A very sunny Christmas
Christmas drinks by the pool
Sure, for most people this holiday season is associated with snow, winter tires and the occasional frostbite that turns your ears purple red. Coming from Sweden and Russia, we have been there, done that. Dragging the Christmas tree while trying to balance on the slippery pavement making pirouettes that even Baryshnikov would be impressed with. Freezing one’s butt off, installing the Christmas lights on the house. Trying to de-frost the car lock with matches that are falling out of the already frozen hands. Hell, absolute hell!
Well, this year we said: no more five pairs of socks and six sweaters, no more boots and furry hats! We want hardcore warmth, sun caressing our backs while lying by the pool sipping on a tropical drink with real tropical fruits in it. We want our clothing options along the following lines: today to be a t-shirt or not to be. Cold weather is out. Basta! Palm trees and little umbrellas in our cocktails are in!
So, how did we celebrate Christmas this year? We ended up sitting on a terrace at the Salobre Golf Clubhouse in Gran Canaria, drinking Champagne and watching the sunset. Wearing t-shirts and big smiles, chatting away, happy as two clams. Sounds boring? Maybe, but sure beats trying to get the heater on in -30 degrees weather.
Blogger’s ode to Christmas
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When the snow outside the window falls,
Santa’s little helper eats his last meatballs.
Washing it down with one Coke Light,
this was one hell of a X-mas night.
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– But our blog makes the world go bright,
and miracles do happen on Christmas night.
So if you want to be Santa’s favorite man,
read Samandthedunes as much as you can!
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– Now what is the sense of this rhyming joke,
when all I want is a regular Coke!
– But if you want X-mas to give you the most,
don’t forget to read every single blog-post!
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-Oh, how low can you bloggers sink,
when I want to rest with my little drink.
A few drops of whiskey and a splash of lime,
please stop bothering me with your stupid rhyme.
Christmas going up in smoke?
Last year we celebrated Christmas in Agadir feasting on oysters and champagne in the Sofitel Hotel. This year we are in a bit of a dilemma: obviously, we are in Gran Canaria (hey, a 40 minute flight, how can we say no) but suddenly we realized we have no clue where to go.
Alex suggests: SushiMex restaurant (yes, it does sound funny but they serve some awesome dumplings and Alex, coming from Russia, can’t get enough). Then off to listen to some cover oldies at a bar next door that he likes and a clientele he feels kindred with, bottom line, his age group or a bit older. Hanna is not really thrilled – seeing Alex and several dozen half-drunk guys trying to re-live their youth shouting along to “Smoke on the Water” is not her idea of a perfect Christmas.
Hanna suggests: get the corkscrew out early, pop the champagne, lounge at the pool, eat a late lunch at Golf Salobre and then get comfortable in our villa and listen to some Christmas music (Hanna REALLY likes that stuff, no joke). After a few annoying melodies, Alex is promised a short visit to a bar (Boy, that of course will happen, won’t it? Alex is not betting his wine cellar). Not to mention the bar suggested does not offer live rock ‘n’ roll music.
So, what are we going to do? Stay tuned and you will find out all the gory details in our next posting.
PS. we forgot to mention that Sam opted for a separate vacation this year; he is currently being pampered by friends, fed home-made cooking and taken on long walks. He doesn’t call or send any e-mails. That son of a bitch!
Alex, this is cozy, isn’t it?
It’s the most wonderful time of the year…
For Sam and the dunes, 2012 was an eventful year. We roamed around the mountains of Gran Canaria; looked for the Man in the Iron Mask in Cannes; researched all museums that exist in Geneva (don’t ask); dined like royalty in Monte Carlo; sweated buckets in Rome and danced the night away in Marrakech.
What else happened? Well, Alex turned 50 (ouch! stop hitting me, Alex!) and that was a big event, of course, while Hanna started blogging for National Geographic Traveler (we are still pinching our arms) and it seems she’s going for the “Blurriest Picture of the Year Award” (keeping our fingers crossed).
Our beloved pooch, Sam (the brains behind the blog) continued to give thoughtful instructions that were followed to the letter.
Now, we plan to get sloshed on glogg and stuff ourselves with various christmas cakes, gain a few kilos, and make the obligatory new year’s resolution: lose weight.
As we stumble along to the bar, we wish you all:
Le Meridien – tradition meets modernity
Le Meridien Hotel in Vienna
From outside, Le Meridien Hotel in Vienna radiates old-fashioned luxury, along the lines of many other buildings in this city. But once you go inside, you’ll see something completely different.
Le Meridien is ultra-modern and its fashionable design starts in the lobby and continues all the way up to the room. We can guarantee that your stay here will be a completely new experience. Just take a look at the bathroom – it’s an avant-garde masterpiece!
Elevators
After a long day strolling around various Christmas markets, the fitness center at Le Meridien will definitely get you into the right mood. Unwind in the beautiful SPA, have a nice sauna or why not go for a hot steam bath before getting ready for dinner.
The SPA
The restaurant and bar are exquisitely decorated and offer some fun fare (we remember that the horseradish ice cream was a killer).
Location is as perfect as Bristol Hotel (which we reviewed earlier), just across the street from the Vienna Opera and next door to plenty of sights.
“Luxury has a soul” – should we say more?
Junior Suite
All photos are courtesy of Le Meridien Hotel in Vienna.
Hotel de Crillon – number one in Paris?
Hotel de Crillon, Paris
Hotel de Crillon, located next door to the U.S. Embassy and a stone’s throw away from Champs Elysées, is considered one of the best hotels in the city. Maybe even THE best? Well, the jury is still out, we would say it’s probably between Hotel de Crillon and Hotel George V.
