Santorini hotel bliss..

How about this relaxed luxury hotel which is pitched on top of a cliff above the glistening Aegean Sea on the island of Santorini?! To me it looks like the ultimate (kid-free!) escape and I absolutely love the simplicity of the Cycladic style design and soothing colours of the suites.

The history of the Perivolas dates back to the 19th century and the Psychas family, who moved to Santorini from Odessa. Falling in love with the island the family wanted to settle here. They soon bought a property perched on the cliff that also included several 300 year old caves. They started dreaming of developing the site into an idyllic island retreat. With the help from local craftsmen using traditional materials, the caves were slowly transformed into 20 luxury suites..

This is where my knees begin to tremble.. How amazing isn't the 'water cave'?! You can actually swim right up to a second entrance at the back of it! Oh heaven..

 

The resort started out as a private residence and has a wonderful sense of intimacy and comfort. Despite the immediate boldness and white washed walls, it doesn't feel cold or stark in any way.  I think it makes for the perfect backdrop to the breathtaking exterior scenery as well as the wonderful interior accent colours.

I love the texture of the walls, the organic shapes and sculpted features of the rooms. The alcoves and vaulted niches make for the perfect little cubbyholes. Perfect to snuggle up in after a day under the Greek sun. And how wonderful to incorporate the natural rock here and there for contrast.. I have a real weakness for this kind of thing (Frank Lloyd Wright did that to me as a young architect student at Univeristy in London..).

Each of the 20 suites are different, however share the loving attention to detail and stylish touches. I feel as if every room breathes freshness and cool breezes from the Aegean Sea beneath, and it is hard to believe that they are actually carved into the actual cliff..

** sigh ** No words needed here..

Oh..Can you imagine waking up in this sun-drenched alcove.?!?.. To stretch ones sleepy limbs and just breathe in that divine light and all the Aegean goodness pouring in from the windows.. Heaven!

** more sighs ** It's minimalism with out that alienating feeling I so often get when rooms are deliberately under dressed or left bare. The little thoughtful flower arrangements are lovely and help enhance the wonderful energy that flows so freely and in abundance through these rooms..

Mon Dieu..!! Would one ever want to leave this place?

All images via Perivolas

This place is definitely going on to our 'must visit' list..!

xx Charlotta

A breath of fresh air..

Hello and happy new week to you all! I have read some of your weekend posts and it sounds like most of you enjoyed a great one. The kids and I are no exception and early (very early!) on Saturday morning we kissed Marshall goodbye and drove three hours into the stunning Kangaroo Valley South of Sydney. On our way to an adventure that included hiking a mountain, dipping our feet at the bottom of a deep forest water fall, off-roading, standing face to face with kangaroos and lots more!

Sign on the way to our cabin. Kangaroo Valley village bridge. View near Belmore. 

This place is so 'me' - it's rugged, mountainous, remote and incredibly stunning. The air is fresh, the  people down to earth and friendly, the villages quaint, (and full of antique stores!!),  the vegetation lush and there is plenty of wildlife. And just generally, you kind-a know that if you drive on something called 'Ruins Fire Track' then you are bound to end up somewhere fabulously adventurous..! :)

 Our rented cabin and property gate. The mountain track, sign & our garden.

The cabin we rented was pitched high up on a mountain side in the middle of nowhere. It really was in the middle of no where! Having climbed the mountain on a smallish road for ca 8 kms, our turn off was onto a 'fire trail' (dirt track) that lead us another 6kms straight into the bush! Something that made the kids a little unsettled at first but that made me squeal in excitement from the first bump to the final stop at our gate. I have a thing for 'off road driving'..! :)

 This is where I stood as I finally was able to send Marshall an SMS - the track to my right, a very steep drop in front of me and the rest of the mountain behind my back. Such a fabulous place to be whilst tapping in a message on an iPhone..! :)

There was no phone line or mobile connection where we were staying and having promised Marshall I would call 'as soon as we got there' I had to power-hike for 30 minutes up to the mountain to be able to use my mobile. As I stood there in the silence of this amazingly vast sub-tropical rain forest I felt so peaceful and centered. I remembered how much I miss my beloved mountains in Sweden and how really I feel more at home in hiking boots than in a bikini..! You can take the girl out of Sweden, but not take Sweden out of the girl...!

