Sleeping bags

You guys made camping sound like so much fun (bonfires! ghost stories! air mattresses!) that I couldn't help looking up a few cute sleeping bags, just in case.

P.S. This one is nuts.

Let the warm air of MEXICO melt your blues away (20 photos)

1

Tulum, Mexico

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‘Aqua Splash,’ Mexico, Puerto Vallarta

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The Mayan Cenotes of Yucatan Peninsula, Mexico

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La Quebrada Stairway, Acapulco, Mexico

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Esquites: Mayo, lime, chili powder and cheese

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Yucatan Peninsula, Mexico

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Hidden beach located off the coast of Puerto Vallarta, Mexico

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Ocho Cascadas Puerto Vallarta, Jalisco, Mexico

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Agua Azul Waterfalls, Chiapas, Mexico

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Zihuatanejo, M xico

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Oaxaca City, Mexico

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Cenote Samula, Dzitnup, Yucatan, Mexico

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Tulum, Mexico

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Cozumel

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Lover's Beach, Playa del Amor, Cabo San Lucas, Mexico

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Acapulco, Mexico

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Casa Lecanda, Merida, Mexico

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Xcaret, Cancun, Mexico

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Category: Beautiful, Travel

Back from England

Hi, my darlings! We got back from England last night, after a wonderful, dreamy, windy, sunshiny week visiting our relatives in Cornwall. I keep gazing at this photo, which my cousin took while we were on a boat to the beach. I wish I could beam myself right back there. :) How was your week?

P.S. My own work/baby juggle post is coming up today. Thanks to the amazing mothers last week, and love to you all! xo

(Comic by Dagsson)

Beachy day

Toby and I are playing hooky for the rest of the week and heading to Fire Island with these guys. We're excited to nap on the beach and maybe grill some burgers. I have more posts coming up, if you're in a blog reading mood. :) xoxo P.S. Have you ever been to Fire Island?

City shower curtains

How fabulous are these shower curtains? Above are Paris, Venice, the Brooklyn Bridge and London. What a way to start the day!

P.S. Another cool one.

Vacation photos: Austin

We got back from Austin last night, and we loved the trip. Austin is such a rad town, full of swimming, tattoos and rib-sticking BBQ. Here are a few photos, if you'd like to see...
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Which of these romantic trips would you take?

Just for fun, let's talk about fantasy vacations! Which of these four romantic getaways would you choose, if you could hop on a plane tonight? Above is San Francisco, where you could take a sail underneath the Golden Gate Bridge, hike along the coast and wear lace briefs to bed.

Or you could whisk away to Paris and spend the day strolling down the cobblestone streets and the evening drinking ros wine along the Seine. At night, you could head to one of these beautiful apartments and slip into a sexy black chemise.

You could fly to the gorgeous seaside village of Positano (we actually went here on our honeymoon!), and swim in the Mediterranean, eat fresh fish with lemon and wear a white robe by the pool.

Or you could venture to Kenya's Giraffe Manor, with 1930's decor and friendly giraffes who will peek into your bedroom window! You could wear a boyfriend sleepshirt to stay cozy in the cool evenings.

Which suits your personality best? Happy update: Eberjey is offering 20% off with the code CUPOFJO through this Sunday.

Credits below...
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Los Angeles: Mini guide

Last fall, I wrote our personal Guide to NYC. But a few readers have also asked about our thoughts about LA, where we go every Christmas to visit Alex's family. We LOVE LA--and the sunny skies, taco trucks and dudes on skateboards. So, even though we're far from experts, I figured I'd share our favorite places in the city, and most of all I'd love to hear yours...
Read More >

Motherhood Mondays: Doo-wop group

Toby and I were on our way to the playground on Saturday, when we passed this AMAZING doo-wop group. Toby was transfixed! It was one of those awesome New York experiences. They play every Saturday (except when it rains) on Bleecker Street right outside Murray's Cheese. Man, those voices.

Hope you had a wonderful weekend! xoxo

How to Dress for Comfort and Style at the Airport, Courtesy of Lady Gaga

Don't judge a woman until you've gone through airport security in her shoes.

The post How to Dress for Comfort and Style at the Airport, Courtesy of Lady Gaga appeared first on theFashionSpot.

Things to Do Today – Parks and Wilderness

Parks and Wilderness Areas

Get on your hiking boots and have a wander through some of the most lovely wilderness areas in northern Europe.

Wilderness around Lake Maggiore

Around and above the Lake there is a wide variety of wilderness areas, natural Parks and spectacular mountain reserves.
Val Grande: once inhabited solely by shepherds, today represents one of the most wild and uncontaminated areas in Italy;

View from Strette del Cas looking over Val Cavr and Corni di Nibbio

http://www.in-valgrande.it

Park Alpe Veglia and Alpe Devero: in the Ossola mountains, between 1700 and 3500 metres, offer spectacular views of majestic mountains, green pastures, and typical mountain lakes.