Individual service is one of the main selling points of this hotel. When you arrive, you are seated while doing your check-in (keyword “seated”, you don’t stand in a queue at the reception desk). Makes you feel very comfortable after a long trip.
The standard rooms are smallish but nicely decorated in a baroque style. At your disposal there are several restaurants (the stylish restaurant Les Ambassadeurs and L’Obé, which is more relaxed) where you will encounter some of the best French cuisine. After your meal, you may want to enjoy a late digestive at the piano bar – it is renowned as a major meeting point in Paris among the powerful and famous.
The hotel was built in 1758 and has seen history in the making for over two centuries. During the past decade, it has changed owners several times and, according to the French media, the hotel was bought in 2010 by a member of the Saudi Arabian royal family.
Although it is in excellent shape, a few bits and pieces do look border-line shabby and when we asked the staff about it, we were told that the new owner plans to close it down in 2013 for a major refurbishment.
One can only imagine how Hotel de Crillon will look after it had been thoroughly polished through. Then it just might beat George V.
Enjoying a Belgian Beer at Newark Airport
I (Alex) ended up in early December flying from the US back to the desert from Newark Airport in New Jersey. After passing through all the formalities, I noticed a new addition to the traditional eateries one usually finds in all US airports: the Belgian Beer Café. Yep, that’s what it is called. And on top of everything, this happened to be their opening night. I couldn’t pass such an opportunity and decided to check the place out.
On initial inspection, I was completely flabbergasted since I have never seen a selection of Belgian beers like this one outside of Brussels before. They had it all: Ambers, Dupples, Trappist and Abbey beers, even (unheard off!) Fruit Lambics. A beer lovers paradise in an Airport? These guys must be joking? Well, apparently they weren’t.
The owner, Jeffrey Daunt (Senior Operations Director for HMS Host), explained that since Newark was an international airport they felt that there was a niche to fill by offering high-end Belgian beers. I wondered where they find such a variety of beers. “Not easy, we have to buy from five distributors to fill the bar, but we hope that our customers will enjoy a beer or two before they fly.” Sure as hell, I did, a few to be exact (they had some excellent food as well).
If you are ever in Newark Airport and love beer as much as the other guy, don’t miss the Belgian Beer Café (operates in several countries), you will be reminiscing about it – thousands of feet in the air.
Well, one can’t blame Alex for not being creative when taking photos. Here he is apparently lying down horizo…(hey, wait a minute, was this picture taken AFTER trying out all the beers?)
Santa Terminator
Lussekatt buns for breakfast.
I woke up at seven this morning, still groggy witnessing Hanna entering the bedroom trying to balance a tray filled with buns, two cups of tea and candles. Sam was jumping around her legs, happy as…only Sam can be.
Yep, it’s the 13th of December and that day of the year when Swedes celebrate St. Lucy’s Day.
I have no clue what this whole thing is all about but don’t get me wrong, I do get a kick out of starting my morning having a Lussekatt bun washed down with some Earl Grey tea (a bit too early to hit the glogg).
Off course, we ended up singing “Santaaaaaa Luuuciiiaaaa…,” with Sam humming along (it is really annoying but I actually noticed that he does have a better voice than I do).
Anyway, this is our plan for the evening:
- Cook some glogg (mulled wine),
- Heat up some more of these fantastic Lussekatt buns,
- Cozy up on the coach,
- Watch the Terminator.
(Although Hanna hasn’t been fully briefed on point four yet).
“I’ll be back…for one of those Lussekatt buns”
Carlton Hotel Guldsmeden in Oslo – perfect for a weekend
Cozy but not much space to maneuver a big suitcase
The Carlton Hotel Guldsmeden in Oslo is an eco-friendly establishment that doesn’t fall under the category “luxury hotels”. However, we would still like to review it on our blog since we thought it offered amenities that made this hotel somewhat special. (I shouldn’t use the royal “we” since Alex unfortunately couldn’t join me. I also know that he would have insisted on staying in the Grand Hotel or something along those lines. You know him by now, right?)
Anyway, I ended up at The Carlton Hotel Guldsmeden for a couple of days in July when I was in Oslo doing some research for a travel story for the National Geographic Traveler. I was kind of in a hurry and I was desperate to find a hotel that could accept my fury friend (Sam). The Carlton Hotel Guldsmeden was the first hotel I found where dogs were allowed (that in itself is worth an extra star in my book).
The Carlton Hotel Guldsmeden is small, family-owned and quite centrally located on Parkveien 78. The rooms are nicely decorated in neutral earth tones, but, they are really small. Really, really small. This is definitely a weekend hotel so you should keep your luggage to a minimum (there is no closet, only a coat hanger). But the fact that the room was tiny didn’t really bother me too much. Everything was clean, fresh and the service was super-friendly and that is more important than anything else.
The breakfast room had a warm and cozy atmosphere and the buffet offered a wide range of mainly locally produced, organic food. Natural yogurt, cereals, wide selection of nuts, home-made jams… (I can go on forever). If I wasn’t in such a hurry, this is definitely the place to sit down with a warm cup of tea and chitchat with other hotel guests for hours.
If you are visiting Oslo for a weekend and are not dragging along a big suitcase (and you’re not planning to spend most of your time in the hotel room), I would definately recommend Carlton Hotel Guldsmeden.
Rating: 3/5
Meet Alex, Hanna and Sam - bloggers, world travelers and connoisseurs of better things in life. Tune in for latest updates, hotel and restaurant reviews and a few laughs along the way. 
Sam and the dunes 