Summer Scents

Every year Estee Lauder put out a limited Bronze Goddess collection just in time for summer which include products such as a bronzer, illuminator, eyeshadows and a perfume.  This summer the fragrance was described as a sensuous, sun drenched blend of Bergamot and Mandarin, cooled with Tahitian Gardenia Petals and Coconut, warmed with Amber, Sandalwood and Vetiver. And the tagline according to EL?  All heat. All desire. All woman.  Wow!

I tried it at a duty free shop and it was just as delicious as described (although I am a sucker for anything coconut and gardenia scented).  One sniff and I was transported away to a sun lounger forgetting about the chaos surrounding me in T5. The perfumes sell out very quickly so you'll have to be in super fast next year. The scent changes slightly each year but one thing is for sure, they'll definitely produce a a smell that nails summer!

My ESSENTIAL summer perfume (in fact I use it all year around) is the classic Eau Dynamisante by Clarins.  This translates at energising water and after a couple of spritzes pre or post beach it does just that.  I love the revitalising feeling that's obtained by the fragrance which combines essential oils of Lemon, Patchouli, Petit Grain, Ginseng and White Tea. It's a non photo-sensitising formula so it's safe to wear in the sun.

What is your favourite summer scent?  We'd love to hear from you. And Happy Halloween!  MP

Holiday Rental Essentials - Platters and Bowls

I've been watching a lot of Australian Masterchef lately (it is screened a few months behind in the UK). As I watched the contestants today in their rush to 'plate up' their dishes as the seconds ticked away, I couldn't help but wonder how I would cope with this aspect of the competition.

Nearly all the meals I make are 'help yourself' style - served on large platters or bowls. Or, if it is just a regular mid-week meal with my husband - served straight from the pot or dish that I have cooked it in. Partly, this is to save on time and partly because our kitchen is quite tiny and has no bench space. I dream of living in a house with a much bigger kitchen - perhaps then I will plate guest's meals individually.

The nice thing about serving from large platters and bowls though is that people can take what they want and leave things they might not like. I love sharing food and often prefer eating in this style at restaurants as well. On holiday I can never imagine taking the time to plate meals - so for this reason I am adding serving platters and bowls onto our list of holiday rental essentials.

From porcelain, through to enamel, stainless steel, slate, bamboo, glass or wood - the options are endless, but it is nice to have a selection of shapes and sizes.

How do you serve your cooking? Have you got any styling tricks or tips? Do you agree that platters and bowls should be on our list of holiday rental essentials?

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Images: 1, 2, 3

Milan Apartment Rental

For our short trip to Milan, I came across our apartment rental on airbnb. The property manager Costanza was so helpful and nothing was too much trouble for her when we had questions both prior to our trip and on arrival.  

When we first walked into the apartment we were impressed with the size and the light and airy feel it had.  I am guessing the owner is an artist as there were paintings everywhere along with a canvas and easel in the hallway and many art books as you can see below. 

I loved the side table in the picture above. The living space was great.  My only niggle though was the impractical white sofa bed. We were the first family that had stayed there and we were told the owner was worried about the couch getting dirty and he also wanted to check whether my daughter would wet the sofa bed mattress!  Obviously this made me paranoid and luckily the property manager brought over a self inflating air mattress which we used instead.  I think if you're renting a place out you definitely shouldn't have furniture in there that you are worried about!

The bathroom was spacious and the walls were lined with beautiful pale grey / blue tiles. As with many European bathrooms there was a shower over the bath and unfortunately this leaked everywhere.  Not so great when you have to use all the bath towels provided to mop up the leak!  We are told a shower box is being installed this week.

AD has mentioned wine glasses in one of her bach essential posts.  It really surprised me in this apartment that there were no wine glasses so we resorted to drinking wine out of tumblers.  Fine for the beach (maybe?) but for a city break I think wine glasses would be nice.

All in all though it was a great apartment in an excellent location and I would recommend it to anyone visiting Milan.

https://www.airbnb.com/rooms/1625202

MP

Bringing Sand Back From the Beach

There is nothing like the feeling of sand beneath your feet.

Back in 2006 a doctor in South London teamed up with Virgin Holidays and transformed his waiting room into an idyllic beach scene for a week - complete with sand, palm trees, sun loungers and the sound of the sea playing over the stereo.

Urban beach bars have also popped up here and there over the past few years. Camden Beach at the Roundhouse in London was very popular this year.

In a survey complied by CheapFlights, Badeschiff, on the River Spree in Berlin was pronounced the second best beach bar in the world this year.

Paris, France has had an urban beach stretching for about a kilometre along the Seine every year since 2002. The idea proved so popular that the Paris Plages as they are known have now popped up in other arrondissements.

Hotels have also caught onto the idea - recreating beach scenes - complete with beach huts, beach volleyball courts and ice cream bicycles at their city or countryside locations.

It seems evident that lots of people want to try and capture the essence of the beach even when they are miles away from one. I really love the look and feel of sand and think it would look great to use some outside at our future bach*. I've gathered a few ideas below.

What do you think? Do you like the idea of bringing the beach home with you? Or does the thought of sand getting all through your house fill you with dread?

AD

*A bach is a term New Zealanders use to describe a holiday house.

Images: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8

Pizza

The only thing I miss now I no longer commute to and from work every day is the chance to read the free newspapers that you always get on the Underground in London. The free papers are a great way to skim through the news, but also to read about new restaurant and bar openings and movie, book and theatre reviews.

I did happen to be on the tube a couple of days ago and I picked up a copy of the Metro and read an article about how you can make Neapolitan-style pizza at home in a frying pan.

Now, pizzas are one item that is on my 'learn how to make' list - along with croissants, souffle, artichokes and numerous other things. So, I thought I might give this recipe a go this weekend. I was going to say tonight, but after I bought the ingredients I read the recipe properly and saw that I need the dough to rest for at least eight hours. Apparently Pizza Pilgrims are handing out free dough if you pop into their pizzeria in Soho so you can try their recipe and technique at home, but I'll try making my own.

My favourite pizza topping is a Margherita with added fresh buffalo mozzarella and prosciutto, so I will be making that tomorrow. We have started a Pinterest Pizza board if you want to check out some other delicious topping ideas.

Do you ever make pizza at home? Have you ever tried this frying pan technique? Or have you tried cooking pizzas on your barbecue? We'd love to hear your tips or learn of new recipes.

Now, this is about as far removed from the humble frying pan technique as you could go...

I saw this AMAZING giant disco ball pizza oven on the Yellowtrace design blog this morning. It is a wood fire pizza oven, designed as a mirror disco ball. And it rotates! The oven was both designed and produced by MadameMohr and it is the centrepiece of the Disco Volante pizzeria in Vienna. Austria.

AD

Images: 1, 2

Mirrored Sunglasses

While on our annual summer holiday a few months ago with AD in Ibiza she spotted that mirrored sunglasses were all the rage.  When she told me this I thought what is she on about! and then when I looked around I noticed that they were indeed being worn by lots of Ibiza holidaymakers.  I envisage 1980's style when I think of them but these pictures prove otherwise.  Either beachwear or street style as seen below they do look pretty cool.  I never tried a pair on this summer but next year maybe?  MP

Images 1, 2 & 3 via Pinterest, 4

Holiday Rental Essentials - Towels

One thing that hotels seem to do so much better than holiday rentals is towels.

Hotels seem to understand that you need a different towel for the pool or beach than the one they have provided for the shower. They also tend to offer towels in a decent 'bath sheet' size. And they usually appear to be new, clean and plush.

Most holiday rentals that I have stayed at have only supplied one towel per guest, along with one hand towel and one bath mat. Often these towels have been on the small side. Sometimes very threadbare. Sometimes so bad that I have had to go out and buy towels to use for the week.

So, that is what is going on our list of bach* essentials this week - towels.

I would say that a villa should provide at least one large nice towel per person and a few extra hand towels for use in the bathroom and toilets. There should be at least one bath mat per shower/bath. And it would be great if they provided towels for the pool or beach as well - towels take up so much room in your luggage it would be nice to not have to bring your own.

If the amount of washing is a concern for a holiday rental owner - they should consider some of the thinner towels for the second towel - such as Turkish hammam towels or the waffle towels as pictured below.

What do you think? Should towels be on our list of holiday rental essentials? Or, do you prefer to take your own towels anyway?

AD

*A bach is a term used by New Zealanders to describe a holiday house

Images: 1, 2, 3

Agriturismo in Aosta

We're back from our quick Milan break and I'm so glad we went!  Sometimes I get a bit put off thinking about going away with the girls for a few days as it feels like it will be more hassle than it's worth but as soon as we're on our way the excitement takes over and I forget about the pre trip stress.

We decided to break up the journey on the way there and stayed in an agriturismo called Lo Triolet in Aosta which is a 2 hour drive from Lausanne in Switzerland.  It is a quaint family run place which is very popular in winter with skiers.  

I had originally found an agriturismo that I wanted to stay at called La Reina which had glowing reviews and in particular the reviewers were very complimentary about the food.  Unfortunately they didn't have any rooms but were able to accommodate us for dinner one night.  The food was delicious but unfortunately I didn't take many photos as I was too busy chasing the girls around and making sure they weren't breaking anything!  We started with a platter of amazingly fresh ham and a beef carpaccio served with Fontina cheese.  The beef is reared on the farm and this is one of the agriturismo's specialties.  When it arrived I thought it looked a bit too rare for my liking but it was one of the most delicious carpaccios I've had.  This photo was taken as I remembered I needed to take a photo so excuse the half eaten plate!