Alpe Veglia Nature Reserve

http://www.parks.it/indice/PR/index.php?reg=1

Park of the Valle del Ticino an effluent of Lake Maggiore, the Park is the natural habitat of a wide range of birds, reptiles and flora;

Covered Boardwalk through Ticino Nature Reserve

http://www.parks.it/parco.ticino.piemontese/gallery.php?categoria=&page=1

Lake Maggiore Park Authorities oversees four protected areas: Lagoni of Mercurago 470 hectars of morenic hilly countryside with mixed woodland, ponds and swamps and some important archeological remains; Fondo Toce Nature Reserve, 360 hectars with an important reed bed, and swathes of riverside vegetation; the Nature Reserve of Dormelletto, 157 hectars of reed beds sheltering a wide range of fauna; Nature Reserve of Bosco Solivo, 340 hectars in Borgo Ticino, surrounding the Motto Solivo hill.

http://www.parchilagomaggiore.it

Parco dei Lagoni in Oleggio Castello has an interesting selection of aquatic flora as well as remains from the Neolithic period testifying to the existence of a civilization from the 5th century B.C..

Dormello This moraine range dominating the lake gave shelter to a small village called Dormello, now disappeared, whose name originally indicated its present-day chief town, Dormelletto. While downhill, near the 18th century church of Madonna della Motta, only a 1st century AD Roman altarpiece was found, in Dormallo Superiore there is a greater presence of Roman artifacts: another altarpiece, Roman brickwork later used on the walls of "Madonna della Fontana", and a bronze spoon lost in the plain towards the Lagoni Park. Thanks to the "Fountain" the place was considered sacred in pre-Christian times. The wallbuilt altarpiece might refer to such worshipping.

Mini Tour Dormello Lagoni Nature Reserve

Fondotoce Reserve: at the mouth of the river Toce, it is characterised by the lake dwellings extending through swamps and cane thickets, a habitat for unusual species of aquatic fauna in a thick and varied flora. Over 130 species of birds choose this area to set their nests and reproduce;

Fondo Toce Reed Beds (foto Oreste Pastore)

Bosco Tenso Oasis: 22 hectares on the banks of the Toce river at Premosello Chiovenda, a protected area where nature offers a variety of bush plants where birds, foxes, squirrels and deer live.The area, which is a WWF environmental oasis, extends for approximately 23 hectares and is populated mainly by oak, hornbeam, ash, lime and enormous sessile oak trees growing alongside spindle tree bushes, hawthorn, honeysuckle and elder tree. The flora that grows alongside the river is also noteworthy.

Bosco Tenso - foto Oreste Pastore

Tagged: Castello Dal Pozzo, Garden, Lake Maggiore, leisure, Piedmont, Travel, Trekking

Things to See Today – Baveno and its Villas

Baveno and its villas

The enchanting little lakeside town of Baveno, next to Stresa, is of Roman origin, and is famous for its mineral water springs and its quarries of pink granite, and as a holiday resort.

The fine lakefront promenade offers a superb view of the Borromean Islands, which can be reached by boats leaving from Baveno harbour. The architectural attractions of the town include the Parish Church of Santi Gervasio and Protasio and the Baptistery, which stand in a broad square accessed from Via Monte Grappa.

Since the mid-19th century many internationally famous personalities have stayed in Baveno, usually as guests in the opulent villas lining the shores of the lake.

Villa Henfrey Branca

Villa Henfrey-Branca. Built between 1870 and 1872 to plans by the English engineer Charles Henfrey, Villa Henfrey-Branca is one of the most original buildings on Lake Maggiore, and was inspired by English castle architecture. Its exposed red brick, its turrets and spires, marble terraces and magnificent English-style garden give the house a fairytale appearance that attracts the attention of every one who strolls along the lakefront promenade. In the grounds there is also a pretty little Protestant church and a small castle built in 1882-1883 along the lines of the castle of Vogogna. Of the many eminent people who stayed here over the years, the most notable must be Queen Victoria of Great Britain, who came with her daughter Beatrice in 1879. Today the descendents of the royal families of Europe still visit the Branca family, who acquired the property after the death of Charles Henfrey.

Villa Fedora

Villa Fedora. Standing in extensive grounds which separate it from the lake, away from the town centre, Villa Fedora is a severely elegant residence built in the first half of the 19th century; today it houses the Chamber of Commerce of the Verbano Cusio Ossola. It takes its name from the celebrated opera by the composer Umberto Giordano, who lived here for twenty years (1904-1924). The Umberto Giordano Festival of classical music, held in Baveno every July, was the brainchild of the maestro.

Villa Barberis

Villa Barberis. Built in the early years of the 20th century, Villa Barberis stands out not only because of its dazzling white colour but also because of the exotic appearance of its original design. It was built by the wish of Alberto Barberis, a cosmopolitan traveller from Vercelli who lived for many years in the East. In fact, the style of his villa recalls the exotic atmosphere of the Thousand and One Nights, typified especially by the minaret in the garden, which also contains specimens of tropical plants. There are many interesting decorative features such as the high relief depictions of the Dome of San Gaudenzio Church in Novara and the bell tower of Sant'Andrea in Vercelli on the curved tympanum, or the pictures of still-lifes and landscapes which Barberis himself painted on the walls of the top floor six-arched loggia.

