Category Archives: Europe

A Getaway Challenge…

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Over the weekend, Michelle got in touch with me and asked if I would share this with my readers so she could pick your collective, (and may I say, brilliant) brains. It struck me as a holiday challenge common to many people and that your many recommendations would be a brilliant research for many a year to come. Please do share your suggestions and links in the comments below. Here’s what she needs folks:

Hello Florence Finds readers,

For the past three weeks I have been trawling the internet trying to discover the undiscovered. Seeking out that little gem of a place that ticks all our boxes when it comes to the Mr and I’s summer holiday. We don’t consider ourselves a fussy pair, but this exercise has highlighted to us that perhaps we are.

I am usually pretty good at researching but this one has me stumped, perhaps it’s because I’ve already discovered some amazing places throughout Europe and visited many in the past, perhaps I’m looking for too much, I’d like to think I’m not though. These past 12-months have been hectic for us both, there have been a lot of life issues to deal with, we’ve come out of the other side stronger people but we’re a little frazzled from it all. Hence investing so much time and energy into finding the right place for us to totally CHILL OUT.

So it’s with this in mind that I’m reaching out to you, the stylish and in-the-know readers of Florence Finds for a helping hand, I’d much rather take a solid recommendation from one person, than a sugar-coated version from the masses, or worse still from a cleverly written sales brochure. (Being a marketeer myself I can smell the BS a mile off)!

So please ladies (and gents!) take a read of my hitlist and if you know of anywhere, have heard of anywhere or visited anywhere you think would fit the bill, then please drop us the details in the comments box below. I promise to keep you updated as to where we end up choosing and ultimately what it was like.

Summer Holiday Hit List

Travel date: End June – into July

Duration: 7-10 days

No of People: 2

Vibe: Total relaxation, lazy days spent lounging on the beach, reading a book, listening to music, heading to a local restaurant/beach shack in our swimwear for a long lunch, followed by more snoozing on a sunlounger and chatting until sundown. We want white sandy beaches and crystal clear water, I NEED to feel the sand between my toes and the salt in my hair. In the evening we’d have the option of staying sandy and salty, playing cards and sipping cocktails, or we’ll slap on some lippy (well I will anyway!!) and head out for dinner.

WANTS

  • Small boutique hotel or self-catering option – something stylish with cool design features / a considered interior space that feels luxurious yet comfortable. If it is a hotel then absolutely no more than 20 rooms and somewhere that is adult not child-friendly.
  • Within easy reach of an airport – less than an hour would be preferable
  • Within walking distance of local restaurants and bars – nothing fancy and definitely nothing where the menu is translated into all the European languages. We’d be happy with little shacks some nights, something a little more upmarket others, as long as the food is good (fresh fish, grilled meat, salads: typical mediterranean fare) and there MUST be decent wine on offer.
  • Europe – although I’m even considering looking at Mexico and the Caribbean now as I’m struggling to find my gem in Europe, but this is our preference
  • Within walking distance of a beach – If not walking distance then at least a short taxi ride away
  • Reasonably priced – this isn’t a holiday for extravagances

DON’T WANT

  • No Union Jack shorts in sight. This is where my snobbish tendencies rear their ugly head. I’ve done the whole holiday resort, clubbing til dawn thing in my teens and early twenties. I’ve been all over from Ibiza to the Canaries to Cyprus to Southern Spain. It was great at the time but now makes my skin crawl thinking about THAT kind of holiday.
  • Anywhere that’s full of tourists
  • We definitely don’t want to have to hire a car
  • Anywhere that requires a formal dress-code for dinner each evening
  • To be paying 15 Euros for a cocktail.

Places we’ve been – We’re keen to discover somewhere new to us both

  • Bay of Naples / Amalfi Coast Italy – this was our holiday last year and we loved it
  • Majorca – Many family holidays spent there over the years
  • Southern Spain – Almeria, Granada, Marbella
  • South of France: Cannes, St Tropez etc
  • Portugal – Algarve
  • Party holidays: Ibiza, Canaries, Cyprus
  • Egypt

So what do you think readers? The images here come from my recommendation to Michelle, the Aethrio hotel in Oia, Santorini. I’ve been to Santorini 3 times now, first backpacking as a student with Pete, then since with him again, then my Mum and sister. The last 2 times we stayed at the Aethrio, an old factory converted into a hotel. It’s enclosed behind Oia’s high white washed walls off a tiny cobbled street (there are no cars or roads in Oia after the main square’s drop off point) and time stands still here. Several rooms and suites are scattered around the property with a pool. It doesn’t over look the Caldera, but a high up viewing terrace does – perfect for vino or gin from your own fridge. It’s a simple place where time stands still and if you want to shut out the world, rest and recharge, this is your place. (It doesn’t have a beach although there’s one a taxi ride away on the otherside of the small island but there’s a tiny harbour down a million steps. It’s also not a design hotel, unless you count blue and white as a design statement, and Santorini isn’t cheap but there are plenty of Italian influenced places and fresh seafood spots where you can eat cheaply.)

Now it’s your turn readers!

Love,
Rebecca
xo

Girl About Town: Eat, Drink and Sleep Dublin Guide

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I constructed this post on the basis that there are two long weekends on their way (thank god!) and you lovely ladies might be looking for an idea for a weekend break.

I made a trip to Dublin in December to visit my cousin Jo, who is currently residing (and occasionally studying) at Trinity College. We managed to pack a lot in to three and a half days but I thought I’d make a suggestion for a place to stay, a place to drink, a place to dine and an activity and then open the floor (what is the blog equivalent in that saying? Keyboard?) for your suggestions as I’m sure there are many of you that know the city well.

So let’s kick off with Where we stayed:

We chose the Trinity Capital Hotel as it was directly opposite Trinity College where my cousin lives. We originally booked it, on recommendation, for logistical ease but it turned out to be a great choice.

