
Gourmet break at the legendary La Pyramide in Vienne/France
Dining & staying in style at chef Patrick Henriroux's 2-star Michelin restaurant south of Lyon:
Without knowing it, my husband and I dined at one of France's iconic culinary institutions! Restaurant La Pyramide in Vienne, south of Lyon,…

Staying & dining in style in the Provence, France (plus 2 activities)
Luxury stay near Les Baux-de-Provence & what do in the area (if you like walking):
Upscale lodging and gourmet dining in the Provence are plentiful. If you feel like staying and dining in style here without overspending, it is much more…

Staying & dining in style at Villa della Pergola in Alassio/Italian Riviera
Luxury boutique hotel with Michelin star restaurant in a Ligurian seaside resort west of Genoa:
Update: new chef Giorgio Pignagnoli at Restaurant Nove as from spring 2022
Nowadays, foreign travelers head to the Ligurian hotspots as the Cinque…

Staying & dining in style at Relais San Maurizio in Piedmont/Italy
Luxury hotel near Alba with Michelin star restaurant & great facilities amidst vineyards:
I have hardly ever experienced a hotel with such a beautiful location! Hotel Relais San Maurizio Piedmont is set on a hill near Alba in one of Italy's…

Staying & dining in style at Villa Crespi on Lake Orta/Italy
Historic rooms at boutique luxury hotel & two-star Michelin restaurant in Italy's Lake District:
UPDATE: Villa Crespi Restaurant received its third Michelin star in November 2022!
Hotel Villa Crespi truly is an eye-catcher! Its Moorish…

Northern Italy & southern France in style, a 11-day road trip itinerary
Luxury hotels, Michelin dining & things to do along the route:
Finally, my husband and managed to do a longer trip abroad - after a forced break due to Corona of more than one and a half year. We did not venture far, to neighboring Italy…

A weekend at the gourmet Hotel Mammertsberg in the Lake Constance area, Switzerland
A luxury boutique hotel with Michelin starred cuisine & lake view near Saint Gallen:
UPDATE: new management as from fall 2022 (boutique collection by Andreas Caminada, 2-star Michelin chef Silvio Germann)
Only recently I came across…

A short stay at the ultra-luxury The Chedi Hotel in Andermatt, Switzerland
Pure luxe at the one-of-a-kind The Chedi Andermatt in an unglamorous Alpine village:
The news about The Chedi Andermatt Hotel coming to a fairly untouched village in the Swiss Alps was as a total surprise! Without exaggeration, almost everyone…

5-star Hotel Castello del Sole, an oasis of calm in Ascona, Switzerland
A 140-hectare property with private beach in Switzerland's Mediterranean like south:
If I had to make a list of my favorite luxury hotels in Switzerland, then Castello del Sole Ascona in the canton of Ticino would rank in the top positions!…