Burgundy

After our quick stop to Champagne which you can read about here, we headed to Etaule to spend a night in a hotel called La Cimentelle. I had done quite a bit of research before booking this because I really wanted to find a quintessential French place to stay (preferably a chateau) with amazing food. La Cimentelle was exactly this type of place and my sister (and I) were pretty impressed when we drove up and saw this!

La Cimentelle is based around an old cement factory. These buildings surrounding the main hotel (seen below) are not in use any more but they added to the charm of the amazing grounds which also included a lake.

Stephane and Nathalie were great hosts and we had dinner there that night which was prepared by Stephane, who followed a Paul Bocuse training course. Dinner was an outstanding 4 course meal served with unlimited wine and featured cuisine typical of the Burgundy area. The dining area was set up next to the kitchen so we could see Stephane at work. The stand out for me was the entree of Ouefs en Meurette, eggs poached in a concentrated sauce of red wine, stock and vegetables. Duck was served as the main and a chocolate souffle for dessert. We were so impressed with our stay here. I think after a week staying in apartments it was really nice to relax properly in a lovely clean hotel and to not have to think about dinner or breakfast! The rooms had the most amazing beds (although not hard to improve on our London ones). The bathroom was so spacious and L'Occitane products were supplied which was a treat.

We reluctantly left here the next morning after a great sleep and made our way back to Switzerland making a few stops on the way. Our first stop was Beaune which is the unofficial capital of the wine region called the Cote D'Or. It's often mentioned as one of the best places in France to do wine tasting but unfortunately as we were on a tight schedule to get home we didn't have much time to do this. We did stop at Olivier Leflaive, a vineyard that we knew and stocked up on some bottles here before driving home.

Driving through Burgundy was really stunning with vineyards everywhere you turn. Again, this is another place that I definitely want to visit again, but when I have more time to cruise around Sideways style!

Holiday Rental Essentials - Iron & Ironing Board

For me, ironing is like a kind of addiction. Once I get started, I can't stop. I will iron tea towels, underwear, baby muslin cloths, bibs etc. The more I iron, the worse the stuff that hasn't been ironed looks to me. The best solution that I have found for this problem is to not iron anything! We are lucky enough these days to have someone iron our bedlinen and my husband's shirts. Aside from that, I rarely get the ironing board and iron out of the cupboard.

When I am on holiday I try to pack things that travel well and don't crease. However, there are often occasions when we are staying at a holiday rental because we are attending a wedding. This might be a time that I need to iron while on holiday so I would hope to find an iron and ironing board in the cupboard. Some of my male friends that I've been away with tend to iron themselves a t-shirt or shirt each morning, so they would definitely be including irons and ironing boards on their holiday rental essentials list.

AD

Image: 1

Driving through Champagne

A few weeks ago my sister came to visit me from NZ and we did a big trip through London, then on to Paris via the Eurostar and then a drive through Champagne and Burgundy to Switzerland. After that they flew off to Venice and caught the train to Rome which you can read about here and here.

I seem to be doing a backward recap on my recent trip as I'm now going to do a quick post on Burgundy! After a manic time sightseeing in London and Paris it was such a relief to finally get in the car and and start driving. 

Our first destination was Epernay which was an easy 90 minute drive from Paris and the centre of Champagne production. A number of the big champagne houses are present here including Moet & Chandon and Perrier Jouet. We decided to do a tour at Moet as this seemed the easiest option with the children (it was only one hour). Apart from a bit of shameless advertising and a cringe worthy movie that you had to watch at the beginning, the tour was really interesting. We had a guide that spoke English and she took us around the cellars, gave an informative description on the history of Moet and how it's made and concluded with a tasting ... the best part! 

Epernay also has a few Champagne tasting shops/cellars that you can visit. All the tasting shops that I went to in this area (including Burgundy) generally have a selection of 6 bottles that they choose for the week and you can taste these for around 5 euros for a small tasting or around 25 euros to try them all. I found it really interesting that in the shop we walked into they had a list of about 50 bottles of Champagne for sale and none of them were more expensive than 25 euros.

Champagne is such a beautiful and relaxing region to drive through and every village that you pass has signs up like this:

Hmmm ... which one to choose! I think if you were coming for an organised party it would be good to have a driver and take you around to some of the vineyards. It's definitely an area I would like to explore further when I have more time and most likely when the kids are older as I don't think they found this part of the trip so fun. Although I think my 16 year old nephew got a kick out of trying Champagne!

