My Visit to the Guerlain Champs Élysées Flagship Store, a Must Do in Paris

Of all the widely distributed fragrance brands, Guerlain is my favourite. It’s obvious that it was started by a perfumer and not a fashion house that eventually launched a beauty line. Guerlain has 193 years of history and it shows. Their shop in Champs Élysées dates back to 1914 and it’s an ode to sensorial beauty that is, in my opinion, a what-to-see must in Paris.

Continue Reading

Vacationing in COVID Times: my Glamping Experience in Reserva Alecrim

Back in September, when it was still warm and before COVID numbers in Portugal started to go up again, we went Glamping. Travelling abroad wasn’t really a choice in 2020, so we stayed in – in an isolated artificial igloo in the middle of a natural reserve, that is.

The world is starting to open up again, but caution is still advisable. If you want to venture out, but still be somewhat isolated, glamping is a great choice.

Continue Reading

4th Day in Istanbul – Wandering through Sea and Sky

Our 4th and last day before taking a plane to Kapadokya was one to decompress. A boat tour going up the Bosphorus was going to keep us occupied for 6 hours. We started very early that day because we were catching the boat at 10:30 (if I’m getting up before 10:00 am on vacation, it’s very early).

Very important tip: don’t purchase the 20+ euro tickets you see everywhere for a boat ride on the Bosphorus. That’s a giant tourist trap. If you go to the very discreet Şehir Hatları ticket booths, Istanbul’s official ferry company, near the docks, you can purchase a ticket for a 6 hour tour for 25 Turkish lira (little under 4 euros). That’s what we did.

Continue Reading

3rd Day in Istanbul – Old Palaces and Ancient Places

Third day in Istanbul, and we woke up with a sense of urgency – there was still so much to see. Getting lost in the city was not an option this day. We headed for Topkapi Palace, aware that it was a time consuming experience, and considering skipping lunch altogether.

A kiosk on a street corner, across the street from the entry road that leads to Topkapi Palace, that we passed by almost every day. It became a reference point and a token image of Istanbul for me.
Continue Reading

First Day in Istanbul – The Erten Konak Hotel

First day at Istambul: the sun has already set when we arrive. Trying to decipher the public transportation system while carrying a very large trolley and reassuring a very jumpy Sir Boyfriend who was transporting, unbeknownst to me, my engagement ring in his baggage, I’m somehow able to get us across Sultanahmet Square, through the surrounding streets, passing by a myriad of tourist-trap like restaurants and descending to our very discreet and concealed hotel, guiding us only by memory of what I’ve seen on Google Maps – because we had no wifi.

Continue Reading