A SLEEPY WEEK IN THE ALGARVE
Our week on the Algarve was just what a doctor would have ordered. Warmth and sunshine. 10 hours sleep a night, a few more hours dozing on loungers by the pool each day, plenty of fruit (especially oranges), veg and fish and some excellent pampering too. We also added in a teeny bit…
View PostBELA VISTA HOTEL RESTAURANT AND SPA, THE ALGARVE
When I stumbled across the Bela Vista hotel whilst hunting for special places to stay in the Algarve, I saw photos of the most incredible hexagonal stained glass bathroom. I didn’t quite make the booking on just the basis of this one room but it was a factor… As was the dreamy pool! Quite…
View PostP&P IN THE SPRING
Spring was slow (late) arriving this year… But when it finally did it was spectacular. The 20 degree temperature rise inside 4 weeks was a bit of a surprise but there were no complaints once the snow and rain finally departed! March March so often dawns with the smell of spring. Not this…
View PostPACKING LIGHT – MY TRAVEL LUXURY
My travel luxury comes from packing lightly. My husband may well laugh as I have been known to take an umbrella and multiple jumpers on a desert holiday. You can’t be too careful just in case, you know, it is like the UK winter while you’re there… But over the years I’ve done…
View PostVILACAMPINA GUESTHOUSE, THE ALGARVE
The symmetrical white-washed moorish architecture and the lone tall palm tree. The remote rural location. The simple and peaceful blue and white pool. Vilacampina has you at hello. It’s a dreamy contemporary villa, the kind you wish someone in the family owned outright! But with the benefits of a hotel thrown in. The perfect…
View PostP&P RECOMMENDED: LONDON HOTEL DIRECTORY
If we stay in London then it’s normally got something to do with work. Or to break up the commuting week. As stays are mainly for work they err on the practical and functional side of things. Sometimes though, we make a London date night of it and have been working our way around…
View PostAN INTIMATE SUPPER AT EVELYN’S TABLE
When you find a food style you enjoy… Stick to it. We were taken to Machneyuda when we were in Jerusalem. And to our delight, there’s a growing list of restaurants in London run by the same group. I’m pleased to say we have now enjoyed them all. Each slightly different, but all…
View PostP&P RECOMMENDED: OUR HOTEL DIRECTORY
It is fair to say I can be fussy when it comes to choosing a hotel. Which does mean if we have stayed somewhere we liked, then it comes recommended! Way back in 2015 there was a travel link-up theme about places we can’t get out of our head. In 2015 I picked 6…
View PostRELAXED WEEKENDING AT TIMBRELL’S YARD
We booked our stay at Timbrell’s Yard after I made a shock discovery… Mr P was away for over half of February with work and he also had a ski holiday and weekend in Cape Town squeezed in. In a very first world way, with no trips planned, I was feeling hard done…
View Post10 BITS OF BALANCED HOLIDAY WELLNESS
What’s the furthest one could get from a wellness break? Probably one of those Brits abroad boozy night clubbing holidays that make me shudder! Not for me! That said, I am pretty sure each and every sailing regatta is in its own way just as bad. They just begin more elegantly! The times I have…
View PostP&P IN THE WINTER
Monthly updates were getting tiring and quite frankly boring! Some months work takes over and it rains continuously. Others I hibernate! So there’s nothing to wax lyrical about… And no pretty pictures to log! It’s about seasonal updates now as in amongst the rain and work there are still beautiful days and adventures…
View PostA QUIET WEEKEND IN CORNWALL TO REMEMBER
Sometimes all anyone needs is a weekend away, in Cornwall. Away from the chores, the need to do a food shop, catch up on work or (heaven forbid) do anything strenuous. A weekend away in a nice place that isn’t home. No 3G, no TV, just some fresh air and sea views. Time…
View PostTRAVEL MEMORIES TO LAST A LIFETIME
If you are like me, then it’s the pinch me moments and memories you remember most fondly. You know, the memories that made something or somewhere special and once in a lifetime. Obviously there’s the life stuff – like finding someone brave enough to marry me 😘. The big stuff – like last summer when…