After a quick stroll down here:

We got back in the car and drove 2.5 hours south down to Etaule, close to the heart of the Burgundy wine region. Come back on Friday to read about that.

MP

Desert Island Beauty Pick - Rose Water

Now, this week's desert island beauty pick isn't exactly something that I can't live without, but rather it is something that I like and that might be extra nice if you happened to find yourself on a desert island.

Whenever I am in a foreign country I love browsing around the grocery stores, markets and pharmacies. While the chain of Boots pharmacies in the UK is pretty good, there is something fun about finding yourself in a foreign pharmacy, surrounded by hundreds of products in packaging (and language) that you don't recognise.

Whenever I go to Paris I make an effort to pop into City-Pharma (265 rue du Four, on the corner of rue Bonaparte). This pharmacy is usually jam-packed with people with shopping baskets full of French beauty products - including Nuxe, Caudalie, Vichy, Biotherm and many more. They often have great specials, particularly if you buy more than one product. I always buy a few tubes of Embryolisse Lait-Crème Concentré and stock up on Mustela products for my daughter.

A few years ago I discovered Roberts Rose Water (or Acqua Distillata Alle Rose by L.Manetti - H.Roberts & C.p.A., to give it it's full name) in Italy. This is a clear fragrant rose water that you can use as a facial toner, in your hair or even to hand wash / iron your laundry. I like to decant it into a small spray bottle from Muji and use it as a spritzer on hot days. I also find that it makes a nice delicate room scent if you spray it around the room. You can pick these up all over Italy at grocery stores and pharmacies - usually for around €5 per bottle.

While the beautifully packaged Depsea Water by Shu Uemura is possibly more natural if you were wanting a product specifically as a facial toner, I think the Roberts Rose Water works great as a spray that you can use liberally all over your face, body and room on hot summer days.

AD

Image: 1

Holiday Rental Essentials - Ice Cube Trays

On summer holidays the ability to make an icy cold drink to cool you down is vital. So this week's holiday rental essential is ice cube trays. AD is always uber organised and brings ice cube bags with her but I am pretty sure not many people do this!

Making flavoured ice cubes is a great idea and they look pretty too. You could add any combination of fruit and herbs that you like. Ice cube trays can also be filled with juice to prevent dilution of drinks when the ice melts.

 
One of our favourite bars in London used to be Shochu. They have this huge slab of ice sitting on top of the bar which they chip away at to make delicious cocktails. Our favourite was an Elegante which was vodka, prosecco and lemon sorbet. So delicious and refreshing!

MP

Images: 1, 2

Made.com

If you live in the UK and are looking for some inexpensive quality furniture, I would recommend that you check out made.com. They are primarily an online store that connects shoppers directly with designers, although they do also have two showrooms.

We have previously purchased a desk and some shelves (no longer available) through the site and were really happy with the service and the quality of the furniture.

MP wrote a post back in March about bean bags. These are definitely something that we would like to have at our future bach.

Made.com currently have these fun ones in stock which would look great in a beach house.

AD

Images: 1-2

Rome Recap - Part 2

As the sun was setting we headed over to the Minerva Hotel to have a drink at the rooftop bar which boasts incredible views. The views did not disappoint but unfortunately the bar was not as impressive. The drinks were fairly expensive, around 18 euros for a cocktail and I was hoping that there would be an aperitivo spread which there wasn't although we did get some crisps and nuts served with our drinks. Anyway, it was still nice to be able to sit down and relax looking over Rome's rooftops although I don't think I'll go back there again. Note to self ... next time I must research the best places to have an aperitif in Rome!

That night we went for dinner at Armando al Pantheon which often gets mentioned as one of the best trattorias and I really enjoyed our dinner there. I started with the classic Roman Spaghetti Cacio e Pepe. Basically spaghetti with Pecorino Romano cheese and pepper. Very simple yet so delicious!

 
I chose Abbacchio a Scottadito for my main which was grilled lamb shops served with a wedge of lemon. These were so succulent, cooked to perfection.

 
No desserts and not even a gelato on the way home!