The styling is eccentric and it felt like a cross between an early 20th century safari lodge, a Lewis Carroll book and, well, I can’t find any other word for it than imaginarium, really. The lobby and reception areas are filled with (faux) animal skins, gigantic chaise longes, racks of vintage luggage and super-sized arms chairs in sumptuous jewel-coloured velvets. The deep purple walls are adorned with beautiful maps, old and new, every pillar and alcove glitters with tiny mosaic tiles and gilded frames.

Matching black and white baby grand pianos sit in the middle of the lounge, huge mirrors invite you to walk down corridors that don’t exist, gargoyles of what looked like the cast of The Life of Pi perched on the roof outside my window and life-sized camel statues were waiting patiently for the summer to return so they have some company in the central courtyard.

It was one quirky hotel and I loved it! Such a great choice and I’ll definitely be going back. For a twin room in December it was approximately €150 per night, it’s walking distance to all the main areas of the city and, if you catch the bus from the airport to the city centre, it’s a stone’s throw case drag from the bus stop. We paid €12 per person per day for the breakfast buffet and I feel that it was worth the money for the selection and convenience.

We drank quite a few pre-drinks and nightcaps in the hotel as well, as the lounge sofas were just so squashy and inviting. The list isn’t extensive but the cocktails were reasonable for a city centre hotel bar and were tasty.

It’s also worth noting that my aunt, upon check in, was upgraded to a suite. Apparently the check in system picked her at random that day (they do one a day as standard), so that’s one to hope for, if you visit!

Another recommendation was La Stampa, but it was a bit out of my budget for that weekend. Has anyone stayed there? Was it worth a visit?

Where we ate

On our last night, after a trip to the theatre, we followed a recommendation to try The Pig’s Ear and we weren’t disappointed. We arrived at the hot pink door under a black and white striped canopy (how much did I love?) quite late in the evening but the staff were more than accommodating in finding us a table and talking us through the daily offering.

The menu was short but full of tasty dishes served in inventive ways and it was such a cosy setting it almost felt like we were eating at an old friend’s house. The best bit however was when I ordered a cup of tea at the end of the meal. I didn’t think there was a way to be inventive when serving tea. I was wrong! Too cute…

Where we drank:

Jo used the months leading up to our visit to trial a number of bars to take us to, one of which was 37 Dawson Street. This was by far my favourite drinking establishment of the trip. In the same style as the hotel, it was full of quirky artefacts with bemusing drawings and crazy taxidermy adorning the walls, vintage furniture upholstered in a patchwork of clashing colours and a neon sign proclaiming that “All is not what it seems”.

It seems that there is now a cocktail list available but when we visited, they were operating on the basis of “tell us what you like and we’ll make you something you love”. They were however more than happy to make us some classics as well. We drank our concoctions by a heart shaped fireplace, watched over by a giant moose head (that was wearing a giant red nose in honour of the festive season when we visited) before heading to the theatre and it was a fabulous way to start the evening.

We tried to book in for brunch the following day but sadly they didn’t start serving until after our flight check in time. So I suppose there’s another reason to go back. I hear they do an excellent breakfast martini…

What we did

I already mentioned in a previous post that we caught a train from Dublin to Belfast to visit the Titanic: Belfast exhibition, and of course as it was my first time in the city, I just had to pay a visit to the Guinness Storehouse, even if just for the free samples, the advertising display and the views of the city.

However, I think my favourite tourist activity was the walking tour. We try to book one whenever we’re in a city for the first time, and we normally use Sandeman but this time we signed up with a local company that my aunt had used on previous trips. Historical Walking Tours are led by local history graduates and they demonstrate a real passion and knowledge for their subject. I’m ashamed to say I know little to nothing of Irish history so the three hours we spent walking the city were fascinating and went some way to alleviating my ignorance. The tours start at the Trinity College front gates and take in all the major sights including the old Parliament House, Temple Bar, City Hall, Dublin Castle and Christ Church Cathedral.

Next time I visit I hope to see Kilmainham Gaol and there may have been mention of a Leprechaun Museum... hmmmm.

So Findettes – are any of you planning a weekend break in May? If so, let us know where and it may be our fellow readers have some recommendations.

Victoria
x

PS! Find Victoria over on her blog Sugar Plum Slipper or on twitter @VictoriaHale.

Girl About Town gets out of town: Seville

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After a crazy summer of house buying and flat selling, homelessness, living in my in my parents’ study, moving house, about 25 weddings (actually only seven), decorating and renovating our new home, London2012 hysteria and seeing my husband once every three weeks (due to London2012 shifts) we decided to treat ourselves to a relaxing, end-of-summer week somewhere nice and hot, not too pricey but luxurious enough to feel a bit self-indulgent. I didn’t want a city break – too much sightseeing required and sitting by a pool all day in the middle of a city, ready to be explored, just seemed wrong.

So, a cheap, nice, early-October beach break? Pretty simple, you’d think?

Wrong.

Everywhere close (a.k.a. cheap) enough couldn’t guarantee the sunshine that we were craving. Everywhere that could guarantee the sunshine, required a 14 hour flight and three times our budget just to get there. The only option that ticked all boxes, or so we thought, was Cyprus. Short flight, we could use budget airlines, good weather predicted, lovely hotels! Inexplicably, this option was more expensive than the Caribbean, Dubai and South East Asia all put together. And the flight times were bonkers.

Hmmm.

As the deadline drew nearer our list of options got shorter. And then we got burgled.

Aside from the feelings of anger, shock, violation, fear and sadness, I was LIVID that after all this time of waiting for our romantic beach break, we were now forking out hundreds of pounds for new doors, our excess insurance fee and a new alarm system, and so we were now unlikely to be going anywhere.

But, after all that extra stress on top of the list above, we refused to let it break us. We hadn’t spent more than a few hours in each other’s company for months and we needed to Chill. Out. So we started looking at cheap city breaks and discovered Seville: Scorching sunshine; a beautiful setting; great reviews from recent visitors; cheap flights from an airport less than 30 minutes away and at realistic times; and a Mr and Mrs Smith Hotel with short-notice availability at a reasonable price – PERFECT!