 Isabella eying a family of kangaroos on the lower terrace of our garden. We counted 8 of them before they hopped off.

The rest of the day was spent exploring the terrain and stare in amazement at our neighbours - 8 kangaroos, five wombats, lots of foxes and an abundance of birds! A BBQ dinner, glass of red wine and the soothing crackles of the fire place later we all felt totally relaxed and our busy lives in Sydney felt very (!) far away. As it was so completely pitch-black outside and a crisp & clear night, we got to enjoy what to me was the best view of the 'Milkyway' I have ever seen (and I have been in some pretty remote places in the world before..!). It took my breath away and when I saw a shooting star I knew this place was truly magical. The perfect ending to a long and fun-filled day.

If you are wondering about Marshall.. ? Well he enjoyed a kid-free morning (I know all you parents out there sigh in envy..!), breakfast with a friend at a gorgeous cafe, a wine tasting in the Quantas gold club lounge and a late-afternoon flight to Asia where he will work for the next ten days whilst I run a 'one woman band' back in Sydney with the kids.. :)

Happy Tuesday all!

xx Charlotta

The Singita Lebomo Lodge

How about this soothing haven of a guest lodge, that is

set high above the Kruger National Park in South Africa!? 

The lodge offer a total of 15 luxury suites, all designed in a 

'contemporary-meets-local-craftsmanship-style' that is so 

soft on the eye that I feel relaxed just browsing their gallery.

It has taken its name after the 'Lebomo Euphorbia tree', and

there is certainly a lot of wood used in the amazing interiors.

Each suite has sweeping decks from which you can watch 

the wild- life unfold in the national park below. You can even

spend the night on the bed that complements each private deck.

How amazing wouldn't that be - can you imagine the sounds

from the wild-life beneath!? I'd love to do that. How exciting!

For more information click HERE and 

to see more images click HERE.

 

NB! Please don't forget my GIVE-AWAY, that ends this Thursday.

Be sure to enter your name to win this beautiful table lamp.

x Charlotta

Amazing hotel!

Just found this exclusive little hotel in the heart of divine 

Uzès, France. It was built between the 16th and 18th

Centuries and has only two bedrooms and two suites with 

stunning decor that mixes old and new in a quirky, elegant 

and unexpected way. This seems a wonderful place to stay!

" L’Albiousse preserves a very French way of life, 

delicately combining informal elegance, contemporary

chic and historic charm. Life revolves around a cool cobbled

courtyard, providing a welcome break from the hot summer

sun and perfect setting for breakfast and pre-dinner drinks.

Opening out onto the courtyard, the living room with

its vaulted ceiling and stone fireplace makes for a cosy

retreat for reading or a game of cards. In the dining

room, the chandelier designed by the owners out of 

recycled ventilation piping, hangs from the high ceiling

in sharp contrasts with the ornate 18th century plasterwork.

An imposing stone staircase leads to the upper floors where 

original Louis XIII doors guard the privacy of the bedrooms."

 Tempted? Here are some pics if you need more persuasion..

 See the 'hungry lamp'...!? :)

Isn't it heaven!? I love their design application and how

they have married styles that were born so far apart.

Images via HERE and HERE.

x Charlotta

Oxygen Jungle Villas...

12 exclusive and privately owned Balinese style luxury villas

located in the jungle in Uvita near the coast of Costa Rica.

This resort is small, personal and environmentally friendly,

with a promise to offer you a truly tailor-made holiday.

The resort is 'couples only' - in short , the perfect setting to

play 'me Tarzan you Jane'. Without the little Cheetahs.. :)

The 'Oxygen Jungle Villas' - just the name makes me relax!

Close eyes.. Breathe iiiin.. breathe oooout.. 

I'm so there..

xCharlotta

The Surrey..

Images from the by 'Rottet Studio'

renovated 'Surrey' (hotel) in NY..

Images via

1. Interior Design Magazine and 2 & 3. The Surrey

xCharlotta