travel: – oahu, hawaii – day 1

I haven’t been to Hawaii for ten years. I think ever since I decided to stop sun tanning aggressively. I figured if I stayed away, I wouldn’t be tempted to lay in the sun for hours on end. The funny thing is, maybe the universe knew I was not going to sunbathe again this time around, so it’s been raining, cold and cloudy from day one, forcing me to stay mostly inside my hotel room. The wedding isn’t until Friday, with a few pre-parties scheduled two days before hand, so I could pretty much do what I want until Wednesday. The only thing I did forget was what day and time it was, so I also forgot to post anything: on my blog

Anyway, here are some photos I took, of course with my i-phone, since I also forgot my camera, from Saturday night. Enjoy.

 

boutique hotel pick – le boutique hotel – bordeaux, france

Okay, vacation planning is in full swing for me, so while I search for new accommodations to try out, I stumbled upon this wonderful place in one of my favorite places in the world. Bordeaux, France.

So, if you happen to be a wine connoisseur like myself, you’d appreciate the location of Le Boutique Hotel in Bordeaux or if you happen to be just looking for a romantic getaway that works too.

Have a great weekend!

boutique hotel pick – baccara resort and spa – santa barbara california

I woke up this morning with a sudden need to travel somewhere, even if only for the weekend. I guess it’s that time of the year again, when I get the travel bug and no matter what I shift my focus on, I remain distracted until I finally organize a holiday getaway of some sort.

Baccara Resort and Spa is a place I’ve been to, twice. Once for a wedding and the other, just to run away. I had forgotten about the destination until I scanned my memory for quick get-away places from San Francisco and lucky for me, I remembered.

The hotel is sprawled on the sandy beaches of the Pacific Ocean, in the middle of California, very close to the town of Santa Barbara and offers some of the most prestiges   resort and spa amenities one would need to get their bearings back. 

 

boutique hotel pick – montana art deco hotel – lucerne, switzerland

With freezing cold temperatures in San Francisco, I cannot help but want to be tucked in under the covers in a room of a beautiful hotel perfectly located near snow capped mountains.

One place I have always loved and haven’t been to for a while is Lucerne Switzerland and this year, while I plan my annual trip to Europe, I am going to consider a day or two here - except I would prefer the destination during the winter months.

photography: night views of san francisco

I dont’ think I’ve voiced enough lately how much I love the city I live in. San Francisco is probably one of the most beautiful cities in the world, providing there is no fog of course. So, I was glad when I found these photos here and posted them on my blog for not only my viewing pleasure, but yours as well. Enjoy

travel journal – holiday end – paris to san francisco

I am now back in the states and aimlessly trying to get adjusted to everyday life. I avoided it for a couple of days while I recovered from jetlag, but knowing there was no alternative, I put on my work clothes and commuted to work early Thursday morning.
Vacations or holidays, as they are referred to, throughout other parts of the world, are the most difficult to return from, especially if they pan out to be as beautifully as you envisioned it while planning. I am aware of the fact. But it’s not so much that I regret it’s over, it’s the fact I had to leave Paris, once again as a tourist.

The funny thing about annual vacations, at least for me, is that I use the time to not only regroup, but also to reflect on the past year and decipher what I need to do to improve my life and lifestyle. Whether it be, a career change, a move to a new neighborhood, or realigning our long term plans. And every year I come to the same conclusion. I must live in Paris.

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day 2 – travel journal – day trip to roma, italy

There is no way for me to travel through Italy without stopping in Rome, even if it’s just for a day. So, while plotting out this year’s trip abroad, I decided to make Firenze (Florence) my base and take day trips via TrainItalia to Rome, Venice, Pisa and hopefully Verona (will see how that goes).

We took an early morning train (7:00 a.m .to be precise ) from Firenze S.M.N. station and arrived in Roma Termini within 2 hours. Upon our arrival we wasted no time taking our walking tour of the city.  The point to remember is that, the suggested independent walking tour  is not recommended for a first time visit to Rome, it’s just intended for people like me who have been to Rome  a dozen times but just can’t get enough

So, in our case, we started the walking tour with:

a stop at Vittorio Emanuele II Monument to pay our respects to the tomb of the unknown soldier

then we walked  down the steps from Basilica Santa Maria Maggiore – which is located directly next to the Monument

and right next to those steps, we climbed the steps leading to the Capitolini Hill Museums

to get a glimpse of the Forum located directly behind the museums

we rested in the shade just  long enough to drink water and down a bag of peanut  M&Ms,  and then headed to Piazza Navona, a place very dear to my heart

near Piazza Navona we had the best fresh fruit gelato popsicles 4Euros can buy. Well  I had three

from Navona we hop skipped over to the Forum and hid inside from the noon heat and muggy weather

after a good rest inside the Forum, we  walked through a cobblestone alleyway to the Trevi Fountain and ended up standing underneath umbrellas while we waited out the ten minute downpour.

lunch in a near by restaurant to rest our weary feet and refuel our souls

then on to the spanish steps and a brisk walk through the neighboring streets adorned with designer boutiques. Oh how I love this neighborhood

after an espresso and a biscotti, we climbed the Spanish steps to find Villa Borghese and Villa Medici and the surrounding gardens.

by seven in the evening we trekked back to the train station while passing by the Colosseum – best time to see it is at dusk

The entire trip took us twelve hours on foot, with an hour break for lunch and one hour rest break at the Spanish Steps. The train ride back to Florence was priceless since we napped the entire time . Tomorrow Venice – see you then

{photos are the property of http://www.rawsilkandsaffron.wordpress.com and may not be used without permission}

day 1 – travel journal – firenze, italy arrival

Day 1: We arrived in Florence city center late Sunday afternoon to torrential downpour and thunder storm and after checking into our hotel, decided to immediately tour the city on foot, just long enough to wean ourselves from the jet lag.

Along the way and in between the downpour, we experienced the following:

Waffle sandwich filled with hot nutella – yummy

A peak of the Duomo

A taste of Firenze chocolat and nugats

Ornate architecture

Breath taking view of ponte vecchio with a film scene on the lawn

A canteloupe gelato break – a must 

Fountains and statues in piazza della signoria 

{Photos are the property of http://www.rawsilkandsaffron.wordpress.com and may not be used without permission}

travel journal: chronicling 17 days abroad

For the next 17 days, I will chronicle my travels abroad to share with all those interested, how I travelled on this particular holiday/vacation. See you across the pond on Monday morning

First stop Italy

italy vacation hot spot – lake como

I love to travel and could probably do so, ten or so months out of the year. But what I love the most about travel is discovering new places or frequenting ones which have left an unforgetable impression.

One place in particular which I could actually travel too as much as George Clooney does, is Lake Como. I have grown to appreciate the region not only for it’s beauty, but also for it’s peacefulness and tranquility.

Lake Como is an ideal place to hide from the world while trying to get the much needed rest and relaxation from everyday life.  There is no pressure to play tourist and the most stress I experienced was having to leave the place.

There are many ways to get to Lake Como which are detailed here, and many things to see which are also detailed here. Just remember to bring a good pair of walking shoes, a camera and the desire to experience one of the most memorable and romantic vacation spots in your lifetime.