Travel Archives - Page 2 of 2

Lunch With Bond at The Colombe d’Or

**IRO** Yante Broderie Anglais Dress | **ATP Atelier** Rosa Sandals in Black | **Ace & Tate** Sebastian Sunglasses in Bio Black* | **Lucy Williams x Missoma** Gold Graduated Fang Necklace* | **Missoma** Engravable Initial Necklace in Gold*

Hidden behind a large stone wall in the pretty little town of Saint-Paul de Vence is an iconic restaurant and hotel, the Colombe d’Or. As you walk in through its giant gated archway you are met by a giant thumb, the work of French sculptor César. Hung on its walls are paintings and illustrations by Picasso, Chagall, Matisse, Léger and Braque; centimetres from the pools edge is a giant Calder sculpture. Artists flocked to the Colombe d’Or from the 1920s through to the 1950s, where its owner Paul Roux would entertain them and in exchange for a piece of art would feed them and give them a bed for the night.

As I entered the courtyard I was struck by its beauty and relaxed atmosphere. Tables sit close together but with plants used tentatively here and there you are given your privacy. The waiting staff are kind and welcoming, there is no stuffiness here, even though the Colombe d’Or is a world-renowned restaurant and frequented by the likes of Madonna, Victoria Beckham, Jack Nicholson and Leonardo di Caprio. On the day we visited Roger Moore was also dinning on the terrace, I actually go to meet Bond!

The food was the best we had in the South of France and we ate a lot of very good food. The sea bass I ordered was exceptional and the crème caramel I had for dessert was just as I remembered it as a child. I can also highly recommend the house champagne, we were celebrating our wedding after-all.

Postcards From The Camargue

**UNIQLO** Broderie Anglaise Top in Black* | **Mango** Buttoned Denim Skirt | **ATP Atelier** Rosa Sandals in Black | **Ace & Tate** Sebastian Sunglasses in Bio Black* | **Larsson & Jennings** Liten Watch* | **Missoma** Engravable Initial Necklace in Gold* | **Missoma x Lucy Williams** Gold Graduated Fang Necklace* | **CF Concept** Tusk Necklace in Gold

We started our honeymoon in The Camargue, an area of France defined by its salt plains and marshlands; famous for its white horses, flamingoes and bulls. The Camargue is very different to anywhere else I’ve been in France, once affluent due to the salt industry, which sadly is not what it once was. There are beautiful houses but many of the villages are a little like ghost towns, even in mid-summer. The beaches however are incredibly busy.

For us, it was the perfect spot to unwind after the wedding and parties we had at the château. I was quite ill at the time with a chest infection which I still haven’t managed to shake. The peace and quiet allowed us both to readjust to a more relaxed state of mind and set the mood for the rest of our trip.

Accommodation

Chambre d’Hôtes en Camargue 4 (via Airbnb)

Pre-Wedding Chillout

**Custommade** Leanna Gingham Shirt* | **Hush** Denim Shorts* | **Ace & Tate** Sebastian Sunglasses in Bio Black* | **Larssen & Jennings** Liten Watch c/o **Farfetch***

Before the wedding I spent a few day relaxing with friends a beautiful spot just outside Grasse. It was an opportunity to read a book, swim and unwind before the big day. I knew I still had a few things to do when I arrived at the chateau so I found it quite difficult to fully relax but taking in the beautiful views from such a stunning old bastide certainly helped a lot.

I slathered on the sun cream and spent every hour of every day lying by the pool. I had to be careful as my wedding dress was backless but after a few days in the sun I had a good base tan and felt as relaxed as I could be. I was so happy just walking through the gardens there, which had been planted with 400 year old olive trees, wisteria, bougainvillea, oleander and agapanthus (a few of my favourites). There were so many beautiful touches wherever you looked.

The farmhouse was once owned by Sir Norman Foster and had been beautifully restored on the outside and elegantly decorated throughout. I would have loved to show you the inside too but as this is my friend’s family home I chose not to share any photos of the interior, so you’ll just have to trust me when I say it was simply stunning (house goals for the future).

Our Wedding Venue, Château de Massillan

I’m really sorry if you’ve been visiting my blog and thought to yourself, ‘nothing new here’. Sorry to disappoint, I’m currently in France preparing for our wedding. I might be a little MIA for a few weeks but if I get the chance I will update you when I can.

