Walking in springtime in Mallorca

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My guest post today from Nick of Villa Parade highlights that spring is one of the best times to visit the island of Mallorca, especially if you enjoy walking as a way to explore the beautiful scenery of this island and get away from the crowded tourist spots.

I find that spring can be the ideal time to visit the Med, as the weather is slightly cooler and there aren’t as many tourists as the high season, so it’s an excellent opportunity to explore. There are great range of activities in The Balearics to choose from. I’ve been on many of Mallorca’s walking trails, and with the Almond blossom in bloom throughout March, it’s a really beautiful time to see the island.

I also hear from many people who go to Mallorca in the spring because of its cycling routes, often used in Triathlon training, as well as from those who love wildlife and travel to spot the island’s famous Eleonora’s falcon.

One of my favourite walking routes is trekking up from Alaro to Castell d’Alaró. It takes about two hours and you need to follow signs from the PM210 to the peaceful valley of Orient. The walk takes you through olive groves climbing up to the plateau, with views of the Puig D’Alaro, a rocky outcrop with an old Moorish castle at the top. It’s worth the effort to see the beautiful views over the sea from the summit and to work up an appetite for the famous lamb dish in the Es Verger restaurant, renowned for its red wines, on the way back down.

There’s also a beautiful Mallorquin sunset walk from Roca Blanca, starting from PM-221 Formentor Road, to the peak of Fumat which shows the Formentor Peninsula, the North Eastern tip of Mallorca. at its best. A friend recommended this route to me it’s perfect if you’re looking for a bit of an adventure and you can picnic at the peak and visit the old lighthouse on the way down and have a dip in Cala Figuera. The walk is about 8km and finishes with a sunset view of Formentor’s most famous beach, Cala Formentor from Albercuitx Watchtower.

I’d love to from anyone who’s got any other tips on exploring Mallorca, especially walks that you’ve enjoyed on this beautiful island.

Many thanks for this guest post to Nick at Villa Parade who offer exclusive villas and holiday apartments throughout the Mediterranean, including Mallorca.

Photo credits: Almond Blossom by lightbrigade,  Castell d’Alaro by benjami,  Cala Figuera by Cayetano on flickr.

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A snowy break at Laswern Fawr holiday in the Brecon Beacons, Wales

In February we took a short break to escape the city and breathe some country air and found ourselves on a snowy Welsh hillside in the Brecon Beacons. I hope you enjoy my video below as well as reading about what we did there.

If you cannot see the embedded video above, view it on my blog here

As soon as my husband stepped into our Welsh holiday cottage at Laswern Fawr in the Brecon Beacons and saw the wood burning stove in the open fireplace and the cosy red velvet wing chair, he settled in and took charge of the fire while the rest of us made ourself at home. I concluded that it’s a man thing to fiddle with logs, bellows and firelighters and left him to it.

We’d arrived in two cars from Bristol following the extremely detailed directions, turning off the main road through the valley and up the hill on increasingly steep and narrow, muddy tracks, along an old tramway then down a steep drive to the cottage, built into the hillside. The 16th century stone farmhouse is surrounded by fields of grazing sheep, and above it rose the Welsh hills covered with bracken,  rocky cliff faces with many walking trails. The views from the cottage down into the valley and the small town of Crickhowell were stunning and we soon felt relaxed and at one with nature in a place where walking boots, wellies and waterproofs are in daily use.

Remote as our Welsh cottage at Laswern Fawr may have been, it was certainly not lacking in comforts and was as well equipped as any family home you might find. The owners of the cottage obviously love the place and come here regularly, as there was no trace of that impersonal feel that you get in some holiday accommodation. The furnishings were warm and comfortable with traditionally whitewashed stone walls, plenty of sofas, stools and easy chairs for lounging in comfort and the sort of antique furniture, ornaments and china that you might find in a good country antique shop. To the background tick-tock and hourly chimes of the old clock on the wall, I could almost imagine myself to be a country farmer’s wife, setting the kettle on the blackened range for a cup of tea.

