A European Sojourn
Last may, Fiona spent time in Europe to reconnect, refresh and reinvigorate. Commencing with a brilliant familiarisation trip to Paris, London and Dublin, and ending with catch ups in Spain and Rome, Fiona shares some of her favourite experiences during her time away.
I began my European adventure with a wonderful group of women from Australia in Paris, and we were absolutely spoilt! Our stay at Grand Hotel du Palais Royal was divine, and our expertly organised Parisian experiences by Deluxe France, with Marco Angelino, gave us brilliant insights into the French capital.
We had an absolute ball! From a motorbike tour of Paris, to a boat trip along the Seine, as well as seeing the best of Parisian small luxury hotels. We were also treated to a delicious dinner hosted at the Grand Powers- a true taste of all the wonderful things the City of Love has to offer.
We all jumped on the Eurostar to London (so easy from Paris!), where we had a wonderful stay at The Marylebone. Marylebone is such a great area, surrounded by fabulous shops and restaurants!
We were then spoilt with a visit to the Victoria and Albert Museum to see the Cartier Exhibition, followed by a lovely walk to The Kensington for a sumptuous English afternoon tea hosted by the team and CCO of the Doyle Collection, Katherine Gordon. To wrap up our London adventures, we enjoyed a brunch hosted at The Dalloway Terrace, The Bloomsbury surrounded by gorgeous spring flowers before heading to the theatre right next door!
Departing London, we flew to Dublin- the home of The Doyle Collection. Here, we stayed at the flagship luxury hotel for The Doyle Collection, The Westbury. We enjoyed many a Guinness, and saw all the wonderful things the Irish capital has to offer.
The first day, we walked down the iconic Grafton Street to visit the amazing Trinity College. The following day, we jumped into two fantastic jeeps that took us on an adventure to the magnificent countryside at Glendalough and surrounding areas. We worked on our aim with some axe throwing, followed by a stop with champagne, or, naturally, a Guinness!
On to Spain- what fun! I was delighted to have The Real Thing organise a wonderful trip for us from Madrid to Barcelona with stops in San Sebastian and Bilbao. A highlight was to enjoy some time with the wonderful owners of The Real Thing, Marta Munoz Recarte, who lives in Madrid, and Gloria Pou, who is based in Barcelona.
In Rome, I was thrilled to catch up with Rosa Visocchi, of Singer Palace Hotel, Rob Potter-Sanders of Masseria Trapana, and brother and sister team, Salvatore and Marilena Barberi, of Italy with Class at the brilliant rooftop restaurant at Singer Palace Hotel, overlooking Rome. Such a lovely opportunity to connect with everyone!
Finally, our visit to Palermo and Pompeii in Italy with a personal guide to share these unique destinations. A brilliant way to explore the traditions, culture and history of Italy!