I did a bit of research in to the location and was pleased to find that although there was a lot of wandering to be done there were only a few major sights. I feel guilty chilling out reading my book by a pool when there is culture I’m missing out on. So there was enough to entertain us, but no so much that our chill time was compromised.

We arrived at the Hospes las Casas del Rey de Baeza about midday after a short 20 minute cab ride from the airport and, as our room wasn’t yet ready, we were given a welcome drink (ice cold sangria for him, juice for me) and a small tour of the hotel before settling in one of the central patios to read up on the location.

The hotel was rustic in style with rooms on three levels on open balconies/corridors around two central patios. On the ground floor, we found a cool, calm library and lounge complete with big scoochy (it counts as a word if you know what I mean – and I know you do!) leather sofas, and a garden room with wicker chairs over-looking a small garden area with a mesmerising water feature and lush green plants. I found myself sitting here day dreaming for about two hours on the last day.

Eventually we unpacked in our rather spacious room (not a great view, so let’s not dwell) and we decided to leave exploring until after sundown and to make the most of that big firey ball of warmth in the sky that we seemed to be missing in the UK over the summer months, and headed up to the roof terrace to read, snooze and unwind. The roof terrace was rather chic, and I felt like I was back in Santorini – everything was sleek, modern and white. Decking, sofas, funky lamps, potted cacti, sun loungers and a small, but perfect, pool all in amongst the Andalusian rooftops.

An un-manned bar in the corner was home to a stack of menus and a phone with a direct dial to the kitchen. We ordered some delicious-sounding salads and drinks and settled in for a warm, relaxing afternoon with a handful of fresh Seville oranges, plucked from the innumerable baskets, vases and bowls full to the brim of the sunshine fruit, found all over the hotel and grounds.

Later that evening we went out to explore, taking advice from the guys on reception for the best places for tapas, drinks and general hanging out. In the end, we got so lost wandering the cute, cobbly, windy, atmospheric streets that that I can’t even begin to tell you where we ate each night. My only advice would be TAKE A MAP and wear flat shoes! I’m normally map-averse for various reasons 1) I don’t like to draw attention to myself as a tourist. I know I don’t look like a local with my milky white skin, but I don’t want to look completely clueless and vulnerable, 2) part of the fun of a city, for me, is finding my way by chance, using landmarks to navigate, soaking up the atmosphere and people watching on my way and 3) if you’re looking at a map, you’re not looking at your surroundings, which is what exploring is all about.

Seville is not for the map-averse. After two laps of the same circuit, crossing the same square in the same direction twice, I caved and consulted the map. And that’s when I looked around and realised that every second person, regardless of nationality, was standing there with their own map looking perplexed, squinting at the tiny print and then the crumbling street signs and trying to find their way. It actually added an element of camaraderie to the trip.

Eventually we found somewhere to eat – the food was average and the service was worse, but the sangria was good, and the setting was beautiful, so who cares about soggy patatas bravas and oily chorizo!

The second day we skipped the hotel breakfast (which, although delicious and lovely, worked out about €50 each) grabbed some pastries and smoothies from a bakery not far from the hotel, ate our fill on a bench with some locals in a small square and then did some conventional sight-seeing, buying tickets for the Real Alcazar and staring in awe at the Moorish architecture of this ancient palace, sauntering down to the river and checking out the Bull Ring (but making sure to give them no money, instead a few pointed looks!) and a spot of much, MUCH better, tapas for lunch in the shadow of the huge Cathedral.

The third day we gave over to a mammoth lie in and more roof top pool lounging and delicious food snacking, and in the evening took a slightly different route in to the commercial shopping area to find the Metropol Parasol, peruse Zara and Mango (Sorry Mr G) and find a cocktail bar. We failed on the latter.


No matter where we looked, nowhere had any kind of drinks list: the options were sangria, vino tinto, vino blanco or refrescos. Even outlets that billed themselves as “Cocktail Bars” looked at me like I was crazy when I asked to see the cocktail list. I almost gave up hope until our last evening when we stumbled across a beautiful rooftop terrace bar overlooking the lit-up cathedral that, despite not having a menu either, offered me a few cocktail options from which to choose. At last! It was a shame that we found this bar on the last evening! For reference this restaurant also looked pretty great and had we been there an extra day we would definitely have gone back to eat there.

Overall I’d say that Seville is a stunning place to visit, great for relaxing, wandering, snacking and, most of all, relaxing. I expect I’ll head back in the not too distant future to use it as a base from which to visit Granada and the Alhambra as, from what I’ve heard Seville is a much lovelier place than Granada, if you’re willing to take the train or coach trip (a few hours, and not too pricey) between the two cities.

In short, my Seville suggestions…

1) Don’t bother packing heels. You won’t even take them out of your case.
2) Don’t expect haute cuisine, but equally, no meal cost us more than €30 (at most) for about eight tapas dishes, local wine and/or sangria and bread and olives. Local, tasty and affordable. What’s not to like?
3) Don’t expect great service – as a former waitress I ALWAYS tip generously, but in one place we left without leaving a tip at all to make a point about the so-bad-I-was-looking-for-hidden-cameras service!
4) Don’t make any hard and fast plans – you’ll get lost, find yourself stuck down dead ends, will wait ages for a drink/meal and so will likely miss any deadlines you set yourself. It’s best to embrace the Spanish way and take it easy.
5) Do make sure to explore and soak up the city’s vibe at all times of the day. Europe does it so much better than us – less focus on work and more focus on life in the work-life balance. Even the daily “commute” is a sociable experience with bars, cafes, street vendors and holes in the wall coming alive at a time when most Brits are in “heads-down-ignore-everyone” mode. Maybe it’s the sunshine that makes everyone happier?