Laswern Fawr holiday cottage, Brecon Beacons

Sheep at Laswern Fawr Brecon Beacons

Upstairs we found three double rooms and two singles, sleeping 8 people in all and ideal for two families or an extended group to enjoy a relaxing break. We’d elected to spend a few days away from it all in the school holidays, bringing two of our children and a gaggle of their teenage friends to get away from the bustle and traffic of Bristol. As well as the large family bathroom with bath and separate shower, there was a smart, slate-tiled en-suite shower room in the master bedroom which we grown-ups managed to bag just in time. Because of the cottage being built into the hill side, we actually had French windows where the occasional sheep might come and peer in.

Our comfortable bed even had an electric blanket and the bedroom was calm and cream with thick crewel embroidered curtans, easy chair and an original fireplace. In the other rooms were twin or single beds, with cheerfully coloured duvets or patchwork quilt bedspreads. The hay-loft bedroom, bagged by our boys had a steeply sloping ceiling , blue patchwork quilts and a cot for those travelling with babies.

Hayloft at Laswern Fawr, Brecon Beacons

Master bedroom at Laswern Fawr

Descending the steep whitewashed stairs with twisty wooden hand-rails there was a dining room at the front with a large Victorian antique table and sideboard and a porch where we could leave all our boots and coats. At the other end of the house, adjoining the large, cosy sitting room was the modern, cream painted kitchen with dishwasher, large fridge and freezer and plenty of storage space. Here was everything you could wish for cooking up hearty meals, with plenty of crockery and pots and pans and a wide selection of cookery books. Awaiting us was a welcome tray with a personal welcome note and tea and coffee and a bottle of delicious local apple juice.

Down in the valley was the attractive small town of Crickhowell,  with several good pubs and food shops as well as an out door activity shop to supply whatever you might need for all the biking, walking, climbing, cycling and all the other outdoor activities for which this part of Wales is well known. We bought some local Welsh lamb for dinner from the butcher and then adjourned for some tea and cakes in the Court room cafe above the Old Market Hall which serves good home cooked lunches as well. Although we’d made plans to try the Bear Hotel, an award winning old coaching inn, for dinner or perhaps the restaurant at the Nantyffyn Cider Inn for something a bit more gourmet, our plans were thwarted by the incoming snow. Although we made it safely back up the mountain to the cottage on snowy tracks , we didn’t feel like risking another drive down in the dark.

Crickhowell in the Brecon Beacons, Wales

Market Hall at Crickhowell, Brecon Beacons

The next day we ventured out on a trip to the Big Pit, the National Coal Museum of Wales which is only a short drive away at Blaenafon but had to abandon our plans when we made it through a minor blizzard to get there, only to find that it had just closed because of the bad weather. I was disappointed as the visit includes a trip underground into the coal mine with helmets and head torches, that I thought the children would enjoy - the museum is also free. After our experience in the blizzard, we gave up on the sightseeing and just enjoyed the walking trails on the hillside in and around the cottage.

The thing that impressed us most were the number of entertainments and conveniences available at Laswern Fawr, clearly showing the owners had thought of everything for our comfort (perhaps they knew that rain and snow are always worth preparing for in Wales). There were two shelves of DVD films, a large rack of music CDs, a chest full of board games as well as WiFi. I have to confess, that as a travel blogger, it was the wifi that sold it for me - sad as it might be, the thought of 3 days with no internet access was unbearable, so I was relieved that it all worked perfectly, despite the remote location! Whatever home comforts you enjoy to spend the evening after a long walk in the Brecon Beacons, our Welsh cottage at Laswern Fawr seemed to be able to provide. If I ever have to shut myself away in comfort from the distractions of the big city to write that long awaited novel, this will be the place.

We booked Laswern Fawr through Brecon Beacons Holiday Cottages who kindly rented it to us at a discounted rate. They are the specialist in holiday cottage rentals in the Brecon Beacons and have over 250 holiday properties of different sizes to choose from in this beautiful area of Wales.