In the meantime, I thought I would share some photos of Château de Massillan, the beautiful chateau where we are going to be getting married. It has a courtyard in the centre, a pond with koi carp, a stunning potager (kitchen garden) with chickens, and even a moat! It’s surrounded by vineyards, one of which has sold us all our wine for the day.

Not only is it a stunning location for our big day but the owner Didier Pérréol has a passion for sustainability. Everything from the materials used in its recent refurbishments to the ‘Biologique’ wine they serve, has been chosen for its low impact on the environment. Their exceptional chef, Frédéric de Bourlout uses organic, locally-produced, sustainable, seasonal produce in everything he and his team create in the kitchen. As you can imagine, I’m so excited about our wedding breakfast.

There isn’t much time now until the big day. At the moment, I’m not nervous just super excited to be marrying my best friend, with so many of our wonderful friends and family present to witness and celebrate with us.

Miró Hotel, Bilbao

This post was created in collaboration with the Miró Hotel.

We were really lucky to stay at the Miró Hotel whilst in Bilbao, it’s a lovely boutique hotel, opposite the Guggenheim. The hotel was designed by fashion designer Antonio Miró and interior designer Pilar Líbano and was the first boutique hotel in Bilbao.

The service was brilliant from the moment we arrived. Having arrived much earlier than I’d anticipated our room wasn’t ready for us, so we handed over our luggage for safe keeping and were handed complimentary tickets for the Guggenheim. This was such a nice touch and made my day as we already had plans to visit. On the ground floor of the hotel there’s a lounge area with free coffee and soft drinks, and lots of design books as well as photography by Marc Viaplana. We sat down there and started to plan our afternoon, the Guggenheim to see the amazing Richard Serra exhibition, followed by a wander and lunch before returning to the hotel to relax. We were booked into the hotel’s Aqua Wellness centre, a private room with a steam room, hydromassage bath and hydromassage shower, for an hour before we got ready to go out for the evening. This was the perfect way to relax into our break and I would recommend it if you’re planning a stay at the Miró Hotel.

Our room was decorated neutrally, creating a calming oasis to escape to for a couple of hours whilst we got ready. It even had a view of the Guggenheim. The bathroom was all slick black marble, very chic and just my style.

Breakfast was worth having at the hotel, ‘The Brown Bread Bag’ came with slices of brioche, German style bread, rustic white bread and a croissant, served with delicious raspberry jam and marmalade. All had been chosen from local producers for their quality. I also had a rather wonderful bowl of crunchy granola and yoghurt.

A Weekend In Bilbao

I’ve wanted to go to Bilbao and visit the Guggenheim since I was at school and first came across the work of architect Frank Gehry. I’ve waited a long time to see it but it was utterly worth it, the building is stunning, glinting silver in the bright light and pale gold when it’s cloudy. We stayed just opposite the Guggenheim in the Miró Hotel, the first boutique hotel in Bilbao (more on the hotel later).

Bilbao is the perfect destination for a weekend break, it’s easy to get to, small enough to walk around and has lots of amazing places to eat. We headed to the Plaza Nueva in the east of Bilbao for dinner, the square has many pinxtos bars where you’re hard pressed to spend 10€ on two glasses of wine and a selection of pinxtos. I recommend taking cash as we found many of the bars frowned on using bank cards for anything less than 10€. Our favourite was Victor Montes in the south-east corner of the square, the food was very good and the service came with a smile.

Whilst in Bilbao I had to check out a few shops, of course. Trimmer is a small boutique in the centre of town which sells a lot of my favourite brands including Masscob, Spain’s answer to Isabel Marant. They sell both men’s and women’s brands, as well as a good selection of magazines, beauty products and flowers. Next door they have a café too. Another wonderful store to visit is Narata, a contemporary design showroom that works with local artists and designers, as well as well-known brands like SCP, Muuto and Hay. The owners Aristide and Ainara are very welcoming and clearly passionate about the people they work with. It’s worth popping in just to see they’re collaborative project, ‘NarataWorks’; the leaning lamps above are from this project.

