MSH Backup

Over the weekend, I was lucky enough to escape across to Ireland for a lovely (and very welcome!) three day break, staying at a beautiful house in Carraroe- a very remote but gorgeous spot along the Wild Atlantic Way. It was my first time exploring this awe-inspiring part of the world, and needless to say it well and truly lived up to the wild description- with every sort of weather imaginable bathing us in regular bouts of rain, sleet, hail, wind and sunshine, as well as the occasional thunder and lightning storms too! Exploring the coastal route, the rugged landscape of Connemara and the irresistible charm of Galway, it was impossible not to fall in love with this unique corner of Ireland:  As well as hallmark dry stone walls and rolling green fields, Carraroe is also home to a truly stunning coral beach- a real natural wonder if ever there was one- and one which we braved some seriously strong winds to explore! Oughterard, in Connemara is another gem, and the drive to get there ...

As well as spending some time taking in the glorious surroundings of Marseille and Sanary-sur-Mer , our trip to France also afforded us with the opportunity to pay a visit to Hyères; more specifically the spectacular Villa Noailles. Although we'd just missed the annual International Fashion and Photography Festival, some of the displays, exhibitions and installations were still in situ, which made for a lovely Saturday afternoon of exploration:  Set on the spectacular hilltops of  Hyères, Villa Noailles is a modernist marvel which affords some seriously stunning views, as well as housing a bounty of temporary exhibitions. With installations featuring work from Chanel, Pierre Hardy, Tim Walker and Jean Cocteau on display, exploring the house felt very much like a treasure hunt, with a new surprise waiting around each corner as we wound our way through the peony-adorned corridors. Needless to say, exploring such inspiring installations against such a beautiful backdrop proved t...

As I touched on in my post from Wednesday, having a beach break is a rare treat- and something which, until my trip to France, I hadn't done in a fair few years. Exploring Marseille was something of a whirlwind, so having a more leisurely time to explore Elodie's hometown of Sanary-sur-Mer was most welcome- especially as it's so picture postcard perfect: Our morning stroll along the seafront saw us buy nearly all of the pastries in town, indulging in them in some seriously picturesque surroundings. After a wonderfully windswept walk along the beach, we arrived at the farmer's market in the centre of town, and, needless to say, it had options on offer to satisfy every palette, including strawberries the size of saucers, freshly caught fish, and some of the freshest food you could wish to find. From there, we pottered along the harbour side, stopping off for a suitably seafood themed spot of lunch- a meal which I'm craving to repeat as soon as possible! Meandering thr...