Love from Cyprus

Inspired by the sudden “heat wave” we´re experiencing (don´t be too jealous, it´s only for three days!) as well as the style files´ Summer Essentials, I discovered a Cyprus-based brand that makes the most appealing sandals. You can visit their Etsy shop here. They´re definitely on my list! 😉

I´ve actually just bought a pair of amazing white sandals from Stefanel and last year I was so lucky as to get my hands on these babies from Ancient Greek Sandals. But hey, who says I don´t need more?!;-) In Norway I won´t be wearing them out any time soon, but as soon as I get to a lovely island in the Mediterranean, I won´t be needing anything else. So breathe in and tell me what you think!

Continue reading

Holiday house

I keep coming back to my initial blog theme, interior decoration. While sipping Petit Bourgeois and hiding from the heat, I stumbled upon this wonderful holiday retreat where Amsterdam-based Anne-Claire Petit and Jan Wolleswinke spend their summers in France, by the Italian border. I love the white hues, the  natural elements of stone and granite, the concrete floors and the light. The simplicity of it all propels me in the Mediterranean environment where one can find peace of mind while making fig jam and chatting with the neighbor. What do you think?

Continue reading

Walking Down on Memory Lane- Croatia

Summer is approaching and I can´t help but think of all the incredible places we´ve visited along the years. To put it like that, Croatia was definitely one of them. We spent 12 days in Dubrovnik in 2007 and we were dazzled by the architecture, the pine tree forests and the sparkling sea. We´d take the boat to different places every other day and enjoyed some quiet time on the Lokrum Island, a nature reserve with peacocks and pine forests. The food was a mixture of Italian- with risotto and pasta and Mediterranean with grilled squid and shrimps. 😉 Although the services suffer from the post-communist syndrome, people were really nice. I could definitely  go back, maybe to Hvar Island this time? Any suggestions?

Continue reading

Sardinia, mi amore

Last year´s holiday went to Sardinia and Corsica. We tok a cheap flight to Olbia, a quiet little Sardinian town where you can rest for a day or two, eat a lot of gambas and then follow your course. It´s pretty enough and the beach is just outside town, but the real Sardinia is in the countryside or in Alghero or Cagliari. We stayed 4 days in Alghero and it was great. Having rented a lovely apartment through airbnb, we tok the bus to different beaches outside town and couldn´t wait to get hungry because the food was so lovely and fresh! We even managed to get some shopping done- I found an amazing Liu Jo leather jacket on sales!

After 4 days in Catalan Alghero, about which they say it´ s more similar to a Spanish town than an Italian, we tok the train to Cagliari. I won´t say it was easy. There was a lot of waiting and I was starting to think I´d been mad to come up with such a route, but it was so much fun when we arrived at last. Again we rented through airbnb, this time an ensuite room at the lovely librarian Louisa. She had a killer balcony and prepared some drinks to enjoy in the evening. Her English was very good, so was her companion´s, so we had chatty jolly evenings on the terrace overlooking the town. Cagliari is such a beautiful city! Between the old town with the castle and the fortifications, the restaurants, the pine-fringed boulevards or the ragged old town, the Italian charm was everywhere. For the beach you could take a bus just a quarter of an hour away or a day trip two hours away in a little corner of paradise.

On our way to Corsica we stopped for 4 more days in Santa Teresa di Gallura, all the way north, an hour from Corsica by ferry. A lovely little mountainous resort, the village had stunning views and amazing rocky bays. My husband liked it best of all Sardinia. There was no hassle and no shopping, the only thing to focus on was the swimming and the food. Try the asti spaghetti, the female lobster, the real deal was beyond our pockets!;-) Enjoy!

488337_10151013109171711_1535120165_n

Continue reading

Gozo, Malta

I always chose my destinations based on pictures.  I like the pictures, I find out more about the country. And although Lonely Planet is my favorite guide,  they really underestimate the power of pictures. As you know, a picture says more than 1000 words… So this is how we decided we should go to Gozo 6 years ago. I had read about it in a magazine, it was near enough, meaning we wouldn´t have to travel for more than two weeks, it was wild, pretty and a little exclusive. No giant hotels, no neon lights avenues.

If you´ve ever dreamed of going to Malta, try Gozo instead! It has everything Malta can offer you and on top of it peace and quiet. We´ve been to Gozo twice, both times in Qala, a cute village with 5-6 restaurants, 5 minutes by car from Hondoq Bay, this lovely gulf you see just below. The main reason we came back to Qala was the hostess, a lovely English lady in her 40s who runs Lellux B&B and does everything to make you feel at home. Everything else is just a bonus: the water, the snorkeling, the friends we got, the amazing food.

You should go in late August, otherwise the weather is unbearably hot. Besides, August is time for fiestas – traditional village celebrations- and the Gozo Wine Festival. It´s so authentic and so vibrant that you´ll never settle for Costa del Sol again. Let the pictures speak for themselves!

60057_426459681710_2465311_n

 

Continue reading

Apartment in Paris

I fell in love with this French apartment at first sight. There´s something about all things French, I´m a sucker for them all! So much refinement and elegance, or maybe it´s this ” joie de vivre” to blame. Take a close look at the stylish simplicity, the materials carefully chosen, the colors. I could move right in, but by tomorrow it´d be cluttered already!

Continue reading

Towards the end of the holiday

Tomorrow is our last day in Palma. We´ve been having a great time, although I have to say, I really wish we could have rented a car. I´m in my thirties now and should be able to drive. Everything is so much more complicated when you have to wait for a bus that takes you where everybody else also goes. And there´s a limit to how much you want to spend on taxis.

Aside from that, Mallorca is gorgeous. We´ve managed to stay away from the worst charter places and have been on a search for the authentic, genuine Mallorca. We ate at small eateries as well as well-renowned restaurants, our taste buds were in heaven from so much amazing food. Pintxos and tapas, paella, fried and grilled sea food, Cambodian and Thai style dishes, there´s something for everyone. I bought a typical straw bag for shopping, culture pearls from a local store,  chocolate spread and ensaimades.

Ensaimades
Ensaimades

Continue reading