Villa Durazzo - Lido Palace Hotel

Villa Durazzo (Lido Palace Hotel). An impressive late 19th century mansion, Villa Durazzo was built by the Marquis Durazzo of Genoa on a prime site on the shore, right opposite the Borromean Gulf. Later on the Mayor of Baveno Gerolamo Rossi made the villa into a luxury Belle poque hotel which was to welcome a number of famous guests, such as Sir Winston Churchill, who came here on his honeymoon in 1908 and on other occasions.

Villa Brandolini d'Adda. Built in the 16th century over a former convent, the villa displays a number of fine architectural and decorative features. The garden is the only one of its kind in the world, being divided into four parts: Italian, English, French and Japanese.

Also worth a mention are Villa Carosio, designed by the famous Art Nouveau architect Giuseppe Sommaruga, Villa Claudia, where the celebrated playwright Luigi Illica stayed, and Villa Provana di Collegno-Galtrucco, the scene of numerous meetings of major figures in the political history of Piedmont in the later 19th century.

HOW TO GET THERE
By car: from the A26 exit at Baveno.
FURTHER DETAILS
Ufficio turistico di Baveno
Tel.+ 39 0323 924632
turismo.baveno@reteunitaria.piemonte.vb.it
www.comune.baveno.vb.it

GALLERY

The 2012 Travel Calendar – Part 1

The 2012 travel calendar

Every destination has its best time of year. So, to help you plan your trip, Lonely Planet's Tom Hall has put together a calendar of countries best seen in 2012

So cool: September in Iceland. Photograph: Alamy

January: Georgia

Winter sports fans and city breakers looking for somewhere new should try Georgia. The country is attracting a growing number of independent travellers who are exploring mountains dotted with historic castles and churches, beautiful towns such as Svaneti and Kazbegi, and the Europe-meets-Asia capital Tbilisi. It won't be warm in January but skiers won't mind: the country's main resort, Gudaur, is a good bet for reliable snow and can be reached by road from the capital in two to three hours.
bmi (flybmi.com) flies from Heathrow to Tbilisi with returns from 364 including taxes

February: Oman

This year looks set to be a great one for Oman, the fastest-growing destination in the Middle East, according to several tour operators. The beach resorts of the Musandam Peninsula are an increasingly popular combination with Dubai, while Muscat's star as an alternative Arabian city destination is rising.
Abercrombie & Kent (abercrombiekent.co.uk) has a seven-night Classic Oman itinerary costing around 2,395 per person

March: Panama

Panama City's old town is one of Central America's finest historic areas. Photograph: Alamy

Central America's star turn over the past few years has been Costa Rica, but Panama has all the qualities to rival it. The country boasts brilliant beaches, the world's most famous canal and unspoilt rainforest. Best of all, the continuing renovation of Casco Viejo, Panama City's old town, is boosting the profile of one of the region's finest historic areas.
Journey Latin America's 12-day Panama trip starts at 2,470 per person (journeylatinamerica.co.uk)

April: Titanic tours

The centenary of the sinking of the Titanic is big news for cruise operators capitalising on interest in the doomed liner. While there are cruises recreating the exact voyage (but with a happier ending), there are other Titanic-themed voyages taking place to coincide with the anniversary in April. Landlubbers can overdose on Titanic heritage in Belfast, the city where it was built, and Southampton, from where it set sail.
Cruise & Maritime Voyages (cruiseandmaritime.com) has a seven-night "British Maritime Heritage" cruise, departing on 10 April from Tilbury and visiting Cherbourg, Cobh, Belfast and Liverpool. Prices from 499pp

May: France

The birthdates of saints aren't normally a good reason for a holiday, but following Joan of Arc around France, 600 years on from her arrival into the world, is just that. Joan blazed a trail across France from her birthplace in Domr my-la-Pucelle to Rouen, where she was burnt at the stake aged 19. Orl ans, the site of her most famous victory, stages a week-long series of festivities in her honour (orleans.fr/fetes-de-jeanne-darc-2011/).
The January 2012 edition of France magazine ( 3.99; francemag.com) has a guide to Joan's France written by Sophie Jackson

June: Germany

Germany remains Europe's most underrated destination, and its cities are at their best in the early summer sunshine. Art fans should head to Nuremberg for the Early D rer exhibition (der-fruehe-duerer.gnm.de), the largest collection of works by the German Renaissance artist for 40 years. You can even bring the kids back a Playmobil model of D rer.
Kirker Holidays (kirkerholidays.com) offers a four-night escorted trip to Nuremberg to see the exhibition, including a visit to D rer's house and a guided city tour, from 998pp

Article taken from The Observer, Sunday 1 January 2012 written by Tom Hall

Tagged: Castello Dal Pozzo, Hotel, Italy, Things to do, Things to see, Travel