6) Do follow the locals to their buzzy drinking spots – impromptu street drinking, music and dancing made for a great carnival atmosphere every night of the week!
7) Do partake in a spot of shopping in amongst the sight-seeing. Sorry boys!
8) Do salivate over the Flamenco-style wedding dresses on display in every second window. I’ve literally never seen so many wedding dress shops in one city. It’s a man’s nightmare. If he’s already engaged he’ll be asked endless questions about “do you like this, do you like that?”. If he’s not, he had better hurry up and put a ring on it! If he’s married, he’ll have to deflect questions about vow-renewal! (maybe this point is just me!)

So, Findettes, have any of you been to Seville? Are you planning to visit? Any top tips to add to my list?

I also have a favour to ask – I’m going to Dublin and Belfast in a few weeks to visit my cousin with my mum and my aunt. She’s a poor starving student (yeah right!) and has the pubs and bars side of things covered, so I’m looking to you ladies for some suggestions on upmarket, chic cocktail bars and restaurants one normally reserves for special occasions as I think, for her, this one is on her mum (shhhhh!)….

Until next month

Victoria

x

PS! Find Victoria over on her blog Sugar Plum Slipper or on twitter @VictoriaHale.

Destination Guide: Sestriere, Italy

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As you’ll know from my snowy outfit pictures yesterday, last week I was in Sestriere, one of the Italian resorts that make up the Milky Way (or Via Lattea) ski area. I’m always on the look out for a good ski area so I thought I’d share and hopefully you guys can tell me your favourites, although I think I’d be hard pushed not to return to this one someday!

I’ve skied twice in France (Les Arcs) and more recently twice in St Anton, (Austria) better known as St Lash-ton for the apres ski, which I didn’t really take much note of until contrasted with Sestriere. Sestriere is definitely a much quieter resort but the slopes were nothing short of fabulous.

From the top: The pistes down into resort, quiet runs in Sansicario and looking back down onto Sestriere.

Both Pete and I could not believe how quiet the pistes were. Of course it helped that the snow was great, but there were times when you could be literally the only two people on a particular part of the slope. The runs are super wide and over all, I’d say the grading of the runs was on the generous side. It’s a great resort for intermediates and has plenty of off piste to challenge more advanced skiers.

My Ski instructor, Davide, our boozy lunch with Pete’s instructor too, and the view from our hotel balcony.

For the first time in years I went back to ski school. I’ve only ever had 3 mornings of lessons after a rather traumatic experience of being left behind by my instructor on my first ever trip! Thereafter, it was Pete’s job and as a result, although I can tackle the majority of slopes, it wasn’t with any great finesse or elegance! I have to say, the instructors were a world away from any others I’ve met, being very relaxed and super friendly, despite my inability to lean forwards! Pete was ridiculously lucky and was the only advanced boarder in the ski-school, so basically got his own guide for the week and spent the whole time off piste in the expert hands of Andreas. We also had one day where they charged an extra 15 euros and spent the whole day with the group taking us to a mountain restaurant for lunch, even liaising between themselves so Pete could join us!

Ah, the food! My reason for wanting to try Italy was the food, I love ski-ing, I love Italian food, and as that’s usually the main gripe in ski resorts I figured we couldn’t go wrong. Our hotel was half board so we ate a four course meal of anti-pasti, pasta, then meat or fish followed by dessert EVERY evening. The absolute highlight though? The Chocolatta – Italian hot chocolate that resembles more of a pudding it’s sooooo thick and gorgeous. I had far too many, but you only live once, right?

My only complaint about Sestriere would be the Apres Ski – it was really unusual in that there wasn’t a stream of people off the slopes at 4 hitting the bars. However, we found that if we went back to the hotel and showered first, then went out, the bars were busier, perhaps to do with the later start to the evening in general in Italy. Once we found the right places (the Napapijri cafe and Pinkys,) we stuffed our faces a little bit more with all the delicious bar snacks they put out during the happy hour. Nom Nom Nom.

We stayed at the Hotel Biancaneve, a clean but basic hotel with rather too much yellow paint in the interior for my liking. I wouldn’t recommend it if you’re looking for style or atmosphere but we ended up meeting some great people and you wouldn’t go hungry. The best local hotel is reportedly the Cristallo, directly overlooking the piste, but I also heard good things about the Du Col. We chose a bargain deal with Neilson (who were great when it came to arranging trips etc) as we plan to take more holidays than usual this year, fingers crossed and figured you spent a limited amount of time in the room on a ski holiday if you’re doing what you’re supposed to be ;) which was certainly true.

Top right: The olympic downhill ladies run (you could also ski the downhill mens) and me before tackling it, and a view over ‘the bowl’ in Montgnevre, France.

Ski-area wise, Sestriere hosted the Winter Olympics in 2006 producing a purpose built resort, originally created for the Fiat employees in the 1930′s. On your lift pass you can access Sauze D’Oulz, Sansicario, Cesana, Claviere and you get one day on the pass in which you can go to Montgenevre in France, just across the border. We skied all of them apart from Claviere and went on a ‘ski-away day’ on the bus to Montgenevre, as although you can ski there, there’s a lot of wasted ski time on gondolas etc and we wanted to enjoy ‘the bowl’ – a massive area of runs with great vistas.

Over all? I would definitely go back. The ski-ing couldn’t be faulted for the wide empty pistes and we were blessed with great snow and off piste conditions too. Apres ski-wise was a little quiet but when we made friends it was anything but, and the food was immense!

Have you skied in Italy and what was you experience of it? Or have you got any other great resorts to recommend?

Love,
Rebecca
xo

And the Winner is…

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Just a quick announcement to reveal the winner of our Mr and Mrs Smith Italy guide Giveaway!

Using a random number generator, the lucky winner selected is comment #18: Ruth!

Congratulations Ruth, I will drop you an email so I can collect your address and send out your prize!

