Provence with the Girls - Le Mas de l'Île

Our Provençal home away from home was the Le Mas de l'Île bed and breakfast. It’s located on the lovely la Barthelasse island just minutes from Avignon.  It was absolute heaven. After 6 days of being completely spoiled in this gorgeous setting, none of us wanted to leave.

We all stayed together in the Poppies suite with two rooms that slept the four of us very comfortably. You would think four women sharing a bathroom might be a challenge. But, we coordinated everything with great ease. The room was air conditioned and had free wifi. There was a courtesy tray in our room and we also had access to a communal kitchen.

 

Our room was on the ground floor and opened up to both the front of the house and the back.The grounds are lovely with several shady areas to sit. Although my favourite spot was perched on a big boulder with my face to the sun. There is a pool with plenty of lawn chairs, unfortunately it was out of commission while we were there.

The highlight was breakfast each morning served in the arbor. It was like eating in a cozy, green nest. We would gather excitedly each morning, well-rested and ready for the day. Over coffee, tea, baguettes, pain au chocolat, granola, homemade yogurt (yes, homemade), fresh fruit, honey, and homemade jams, we would talk about the day before and plan for the day ahead. Each day there was a special dish served, lovingly made by our hostess, Valérie. One day it was muffins, the next a sweet loaf. My favourite was the French toast pain perdu sprinkled with powdered sugar. It was absolute perfection and none of us wanted it to end. To be with my sweet friends, sun shining in gorgeous Provence, enjoying this gorgeous spread was something I’ll always cherish.

I can’t say enough about our hosts, Valérie and Laurent. They are the reason this B&B has a five star rating on Tripadvisor. It felt like we were just guests in their home. They were full of information about the area, always offering tips and suggestions, or even a ride to the station. They insisted that we didn’t need a taxi.

Our stay at Le Mas de l'Île was absolutely delightful. I think someday all four of us will make our way back to this beautiful home away from home. I realize there is ridiculous amount of gushing in my posts about our Provence trip, but it was just that good.

Where was the best breakfast you've experienced on your recent travels?

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Date Night at Thistle Marble Arch

You've gotta love a good date night, right?

Any excuse to get a new dress and new shoes,

get all dolled up and excited for the night to begin.
I'll never get too old for that.

Matt and I had The Best Date Night Ever a few weeks ago.
He scored an invite to one of London’s biggest social events,

the Serpentine Gallery’s Summer Party.

For one night and one night only, we got to rub shoulders with the fabulous and famous.
I was trying so hard to be calm, but I might have squealed once.  Okay, twice.

There was plenty of paparazzi but no one else had their cell phones out,
so I didn’t dare take many Instagram photos.  But, oh, how I wanted to.

Mark Ruffalo, Keira Knightley, Cara Delevinge.
Apparently, Orlando Bloom was wandering around, but I couldn’t find him.
And I tried, believe me, I tried.

Matt made me promise that I wouldn’t go up and lick Bradley Cooper.  As. If. 
Actually, I was tempted, but I managed to play it cool.
(Well, as cool as this middle-aged hot mess from Texas can.)

Oh, and the princesses.   Beatrice and Eugenie were there.
Beatrice looked especially lovely, just like a princess should look.
A gorgeous white, organza dress and lilac heels. Absolutely gorgeous.
I didn't curtsy, but I might have pointed.  Accidentally.  With my pinky finger, but still.
How I didn't get escorted out of there, I'll never know.

It was pretty surreal and an absolute blast.
Standing three feet from people that you only read about in People magazine was crazy.
We both felt just a tad bit out of place.  I don’t think I could live in that world,
but it was sure fun to pretend for the night.

After a late night stop at the famous Bouji’s nightclub
(really a good thing I took the next morning off),
we certainly didn’t want to go all the way home.
Luckily, we were staying local that night.

In true celebrity fashion, we stayed at a fancy hotel in the heart of London,
the Thistle Marble Arch.

 The party was on a work day so I skived off early and took my overnight bag
over to Oxford Street to check into the Thistle Marble Arch Hotel.
It’s just at the corner of Oxford Street, Hyde Park and Marble Arch,
two minutes from the tube station.  The perfect location in the heart of London.

The four-star hotel is grand and gorgeous.
I checked in smoothly and headed up to our room for the night.
Traveling around Europe, you get used to tiny rooms, but this one was massive.

  Air conditioning and free wifi, of course, not to mention a fancy coffee machine.
We were in an Executive King room. I was greeted with a basket of fruit and a bottle of wine.
A lovely welcome to the hotel which was a very nice touch for a special date night.

 I quickly dug into the fresh pineapple but left the red wine for Matt. 
The room was massive with a fluffy, white bed and a seating area.
All the terrific extra stuff, a tea and coffee tray, iron and ironing board, hairdryer, toiletries,
even a comfy white robe and slippers.  

