Blog Archives
Lasarte – a culinary gem in Barcelona
Lasarte restaurant is centrally located on C/Mallorca, 259
Lasarte restaurant in Barcelona is one of three 2-Michelin Star establishments in the city. It is located in hotel Condes and is the brain-child of re-known Basque Chef Martín Berasategui.
Lasarte is a very intimate restaurant, it caters to a sophisticated crowd that enjoys good food as much as it does privacy, hence the size – only 30 seats. We decided to come here for lunch and found the atmosphere extremely stiff – almost cold.
You can go for the tasting menu, several small dishes that take you on a gastronomic journey through the Basque region or, as we did, stick to à la carte.
It is not easy to recommend what to order in a Michelin star restaurant, everything is of course amazing. We opted for the fish dishes, tuna belly and roasted sole, and were very much impressed. The dessert menu is obviously another classic.
Restaurant Lasarte is one that you pencil into your calendar to celebrate a major occasion, like your uncle’s 90th birthday. It is not an everyday experience or a place to have a fun or relaxing time with friends. And maybe it shouldn’t be, it is a culinary event to wait for and when it arrives, to savor with pleasure.
Plan your Valentine’s Day escape!
Don’t know how to surprise your loved one on 14th February? Read Hanna’s latest story, just published by National Geographic Traveler and get some ideas.
Newman’s Rubicon – a globe trotting thriller
I (Alex) met Finn in the backyard bar of a good friend of mine.
We talked, we drank.
Finn recently finished his first book and was planning on writing a second one.
I told him about my blogging experiences.
Finn talked about flying helicopters in combat.
We seemed so alike…
He gave me a copy of his novel and I promised to read and review it for Sam and the dunes.
Well, here it is.
Meet Hank Newman, a wild and crazy guy with a knack for long-distance running and long-hour binge drinking. Like his creator, Hank (obviously an autobiographical character) is a former marine aviator who has seen some serious shit in his life.
After leaving the Corps, he travels between Thailand and the US and quickly he runs out of money. One day some weird character approaches him in the US and offers a serious amount of cash to deliver a memory stick to Bangkok.
Hank takes on the job and that is when the fun starts. Being a resourceful chap, Hank figures out pretty soon that this might end up being his last employment, if you know what I mean. So, to stay alive, he has to come up with some ingenious plans outsmarting the other guys at almost every corner.
Trust me, it’s an entertaining read and more adventures with Hank are soon coming to a bookstore near you (OK, to www.amazon.com).
Oh, I forgot to mention, the novel is called Newman’s Rubicon and it is written by Finn Farnsworth (pseudonym). But I must admit – the story seems terrifyingly real.
You can buy the book and check out more about Finn Farnsworth and Newman’s Rubicon here.
Bab Al Bahar hotel in Dakhla – a small paradise on the Tropic of Cancer
Bab Al Bahar hotel
Dakhla is a coastal city on the Atlantic Ocean located 1700 km south of Casablanca, right on the Tropic of Cancer. Its claim to fame is kite-surfing with hundreds of enthusiasts and professionals descending on this small city on a regular basis.
However, if you are not the bucket list type and prefer to go for a relaxing fishing trip rather then risking life and limb flying through the air on a surf board, then Bab Al Bahar hotel (part of the Best Western chain) could be something for you.
It is located in the town itself; right on the bay where you in the morning can hear the waves rolling onto the shore – not the worst kind of a wake-up call.
In the evening, enjoy dinner at the restaurant and dig into those shrimps, oysters, whatever seafood you fancy. If you happen to be there on a Saturday, don’t miss the special seafood buffet dinner, 20 Euros and you are set for the evening. Of course, a nice selection of wine is there to make this an even more enjoyable experience.
Bab Al Bahar hotel is well-known among those who venture to this part of the world. If you get a chance, spend a weekend here, it is definitely worth it.
Travel news
Issue 2/2013
Can you afford to hit the road on your own?
Traveling by yourself can be very expensive and complicated. Single travelers are often charged a supplement, offered tiny rooms somewhere in the back and get treated like a second-class traveler. Retired lawyer Steve Lyden-Brown thinks this is unfair and decided to do something about it. He started Single Tourist Action Centre (STAC), an organization that fights for the interests of those who vacation alone. Are you traveling solo? Did you have a bad experience or had to pay extra for a double room because there were no single ones?
Stieg Larsson’s Stockholm
Are you by any chance a fan of the Millennium Trilogy by Stieg Larsson? Want to know where computer hacker Lisbeth Salander lived and where Mikael Blomkvist office was located? Well then you shouldn’t miss out on the Millennium Guided Tour in Stockholm. It’s a two hour walk where you get to see and hear about many of the intriguing places described in the Stieg Larsson Trilogy. City tours have a tendency to be quite boring so this could actually be a fun way to explore a new city.
Talking travel in Berlin
Do you want to find out what’s new and cool in the travel business? Then we recommend that you pack your bags and take off to Berlin, Germany, where the world’s leading travel trade show ITB Berlin will be held on 6-10 March. This is THE place to be if you want to learn about the latest travel trends, analyse market developments or just establish a new important business relationship. ITB Berlin is open to the public on 9-10 March (the other days are reserved for travel professionals).
Creepy weirdos
Living in a hot climate for many years, we are never getting used to running into various kind of insects, either jumping in the garden or somewhere inside the house where they, under the cover of darkness, have a tendency to break in.