Love,
Rebecca
xo

Giveaway: Mr & Mrs Smith Italy Guide

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Just before Christmas I was lucky enough to be sent a copy of the latest Italy travel guide from Mr and Mrs Smith. I’m a big fan of their concierge standard service and luxe edit of boutique boltholes, ranging from budget to blow-it prices.

I’m an even bigger fan of Italy and hope to visit later this year for one of our holidays (NY resolution #1: Travel more) so it made for enjoyable browsing.

The book however was another thing all together. In signature witty style and a touch of subversive naughtiness The Guide takes you through all the top destinations in Italy, of course also recommending a selection of Mr and Mrs Smith getaways for you to choose from at each stop on your travels.

The crowning glory however is the stunning photography featured throughout the book. I defy you not to want to book a get-away immediately after even the most cursory flick through its pages. Just leafing through made me desperate to get started on my travel plans and due to its size and weight it also makes a beautiful coffee table tome- the perfect reference point before you book or reminder of a special trip.


From Top: Villa Arcadio (Lake Garda) Ca Maria Adele (Venice) and Bellevue Syrene (Amalfi Coast).

And the best bit? Mr and Mrs Smith have kindly provided one of the new Italy Guides for one of you lucky things to win. And I’m not going to make you work too hard for it either…

Here’s what you have to do:
1. Head on over to Florence’s Facebook page and ‘like’ us (if you don’t already) to be eligible to enter.
2. Click through to Mr and Mrs Smith and leave a comment below telling us where your dream destination is in Italy.

The competition will be open until Sunday evening at midnight so get entering and if you’re not lucky enough to win you can purchase one here, they make a fabulous gift.

Buona Fortuna!

Love,
Rebecca
xo

Amendment! I’ve been reliably informed this morning by Mr and Mrs Smith themselves that Blacksmith membership is now free to everyone, which means you can all get the exclusive extras that Mr and Mrs Smith bookings come with. Great news!

Destination Guide: Istanbul

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Good afternoon readers! Today we’re welcoming Victoria back who is sharing her recent holiday to Istanbul. As soon as I heard she had visited Istanbul I asked Victoria to write about it for Florence Finds as I have long wanted to visit – it’s the location where Europe meets the Middle East and is said to create a unique blend of cultures. After reading Victoria’s review I think you’ll be hard pressed not add it to your must-visit list, and as I said earlier in the month, January is a perfect time to sit down, do some research and plan something, which is what I’ll be focusing on this week.

Take it away Victoria!

We decided to visit Istanbul as part of a grand family trip around Istanbul, Athens and Santorini. The recommendation was to spend at least five nights in Turkey’s largest city to allow enough time to explore all it has to offer, unfortunately with the schedule we were working to, we only had time for four nights, but we did pack quite a lot in.

To start with I’ll give you some quick facts, and a bit of background so you can get an idea of the scale and layout of the city and its colourful history, then take you through my personal recommendations on sleeping, eating, drinking, sightseeing and shopping.

The City
Istanbul is the largest city in Turkey, and under its previous names of Byzantium and Constantinople, served as a capital of three ancient empires (the Roman, the Byzantine and the Latin Empires) and also a relatively recent Empire, in comparison (The Ottoman). However in October 1923 when the Republic of Turkey was established Ankara was proclaimed the state capital, leaving Istanbul to rake in a number of other superlatives in its descriptions including the third largest metropolitan area in Europe (after London and Moscow), the cultural, economic and financial centre of Turkey and, its most famous accolade, the only metropolis in the world to span two continents – Europe and Asia.

Sleeping
We stayed at the Klas hotel in the Old Town. I spent some time researching a few different options and came to this decision because of its proximity to the main areas, the price and the good reviews on Trip Advisor.

It’s situated about a ten minute walk from the Grand Bazaar and so we felt it was ideally located for sightseeing. The hotel itself was clean, tidy and reasonably modern. It wasn’t high-design by any means, but the roof terrace with tables, sunbeds, cushioned lounging area (complete with fake grass for that Big Brother Garden feel), cute little pool and a bar was perfect for a little bit of chill out time after pounding the streets of the city. The staff were friendly and helpful, the breakfast was fine, providing the usual Continental and American buffet items (just stay away from the orange “juice” – it’s actually concentrate, incorrectly labelled!) and there was free WiFi on each floor, which is always nice for your daily Florence Finds fix!

For the price we paid, the location, standards and service were great. I’d definitely recommend this hotel to friends and family.

Eating
On the first night we were tired and didn’t want to roam too far, so we wandered up the main road to the Grand Bazaar area and found Faros restaurant. It was on a side street with tables and banquettes in the open air. I was having a bit of a love affair with all-white décor at the time (you can imagine how much I loved Santorini, can’t you?) so it caught my eye with the white leather seats, white tables, chairs, candle holders and menus. It was also packed…. with a lot of non-tourists (including a local wedding party sitting a bit further up) – SCORE!

The cocktail menu was international (happy me!) but the food was most definitely local and we sampled a lovely few plates of assorted mezzes, and a few local main dishes, including one cooked in a pot over naked flames which the waiters bring to your table on a trolley, wrap in a cloth and hammer at it with a knife until it cracks and spills all over your plate. You can imagine that a few rounds of that with a flourish, a bit too far from the table (i.e. in the middle of the busy street) attracted a few tourists, but it all added to the atmosphere and the buzz.

We loved the buzz of that little street so much that we ate there on two more occasions at Mozaik and another restaurant I can’t remember the name of (and the characters in the picture of the sign are “un-Google-able” without a Turkish keyboard). Mozaik was another great experience though – again the waiter was fabulous, funny, helpful and great for some local banter. We accidentally bumped in to him a day later in a local nightspot, but I’ll come on to that shortly.

Other restaurants on this street include Sir Evi and Rumeli Café, both of which offer similar menus, service and prices.

