A DINNER NEAR THE WATERS OF THE LAKE, WRAPPED IN THE MAGIC LIGHT OF SUNSET. 

Sunset at the Restaurant Dei Poeti / Hotel Sirmione - Lake Garda

Hi everyone! Excited to share this post from a wonderful lake resort so near home, definitely one of our favourite places to have a weekend trip in spring and summer. 
And during last weekend, a light dinner based on basic French cuisine, at the Restaurant dei Poeti inside the Hotel Sirmione on Lake Garda, was the way my partner and I chose to celebrate the last summer days, on a Sunday late afternoon. 
Since we simply cannot get enough of the exclusive feel of this refined place, whenever we are in the area, we decided to have a light dinner based on Salade Niçoise, a reminiscence of our last holiday on the French Riviera, even if we have already known the high quality of the traditional, local menu created by the chef Cristiano Aldegheri. 
The landscape was perfection. While the sun was going down with a vivid swirl of varying blues, pale pinks and golden hues, anticipating the soft twilight of Mediterranean late summer, we admired, from a table arranged on the jetty of the Restaurant dei Poeti, the smooth overlap of the silvery waters in the little wind, under the dying sun. The lake was a pale and quiet pool, the lights around were gleaming. On a jetty nearby a saxophone was playing old jazz tunes, and since the sound of a saxophone over a stretch of water has always seemed intriguing to us, we listened in a mood of intense appreciation, with a sense of being attuned to life, with a radiating brightness and a glamour around us that is so rare to experience. A low, pale oblong detached itself from the shade of the peninsula, emitting the reverberated sound of an old-style ferryboat. Two white streamers of water rolled out behind, drowning out the acid sound of the saxophone in the drone of its spray, before disappearing in an immense circle of ripples round and round in the middle of the lake. Then it was the turn of seagulls gliding on the surface of the lake to try to submerge the music. Finally the lake was quiet again and the sound of the saxophone could reach our ears again...
Thinking about the crazy busy week ahead of us once back home, made us want to go on a relaxing weekend soon. So we are definitely planning another trip to escape from routine as soon as possible!

Sunset at the Restaurant Dei Poeti / Hotel Sirmione - Lake Garda

Hotel Sirmione - Lake Garda

Hotel Sirmione and the Old Castle - Lake Garda

WEEKEND RITUAL: "PETIT DÉJEUNER" WITH CROISSANTS, TOASTS & JAM.

On weekend mornings, I like to abandon any healthy eating of my daily routine to indulge in an eating habit that is less regimented and makes me a bit nostalgic for the richer breakfasts heavy in carbs, sugar and caffeine I have whenever I travel to France, where the typical continental breakfast is based on buttery croissants, coffee and some toasts and jam. 

However, in order not to worry too much about how much sugar I am ingesting, I usually distribute these delicious staples of the French food culture into two different weekend mornings, rewarding Saturday mornings at home with warm buttery croissants, fruit juice and coffee, while leaving toast sand jam, fruit juice and coffee for Sunday mornings.

Useless to say, it is very difficult to get croissants with a buttery, layered, flaky-textured dough outside France, so, whenever I have a trip there, I stock up on the best croissants from the numerous "pâtisseries" such as La Tarte Tropézienne, and put them in the freezer, when at home, so that I can oven-bake one per Saturday for several weeks.

Breakfast with Croissants

Croissants

As for the provisions of Sunday jam, I am lucky enough to profit of the wonderful old French-style recipe of "Confiture de Mirabelles", home-made by my partner's mum with the delicious slightly sour fruits harvested from an ancient tree found on their lands. And this kind of smooth jam, spread over buttered toasts is a real healthy titbit, since it does not contain any preserves !

Home-made "Confiture de Mirabelles"

Home-made "Confiture de Mirabelles"

Home-made "Confiture de Mirabelles"

So, what is my philosophy of life and bottom line of this post ?  Eating things that make you happy, in moderation, of course, might just be one of the most nourishing things of all. Très bien!

ST.-TROPEZ, MON AMOUR!

St-Tropez - The old centre and the harbour

Some places belong to the heart more than others and St.-Tropez, certainly, belongs to mine.

For several years, my partner and I have been spending our summer holidays there, in a wonderful neo-classical villa, a secluded spot surrounded by pine trees, palms and oleanders, representing for us a familiar refuge from daily stress, a special, relaxing cocoon from which admire the wonderful view of the bay and the old fishing port with its pastel-coloured clock tower and houses varying their shade of colour at every hour of the day.