  
 Not to mention, a mirror with a plug right next to it which I was most thrilled about.
I can’t tell you how many times I’ve had to straighten my hair and the nearest mirror
was on the other side of the room. Hotel pet peeve of mine.

I planned to slip into that robe as I prepped for our date,
but first I was eager to go for an explore. 
 I was particularly interested in checking out the complimentary lounge
that is available when you book an executive room.

 With my special swipe card in hand, I made my way to the lounge.
Wine, beer, champagne, drinks and snacks.  Yes, please.  

Even a special concierge in case we needed any assistance with our London plans. 
It would have been rude not to sit down and have some nibbles and a glass of wine.

Obviously I had to text a photo to Matt who was not yet off work.
Just a little encouragement that we needed to get this date night started. 

I spent a bit more time exploring and taking photos of the hotel,
before sitting down in the Marmor Grill.
 I figured it would be prudent to eat something before a night of champagne and cocktails.
 

 
I made a mental note to return to try out their afternoon tea. 
They had the sweetest tables set up.  I love the tea service.

Matt appeared shortly, spurred on by my text and we enjoyed a light dinner.
Then back to the room to prepare for the big night out.

Matt was done quickly so I sent him off to the lounge while I finished getting ready. 

I love the blue dress that I got, such a great color.
Love my shoes, same cobalt blue on the strap and 
just a touch of leopard print for a bit of sass.
You can take the girl out of Texas...

 A gin & tonic at the Glenn Miller Bar before the doorman hailed us a cab
and we were on our way for date night!

Then this happened.

Sing it with me...

 

Maybe we’ll get to do it again next year.  

And this time, I'm not making any promises.

 Fair warning, Bradley Cooper. 

What makes the perfect date night for you and your love?


 

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Our accommodation at Thistle Marble Arch was complimentary for the purposes of review.  All photos, writing and opinions are my own.   
As always, I promise to be open, honest and transparent with my readers. 
If you have any questions, please don't hesitate to ask.  

Pink wine and estrogen

Last week I told you about our sweet little island in Provence.

Today I'll tell you about the town just across the river, Avignon.

And the beautiful girly travel moment that Avignon gifted me with.

I've mentioned that Avignon was once the papal seat 

and I'll post some more photos of our visit to the palace.

But the Avignon of today is simply gorgeous.

You can tell she is well loved.  I've never seen a city more clean and tidy.

You could seriously eat off of the streets. 

It's cleaner than my kitchen, which I probably shouldn't admit.

I have to be careful when I gush about this trip.

"Ohmagawd! Best trip ever! Such fun!"

Matt just looks at me like "Seriously?"

Then I have to clarify that I mean best trip ever... without him.

But, it really was close to perfect.  These ladies are just the bomdiggity.

They've each nestled themselves a place deep in my heart.

It was so easy.  We planned one big thing each day and just got on with it.  No drama.

It was all about the rosé and enjoying each other's company.

And the food.  Six days worth of wonderful meals together.

Every once in a while, one of us would close our eyes and sigh with contentment.

Which would set off a contagion of sweet sighs of happiness with our faces lifted up to the sun.

We quickly fell into a rosé rhythm.

We would order a bottle with four glasses, all in complete agreement.

Funnily, it worked out that each day we had one more bottle than the day before.

We were certainly relaxing into holiday mode.  

One evening we sat near the carousel.  People watching heaven, Avignon.

Two women walked by arm in arm.  Two ends of a gorgeous feminine spectrum.

One older and slower, but so stylish.  Slow steps and sparkling eyes.

Supported gently by a tall, young woman bending to pay close attention

to words of wisdom or maybe even a scandalous story.

Sensible shoes and dangerous heels.  A tidy cardigan and smooth cleavage.

Cautious steps and a swing of the hips.  Short white curls and long dark locks.

Completely enthralled with one another and oblivious to the world around them.

It was one of the most beautiful things I've ever seen and brought tears to my eyes.

They could have been the same person.  Just at different places in time.

Grandmother and granddaughter.

The present and the past.

Maybe I'm a little crazy.  Maybe is was the pink wine.

Maybe it was estrogen overload.  But, it was magic and I'll take it.

By the way, if you're ever in Avignon you must have dinner at Le Bouillon de Culture.

After being deeply offended by the chef at a foofy french restaurant (asshat!)

we walked out in a huff and luckily ended up at a much better place.

When we requested a taxi at the end of a fabulous meal,

they called nonsense and insisted on giving us a ride back to the hotel.

Now that's service.

Best. Trip. Ever. 

Call your girlfriends now and start planning a trip.

Estrogen + pink wine + Provence = magic

What are your requirements for the perfect girls getaway?

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