Over in the new town (the above were all based in the Old Town) we spent a long leisurely lunch in the Flower Passage working our way through almost the entire list of fresh daily mezzes and some local wine. There’s a lot of history here and the surroundings are very impressive and although it’s quite a touristy area, still had an impressive number of locals stopping by for some food, drink and banter.

Of all that we visited I would say that Faros and Mozaik are the ones that stick in my mind the most.

Drinking
On the first night, after our dinner, we ventured in to the maze of streets around the Grand Bazaar and found a little area full of locals drinking tea and sucking on shisha pipes. Seeing as it seemed to be the thing to do, we thought we’d  settle in. The guide books will tell you that no local will touch the coffee, nor the flavoured shisha tobacco, so we weren’t surprised to be greeted with blank faces when we ordered two Turkish coffees, two mint teas and a sickly sweet “cappuccino” flavoured shisha pipe. Eventually I convinced them that I actually liked the Turkish coffee (lots of advanced sign language involved here – you’ve all seen the Joey and trifle “mmmmmm” sketch in Friends, right?)

The second time we ventured in here for our “authentic” Istanbul nightlife we actually bumped in to our waiter from Mozaik as he’d just finished his shift. He informed us that it was where all the waiters and business owners meet up to discuss the day’s trade and catch up over a lassi and a shisha. I couldn’t tell you how to actually find this place, but wander the little streets behind the Grand Bazaar and somehow you’ll find it. We did… twice!

We also tried out the cocktail menu at the top of the Hilton Double Tree on the roof terrace as the final call to prayer went out. It was very quiet, and quite windy so had very little buzz or atmosphere, but, as with everywhere we went, the staff were so attentive we felt we should stay for a second – it would have been rude not to! At sunset, in a slightly warmer season I would think that this would be a great place to have a few sundowners.

My absolute favourite place to stop for drinks, however, would have to be a little square we found whilst following a walking tour from the Lonely Planet guide. It was full of arty types, students and old men playing backgammon on low level tables and stools in the shade of twisted trees, decrepit buildings, antique shops, vintage book stores and handmade jewellery stores. They served a lovely list of coffees (not just of the Turkish variety) and the famous “elastic” Turkish ice cream. Follow the walk directions through the Flower Passage, through to the “Fish Passage” and walk across the road and down a quiet back street with a big Embassy building (I think it was the British) on the right. It’s through a little archway on the left… you won’t be disappointed.

Sightseeing
There is so much to see and do in the city centre that you forget how much is situated outside in the suburbs, along the Bosphorus and along the coast line of the Black Sea. From what I managed to see in my limited time I would recommend the following:
The Blue Mosque and opposite, the Hagia Sofia. Both are breathtaking in appearance and their history and would be a shame to miss them.

A walk around the New Town. We did this by following a walk from the Lonely Planet guide. It started in Taksim Square through a modern shopping area, where we enjoyed an impromptu feast of mezzes (see above), then on to some small backstreet areas (also mentioned above), ending up down at the Galata Tower.

I would definitely recommend that you spend some time on the Bosphorus taking in the views of the city on both the European and Asian sides. The Bosphorus Bridge, which allows you to cross from Europe in to Asia on foot, was pretty awesome. Sailing up and down on the river with a rather good audio guide and my little book made me realise quite how important this city was, and still is, in history.

One thing the guidebooks really gloss over is the Basilica Cisterns. They really were a hidden treasure and I’m so glad we found them. They were the water vaults for the buildings above the ground, for storing water in case of siege (or so I read) and generally to service the city. The columns that hold up the ceilings are all mismatched as they were plundered from various temples from across the Empire and so each one tells a story… except the Medusa one – you don’t hang around to hear her story!

Shopping
I didn’t do much shopping whilst in the city and to be honest that’s strange for me. I think I was pacing myself, but I did do a little bit though – I couldn’t resist the Turkish delight! If shopping is on the agenda, I’d visit the old town for the “genuine fakes” that Turkish market stalls are famous for, and the usual tourist bits and bobs. But for international brands, I’d head to the main Promenade in the New Town. I didn’t see much by way of a bargain though, in relation to the big names.

The Grand Bazaar is obviously a famous sightseeing location but also a must-see for shoppers. However, if I’m honest it was a little bit disappointing. I was expecting something like Khan el Khalili in Cairo, which was really like stepping back in time, or on to the set of Aladdin! In reality the Grand Bazaar was a little bit like a slightly old fashioned shopping mall. If you know what you’re looking for though, and you’re ready with a list and your haggling skills, then get involved. My friend was there a month before me and got some amazing leather goods at some great prices.

We also visited the Spice Bazaar, which was a bit more along the lines of what I was expecting, but still a teensy but still a bit of a let-down. My travelling companions got a little tutorial in purchasing saffron, and I spent some time sampling the most amazing Turkish delight I’ve ever tasted: pomegranate with pistachio. Amazeballs! I intended to bring some samples home but it didn’t last the day, let alone the two weeks.

Would I go back?
All in all I really, really liked Istanbul. I don’t think it makes it in to my list of ‘Top Five Fave Cities’, but to be fair I think we only briefly scratched the surface. So it’s not a question of would I go back but that I most definitely have to go back.

Two things will stay with me forever though.

Number one – the views of the city. One of the most memorable views was from the bridge across from the Old to the New Town. Looking ahead to the Old Town, with all the fishermen lined up in front of you and the trams rushing by, you can see what looks like a line of seven massive mosques along the skyline (maybe those from the seven hills on which Istanbul is fabled to have been built?). You don’t feel like the New Town is particularly “new” until you look at the old and realise that when “new” means 500-600 years old, “Old” means positively ancient!

Number two, and for me the embodiment of the city, were the sounds and smells and just walking around soaking up the “feel”. Sitting on a roof top bar wrapped in a blanket, with the wind off the river stirring our hair, amidst the sweet smell and smoke of the shisa pipes, sipping a cosmopolitan as the final call to prayer went out, it was very atmospheric indeed.