The scariest of them all … tada! … is THE Flying Cockroach. Once, Hanna was quietly sitting reading a book when she heard a screeching sound from the living room. She then saw Alex running out in panic trying to brush off the rare beast that was glued to his t-shirt. Even when it was long gone, Alex avoided the living room locking himself inside the bedroom armed with a flyswatter.
Then we have different types of spiders. Nasty looking fellas roaming around scaring the living daylights out of Hanna when she accidentally bumps into one. Alex deals with them the old-fashioned way: tries to shoo them out with a broom while standing as far away as possible.
One day Alex got a frantic call from Hanna who could swear that she saw a snake in the backyard. A small commando unit was organized and armed with rocks it arrived at the house within 10 minutes to deal with the poisonous intruder. However, on close inspection the ferocious animal ended up being a small but colorful candy wrapper lying in the grass. Well, better safe than sorry as they used to say.
Sam (our best friend forever) is on the other hand always ready to come to the rescue. He is naturally equipped with all the proper weapons: excellent hearing, sharp teeth and strong paws. As soon as he hears the annoying sound of a fly passing by or sees a cockroach trying to run under the sofa he is on their case faster than a speeding bullet.
What we haven’t come across yet (knock on wood) are real snakes (those made of candy wrappers don’t count, right?) and scorpions. On the other hand, if we did, we probably wouldn’t be writing this right now…
Hello, may I come in?
La Vigie Restaurant in Monte-Carlo – summer lazing in style
A peckish customer (without a yacht) outside La Vigie restaurant
Sure, it’s still a few months before summer kicks in but if you plan to visit La Vigie Restaurant in Monte-Carlo, you better start saving up some money now (this is no surprise, but everything in Monaco requires a few wads of cash).
Located in the Monte-Carlo Beach hotel complex, La Vigie offers exquisite Mediterranean inspired dishes in a tranquil setting. Chef Paolo Sari, an Italian who learned the trade in Italy, Switzerland and the US, specializes in seafood. We tried the buffet and grill during lunch-time and we can definitely vouch that this is one of the better places around. The meal is complemented by a grandiose view of the sea and an excellent selection of wine.
You reach La Vigie by taking a small path from the Monte-Carlo private beach, or, if you happen to arrive by yacht (damn, we are NOT jealous…okay a little bit maybe), the restaurant also has its own landing-dock where you can moor your boat. It’s a nice little amenity that is appreciated by the “floating villa owners”.
This small gem is only open two months a year (28 June – 25 August), so if you happen to be in the area on those dates, we can definitely recommend this elegant place for some great food and boat watching. La Vigie Restaurant will not let you down.
City guide to Marrakech
We are happy to introduce Sam’s City Guide to Marrakech. This is the first in a series of luxurious e-guides produced by Samandthedunes.com.
We hand-pick the best hotels, recommend hip restaurants and lounge bars, guide you to excellent shopping and important sightseeing. This is what we call “Excellence at your fingertips”.
Click here to download the free e-guide (pdf)
Les Bar des Bergues in Geneva – the place to be seen
The Four Seasons in Geneva is one of the best hotels in the city, so no wonder Les Bar des Bergues on the ground floor is where the local high society types and the world’s rich and famous mingle. If weather permits, La Terrace is where to lounge and contemplate life over an exquisite cocktail. It’s by far one of the most chic places in town.
When we visited Geneva in September, we came to Les Bar des Bergues on a couple of occasions and sat both inside and outside for a quick lunch. Now, this is Four Seasons, so no reason to write about excellent service and so on, that’s pretty much clear.
However, even though this is technically a bar, the food here is absolutely fantastic. They have a reasonably light menu with plenty of salads to chose from (though our favorite pick was the hamburger, not exactly what one would refer to as light fare but trust us, it was irresistible).
If you are on a tight travel budget than avoid Les Bar des Bergues like the plague, but if cash is not an issue, this is the place to mingle and nestle in with the crème de la crème of Geneva.
Palais de la Méditerranée – a Nice-ish hotel
Excellent location
Palais de la Méditerranée is one of the more recent additions in Nice, having opened after restoration in 2004. It is located on the Promenade des Anglais, the main boardwalk, and is only an arm’s length away from the turquoise water and fantastic beaches. The location is definitely as good as it gets: close to the city center, restaurants and bars that are in abundance here.
The lobby
However, although Palais de la Méditerranée describes itself as a “luxury hotel” it still has a lot of work to do to actually become one. For starters, the service is not very efficient, there are long lines during check-in and check-out and only one or two persons at the desk dealing with customers. The rooms are clean and functional but more of a 4-star level. The restaurant has breath-taking views of the sea but there the glamour ends: the food is mediocre, the service abysmally slow. Not what you would expect when sipping an over-priced glass of wine while waiting for your starter.
The room has nice colors but it’s pretty basic for being a five star
There is one thing that really stands out and that is the concierge service: also slow-ish but nevertheless you will get your reservation in a popular restaurant. Even if you need a vet (we did for Sam) they will go the extra mile and find one for you. But that was probably the only pleasant experience we had at Palais de la Méditerranée.
You are much better off at Hotel Le Negresco a few blocks away, where you for more or less the same money get surrounded by stylish luxury and history.
Rating: 3/5
More about Nice: 24 Nice hours
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. 
