All posts tagged: Beach

Getting about Mallorca

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I’m very happy to arrive in Alaró, the third stop on my trip. Once again I’m in the Tramuntana mountains. I instantly take to this pretty little village and I adore the central position my apartment has, right in the middle of the village by the market square. I have a small balcony overlooking it, and I at the back I have a terrace overlooking the village, the mountains and one lonely palm tree.  I like that I only have to cross the square to buy fresh bread at the bakery in the morning. And also to have good restaurants on my very doorstep. But the best part here is that I have a sneak peak at village life from my vantage point on the balcony, without being noticed. The restaurants are frequented by locals and occasional visitors, not the other way around. I’m happy to see that there is a very active local scene here, just like in Esporles, after my brief visit on the southeast cost where tourists seem to dominate the scene. Though I’m sure there are still some nice unspoilt places there too for me to …

Road trip in Mallorca

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I love Mallorca and I decide to explore more of the island than I have done previously. Said and done I plan a route that take me to different areas, from small authentic villages in the mountains to popular costal areas where the tourist flock. I plan to stay in private homes as I always do. I book a flight, a car and set out in the height of the summer.  My first stop is in Esporles, a small but beautiful old village with honey coloured houses nestled in the Tramuntana mountains. Here I have my own room at the top of an old town house and I have a private roof terrace with this amazing view. In the morning the locals meet and chat outside the local shop. This shop hasn’t got any signs or displays outside, so arriving the previous evening there was no trace whatsoever that there is a shop here. It looked like an ordinary house like all the others. No garish signs are in your face when you enter either. Just …

Uruguay

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I arrive in Uruguay when the summer is starting to build up. After months of living in large cities I’m longing for the sea, beaches and nature big time. So I swiftly sidestep Montevideo when I arrive there with a ferry from Buenos Aires, and head to the bus station. The long-distance bus is packed to the rafters, but everyone is good-natured about it and in holiday mode. My destination is La Pedrera Rocha. Or more precisely, to the small settlement of San Antonio. Here I meet a vast and pristine beach with not a soul in sight, pine and eucalyptus forests and the lovely home of David and his beautiful daughters. They live in a big house that David purpose-built himself as a family home but also as a guesthouse or a posada as it’s called here. This hidden away and very private retreat is only reached by a dirt track through the forest. The house is nestled in the forest and the beach is only a short walk away. It’s made of simple but honest materials, wood …

Cape Town VII –Cool & colourful Bo Kaap

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My final week I moved to Bo Kaap that has it’s own flavour and feel. It’s known for it’s brightly coloured houses situated at the foot of Signal Hill. Many of the residents are descendants of slaves from Malaysia, Indonesia and other African country that were imported to the Cape of Good Hope by the Dutch during the 16th and 17th centuries. The slaves were known as Cape Malays, and Bo Kaap is known as The Cape Malay Quarter. It’s the home of the Cape’s Muslim community and have several mosques here. First I stayed with fashion designer Olivia with her own brand Lalesso and her husband Wesley, a confirmed surfer, production manager for photo shoots and film production, and now co-owner of the new barista company Frothing. They have a lovely house in Bo Kaap and I spent a coupe of days in their home, with them and their Rhodesian Ridgeback Chesa. Olivia is from Kenya and Wes is from Cape Town. Here is Wes with his barista truck stationed at the corner of Buitensingle and …