Certainly, St-Tropez has all the ingredients of an exclusive seaside resort: the series of wonderful beaches along Pampelonne Bay, the turquoise and sapphire blue sea, the luxuriant Mediterranean vegetation, the glamorous nightlife, but it possesses also a special timeless quality that 

St-Tropez - Landscape

I have always appreciated and is expressed in an impalpable carefree attitude pervading lifestyle and fashion, a French "joie de vivre" indissolubly linked to the marine vocation of the place.

In fashion, this attitude is expressed by an effortless and legendary "Boho chic" style I find so flatteringly becoming and the embodiment "my holiday style".

St-Tropez - Loulou's evening "Boho chic" style

St-Tropez - VIP's Boho chic style by Pinterest

St-Tropez - VIP's Boho chic style by Pinterest

French Riviera - VIP's Boho chic style by Pinterest

Whenever I go shopping through the alleys of St-Tropez, I am invariably surprised at the refinement of clothes and accessories in the shop windows, among which my favourites are jewels by Gas Bijoux, silk tunics, rompers and long lace dresses, to be worn with flat sandals and straw hats or other stylish findings that can be bought in the picturesque market held in Place des Lices on Tuesday and Saturday mornings.

St-Tropez - Gas Bijoux 

Of course, shopping in St-Tropez evokes images of designer boutiques and celebrities strolling with their bags through the narrow cobblestone streets and shaded squares of this legendary fishing-village-style seaside resort. Doing it in the mesmerising mornings, when the seagulls fly above your heads from La Ponche towards the open sea is certainly an exciting experience, and when in need of a break, you can always grab some exquisite sweet delicacies by La Tarte Tropézienne or other refined "pâtisseries".

St-Tropez - La Tarte Tropezienne

The rest of the day is to be spent on the beach, until late afternoon, when the air is full of an awareness of night long before evening falls. So the hours glide effortlessly towards dinner time, when it is pleasant to be surrounded by the legendary golden and rosy light of sunset fading into a promising twilight.

Nightlife in St-Tropez is sparkling and offers a wide choice of glamorous restaurants and lounge-bars. Spending the night in one of the the famous places in the harbour area with a view on the luxury yachts is certainly a must, but I advice you to take also the opportunity of discovering some alternative chic spots such as the lounge-bar of the Hotel White 1921 or the Dior Café, where if you are lucky enough, you can assist to refined live concerts that will accompany your happy memories during the long winter months...

St-Tropez - Concert at lounge bar of Hotel White 1921

St-Tropez - Lounge bar of Hotel White 1921

St-Tropez - Dior Café

BLUSH

Isn't it a beauty? 

My LV Neverfull Damier Azur

This new-entry in my collection of bags is the Neverfull MM Damier Azur by Louis Vuitton, and I'm thrilled, since I'm a bit of a bagaholic, like many women, and also since it is  a present from my partner. As suggested by its name, the Neverfull is a large bag and suitable to be used either as hand luggage on flights, or as a work & gym bag for daily usage. It comes with an interior pocket for documents & a lovely matching pouch which can be used also as a clutch for an evening out.

Everything about this bag suggests the delights of holidaying: the type of canvas, the Damier Azur is so summery that reminds me of a Mediterranean offshore cruise, or a stroll under the palms of the Croisette at Cannes; its stunning pink ballerina interior is most inspiring, with its flushed delicate charm, reminiscent of rose petals shattered on the turf of a spring garden, or, more obviously, the delicate hovering of the costume layers of a ballet dancer. And what to say of the lovely addition of a monogram charm hanging from the handle, tinkling like the masts of boats in a harbour when they are gently shaken by the breeze?

Organizer by Original Club in blush shade

However, after the first moments of excitement about the new arrival, I realised that the lovely interior lining is very prone to get stained, so I decided to buy a bag organiser by Original Club, which besides being washable, is also useful to avoid messiness inside the bag. I found the item I was looking for online, where I discovered that there are special felt model for all types of LV bags. I chose one with a perfectly matching shade with the pink interior, complemented by six pockets for small objects & my I-phone + 1 large pocket for I-pad + two round holders for my Evian brumisateur and a travel mug + a central area fo my agenda, wallet, pouches, a book, so the items in my handbag don't slide anymore and are easy to find. Definitely, a wise purchase for all women who are in distress with their untidy bags!