On my last day we just wandered around popping into some shops here and there. I managed to get a slice of potato pizza from a random bakery that I found on our travels and also stopped for a gelato from Fatamorgana which is near the Spanish Steps. I had pistachio which was nice but wished I had gone for Madagascan chocolate which I was told is their best seller. 

My last meal was at Rome's original wine bar, Cul de Sac. I've been to Rome three times and each time I've ended up here. And I always have the same thing Coda alla Vaccinara (oxtail stew). The oxtail is packed full of flavour and so amazingly tender and juicy. It tastes like it has been braising for days. I'm sure I'll be back here on my next visit as well.

 
I hope you've enjoyed reading about my Rome trip. Now I just need to get writing up about Paris and London.

Have a great weekend!

MP

Holiday Rental Essentials - Shade and Sun Umbrellas

Gone are the days that I used to spend the entire summer lying on the beach. While I still love the heat, I prefer to sit with my face, if not my whole body, in the shade these days.

Our holiday rental essential for this week is that you have a covered area at your property where people can lounge, dine or drink outside - enjoying the heat, while keeping in the shade.

This could be as elaborate as the shaded area shown above at Hotel Escondido in Mexico. Or, it could be simply an inexpensive beach umbrella and stand.

Image: 1

Rome Recap

Last week I headed to Rome to spend a few days with my sister and her family. I was so excited to see her again and also to be going alone without the girls ... freedom!

I flew in on Tuesday night and caught the regional FR1 train into Trastevere which cost 8 euros. You can also catch the Leonardo da Vinci express train into Termini but this is nearly double the price although it takes about the same time (30 minutes) as the regional train. Make sure you validate your ticket at the machines before you board otherwise you are fined 100 euros.

We were staying in an apartment in a great location, Via del Governo Vecchio which is right around the corner from Piazza Navona. This road is filled with wine bars, cute boutiques, gelatos and delis which I didn't know before booking so it was a nice surprise that the location was so buzzy. As soon as I arrived we popped into Cantina e Cucina for a quick Aperol spritz, some crispy fried artichoke and Pasta Amatriciana ... just a light meal at 10pm!

 
The next day I woke up early from excitement and went out for a wander on my own. I loved the quietness of the streets at this time and felt like I had the city to myself for a few moments. Rome is definitely one of those cities where you can just walk, get lost in the cobblestone roads and then look up to find that you're here!

 
I stopped at Sant Eustachio for a quick coffee and then headed over to Campo di Fiori where I stocked up on some fruit to take back to the apartment. I then went into Forno to get a couple of cornetto alla cremas. These are the best things for breakfast.

via hande.wordpress.com

I also bought a slice of Pizza Bianca, one of the most famous things to try at this bakery and it did not disappoint. Crispy on the outside with a thin layer of olive oil and salt yet soft and fluffy on the inside. I can see why this is the snack of choice for many Romans!

The morning was spent exploring the Colosseum and Forum. If there had to be one main theme from the whole trip then I think it was queuing! But thankfully not too bad for us. These days you can buy nearly all your tickets for main tourist attractions over the internet and it will save you so much time. My sister said the Vatican queue was the worst, she estimated that it would have been around an hour. 

For lunch I had found us a restaurant that was close to Forum as I knew we probably wouldn't want to walk around for another half an hour finding somewhere. The restaurant was La Taverna dei Fori Imperiali which had great reviews. All the pastas that we tried had nice flavours, but unfortunately they were all way too salty.

In the afternoon, we walked back up Via del Corso for a bit of shopping and then made our way home via Gelateria del Teatro for a much needed gelato stop! I chose pineapple and mint which was a great combination, tasting creamy and refreshing at the same time. My sister had tried Il Gelato di San Crispino a day before which she said was disappointing. She much preferred Gelateria del Teatro.

 
Stay tuned for the next installment!

MP

Quick and Easy Muffins

As much as I love cakes and other baked goods, I usually prefer to buy a small treat when I am out and about rather than making my own. Mainly this is because I am a bit lazy when it comes to following recipes. I also find that I eat most of the baking myself if I make something at home!

Somehow I have ended up making muffins twice this week. The first instance was because I had bought some blueberries that were a bit tart for my liking and then again this morning because we had nothing very exciting in the house to have for breakfast.

This is the recipe that I use - it's nice and simple and you can easily substitute any other fruit that you like.

Blueberry Muffins

Makes 12 normal size muffins. Or 6 normal and 12 mini muffins.

