Month: September 2024

Monaco Diaries; A Millionaires Playground

September 29, 2024

As a haven for the super rich and a playground for tourists, Monaco is a truly unique country located on the picturesque Cote d’Azur.

Visiting in late September, the weather was mild but still warm making it the perfect temperature for walking around and exploring the city on foot.

We stayed in an Air BnB on the boarder in Beausoleil, just a 10 minute walk to the central square of Monte Carlo and equally close to Monaco Beach.

On our first evening we strolled to the famous Monte Carlo Casino Square where there was a line-up of supercars including a Rolls Royce and a classic red Ferrari.

We then made our way down to the harbour to spot those mega yachts as the sunset over the mountains.

My all white fit with a touch of blue stripes was giving nautical vibes, very fitting for our first evening in Monaco harbour.

On our second day we took an open top bus tour to explore the entire country and see the most iconic tourist attractions.

Whenever we visit a new city we always try to take a hop-on hop-off tour, as they are the best way to discover the best spots and helps get our bearings.

It was amazing to see Monte Carlo from above when walking around the palace grounds.

We wandered around the Prince’s palace and surrounding area where we also stumbled upon the Cathedral and Monaco Museum.

Continuing on the bus tour, we saw the second harbour with yet more incredible super yachts and epic boats.

We completed the tour back towards the centre of Monte Carlo where we found the famed hair pin corner on the route of the F1 track.

People gather on this corner to spot the many supercars casually driving around Monaco; I’ve never seen so many Lamborghinis and Ferraris in one place!

Despite it being a built up city, Monaco has many stunning gardens providing a peaceful oasis away from the hustle and bustle of the crowds.

There is even a beautiful Japanese Garden complete with serene seating areas overlooking the ponds and waterfalls.

I felt very European, French Riviera in my striped shorts, white babydoll crop top, silk neck scarf and basket bag.

The streets of Monaco are so clean and pristine, there’s not an inch out of place.

On the Saturday night we went down to the beach front for golden hour drinks and date night dinner.

I wore this figure hugging floor length floral dress paired with my Senso heeled mules, By Alona pearl necklace, oversized floral earrings and crochet clutch bag.

Feeling very sophisticated, very demure ❤

We were told that the French village of Eze was a must to visit during our time in Monaco too.

Just a 15 minute bus ride out of Monaco, Eze was easy to get to and a lovely day trip out of the city.

We walked around the historic streets of the small village built upon a hill above Monaco and visited Le Jardin Exotique with sweeping views of the South coast.

We concluded our day trip to Eze with lunch at a traditional brasserie complete with gorgeous wine and sunshine of course.

There’s no denying it, Monaco is literally an adult’s playground for the rich and wealthy.

Everywhere you turn there’s another supercar and the price to eat and drink out certainly matched the calibre of guests!

On our final night we browsed the car dealership windows lusting after the awesome new models gleaming back at us.

I wore my C’est Normal forever pants paired with a backless halter neck top, my Abbott Lyon gold chain necklace, square toe nude mule heels and Sandro green velvet handbag.

We had to take a final stroll to Monte Carlo Casino Square on our last night and see what supercars were in the lineup.

And with that I strutted out of Monte Carlo Square in style marking the end to an amazing long weekend in Monaco.

We loved our short but sweet time in the unique principality of Monaco. Perhaps next time we’ll drive from the UK to the South of France in our very own supercar… that would be the dream ❤

Take Me To The South Of France

September 15, 2024

Next week we are flying to Nice to spend a short week in the Principality of Monaco. Nestled between the sea and the mountains this unique country has so much to offer in its two square kilometres, from historic establishments and stunning coastline, to exceptional food and luxury shopping.

As one of the wealthiest countries in the world and home to many millionaires, I’m expecting to see glamorous residents cruising around in their super cars and hanging out on their mega yachts in the harbour.

I’m excited to explore the city on foot whilst browsing the shops and sipping cocktails at a chic harbour bar overlooking the French Riviera.

We don’t have a specific plan for our time in Monaco, however I’ve done some initial research to get recommendations on the top places to visit on https://www.visitmonaco.com/en

So stay tuned to hear all about our late summer holiday in my Monaco Diaries ❤

A Night Glamping In Devon

September 8, 2024

This weekend me and my girl friends took a road trip down to Devon to celebrate with our friends who eloped in lockdown. Given the small, intimate ceremony they had a few years ago due to the social distancing laws at the time, they invited their friends and family for a big party at Farway Countryside Park in Devon.

Leaving early on Saturday morning, me and my two best friends packed the car ready to ‘glamp’ in a teepee for the night. We hit the road and didn’t come across too much traffic, so we stopped at a picturesque farm cafe called Otter Valley for a spot of lunch and coffee.