The next course was Crespelle alla Valdostana which was crepes filled with ham and fontina cheese.  Aosta has French origins which could explain the crepes being used in the menu here.

Image via Trattoria la Boschina

The next course was Carbonada con Polenta Grasa which was thin slices of beef sauteed in butter, nutmeg, cinnamon and wine and served with a cheesy polenta.  Yum!  I could hardly move after this course and then dessert arrived which was a light as air apple doughnut served with a poached pear and chocolate sauce.  All of this was served with unlimited wine and water and was only 15 euros per person.  This was another great agriturismo dining experience and I highly recommend you searching out an agriturismo the next time you're in Italy!  MP

Rainy Days

We've got a week of rain forecast here in London. It rained all day yesterday and today it has been dark and cold. Yuck. I am busy scrolling through Tumblr and adding images of summer to our Bamboo and Blue Blog there today. I don't know if this makes me feel better or worse?!

Of course, it rains in summer as well. Sometimes it happens that you jet yourself off to some sunny destination and it rains the entire week. That is really unlucky. It has only really happened to us once. We rented a villa in Portugal back in 2010 and it was cold and rainy most of the week. We fought over playing games on the one iPhone we had between us and ate lots of frango (Portugese chicken). We barely went to the beautiful beach and it was far too cold to go in the pool. We watched Wimbledon on TV and were dismayed to see that it was sunny back in London.

Have you ever had a holiday like this? What did you do?

I am saving all of our DVDs for days or weeks like this at our future bach*. We also have a good supply of boardgames - Monopoly, Scrabble, Backgammon, Chess etc that can fill many hours on a rainy day. 

A simple pack of cards can of course provide hours of entertainment. Or you can try something new. Have you ever played Perudo (Liar's Dice) or Quoits? Both of these are fun games that I have played on holiday before.

Rainy days could also be a good chance to break out the recipe books and try something new. Get baking. Or do some DIY around the bach.

Or perhaps you should just get outside. Go for a walk, go swimming, or go fishing. After the invigorating cold, settle back inside with a nice glass of wine or a hot drink.

We'd love to hear about your rainy day holidays and what you do to make the most of them.

AD

*A bach is a term New Zealanders use to describe a holiday house.

Images: 1, 2, 3

Recipes

As I mentioned a few days ago here, I recently threw away a few years' worth of newspaper and magazine clippings of recipes.

I find these days that unless I make something within a week or two of seeing it in a magazine or paper, then it is highly likely that I never will get around to making it. 

The only magazines that I have kept have been Donna Hay ones, as to me these seem more like recipe books, with a lot less ads and editorial than normal magazines.

I still like to buy a few recipe books and enjoy browsing through these over and over for inspiration. However, I often find that if I want to learn how to make something new I usually turn to the Internet for ideas and recipes.

I like to imagine that when we have bought our bach* I will leave lots of recipe books there and then spend time actually working my way through the books, acquiring lots of new skills and making lots of new delicious dishes.

Whether or not this will work in reality will be interesting as I can't imagine that local stores in a small beach town will carry a huge array of exotic ingredients. I also may just not have the inclination while I am on holiday. We can only wait and see.

What do you think? Would you use a recipe book while you were on holiday? Or do you think holidays are about simple meals?

I'm having a group of friends over next week. Not the most adventurous group in terms of what they like so I am looking out for new chicken recipes to try. Something that would follow an antipasti platter. Any suggestions. I quite like the look of this Jamie Oliver mustard chicken dish. I'll report back on what I end up making.

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*A bach is a term New Zealanders use to describe a holiday house

Image: 1

Kaftan Love

One of the things I love most about summer holidays is being able to wear kaftans all day! Every year I spend hours trying to hunt down the perfect one and toy with the idea of spending lots of money on a designer one ... maybe one day.  A kaftan is a great multi tasker, working as a cover up when you've had too much sun, hiding extra weight that maybe didn't come off in that pre holiday diet(!) and taking you effortlessly from beach to bar.  Here are a few designer favourites that I've kept images of over the years:

All of the above are beautiful prints in rich colours but sometimes you can't beat the classic white like this Heidi Klein one below.

MP

Images: 1, 2, 3, 4

Holiday Rental Essentials - Barbecue

For me, summer and barbecues go hand-in-hand. At home we usually barbecue a steak and have it with salad every Monday night during the summer. When we are on holiday I usually like to eat maybe half of the evening meals out at restaurants and for the other half have a barbecue at home. For the convenience, like most Australians and New Zealanders, I prefer gas. Here in the UK, most people tend to use charcoal.

