Hotel Ermitage Evian Resort

So if you decided to checkout the mountain-side of France and are wondering where to stay, search no further. The Ermitage of Evian Resort is probably the only hotel you should consider. Hotel Ermitage (4 stars) and its sister Hotel Royal (5 stars) share the same grounds right on Lac Léman in the town of Evian-les-Bains. It has a baby club, a kids club, a teen club, a golf course, a spa, and exterior and interior swimming pools- it pretty much takes care of the whole family.

The service is friendly and efficient with staff who speak French, English and Russian. Babysitting services are available for a fee and there are several restaurants to choose from. The playroom is a mini heaven made of a pool table and wooden toys. Placed strategically next to the library and bar, you can relax while keeping an eye on your child.

Clients of Hotel Royal consists more of the older set, very calm and old school. We picked the Ermitage because of its appeal to families. The ambience is relaxed, kid friendly, with just a tad hint of snootiness which I don't mind. Wigglemonster was well entertained by the pianist in the evenings, she enjoyed her session in the jacuzzi, and slept very well in the hotel's baby cot.

All in all, it was a good experience. This hotel is recommended.

Our room with garden view

The Ermitage

The Ermitage garden

The Royal lobby bar

Outdoor pool

 Photos by Me
Checkout http://www.evianresort.com/fr/index.php

Yvoire

Taking advantage of the numerous public holidays in the beginning of May, J & I decided to take a little trip somewhere with the Wigglemonster. We both decided on visiting his brother and friend who lives in the region of Haute Savoie, up there somewhere in the mountains, right by the frontier of Switzerland. A 6 hour drive from Paris, this region boasts its world known ski stations like Chamonix and Megève. 

As we like to do with our roadtrips, we decided to visit little towns of the region. One of it is Yvoire, a charming little medieval village.When I say medieval, I mean medieval. Its pedestrian streets are lined with stone walled cottages where locals show off their hand made goods. It has a little port far less prestigious and chic than St Tropez or Monaco, but with a breathtaking view of the Swiss Alps.

Half a day spent here is more than enough. We ended our visit with lunch (of course) at La Vieille Port, recommended by J's brother. It was miraculously warm and sunny, so we decided to eat on the terrace overlooking Lac Léman, also known as Lake Geneva. Wigglemonster gets to run around to her heart's desire, we basked in the sun, and I even tried frog legs! Yes you got that right, frog legs. I must admit it has the texture of chicken and fish, and it woudn't bother me so much if I didn't have the picture of a big fat frog in my head as I was eating it. Not as bad as I thought, but no thanks.

Et donc voila, if you ever find yourself in this region, do visit, its super cute.

Restaurant La Vieille Porte and its view

The Mayor of Yvoire

The port of Yvoire

The restaurant's garden

 Photos by Me
Checkout http://www.la-vieille-porte.com/

Musée Rodin

So everyone knows that I hate museums so I'm not even going to pretend. Went to Musée Rodin back in January when my Pops was here, since he insisted. Thank God for me there wasn't any crazy lines to get in, it is relatively small, there is a cafeteria in the garden, and it wasn't very crowded. Beware to visitors with strollers, they are not allowed in the interior part of the museum and must be parked at coatcheck. I'm not interested enough to talk more about it, so here are some pictures that my father took :p

Photos by my Pops

Valencia

I've been saying this way too often, but my apologies for ignoring the blog for so long. I don't know if its the same with all you mothers out there, but with a wiggly 15 month old, all I feel like doing when she takes her naps is to plop down on the couch and watch TV! It's a lame excuse, I know, but here I am once again about to tell you about our wonderful trip to Valencia, Spain. 

The City Hall at Plaza del Ayuntamiento

My little sister Amy was in town a few weeks ago, and itchy travellers we are, we decided to take a weekend trip together with my sister-in-law Marie. As I claimed before and will again many times in the future-we love Spain. The people are warm, they are family oriented, they are nice, and the cities charming and inviting. We picked Valencia out of the blue because there was a direct flight available from Paris that took 1h45mins. They even have actual Spring weather, so the choice was made!

We stayed in a beautiful boutique-ish hotel called Hospes Palau de la Mar. For €144 a night in a 5 star hotel with breakfast and WIFI included, we can consider it quite cheap! The breakfast buffet was generous and yummy, the service very courteous and friendly. Had lunch one day at the hotel's restaurant Senzone, and we were not disappointed at all....

What I liked a lot about Vaencia is the mix of old and new. Like most European towns, the old town, or Cuitat Vella, is rich in history and old architecture that I adore. The Cathedral marks the center of the old town, as Spain is a stronghold of Catholicism. The central market, Mercado Central, is a busy indoor market that provides everything that a supermarket can offer from meat to vegetables to fruits and biscuits. 

Catedral de Valencia

Inside the Cathedral, once a Mosque

Mercado Central

 The new, the modern, is depicted by the vast Ciutat dels Arts i de les Ciencies, or City of Arts and Sciences in English. We walked all the way down Jardin del Turia, past the Music Hall and the museums and everything in between all the way to the Oceanográfico, just so that little Wigglemonster can see dolphins and jellyfish and baby belugas. It was well worth the walk. Other than burning calories from the ton of churros and chocolate that we ate, we basked in the sun and had a good time exploring on foot.

