

Rooms and Facilities:

Hotel Gustave has a 24-hours reception. During the afternoons, hotel’s in-house bar opens for a ‘honestly bar’ with a vast selection of alcoholic beverages if you fancy a drink or a bit of socialising in the evening. Other services include:

  • a dry-cleaning service
  • a laundry service,
  • room service.

This beautiful boutique hotel has only 32 rooms and 6 of these rooms offer spectacular views of the Eiffel Tower. Our room had a modern and chic design. As Hotel Gustave is located closely to the Eiffel Tower the room décor displayed a wonderful picture of that monument that starts above the beds and ends at the ceiling.

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The room was of a reasonable size and featured a typical Parisian French window offering an exceptional view of the legendary Iron Lady.

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Our king-size bed was extremely comfortable and equipped with an LED flat-screen television, free Wi-Fi, direct telephone line, mini-bar, safe and a bathroom with a shower or bath.

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The bathroom had a modern, white décor. It was spacious, clean and bright.

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Overall:

If you like staying at boutique hotels then you should consider hotel Gustave. It would be perfect for your weekend breaks, business trips or holidays in Paris. It is in the heart of the city, has lovely, modern rooms and all facilities you need while away from home.

You can find out some more details on the hotel’s official website:

https://www.hotelgustave.com/en/

I hope you enjoyed reading this review!

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Pauline

 

Holiday destinations: Palma, Majorca

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I have just came back home from a great second mini-moon in Palma de Mallorca so I would like to tell you about this destination today.

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Palma is situated on the south coast of Majorca. Almost half of the total population of Majorca live in Palma and the entire urban area of Palma in 2009 was 621,000.

With beautiful weather, stunning scenery, and delicious cuisine, Palma is a very popular destination for holidays. Its airport, serves over 22 million passengers each year.

Palma’s multicultural history is reflected in the wonderful variety of architecture visible throughout the city. If you are in Palma only for a few days then you should definitely:

  • Walk through the gorgeous fairly narrow, quiet streets of the Old Town surrounded by a diverse range of interesting buildings. The architecture of which is comparable to cities such as Florence.
  • Visit Palma La Seu Cathedral. It is Gothic cathedral which rises out of the city walls which once marked the edge of the sea.
  • Go to Placa d’ESpania -the transport hub of Palma.
  • Walk or cycle around the beach. There is a cycle path and promenade lie directly behind the beach. If you like running then it is also a perfect place for a morning run!
  • Visit the Almudaina Palace. It is a 13th century palace with charming gardens located just next to the cathedral.
  • Visit the Bellver Castle a Gothic style castle located on a hill 3 km to the west of the center of Palma. You will be able to admire the panorama of Palma from there.

I will post some suggestions of where to stay and which restaurants are worth visiting over the next few days.

Hope you enjoyed reading this review!

X

Pauline

 

Holiday destinations: Amsterdam, The Netherlands

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A while ago I decided to pursue my career and as a result I moved to Amsterdam. I ended up living there for almost 2 years before I was certain that I want to move back to London. I always feel quite sentimental when I think about this unique city. Despite the obvious presence of thousands of visitors, its life remained authentic. The city old Centre is formed from canal rings, which give you the feeling of space and freedom.

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Cycling is key to the city’s character and there are 400km of cycle paths so try to rent a bike and cycle a bit when you visit.

Location:

Amsterdam is the Netherlands’ capital, known for its artistic heritage, elaborate canal system and narrow houses. Amsterdam has a population of 840,486 and is located in the province of North Holland in the west of the country.

Amsterdam’s name derives from Amstelredamme, indicative of the city’s origin as a dam of the river Amstel.

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Attractions:

There’s lots to see in the city. Here is a short list of my suggestions:

  1. Visit the Museum District houses works by Rembrandt and Vermeer at the Rijksmuseum, the Van Gogh Museum and modern art at the Stedelijk.
  2. Visit Anne Frank House.
  3. Visit Dam square.
  4. Have a drink or something to eat around Rembrandtplein or Leidseplein squares.
  5. Have a picnic at Vondelpark.
  6. Take a canal cruise.
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I hope you enjoyed reading this review.

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Pauline

 

Our dinner at Le Petit Pontoise in Paris, France

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After a day of sightseeing, on the second day of our mini-moon in Paris, we wanted to have some more traditional French cuisine thus we booked a dinner at Le Petit Pointoise.

I wore one of my white cocktail dresses from COAST with some Karen Millen hills and accessorized it with some silver jewellery and my Furla handbag that I took with me for our trip.

Location:

Le Petit Pontoise is located just 5 minutes’ walk from Notre Dame Cathedral in the center of Paris.

Address:

9, rue de Pontoise, 75 005 PARIS

Atmosphere:

We booked our table for 7 p.m. When we arrived only one other table was taken but within 30 minutes the restaurant was full and buzzing with tourists and some regular dinners.

On our arrival, we were greeted by a friendly waitress-Boom. She took us to our table and made us feel welcomed and comfortable.

Service:

We were mainly served by Boom however there were also a few different staff members who attended our table. They were all friendly and looked after us well.

The menu:

The menu at this gourmet bistro offers an impressive selection of dishes that are all built around traditional French recipes. The Head Chef-François Récapet works at Le Petit Pontoise for more than 14 years and provides his dinners with a high quality, traditional French cuisine with a twist. Some of his traditional recipes are treasured since his childhood in Périgord and all dishes are made with fresh, seasonal products.

 

 

Starters:

To start with I decided to have some roasted Camenbert cheese with almond and honey crust. I love melted cheese so it was just what I needed to re-charge after a full day of sightseeing.

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My husband had some signature ‘Petit Pontoise’ roasted shrimps. They were cooked to perfection and tender.

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Mains:

There was a nice choice of mains but as I love fish I decided to have some Roasted monkfish with prosciutto. It was delectable!

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My husband had a Rack of lamb with some garlic crust. Both dishes were of good size and were presented nicely.

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Desserts:

I have a very bad sweet tooth and I decided to have one of my favourite desserts-Tiramisu ‘Veronese’. I love, love, love tiramisu and could have it for breakfast, lunch and dessert so I really enjoyed my little treat!

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James was slightly more adventurous and he had a fruit salad with Armagnac. He really liked it as it was served with some homebrewed Armagnac.

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Overall experience:

We both enjoyed our time at this traditional French gourmet bistro. You should definitely go there if you wish to discover and enjoy some great home-made French cuisine. If you wish to have a good-quality meal in a typical Parisian atmosphere then look no further. I would advise to book it in advance as Le Petit Pontoise is a relatively small, popular restaurant so it tends to be fully booked often (especially during the weekends and the peak tourist season).

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For more information and to book visit:

http://www.lepetitpontoise.fr/en/

I hope you enjoyed reading this review!

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Pauline