Ingredients

1 3/4 cups plain flour

3/4 teaspoon salt

1/4 cup caster sugar

2 1/2 teaspoons baking powder

2 teaspoons grated lemon rind (optional)

3/4 cup fresh or frozen blueberries

1 large egg at room temperature

3/4 cup milk

1/3 cup light oil (e.g. corn oil)
Butter for greasing muffin pans

Method

Heat fan oven to 190 degrees Celsius
Sift the flour, salt, caster sugar and baking powder

Sprinkle over the lemon rind and blueberries

In a separate bowl - beat the egg well, then add the milk and oil

Mix the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients
Spoon into greased muffin pans

Bake for 25 minutes

You can glaze the muffins with a little melted butter and caster sugar once they are done if you want them to be more like a cake. I prefer to leave them as they are and have them for breakfast.

I substituted 2 medium bananas (diced) and the pulp of 2 passionfruit when I made them today.

I'm on the lookout for a good bran muffin recipe. I love bran muffins, but don't think I have ever made them myself. Be sure to write in if you have your own tried and tested recipe that you can share.

AD

Images: 1-2

Holiday Rental Essentials - Comfortable Beds

As AD mentioned in a previous post, I’ve just come back from London and Paris where we stayed in a couple of apartments that we had rented with my sister’s family. A brief recap of our London place is here.

In Paris, we had a 3 bedroom apartment in an amazing location right next to the Pompidou Centre. This was the best thing about the apartment! The interior was all oranges and reds and had a bull theme going on. I counted 12 in various forms including statues, figure heads and posters. There was also only 1 toilet for 8 people which wasn’t great. But again, the location was so convenient that you tend to forget about the other things! Also, the beds were much improved from our London apartment.

Both of these places lacked so many things that we have listed as essentials. AD and I have been brainstorming as to why people don’t have all the necessary equipment. Is it too expensive? Do things get stolen so frequently that you just don’t bother to replace them? Why wouldn’t you keep some money as a deposit and then take some money out of that to replace items that are stolen or damaged?

I think it’s hard to make an apartment rental feel as clean as a hotel but I love the flexibility an apartment gives you with having separate kitchen and living areas. When you’re on the road for 10 days, it’s nice to be able to cook up some simple things for the kids instead of them eating chips at every meal!

So after all that … my holiday rental essential this week is a good bed. The London apartment had beds with foam mattresses that sagged in the middle when you lay down. My daughter’s cot had a thin single bed sized foam mattress that was doubled over so that it would fit into the cot!

After my stay in these apartments I would have loved to have seen something like this. Clean, simple and white.

Lastly, there is one thing that I’ve previously mentioned as a “maybe” holiday rental essential and that is WiFi. After having stayed in our London place for 5 nights with no WiFi I can now definitely confirm that WiFi is most definitely an essential! 

MP

Images: 1

Desert Island Beauty Pick - Nail Clippers and Nail Files (Emery Boards)

As much as I would like to get a weekly manicure, that just doesn't happen in reality. Rather than painting my own nails, I usually tend to just keep them short and filed.

So, I would definitely be taking a good pair of nailclippers and a nice file to a desert island with me.

I like buying these emery boards pictured above by Paul and Joe because they come in such nice colours and patterns. I am on the lookout for new clippers though and I think I might try the ones by Muji as they came highly recommended in an article I read in the Guardian the other day.

AD

When in Rome ... eat Pizza!

My trip to Rome is fast looming and another food item I’ve been researching is pizza. 

On my first visit to Rome I loved the novelty of pizza al taglio (pizza by the cut). These are long rectangular pizzas which are cut up for you depending on how big a piece you want. 

Pizzarium near the Vatican sounds delicious, especially the pizza alle patate pictured below. I’ve read that they also have excellent suppli which are similar to arancini.

Another Roman specialty is pizza bianca. This is basically just plain pizza crust topped wiht olive oil and a sprinkling of salt. There are two bakeries in Campo de Fiori renowned for this, Forno Campo de Fiori and Antico Forno Roscioli. People flock to these places to try pizza rossa also (pizza bianca with tomato sauce and nothing else). 

Finally, I think I’ll try Da Remo for a classic sit down pizza. 

I’ll make sure I post some pictures when I’m back! 

MP

Images: 1, 2, 3, 4