The loves of my life

Dolphin show

 We didn't bother doing the same to go to the zoo, however. Allez hop into a cab, to experience some wildlife, again, something I did out of love and not out of interest of animals. 

All in all, we had such a great time! Not sure it was because we had our crazy sisters with us, or the weather was just amazing, or we just love Spain that much, but it was definitely a memorable weekend. I highly recommend this destination for families with children or babies. Most sites can be done by foot, if not taxis are not expensive and the metro is quite efficient, so I hear. Viva España!

Photos by Me

Paris vs New York

People often ask me, "So.. do you prefer living in Paris or in New York?" You'd imagine that I'd have tons of things to say in reply to that question, but more often than not I find myself thinking hard. Which city do I prefer? Gosh that is a really hard question. I have so many good and bad things to say about both cities! In the end, I guess, it really depends on what you are looking for and what your relationship status is. 

New York City, (I underline CITY because I wouldn't live anywhere else in New York state) I suppose, was fun when I was working, single, and had no other responsibility but to make enough money to pay for rent and party 3 times a week. It was a carefree life, most of my friends were single and in finance and enjoyed wining and dining, and we would spend time talking about how tough it is to meet the right man/woman. The right NOW man/woman on the other hand, was easy peasy. 

Paris, the city of love, is perfect when you have found that right person. It is perfect for couples in love, for those who like to roam around when its grey and slightly rainy, to brood on life, to have the best gastronomical experience ever. Even to have children, healthcare is practically free, there are bigger tax breaks the more children you have, and you don't have to worry about shootings in public schools.

So obviously, given my relationship status, I'd say that I prefer Paris for the moment. However, it is never so far in my mind that I met my Frenchman in New York, we had the best time partying and discovering Manhattan (for Parisians New York is like heaven on earth, The American Dream!). Fortunately, I have experienced the best of both worlds, and I love both cites from the bottom of my heart.

That is why I was ecstatic to discover this book by Vahram Muratyan. He illustrated 100 of Paris vs New York's best clichés, and I can proudly claim that I relate and understand them all! Quirky and smart, here are some examples that I absolutely love. 

Illustrations courtesy of Google Images

Seville

We were just back from Malaysia and needed a mid vacation between the end of summer and the end of the year festivities, and came up with the idea of going to Seville. Best decision ever. A mere 2 hour flight from Paris, Seville provided us with the sun and heat that had already abandoned Paris during that time of the year. Cool in the morning, 30 degree Celcius in the afternoon, it was the perfect weekend getaway. 

The Spaniards are lovely people- warm, friendly, and very family oriented. Seville is the perfect city for families with young children. Most of the historical and touristic sites are walkable from one to the other, and unlike Paris, restaurants accept and welcome clients with strollers. Everything is cheaper here (but then again anything is cheaper than Paris). Zara is 30% cheaper, cabs are cheaper, and even our hotel tapas costs only €4-€6 each!

We stayed in a lovely hotel called AlmaSevilla Hotel Palacio de Villapanés. Only a 5 min walk from the city center and no more than 20 mins to reach the furthest attraction, this hotel is a hidden gem. It is the perfect mix of old and new- old because it is a typical Moorish style mansion, and new and chic modern designs dominate the rooms. The courtyard serves as the hotel lobby, where the natural breeze cools you down from the mediterranean heat. 

 

Hotel Lobby

I can't quite describe the ambience in Seville, but I love this city to bits. It is the second place in the world that we both decided that we will come back (second after Santorini). People are well groomed, they seem happier despite the deep economic crisis their country is in, there are well dressed children everywhere, and people actually smile! We felt welcome, and even J was nice to strangers.

We walked a lot, and we ate a lot. We stayed for 3 days and frankly felt that it was enough to cover most of the touristic sites. We would have loved to stay longer only to relax more, since that much walking in 3 days is very tiring. Below are some sites that are a must-see, and the next time we go there we will cover the rest! 

View of the Catedral from Plaza de San Fransisco

One of the side doors of the Catedral

 

The gardens of the Real Alcázar de Sevilla

Plaza de España

Shades because it literally gets too hot

Casa de Pilatos

Checkout www.almasevilla.com
Photos by Me

'Tis The Season!

Hellooooo everyone, its December again and that time of the year! I've been MIA for about 6 months now, sorry, life happens. Wigglemonster will be a year old soon, and I've been spending most of time entertaining her, running after her, bringing her to gardens to look at ducks, etc. You mommies understand, this is a full time job! I have no regrets, having a mini-me is the best thing in the world...

Anywho, it's December and super cold in Paris. Most days it is grey, cloudy and miserable, but you do get a few sunny days here and there. The Christmas market on the Champs Eysées is in full swing, stores are showing off their best in their display windows, and it smells like the holidays. Thank God I've gotten all my Christmas shopping done, the crowds are starting to be major in most of the department stores. People are lining up to buy Moncler jackets like they are buying bread! Geez its the crisis people...

Here are some pictures from Printemp's windows. A Winter Wonderland, a Parisian Christmas inspired by Dior. Made me feel all warm and fuzzy inside, while clutching hard to my handbag of course (yes you still have to be VERY aware of pickpockets. ESPECIALLY during this time of the year). Ahh that Lady Dior in marine blue is definitely on my list. J'adore!

Pictures by Me