Travel Resources for the Brecon Beacons

Brecon Beacons Holiday Cottages - specialists in holiday accommodation in the Brecon Beacons National Park, Black Mountains National Park and Wye Valley
Visit Wales - the official Wales tourism website with information on short breaks, weekend getaways and family holidays and things to do in Wales
Brecon Beacons National Park Website - the Brecon Beacons website with information on things to do and places to stay in the Brecon Beacons

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Things to enjoy at the Mandarin Oriental, Hyde Park (without breaking the bank)

I recently stayed at the Mandarin Oriental, Hyde Park Hotel in London with my daughter and enjoyed every moment of being treated like a Princess in one of the best hotels in London. On that occasion, I was lucky enough to be staying as a guest of the hotel (you can read my article here), but like many of you out there, when I’m spending my own hard-earned cash, I’m more likely to be booked into a modest hotel or guest house, albeit the most stylish  I can afford. So that got me thinking about how you can enjoy something of the Mandarin Oriental, Hyde Park’s special atmosphere of luxury and service without spending a king’s ransom.

I remembered when I visited a friend who was living in Istanbul some years ago and we’d wander through the the Kempinski Ciragan Palace, one of the most classy hotels in town, as if we owned the place. We’d re-apply our lipstick in the marble bathrooms, lounge around in the open public areas, window-shop in the hotel souvenir shops and galleries, then perhaps while away a long afternoon over Sunday brunch buffet as a special treat. We had the experience of being there in Luxury without the expense of actually staying there. So in the same spirit, here a few things you might also enjoy at the Mandarin Oriental, Hyde Park if you’re visiting London.

Sip a cocktail in the Mandarin Bar

When we arrived at the Mandarin Oriental, Hyde Park we relaxed with a coffee in the Mandarin Bar, with it’s leather and gold velvet sofas, colourful bottles behind frosted glass, and open glass wine cage. It felt like an elegant take on the exclusive gentleman’s club that the hotel was originally built for. However, at night the bar really comes into it’s own as a classy and lively cocktail bar for the grown-up set, with live music playing most nights. On the Saturday night that we were there, we could hear the chatter of conversation and jazz trio playing in one corner and I certainly wouldn’t have minded sipping one of the exotic cocktails with friends, perhaps a ‘Conde Nast Traveler’ of Cuban rum, rhubarb puree, pomegranate juice and cinnamon sugar. I was told that they’d just recruited a new bar manager, a former mixologist at Smirnoff, who was busy revamping the cocktail menu, so I’d definitely go back to the Mandarin Bar another time to listen enjoy a cocktail or two and the live music. (Cocktails around £15)

Park Restaurant at Mandarin Oriental, Hyde park

Park Restaurant at Mandarin Oriental, Hyde park

Eat top class Asian food in the Park Restaurant

During our stay, we bypassed the gourmet Foliage restaurant in favour of the more relaxed atmosphere of the Park restaurant, which is designed to bring the greenery of Hyde Park into the hotel, with wooden tables, fine green linen and bonsai trees, as well as oriental themed paintings and decoration. I tried the crab cakes as a starter which were just perfectly meaty served with a walnut and spinach salad, followed by the most delicous Thai Green curry I’ve ever tasted, with complex flavours of basil, lemon grass and enormous prawns. If you like top class Asian food, combined with charmingly attentive service, then this will be the place for you. (Main courses £15-28)

Celebrity chefs, Daniel Boulud and Heston Blumenthal

I can’t mention the food at the Mandarin Oriental without letting you know that there are more treats to come on the culinary front at the hotel. If you’re up on your celebrity chefs, you’ll be first in line when the new Bar Boulud opens in May 2010 on the ground floor, from French born, New York based, chef, Daniel Boulud.  The new wine bar and contemporary French bistro will be a sister restaurant to the established Bar Boulud in New York and will draw on the seasonal French dishes, wines and charcuterie of Boulud’s childhood near Lyon. A feature of Bar Boulud is that you can enjoy exceptional wines by the glass that are carefully selected to compliment the food and charcuterie.That’s one thing I’d appreciate as I rarely drink more than a glass or two in an evening, so I’d prefer them to be really good quality, rather than cheap and cheerful.