View PostTHE MAGICAL NORTH COAST OF CORNWALL
The north coast of Cornwall is magical. Especially the bits that few visitors find! Ask many where to go on the north coast of Cornwall and you’d oft hear Padstow, Rock, ‘The Scarlet’, Bude top of the list… Charming yes, But there is so much more. And it’s truly Cornish… Let me share…
View PostMADEIRA: 10 GREAT IDEAS FOR YOUR VISIT
Madeira was the icing on the travel year cake for us in 2017. When we arrived on the stunning mid-Atlantic island, the only thing we knew was that Madeira was the perfect place to select for a week of RnR. The tears from cancelling our India trip because the government/tourist board had hidden…
View Post2018 TRAVEL PLANS AND A NEW YEAR REQUEST
My 2018 travel plans are non-existent. Yes, you read that right. The Anna-planner has no travel plans for the new year. It’s the same way we started 2017. And we liked that so much we’ve taken the same approach again to this new year. Having no real plans has given me time to think…
View PostTURNING 30 DAYS OF ANNUAL LEAVE INTO 12 ADVENTURES
A funny old year of travel 2017 turned out to be. We started it with no plans and 30 days of annual leave apiece but still managed to take 12 trips! And have plenty of time off over Christmas too. Bear in mind that’s alongside our full time jobs, which are pretty big…
View PostHIKING MADEIRA: AWE-INSPIRING PICO RUIVO
When we flew into Funchal there were some stunning mountains poking out of the fluffy clouds. Spectacular. I have only seen cloud inversion once before, and so this sight was magical. I studied meteorology at school and university, so to see it ‘in action’ was pretty special. One of those peaks I saw…
View PostSUBLIME STAY AT QUINTA DA CASA BRANCA
Arrival at Quinta da Casa Branca is at the highest point within the grounds and there is immediate wow factor. Just metres from the city hubbub, yet shielded from the noise and urban surroundings. All you can see (and smell) are the beautiful tropical gardens and the manor house in its perfectly romantic setting.…
View PostBOTANICAL STAY AT QUINTA JARDINS DO LAGO
A quinta is a Portuguese country estate, typically on the outskirts of town. Inside the walls you find a manor house at the centre, surrounded by beautiful gardens and either a wine or banana plantation for good measure. Space and tranquility in a city. What better place for a boutique hotel. Exactly the…
View PostCHRISTMAS TREE FESTIVITIES
This Christmas is our first in our new home. I cannot begin to explain how excited we are. I would love it to snow, but perhaps that’s a tad optimistic! We have a ‘Christmas on the farm’ advent calendar from Playmobil to celebrate country life! And all the various village events are in…
View PostMONTHLY MEANDERINGS: NOVEMBER
November was a busy month. Busy at work, at home, at play. They are the good months. Plenty of ups and downs but more good despite some real annoyance. At work With a lot of holiday to use in December I needed to do everything that is important in November. Tricky. A few…
View PostWinchester Dining: Club Epicure
The concept of a supper club is entirely new to me. As (let’s be honest these days) is going out on a work night! So it was quite the occasion last week when we trundled off to a private home in Winchester for our very first supper club. Let me introduce Club Epicure,…
View PostCornish walks: Porthgwarra to Nanjizal
The coastline of Cornwall is a complete set of footpaths. So there is no shortage of stunning walks. Each time we visit Cornwall we find a new one – normally one that has been mentioned years ago by my Grandpa or parents. This time, with a windy north-easterly wind forecast, we headed for the south…
View PostA treehouse retreat: elegance and luxury at the Chewton Glen
“It’s definitely a treehouse” Mr P squeaked at me last Friday! Since the opening in 2012, I have been lusting after a stay. The Chewton Glen has long been our favourite place to squirrel away near home for some quality RnR. But we have never stayed in the trees. Until now! I didn’t…
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