Where did the summer go?

We only had the chance to stay 10 days at our Norwegian summerhouse this year. A short stay with a lot of nice memories that seems to fade ....

Miss you Norway, but looking forward to next years visit!

There is a new B'nB in town!

The lovely Françoise has made reality of her dreams of a Bed and Breakfast in town and can now welcome guests to a new and cool boutique hotel

La Pipistrelle

I'll give you the chance to a sneak peek.......

A few hours in Gothenburg, Sweden

Gothenburg, Sweden.

The city where my mother comes from, where I was born 

and where I spent the first months of my life. 

The city I have visit so many times I've stopped counting.

And yet I don't really know it!!

So when I went up north last weekend to celebrate my 90 year old grandpa I decided to spend a few hours walking the city before catching the flight back to Luxembourg. Since my parents also spent the weekend in Sweden they joined me for a walk around the city they met over 40 years ago.

Here are some snapshots I took and some tips what to see if you are thinking of travel to this nice place on the west coast of Sweden.

Haga - the old quarter with nice cafes for a "fika" and boutiques 

The canal - walk around or take the boat "paddan"

Avenyen - the boulevard with shops and restaurants that ends by the fountain with "Poseidon" and Museum of Art.

Liseberg - the tivoli and amusement park

Saluhallen and Feskekörkan - indoor meat/veg market and fish market

Trädgårdsföreningen - huge garden and the Palmhouse

Slottskogen - a walk in the park

Öarna - the archipelago

For more info click here and here

"Néo-bistrot"..... what?

While in Paris last weekend I picked up a new word 
(well at least for me, apparently the word has been used for some years now)

néo-bistrot.

I read an article in The Wall Street Journal and their definition of the word is:

"néo-bistrot appear to be an innovative, cosmopolitan approach, 

with a refreshingly casual atmosphere and often prix-fixe menus that are 

priced at less than €50 per person"

So, if you are in Paris and want to dine at a néo-bistrot I can recommend

VIVANT

It used to be a bird shop in the early 1900 and the tiles are just gorgeous!

The interior made my knees shaky 

and the food made my mouth watery...

Parisian "bobo"

I had the pleasure to jump on the TGV to Paris this weekend!

I know, how lucky are we to live in Luxembourg with such an easy access to so many great places!? Need to pinch my arm sometimes....

We had a plan to explore a different Paris this time, set apart from the glowing monuments and historical landmarks that we all know, and headed to Belleville and Ménilmontant. This area in the northeast of Paris is the 20ᵉ. It used to be small villages that provided Paris with wine, fruit and weekend escapes and you can still find traces from that period. Nowadays it's a bustling and cosmopolitan area with different ethnicities as Africans, Arabs, Asians

 - as well as "bobo's" which refers to "bourgeois bohemian" or yuppie hipsters. 

My favorite spot is the mosaic Belleville park with great views of the city. You'll find small cafes and art galleries, as well as the Edith Piat museum and the "celebrity" cemetery Père-Lachaise. 

Perhaps you will "Ménilmuche" next time you're in Paris?

(Ménilmuch is a Parisian slang for sloping area)

great view from Parc de Belleville

corner bakery

the 70 m long passage Cité de l'Ermitage

Since we now are in Paris I'll show you another area that I adore;

Canal St-Martin, 10ᵉ.

the canal

the colorful facade of Antoine & Lili

Clothes for women, children and an interiorshop

the colorful interior of Antoine & Lili

the trendy place Faubourg St.Denis 52

street breakfast

cute little shops and cafes

note to self for next Paris trip

visitparisregion

parisbobo

girlsguidetoparis

A new hit?

 I've had the chance to visit Café des Capucins a couple of times during the last month. The reasons for me to choose this cool place are several, and I can't point out exactly what makes it one of my favorite places to eat in Luxembourg.

Is it the modern interior with a Scandi touch?

Is it the great selection of French fusion dishes?

Is it the friendly and good looking staff?

... or is it simply the combination that makes this place a hit?

One thing is for sure,

I'll be back!

A day in Nancy

I have no idea how many times we have been driving on A31 and past Nancy.

After 10 years here in Luxembourg I have only visited Nancy once and my husband; 0. So I decided to do something about that.

One Saturday morning in January, we started the car and drove 115 km or something to Nancy. The weather was not the most pleasant I must admit, but we decided that shouldn't stop us. Dressed up with mittens, hats and great foot wear we're ready.

Nancy is on Unesco's World Heritage list and I can understand why.

And Nancy is much more than spectacular Place Stanislas.

Let me take you on a little tour around beautiful Nancy.

narrow streets with great selection of restaurants

 oysters prepared for lunch

cool bars

great selection of veg and fruits even outside the indoor market

place Stanislas

old town

old town

the park

A glimpse of Norway

My husband is in Norway to check out our seafront cabin 

(did I mention that we got ourselves a cabin? ) 

after the massive storms on the Norwegian west-coast lately.

Here is a glimpse from the fjord.

I'll tell you more about the cabin later.

Enjoy the weekend.

A short flight away...

With daily, cheap flights from Findel, Luxembourg to London City it is hard not to travel! And with a London based daughter with a bit of extra space,

 I visit this city more often than my wallet find it healthy:-)

So last week I went for 3 days and had a great time as always.

Here are some pics from the trip and from my Insta feed:

The Gherkin - River Lea - 40 Winks

Bakery - St. Paul's - The Hatch

St. Paul's - The Happenstance - River Lea

Malaga

I had the pleasure of spending a few days in the city of Malaga

 after staying in our house at the costa the days before.

Have been visiting the city a couple of times in the past, but this time I really felt the life, atmosphere and spirit of this fantastic place.

Here are some snapshots:

1. Wine tasting at La Casa del Guardia

2. The patio at Bar Pil Pil

3. Nightclub Amargo

3 View over the Cathedral

4. Tapas and mussels at Playa de Pedregalejo

5. Tea at the arabic Teeteria El Haren

6. Gourmet food at Alea

7. Drink at the roof top bar at AC Palacio

8. Plaza de Constitucion were we rented a flat.

Rio Chillar, a hidden gem

After spending the whole summer in Spain I'm now ready 

to do some blogging again, I think. 

Always love to come back to Spain. You may think it could be boring to always stay at the same place, see the same people, eat at the same restaurants and visit the same beach........ and honestly it sometimes is!

But it is also very exiting to read books about this lovely country and then plan excursions. I simply love the mountains behind the Costa and each year we visit a new place. And this year we ended up in the river!

The route cuts through the Sierras de Tejeda, Almijara and Alhama Natural Park, offering plenty of shade, crystal clear river pools and guarantees a brilliant day out for the whole family. The walk starts easy and will sometimes be a bit of challenge, but most people will handle it. Most important is good shoes (beach shoes with rubber sole is not good enough, I tried!) , sunscreen, water and a snack.

Be aware: In summer it could be busy especially in weekends when locals find their way, and when there has been rainfall in the mountains.

There is no better way to cool off on a hot summer's day.