History and modernity all mashed up – that is what Istanbul is to me.

Restaurants
Faros
MozaiK
Rumeli
Sir Evi
Flower Passage

Hotels
Klas Hotel

Read Victorias other posts for Florence Finds here and find her at her blog Sugar Plum Slipper

L’italiano guida regalo di Natale – Florence’s gift guide #6

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Ciao Bellas! Gemma here, with a little bit of Christmas chat inspired by my love of travel.

Ever since I visited Italy for the first time at 15, I’ve wanted to go back there for Christmas. I feel like the yuletide season in Italy would be like Christmas to the power of 3 – I mean, even the Italian flag is in Christmas colours! I’d love to go to a Christmas service in one of the beautiful ancient churches for hymns and carols sung in Italian and mass in Latin. To gorge myself on Italian Christmas delicacies like il torrone (Italian nougat) and Panettone, (Italian Christmas fruitcake, baked in a tall mould with light buttery dough and filled with candied fruit, raisins, ginger, honey, almonds and hazelnuts) and to wander the winding, snow-covered streets cradling a caffe corretto (that’s coffee ‘corrected’ with a shot of cognac or another spirit ;) hand in hand with a handsome man.
However. This year the handsome man and I are staying at home for Christmas in our new rental flat in London, so instead, I’ve come up with an Italian-inspired gift guide which hopefully includes something for everyone.

First up, for the tree (considering we had the Christmas tree up in our house before we had plates or cutlery it’s safe to say I prioritise ‘decking my halls’!) this stunning decoration from Versace. I know that the price of it is a little bit ridiculous, but that’s what makes it so fabulous and it would definitely become a family heirloom.

Cibi e Bevande (Food and Drink)

  • Toast the season with a traditionally Italian tipple – Prosecco. And if you’re after a gift for a wine buff, you could give them a bottle with some Riedel Prosecco glasses (I know Riedel is Austrian but they went to a LOT of trouble working with Italian Prosecco makers to design this glass which directs the drink to the right part of your palate so that it maximizes the sweetness and fullness of the wine while minimising bitterness… it would be scrooge-ish of me not to include them, no?) Panettone: this amazing cake, which is similar to brioche in texture, can be eaten on its own, smothered with nutella (what? It’s an example..) or used in any recipes that call for bread – once you’ve tried bread and butter pudding made with this you’ll never go back.
  • Italian coffee: this is self explanatory. I’m name-checking Lavazza here. They’ve been making the stuff since 1895, and am I the only one who loves the styling of their ads? Giving a pack of ‘posh coffee’ along with a stove-top Espresso maker like this beauty from Bialetti can be a truly life-changing present for people who’ve only ever had instant at home before.
  • Italian food cookbook – The Italian Diet, Gino Di Campo. For anyone who thinks Italian cooking is; a, too easy, b, too fatty and carby, or c, boring, this is the book. Lots of fresh ideas that are healthy, and lots of unusual dishes that go past the basics like lasagne. I picked up a friend’s copy and went to write a few dishes down, then I realised I liked the sound of so many I might as well get the book.

Per la casa (for the home)

  • Alessi Stovetop kettle: I have wanted one of these for a vairrrrrry long time, but as I’ve just bought an enamelled grey whistling kettle that was more ‘in-budget’ please let me know if any of you are getting this for Christmas or indeed already own one. I like the pale blue/burgundy colour combo best, and yes I’d like to see home photos.
  • MOR Italian Blood Orange candle
  • Venetian mirror – in my quest to make our rental flat homey and livable (at the moment it’s homely and laughable) I am after a statement mirror. I have bored many people, including Rebecca, with mirror-chat. So to shut me up, someone please direct my long-suffering husband to this Laura Ashley Valencia mirror.
  • Murano glass paperweight – yes, a paperweight, potentially the world’s most-given, least-thought-about gift. Except that if someone gave me this I would so totally put it on my desk, stat. (Well, if they gave me a desk to go with it)

Divertimento (entertainment)

  • Ok, so her mother is Icelandic but she obviously gets her name from her Italian father, and if you’ve never heard Emiliana Torrini you might want to keep one of her albums for yourself. My fav of her tracks? Jungle Drums, Heartstopper and her exquisite cover of Tom Wait’s I hope that I don’t fall in love with you. This Rarities
    vinyl is also frameable.
  • In my Christmas day schedule I’ve set aside time for film watching in my pjs. First up is Life is Beautiful, (which is not to be confused with A Beautiful Life) an Italian film that will make you laugh and cry, and then I’ll be sighing over polka dot dresses with La Dolce Vita.
  • Having learnt to speak Spanish in the last year and wishing with all my might that I’d payed attention to Italian lessons at school, I think the Rosetto Stone Italian lesson program is a fab gift. Rosetta Stone really works, too.

Vestiti (clothes)

  • Oh, Italian fashion, how I love thee. Maxmara reversible cape? I’m talking to you. Oh, hello there Missoni sweater – I do agree you’d be trans-seasonal and therefore a justifiable expense and Miu Miu calf leather boots and coat, why, it’d be a crime to buy one of you without the other. Sigh.
  • However, back here in the real world, I do like the look of this Italian Silk scarf for men which is very, um, stealable borrowable… I mean, only when he’s not wearing it…

I’d love to hear from anyone who has spent a Christmas in Italy – what have I missed? Do you have a dream Christmas destination?

