All posts filed under: romance and love

travel: it’s all about italy

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What is it about this wonderful country most of us Americans can’t get enough? I can only speak for myself of course when I say I am madly in love with Italy – Rome, Florence, Venice, Genoa, and every other corner in between  from the hillside small villages of Cinque Terre, to the wonderful Como district, the country the most romantic in my opinion –  and very different  from the well known city of love – Paris. That is where I chose to base  my first novel Piazza Navona, the story unfolding in my imagination and mind, over a cup of espresso sitting in a cafe on the historic Piazza Navona. One day, while I sat in a cafe in Rome-in Piazza Navona, staring at a small stationery store, I realized I wanted to write a novel, about a woman who falls in love in Rome. But I knew I needed a twist on a story that has been told a thousand times. So in 2011, after my return to San Francisco, I began working on my first …

what happens after dark?

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I have often wondered what happens in a store after dark? I mean this question could be for anything: churches, bars, museums, and much more, but for me it’s always been about the stores. Retails, boutiques, so forth. So, when I came across this article my eyes lit up at the opportunity of spending just an evening in a shop, a small shop full of intrigue and fascinating things.  Click on the photo to get there:

boutique hotel – st. james hotel – paris, france

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This is the time of the year I crave Paris, and no matter what I do to not think about it, it just comes to me, beckoning me to take a trip. With this desire, I begin searching for hotels just to be prepared, in case my travel partner gives the okay to go. Since I try a different one each year, the ST. James Hotel is my hotel of choice for this year. I’ve passed by it many times, and have added it to my list way back in 2012. As usual the château style is what attracted me to the building, and I realized it was a hotel, when I took a closer look. I think I fell in love with it even more when I stumbled upon this article. Definitely it will be the place I stay, when I go this year. Keeping my fingers crossed. {Photo source from here and here}

boutique hotel pick – carlton hotel – st. moritz, switzerland

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Winter time, my hotel picks are always in a  romantic ski-resort destinations. St. Moritz of course is one of those places I adore, and wish I could spend every Christmas there, or even just New Year’s Eve, and with that I have to choose the Carlton Hotel St. Moritz. I usually don’t mention too much about the hotel’s amenities, I simply suggest you click here for that. My appreciation and admiration of the property is the location, and how enchanting it is. A wonderful destination and a thoughtful gift indeed: {photo source}  

boutique hotel pick – relais and chateaux hotel heritage – bruges, belgium

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It’s been a while since I’ve suggested a boutique hotel – a blog entry I’ve put aside for a while, focusing on other topics instead. But since I am an avid traveler, always longing to get on a plane to go somewhere, at times more or less on a whim, I decided to bring this popular entry back, even throughout the off-season in travel. The city of Bruges, in Belgium came to mind recently since I normally crave to be in a storybook type of place in the winter months, hibernating in a room with character, a fireplace if possible, hot tea at my disposal, the ambiance exuding enough energy to inspire me to write at the very least, the romance portion of my novels. In Bruges, I would stay in Relais and Chateaux Hotel Heritage, and although there isn’t a fireplace in the rooms, the character and charm of each space make it a wonderful destination for romance I could go on forever, detailing bits and pieces of information about this romantic town, but …

valentine’s day: red velvet cupcakes

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Although in my household, we seldom celebrate Valentines Day, this year I decided to surprise my hubby with a dozen red velvet homemade cupcakes, just to get a chuckle or two out of him.  It’s always fun seeing your partner be caught off guard, when they least expect something. RED VELVET CUPCAKES 1/2 cup butter 1 1/2 cups white sugar 2 eggs 1 cup buttermilk 1 fluid ounce red food coloring 1 teaspoon vanilla extract 1 1/2 teaspoons baking soda 1 tablespoon distilled white vinegar 2 cups all-purpose flour 1/3 cup unsweetened cocoa powder 1 teaspoon salt Directions   Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Grease two 12 cup muffin pans or line with 20 paper baking cups. In a large bowl, beat the butter and sugar with an electric mixer until light and fluffy. Mix in the eggs, buttermilk, red food coloring and vanilla. Stir in the baking soda and vinegar. Combine the flour, cocoa powder and salt; stir into the batter just until blended. Spoon the batter into the prepared …

boutique hotel pick – montana art deco hotel – lucerne, switzerland

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With freezing cold temperatures in San Francisco, I cannot help but want to be tucked in under the covers in a room of a beautiful hotel perfectly located near snow capped mountains. One place I have always loved and haven’t been to for a while is Lucerne Switzerland and this year, while I plan my annual trip to Europe, I am going to consider a day or two here – except I would prefer the destination during the winter months.

photography: night views of san francisco

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I dont’ think I’ve voiced enough lately how much I love the city I live in. San Francisco is probably one of the most beautiful cities in the world, providing there is no fog of course. So, I was glad when I found these photos here and posted them on my blog for not only my viewing pleasure, but yours as well. Enjoy 🙂

boutique hotel pick – tharroe of mykonos, greece

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Right about now, exactly right now, I am seeing myself in a far away place, where I could nap alongside the pool, or sit on a lounge chair on the balcony of my suite and watch the world go by and just maybe make an effort to leave the hotel just to experience the nightlife on the island of Mykonos, Greece. To make this happen, I have to include one of my favorite hotels on Mykonos – Tharroe Of Mykonos, to set the stage for one of the most relaxing holidays/vacations imaginable.  BTW this would make a wonderful Mother’s Day gift: