Category: Europe
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Celebrating 40 on the Côte d’Azur
They say that the French Riviera has an average of 300 days of sunshine in a year. Upon learning this, I felt like I had been misplaced my whole life, and that the Côte d’Azur was in fact the pin on the world map I was meant to reside in. After all, this is the…
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Clontarf Castle
Twelfth century castle turned into a 21st century luxury hotel, Clontarf Castle was an elegant and romantic choice for experiencing Medieval flare during our time in Dublin. We had the privilege of being there twice. The first visit was for our anniversary dinner at the beginning of our trip. The second visit was for our…
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A weekend in Dublin
Welcomed on the tarmac by a lush green landscape and overcast skies, our trip in Ireland began on a Saturday morning in Dublin. We had two full days to explore this charming capital city before venturing off on our rugged road trip. Pembroke Townhouse, an elegant and cozy Georgian-style guesthouse, was our home that weekend.…
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Our Honeymoon in Ireland
It’s been a head-in-the-clouds kind of existence since coming back from Ireland last month. My mind has been floating and daydreaming as I transition back to regular ol’ life. In a strange way, I’m still processing that our dream to go to Ireland finally came true, and I want to linger in that happy cloud…
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Istanbul
We spent a total of six nights in Istanbul. It was quite the magical journey back in history. A perfect blend of and new, East and West. We spent most of our time in Old Istanbul, Sultanahmet. We visited the Old Sook, the Sultan Ahmed Mosque (the Blue Mosque) and the Hagia Sophia Museum, which…
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The Turquoise Seas of Antalya
Antalya is easy to fall in love with. As much I would go back to Istanbul in a heartbeat, I would have to say that my favourite part of our Turkish trip was our three relaxing days in Antalya. Situated in the south of Turkey along the Mediterranean sea, Antalya is known for its beaches…
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The Ancient Ruins of Ephesus
The historical and cultural richness of Turkey is well apparent when you visit Ephesus, the ancient Greek-turned-Roman city situated in western Turkey. Its ruins and colosseum brings you back thousand of years BC and almost makes you feel like you’re on the movie set of Helen of Troy. Well organized and affordable, this is a…
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Our Turkish Hamam Experience
Any woman loves being treated to a spa, so when you visit a country that is historically and culturally renown for their traditional spas, there is no missing out on this must-do activity. Hamams have been around for centuries since the era of the Ottoman Empire and have become a staple representation of the luxuriousness…
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Taksim, the Modern Side of Istanbul
If you want to experience the duality of Istanbul’s ancient Orient and European modernity, Taksim will certainly provide that contrast for you. Taksim is in the European part of Istanbul where you will find a much more modern and familiar Western ambience. The streets of Taksim were filled with busy pedestrians as they strolled by restaurants,…
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The Beautiful Heart of Turkish People
Storytime After landing at the airport in Izmir, we headed to the train station which was conveniently located at the airport (ahem, take note Toronto). Our hotel confirmation indicated that the the closest subway station to the hotel was Basmane station, which was only a “15 minute” train ride from the airport. As we bought our…
My Turquoise Bag 