There's something so invigorating about being by the sea in winter: the crashing waves, the empty beaches, the vast skies, the beautifully crisp light... Nothing beats it for blasting away any lingering post-Christmas cobwebs, and so the other weekend Chris and I hopped in the car and journeyed down to the western tip of Cornwall for a sneaky coastal getaway. Our base was Artist Residence . . .
Linnen | Berlin
A few weeks ago Chris and I hopped over to Berlin to celebrate / commiserate his 40th birthday. I’ll post some of our city discoveries next week, but first I want to share a peek inside Linnen, the lovely B&B which became our home for a few days. In fact, ‘home’ is the perfect word to describe this place: it’s relaxed, stylish and oh-so comfortable. It occupies the first two floors of a . . .
Iceland | The south coast, Vík & Jökulsárlón
More from our recent adventures in Iceland today. After our stay at the wonderful Ion Hotel, we headed southeast towards the little coastal town of Vík. Our journey began in crisp sunshine, and we meandered slowly along Route 1 (the ring road which encircles the entire country), past snow-covered plains and farmsteads which resembled dolls’ houses against the towering peaks. . . .
Iceland | Ion Hotel & the Golden Circle
From the Blue Lagoon, we headed east along empty roads towards the mountainous interior. We soon learned that driving anywhere in Iceland was going to take us much longer than expected – partly because of the snowy conditions (I’m very glad we hired a 4x4), and partly because we ended up stopping every few minutes to marvel at yet another amazing view. Eventually, we descended into a wide . . .
The Crown | Buckinghamshire
Over the years, squeezing in a quick December break has become a bit of a pre-Christmas tradition for Chris and me – it’s a chance to escape the shopping, the decorating and the frenetic preparations, and to relax somewhere quiet for a day or two. We always try to pick a suitably atmospheric spot and this year’s choice, The Crown in Amersham, was perfect – stylish, cosy and brimming with good . . .
A weekend in St Ives
Last weekend Chris and I popped down to St Ives for what we expected to be a lovely, cosy autumnal break by the sea. It was certainly lovely, though anything but autumnal: rather than blustery winds and crashing waves, we were greeted by balmy sunshine, spotless blue skies and gin-clear turquoise seas. Huddled on a beach-fringed headland near the tip of Cornwall, St Ives is one of my favourite . . .