Gemma x

Citizen M hotels…

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This morning we have more travel secrets to share… with a guest post hotel review from my lovely Editor Gemma C-S. I consider myself pretty well up on hotels, particularly contemporary chains that are making a splash in the industry, however, I totally missed this one! Thank you to Gemma to bringing a stylish bargain to all of our attention, and those of you looking for a budget get-away might just have found what you’re looking for. :)

My husband and I have traveled. A LOT. We’ve done 12 countries in the last 18 months and we’ve done a bit of aid work during that time. We’ve gone places that are literally ‘off the grid’ (the electricity grid, that is) and we’ve stayed in our fair share of two bit, down and out, one-horse-town dives. Some of the choices we’ve made about our ‘travel lives’ have impacted our ‘real lives’ – now that we’ve landed back in the UK we’re going to have to make a few sacrifices (apparently when your husband tells you we need to tighten our belts that’s not an invitation to eye up a new one) so that we can buy a house at some stage in the next 12 months. The problem with this whole eye-on-the-budget-please-missus lark is that from time to time there are things I feel that it’s important to spend on. Like a weekend away for an anniversary or birthday, for example. Or a girly weekend where you jet off somewhere to escape the grind. Which is why the hotel I’m reviewing today is the perfect find for us Florencesque gals – it’s modern, funky, exciting, glamorous, but perhaps most importantly, it’s well under £100 per night.

We first stayed in Citizen M in Amsterdam in 2009 – Mr C-S found their website while planning a birthday surprise for me, and it was absolutely amazing. It was Trip Advisor’s trendiest hotel for 2009 and then again in 2010 which he knew would appeaI to me! I spent ages in the room discovering all the features, like a shower that pulls out from the actual walls (yes, hello, I’m Gemma and I have always wanted to be Judy Jetson) a ginormous comfy bed, fantastic space age multicoloured lighting, and a touch pad to control everything from the television (with free movies) and music to the blinds, heating and mood colours!

Citizen M say that they’re designed with the ‘modern global traveler in mind’ and to that end, the rooms aren’t huge but they are beautifully designed and packed with fun yet practical and grown-up features, like… Take-homeable designer stuffed animals! 2 different shower gels created especially for Citizen M by a world famous perfumier! Quirky design features, and walls that can speak – in that they’re covered in wonderful quotes about traveling from writers like Robert Louis Stevenson. You check yourself in, and your room key is a re-usable luggage tag.

They have an element of ‘pay for what you need’ about them too – instead of room service or breakfast as part of their rack rate, they have an incredibly appealing on-site 24 hour ‘canteen’ that sells a wide range of different food as well as toiletries and the odd homeware piece. So after the roaring success that was team Hobo’s trip to The Netherlands (we stayed at the Amsterdam City hotel but there’s also one at Schipol Airport) I booked a night in the Citizen M Glasgow last Christmas. We were newly married and only back in the UK for a short time, and we had stayed in a couple of the aforementioned dives quite recently, so even though Glasgow is Mr C-S’s home town, we took ourselves off for the night. Actually, we might even have fibbed a bit by saying we were going further away and turned our phones off.

More Citizen M’s are due to roll out over the coming year, with two planned for London and one for Paris… considering we’re re-locating back to London shortly I’ve started planning a jaunt to gay paree… anyone keen to join me?

x Gemma

Have you got a hotel you’d like to review for Florence Finds? A secret bolt hole, bargain boutique or all out luxe getaway? Please send your submissions to hello@florencefinds.com and share the secret!

Packing for a mini-break

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This morning we have another guest post… remember Rachie’s travel review of the Marbella Town House hotel? Well this morning, you get to see what she took with her.

I love this post. What could be better than being super nosey inside the bag of someone who is very stylish, (seriously, check out the outfits!) Even if you’re not jetting off anywhere (nope, me neither :( ) it’s worth a read just to snoop on her favourite lip balm, book, heels.

So without further ado, give it up for Rachie and her holiday wardrobe!

I can’t deny that the Mr and I love our holidays and I think I have got my packing down to a bit of a fine art – taking mostly (!) the essentials. I thought I would share what I took for a short break.

For the plane…

Bag: I always take a roomy bag for the plane and I found this one in Topshop. It holds loads and is a nice neutral colour so you can use it for walking around too as it goes with loads of outfits.
Scarf: Another necessity for me just in case it gets a bit chilly and you can use it as a pillow too! I took this one from River Island.

We were only flying short haul so no huge makeup bag for me. I took:
My favourite lip balm which is this one – Kiss Me, Philosophy. It’s non sticky and lasts ages and it’s SPF 15.
My trusty Kiehls Moisturiser as the air can get very dry
Wet wipes for freshening up.
A mirror – mine was a gift from Monsoon.
A small deodorant
Passports: My passports go in this gorgeous little bag – another gift from Anya Hindmarch which is a perfect size and you can fit other travel documents in it too.
My iPhone preloaded with music and my fave American drama serial. (I’m watching The Good Wife at the moment)
…and a book (Mine was One Day)

I couldn’t resist stocking up on make up and magazines in Duty Free!

For the beach…

Beach bag from Rib and Hull at Etsy: I always take a beach bag that can fold up in my suitcase and I love this stripy one.
A hat: My hat is from Tk Maxx. I adore the little flowers on the side.
Bikini: Mine is Melissa Odabash at The Outnet. It’s such a flattering shape and colour. Definitely a classic.
Evian Atomiser Water Spray: So useful for when you get a bit hot.
UV hair protector from Charles Worthington,
Batiste dry shampoo to give my hair a bit of oomph when it dries.
High factor suntan lotion. My one is Boots Soltan Invisible dry touch transparent sun care spray. I always go for the clear spray ones which are a godsend if you are pale like me as they dry instantly so no sticky crème on your hands.
Hair bands.
Sunglasses: Mine are Chanel. They are such a classic and I love them
Flip flops: My beaded ones are from Pepe Jeans.

For the evening…
I’m sharing two looks in the evening. First up is this easy to wear dress from Zara teamed with French Connection tan wooden sandals which go with everything. I also added a feather necklace and my gold clutch both from Accessorize.

My other look is a silk jumpsuit from NW3. It is perfect for holidays because it’s so light to wear. I teamed this with Reiss heels, earrings from Oliver Bonas, and again my gold accessorize clutch.

Hope you enjoyed a look at my holiday packing list!
Rachie xo