Arriving early afternoon, we got ourselves setup in the teepee we had booked for the night. Unfortunately the rain was relentless all weekend so it wasn’t the most ideal conditions for camping, but certainly made for a funny experience!

Safe to say the teepee was very basic with just the three beds together in the middle, so we had to improvise in making a nice space for getting ready with pre-drinks and snacks. Thankfully we had our camping chairs to use inside then we used the plastic bin upside down as a small table…

I came prepared with plastic wine glasses and inflatable flamingo drinks holders which I actually used as bowls for the snacks! With the mini speaker playing some tunes and the prosecco popped, we had fun getting glammed up and ready together for the party.

I wore this chocolate brown low back mini dress with long flared sleeves from ASOS, paired with these super platform flower detail H&M sliders, and my oversized gold pearl flower earrings also from ASOS.

The girls looked gorgeous too and I think we nailed the dress code which was ‘dress to impress’, however we were in a field with gravel and grass so we had to keep this in mind particularly for footwear.

It was a fabulous afternoon and evening celebrating the marriage of our friends and a great opportunity to catchup with so many old acquaintances from school too. My friend even made her handbag into a prosecco bottle holder for handsfree pouring, genius 😉

There was a hearty Thai Green Curry for dinner which was served at 6pm, then later in the evening they brought out some delicious desserts and cakes.

After lots of dancing and celebrating with friends, the party wrapped up at 11pm and we made our way back to our teepee to get cosy for the night as the rain continued to pour. Despite the rain ,we were snuggled up in our layers and got a good nights sleep. It might have not been ‘glamping’ as I’d envisioned it, but having a proper bed to sleep in made all the difference.

Cheers to a fun weekend away in Devon full of many hilarious moments with my besties as we celebrated the marriage of our wonderful friends ❤

Hampshire Eats; The Mutton

September 1, 2024

Living in the quaint countryside of Hampshire, we are spoilt for choice when it comes to choosing a pub which serves great food too. From more traditional pubs serving up hearty homemade, traditional dishes, to the fantastic array of gastro pubs offering high quality, premium restaurant standard dishes, there’s a variety of options for all occasions.

One of our local pubs The Mutton, has become a favourite of ours for date night when we’re looking for something more premium than your average pub restaurant. Having reopened following a full renovation a few years ago, it’s made its mark on the food scene in Hampshire and has become known as one of the best gastro pubs in the area.

With a 7pm reservation on the final day in August, we were hoping to dine outside on their stunning terrace with sunset views over the neighbouring fields. Unfortunately the overcast evening scuppered our hopes of an al fresco date night dinner.

Regardless, we had a wonderful dining experience in the cosy restaurant area of the pub along with my parents who joined us for the meal as well. We started with drinks in the bar area so I kicked the evening off with my go-to cocktail of choice, a Margarita.

I couldn’t resist a picture with my margs which matched the green details of my outfit just perfectly; we love a green moment ❤

At 7:30pm we were seated at our table which was a super cute and cosy corner with sofa bench seating and plenty of cushions for extra comfort.

We started with a few small plates to share including the bang bang cauliflower, the beef spring roll with pack choi and a basket of sourdough bread with smoked butter.

This bang bang cauliflower was exquisite, the perfect blend of Chinese spices without the heavy coating of batter you might expect from a dish like that.

My main course was the chargrilled sea bass served with crushed potatoes, locally grown market vegetables and a white wine sauce.

They do fish really well at The Mutton and this sea bass was made particularly special by the white wine sauce which we poured over the dish ourselves upon it being served.

My boyfriend had his usual order of the sirloin steak served with fries and this delicious salad of rocket, parmesan and pink pickled shallot.

For my parents it was the pesto gnocchi with burrata for my mum, then my dad had the sea bass too as well as a side order of the irresistible parmesan truffle fries.

We skipped dessert and just had some coffees to finish as we’d had starters. All of the food was as usual a 10/10 and service very friendly and attentive. We were enjoying ourselves so much we were the last ones out of the restaurant at 10:30pm!

Whilst I think the food is very well priced for the incredible standard, it’s the wine which tends to make the final bill on the pricier side compared to the average pub.

However we are never disappointed with our experience at The Mutton and it is amazing to have such a brilliant pub right on our doorstep for when we do fancy spoiling ourselves.

The Mutton combines creative seasonal dishes with more traditional pub favourites, all made using the very best of British ingredients. If you’re in the area you must visit The Mutton for lunch or dinner for an elevated, quintessential British pub experience – https://themuttonathazeleyheath.co.uk