Once the Bar Boulud has opened, the Park Restaurant will be closed until October, when it will be reborn with British celebrity chef Heston Blumenthal at the helm. Blumenthal is well known for his culinary magic in combining unlikely combinations of tastes and textures for a truly sensory dining experience. Blumenthal has a well established reputation from his three Michelin star restaurant, The Fat Duck in Bray as well as The Hinds Head pub of the same village, but this will be his first venture in Central London, bringing his unique style to international visitors to London.

Afternoon Tea on the Park Terrace overlooking Hyde Park

One of the great features of the Mandarin Oriental is that it has Hyde Park as it’s back garden (literally). If you’re lucky enough to get a room at the back of the hotel, then you’ll have a view of the Serpentine lake, glistening through the trees. And adjoining the Park Restaurant overlooking the park is the Park Terrace where you can  take al fresco lunches and afternoon tea between May and September (the Great British Summer permitting) If you’d like to experience the quintessential English teatime experience, then this is where I’d love to be on a sunny afternoon, tucking into fresh baked scones and some strawberry tart, washed down by an elegant cup of Earl Grey with a slice of lemon.

A spa experience at the Mandarin Oriental Hyde Park

To finish off my luxury visit to the Mandarin Oriental without ever having checked in, I’d love to spend a few hours at the hotel spa, tucked away in a quiet corner of the ground floor. This is not the place to go in a girly gaggle for chatter and gossip, but a place to unwind and get some seriously pampering ‘me time’. When I looked in on their reception area during my stay, I learned all about their signature spa therapies which have been developed by experts from the world of traditional Chinese medicine, acupuncture and aromatherapy. The products used are determined by the mood and personality of the client  and are based on the five elements of Chinese Medicine; Wood, Fire, Earth, Metal, Water and each is matched to a blend of essential oils; Awaken, Bloom, Flourish, Release and Reflect. Condé Nast Traveller voted this their Best Hotel Spa in the UK for 2009 and I can see why, with each treatment tailored to your personality and mood to leave you feeling truly relaxed. Not cheap at £240 for the Mandarin Oriental signature spa therapy treatments session lasting around 3 hrs, including time to relax in the steam room and Vitality pool, but what a lovely gift to give yourself, or even be treated to by your doting husband or partner (hint, hint)

Prince of Wales Suite at Mandarin Oriental Hotel, Hyde Park

Prince of Wales Suite at Mandarin Oriental Hotel, Hyde Park

Stay at the Mandarin Oriental, Hyde Park

Although I’ve mentioned some ways you can tap into the luxurious world of the Mandarin Oriental without actually staying there, I have to say that it is a wonderful place to base yourself in London, with the upscale shopping of Knightsbridge at the front door and the greenery of Hyde Park at the back door. If staying in top class hotels is your normal way of travelling, or you’re looking for somewhere for that special break where you’ll be spoiled and treated to world class service, and if you love that classic English look combined with Oriental elegance, then this is the place for you. And if like me you always hope to get a little more for a little less, then you should check out the Tempting Offer Page on the Mandarin Oriental Website or do some shopping around on booking sites such as Kiwicollection.com (read the article I wrote on their website here)

I hope I’ve convinced you that if your budget doesn’t stretch to staying at a top class hotel like the Mandarin Oriental Hyde Park in London, then there are still affordable ways of experiencing the fantastic service and luxury you’ll get there. If you have been reading this and thinking that you could get that cup of tea at Starbucks for a fraction of the price then you obviously don’t get it and should try pitching your tent in Hyde park instead (only joking). You should think of it as buying into the luxury of a few hours in wonderful surroundings with charming and attentive staff, at a fraction of the price of actually staying there (not that I don’t recommend that too!)

Room in Mandarin Oriental, Hyde Park

Mandarin Oriental, Hyde Park

Other London articles to enjoy

My review of the Mandarin Oriental Hyde Park London for Kiwicollection.com

A river trip to Greenwich in London
Weekend in London at the Mandarin Oriental - Podcast
They’re changing the guards at Buckingham Palace

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