COMPARING MARTINHAL SAGRES & PINE CLIFFS
When we were deciding whether to book Pine Cliffs or Martinhal Sagres for October half term last year, the one thing I really wanted was to find a blog review that compared the two. To help me decide. I couldn’t. So now that we’ve stayed in both, I thought I would write it!…
View PostTHE MAGIC OF MARTINHAL
Magical Martinhal, where to start? It truly provided the most effortlessly relaxing holiday our little family could have hoped for. Martinhal have got everything right for a luxury family holiday. Everything. Nothing is missing, nothing is an effort, really it’s perfect. A John Lewis holiday, if that makes sense. It has everything you…
View PostHALF TERM AT PINE CLIFFS RESORT
Pine Cliffs Resort is somewhere to which we will return. Peaceful and relaxing it made everything so perfectly simple for a half term getaway.
View PostTHE BABYMOON – TRIED AND TESTED
The babymoon – it’s fair to say we took a few… Not just the “last jam before the pram” before the arrival, but at regular intervals through 9 months of growing the baby. Our choices were around Baby P and to be sure I got the relaxing and de-stressing breaks I needed to…
View PostA 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 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 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 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 PostLisbon city retreat: Palacio Ramalhete
We arrived at our Lisbon palacio at 12.01. I know this because I glanced at my watch. The sun was ‘past the yard arm’ and I gladly accepted a welcome glass of bubbles. It was pouring with rain outside, this was the bottled sunshine for the day. Our room at Palacio Ramalhete wasn’t…
View PostBoutique seaside stay: Villa Cascais
We flew to Lisbon, straight from a busy week at work in need of a chilled few days. In fact Mr P met me at the airport having just flown in from Sweden, so it was nice just to see him! Perfect timing – so jetset, meeting in the lounge ? BA in…
View Post10 reasons to visit: Lisbon & Cascais
Lisbon gets my vote for a spring city break. A short flight from London. It was somewhere neither of us had been to before. And it’s by the sea. Not hot weather per se, but warm enough to be out doors. Tick, tick, tick, tick. I will put it out there… If you want a city break and you don’t…
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