I have stayed at places without a barbecue before, but for me - whether it be gas or charcoal, a barbecue really should be on the list of bach* essentials.

These days, while on holiday I like to keep it more simple and do one thing well, rather than barbecue an excessive amount of sausages, steak, burgers and chicken skewers, only to have to face them in the fridge the next day.

Of course, barbecues don't have to be restricted to meat either. From Mexican style corn, halloumi, grilled sardines, scallops on the shell, through to pizza, or even grilled fruits - the possibilities are endless. Check out our Pinterest BBQ & Grilling board for more ideas.

Have you got a favourite food to barbecue? Would a barbecue make it onto your list of holiday rental essentials?

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*A bach is a term New Zealanders use to describe a holiday house.

Images: 1, 2

Italian Agriturismi

Whenever we travel to Italy we always look up an agriturismo to dine at if we are not staying at one.  An agriturismo is essentially a farm stay.  Generally the accommodation is fairly basic but what you lack in luxuries here should be made up in the food department!  Agriturismi (plural) are renowned for serving food prepared from produce fresh off the farm sometimes even including olive oil and wine that is made on site. They are also usually family run operations so don't be surprised if you see nonna running the cooking show!  

We came across a great one a few years ago in Sardinia called Borgo di Campagna where we stayed for a few nights.  Amazing antipasti, freshly made pastas and roasted meats were served every night by the pool.  I was just thinking this would make a cute wedding venue?

Fresh pasta

We visited Lake Orta in the Italian Lakes region a last year and had very memorable meals at a quiet unassuming place called Il Cucchiaio Di Legno (picture below).  We stopped there the next day for another lunch and said we would drive back just to experience the food again ... it must have been very good for us to say we would want to drive 4 hours for it!

We have chosen another agriturismo to stay at for one night on our way to Milan to break up the journey and also to hopefully have a delicious meal.  I'll make sure I take lots of photos!

I recently used this website to search for an agriturismo and found it really easy to use with some great recommendations:

http://www.agriturismo.it/en/

MP

Bunk Rooms

We are planning on buying our bach* between three families. As there will be times when we will all want to be staying there together - we are looking for a place with three double bedrooms and a fourth room that can fit at least a couple of sets of bunks.

Depending on our budget at the time we may just end up buying some inexpensive bunks. 

These Svarta bunk beds from Ikea look good. Especially as you can have a third trundle bed stored underneath.

There is also a day bed in the same range.

If we can though, it would be fantastic to build our own bunks. Some of these rooms look so inviting, I can even imagine having girls' weekends at the bach with friends and us all staying in there together.

Be sure to check out our Pinterest Bunk Rooms board for more Bunk Room inspiration.

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*A bach is a word New Zealanders use to describe a holiday house

Images: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5

Summer Nails

Whilst trawling Pinterest this morning I came across these nails that just screamed SUMMER!

My hopes of an Indian Summer are fading fast as the rain and cold sets in.  I have to come to grips with the fact that now really is that time where my open toed sandals need to be packed away! Not quite ready for the typically dark nail colours we associate with winter, I'm thinking Essie Penny Talk could be a nice autumn colour?

MP

Images: 1, 2

Holiday Rental Essentials - Glasses

Oh dear. October is flying by and I have just realised that I had my days confused yesterday and forgot to write the second post in this series on holiday rental essentials. Oh well, it is early days and we are still getting to grips with this world of blogging - let's get back on track.

Glasses are fragile. They break easily. And often. But they also don't have to be expensive. So, why oh why do so many holiday rentals not have a decent amount of quality wine glasses.

There is something about being on holiday - you arrive back to your villa after a day on the beach and the €5 bottle of wine that you picked up at the little store down the road tastes cold and delicious. As a side note, if you then stock up on the wine and transport it back home to London you may suddenly find that it is not so great after well. Oh well, one of life's mysteries!

France is famous for Champagne, Italy for Prosecco and Spain for Cava. Yet, I have rented properties in all of these countries and hunted in vain through the kitchen cupboards for a champagne flute. Some places do not even have wine glasses.

So, that is what we are adding to our list of holiday house essentials this week - a selection of wine glasses. If the place sleeps 6 - I would suggest a set of 8 wine and 8 champagne glasses should be found in the cupboard alongside the water glasses. They don't have to be Riedel or anything fancy. And it is probably best to buy them in bulk - try eBay or a catering supply company - so you can easily replace them if and when breakages occur.

What are your thoughts on this? Do you agree, or are you happy to drink wine from tumblers?

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Image: 1