Tag: eurovibes

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 ❤

Santorini Diaries; Fira

August 18, 2024

As the capital of Santorini, the historic town of Fira is the largest and most cosmopolitan settlement of the island. Located on the western coast it boasts stunning views of the Caldera and is another top spot for watching sunset.

We found the the walk from Imerovigli to Fira took about 30-35 minutes down the coastal path, the perfect pre dinner stroll during golden hour complete with sweeping views of the Caldera.

Whilst Oia is known to be the prettiest town on the island, I personally preferred Fira given it was far less busy, it’s equally as beautiful as Oia and as the most historic town it feels more authentic.

When it comes to dining, you’re spoilt for choice with restaurants and bars to choose from in Fira. Upon researching the best spots in Santorini for food, I booked the highly rated and popular restaurant called The Vine, located just above the main square of Fira overlooking the Caldera.

With our front row table during sunset, there was a minimum spend for our reservation making this our most expensive dinner of the trip.

However we made the most of it and stayed for about 2 hours to see through the entirety of sunset; date nights don’t get much better than that picturesque setting!

Cocktails are a must for date night too and they certainly didn’t disappoint. As always it was a Tommy’s Margarita for her and a Classic Mojito for him, but with a sweet strawberry twist.

We ordered sourdough bread and a classic Greek feta salad to start, then I had the most exquisite king prawns with veg to follow and my boyfriend had the sirloin steak cooked medium rare. To accompany our main courses we had truffle mash potato and honey glazed baby carrots.

Service was very good and whilst my boyfriend’s steak wasn’t the best cut, the food on the whole was delicious and wonderfully presented. I would recommend The Vine for couples seeking a special evening during their stay in Santorini.

A boat day during our time on the island was a must, so we booked a sunset cruise at one of the tourist offices in the centre of Fira for just 40 euros each.

To get to the port of Fira there is a cable car to take you down the steep cliff edge, a fun experience in itself. With our boat trip commencing at 3pm on the Sunday, we were greeted by our tour guide down at the port where we boarded this fantastic old pirate style ship.

First we sailed over to the famous Caldera which we climbed in the scorching heat. A sweaty yet awesome experience to be on the top of the active volcano!

Next we stopped to swim in the hot springs before heading over to the tiny island of Thirassia. This used to be part of Santorini before a volcanic erruption many hundreds of years ago separated the land.

The boat trip concluded with a sunset cruise around the port of Oia complete with a glass of wine. A truly magical way to end the day and see the sun go down at sea.

Being dropped back in the port of Fira at about 9pm, we decided to have dinner in town and stumbled across this lovely restaurant Pelican Kipos. With a large outdoor seating area full of greenery and fairy lights, it was the perfect chilled ambience for a Sunday night dinner.

I had the quinoa avocado blue cheese salad and my boyfriend had the spaghetti carbonara. The food was delicious, service very friendly and attentive, and the final bill of about 40 euros was surprisingly reasonable considering this was the centre of Fira.

Another restaurant we didn’t pre-book but came across on our final night stroll into town was Vanilia. Luckily we got seated at the very front of the terrace with uninterrupted views at golden hour, the perfect final dinner setting.

My order was the grilled squid served with a wonderful fresh salsa, whilst my boyfriend had a decadent four cheese pizza topped with parma ham and rocket leaves. We also shared a Greek feta salad as I couldn’t resist another one on our very last night in Greece.

The food came fairly quickly and was delicious, my whole squid was particularly divine. An unexpected 10/10 meal for our last night in Santorini complete with sunset views, but without the super expensive bill you might anticipate somewhere like this in Fira.

By day the capital is great for shopping and exploring the historic streets, whilst by night there is more of a vibrant scene with lots of restaurants and bars staying open late.

So that brings us to the end of my Santorini Diaries series and I hope you found my recommendations interesting and useful. There’s no questioning the idyllic beauty of this iconic island; it’s certainly won my heart and I can’t wait to go back again soon ❤