Accommodation
Miró Hotel

Restaurants
Panko | Victor Montes

Shops
Narata | Trimmer

10 Days In Antigua

**Second Female** Star top | **Paige** Grant denim shorts

**Maje** sheer white kimono | **Jenny Sweetnam** Silver Drop necklace | **Jil Sander** Wayfarer sunglasses in Havana brown

Hammam towel (bought in Istanbul) | **Kite** Martino sunglasses | **Designers Remix** Nomi black bikini | **Dermalogica** UltraCalming Ultra Sensitive Tint SPF30 | **Remix Magazine** | **Paige** Grant denim shorts | **Sachajuan** Hair In The Sun Protector

**Pyrus** Anoha Salt broderie anglais top | **One Teaspoon** Bandit denim shorts in Hendrix | **Jil Sander** Wayfarer sunglasses in Havana brown | **Havaianas** Slim flip flop in black

**Charlie May** cream silk top | **COS** shorts

**One Teaspoon** Bandit denim shorts in Hendrix

**Second Female** Star top | **Claudie Pierlot** Stereo skirt | **Jenny Sweetnam** Silver Drop necklace | **Jil Sander** Wayfarer sunglasses in Havana brown

**Paige** Grant denim shorts | **Paige** Sammy blouse in Alexandria

**Ganni** stripe bag | Panama | Hammam towel (bought in Istanbul) | **Kite** Martino sunglasses | **Ultrasun** Super Sensitive Family Formula SPF30 sunscreen | **Dermalogica** UltraCalming Ultra Sensitive Tint SPF30 | **Happy Plugs** Deluxe Edition gold earbuds | **Remix Magazine**

You might remember that I included Antigua in my Travel Bucket List in January, well we made it and wow, it was amazing. It’s such a beautiful island and the people there are so kind and friendly. As you might expect from a Caribbean island, the vibe is super relaxed and this hits you straightaway. I’ve even brought a little back with me, driving and walking around yesterday I realised I wasn’t in a hurry like I usually am in London; I’m not sure how long this will last but let’s see.

We spent the first couple of days partying with our friends in the lead up to their wedding and then we partied some more to celebrate. The wedding was held at The Carlisle Bay, a luxury resort with tasteful decor, lush surroundings and a gentle breeze off the sea. I was teary eyed throughout the ceremony (I’m awful for this at my friends’ weddings) but pulled myself together soon afterwards. The tipple of the night was a delicious old fashioned rum punch which helped us dance the night away, barefoot in the sand. It was a wedding I won’t forget anytime soon.

Shirley Heights the night after the wedding was worth the crazy 45 minute taxi ride across the island (be warned taxi drivers either drive very slowly or very fast along the hole-ridden roads). We were welcomed with stunning views, steel drums and the smell of the most incredible barbeque.

We stayed at the Cocobay Resort, in a beautiful setting on a small cliff overlooking the sea; surrounded by cacti, banana plants and palms. Our little waterfront cottage had everything we needed, including an outside bath, hammock and plunge pool. Pelicans flew past our balcony just a few metres away and the bright blue sea spread-out wide in front of us.

Both Dan and I are foodies (he’s a classically trained chef) so we insisted on trying a few local delicacies, conch and dumplings, both of which could be found a short walk along the beach from our resort. The conch came in the form of fritters which were served with a sweet tamarind sauce at a beach restaurant called The Nest, they were so good; they also served a mean coconut shrimp. We sampled dumplings (by special request) at Dennis Restaurant. They were served with salt fish and pickled coleslaw; I enjoyed them but wouldn’t be in a hurry to have them again. Whilst we’re talking about food, Sheer Rocks is a must, their coconut fish stew was heavenly.

All photos were taken with my new Olympus PEN E-PL7 which was given to me by Fashiolista and Olympus. I’m genuinely in love with this camera, it’s been so easy to pick up and use. If you’re a blogger, I’d recommend it.

Mama Shelter, Paris

I spent last weekend in Paris and I had the best time, I love it! I’ve been quite a few times before but this trip was truly fantastic. I stayed at Mama Shelter in the 20th arrondissment, a great location for jumping on the Metro to pop to Le Marais – now my favourite area in Paris. The hotel was designed by French designer and enfant terrible, Philippe Starck. For me it was a bit like a more quirky Shoreditch House, super comfortable and relaxing but with some crazy details, like the Darth Vader bedside lamps.

There was a real party vibe in the hotel whilst I was there, possibly due to Men’s Fashion Week or maybe just because it was the weekend. There’s a roof terrace that I will have to pop back in the summer to check out and downstairs there’s a bar and pizzeria.

Every room has an iMac which you can use to watch a good selection of free films, I had one playing whenever I was in my room, and also to connect to the free wi-fi. Although the rooms are quite small there was enough space for me but maybe I would have spent less time in it had there been two of us. The beds were really comfortable and having a double bed to myself, for once, meant spreading out in all directions, heaven.