Posts Tagged ‘France’

Cour des Loges, France

November 10th, 2013 365days2play

Day 9 of 365days2play’s Honeymoon in Luxembourg, Germany & France

After spending quite a number of days in the Alsace region of France and 2 days in Burgundy, we finally made our way towards Lyon for a 1 night stay. On hindsight, we really should have catered at least 1 more day in Lyon. Lyon is a huge city, and it is quite a joke we spent only 1 day there, but due to certain limitations, it was either 1 day in Lyon or none at all. I chose to still savour the 1 day, and the Partner and I agreed it was the right decision.

Cour des Loges (26)

I don’t even know how to describe the look. At some parts, it kinda looks some medieval castle don’t you think?

For one, our 5 star hotel, the Cour des Loges was amazing. It is located in the Old Lyon part of Lyon, where everything is quaint, historic and cobble-stoned! Cour Des Loges comprises 4 restored Renaissance buildings set around a glass-roofed courtyard. You feel like you are in an artwork when you are in the hotel. The rooms are all different-themed, but all so stylish and modern, yet retaining the historic air of the hotel. Unlike the tiny lanes of Old Lyon, the hotel rooms are surprisingly spacious.

Cour des Loges (4)

We had a lovely room facing the inner courtyard. Room number 5 if I remember correctly. The room is slightly darker than the picture, but I’ve enhanced it for you to see clearly. I really love the use of wood in the ceiling and floor, which gives it a kind of Scandinavian feel, yet it is unmistakably not when you study other details in the room.

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Posted in Country Guide - France, Hotel Reviews, Travel Tags: , , , , , , , 2 Comments »

La Maison Angelina (Tearoom)

August 3rd, 2013 365days2play

It’s the weekend again! And since it’s the weekend, I thought I would write about one of my favourite topics, having Afternoon Tea! Actually I had this a couple of months back when I was in Paris.

The Angelina Tearooms are famed in France, having been established way back in 1903. Apparently, Austrian confectioner Antoine Rumpelmayer established Angelina and named it after his daughter-in-law. It soon became a must-visit venue for the Parisian aristocracy. Proust, Coco Chanel and all the greatest French fashion designers used to visit Angelina. With such an illustrious history, how can I not visit Angelina? If I had just brought along my laptop, I might just be able to squeeze out a novel just like Proust!

One of the first things that attracts you when you arrive at Angelina is the eye-popping dessert display. And of course, one must not forget the famous hot chocolate!

Angelina Tearoom Paris Chocolate Eclairs (2)

Chocolate eclairs drizzled with caramel and berry tarts with marshmallows and an Angelina white chocolate piece!

It’s actually not any more expensive than the pastries you can get in Singapore. Perhaps it was the good Euro to Sing dollar exchange rate, but I really don’t think Paris / France is as expensive as everyone says.

Angelina Tearoom Paris Pink Strawberry Cake

Almond meringue biscuit, unctuous vanilla mousse, raspberry confit, strawberry marshmallows

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Les Tommeries Restaurant

July 14th, 2013 365days2play

Day 5 of 365days2play’s Honeymoon in Luxembourg, Germany & France

As part of our stay at the Chateau D’Isenbourg, we were treated to a sumptuous feast at the hotel’s resident restaurant, the Les Tommeries. Les Tommeries is lovely, with numerous grand arched windows to enjoy the view of the vineyards just beyond. In the Summer, you can also partake in your meals on the al-fresco verandah, which must surely be an exciting thing to do. Scroll down to see pictures of the verandah and vineyard.

Chateau D'Isenbourg Les Tommeries Restaurant (7)

In a Louis XV style, its crystal chandeliers and stone flooring somehow brings me back to a bygone era.

Chateau D'Isenbourg Les Tommeries Restaurant - Amuse Bouche (2)

Amuse Bouche

We were treated to a lovely palate pleaser in the form of a foie gras pate. I love pates and a foie gras pate is obviously even more delectable. The little block of pate smooth and rich tasting. I could have eaten the whole thing easily but I decided to limit myself to only half as it is very satiating! Don’t want to be too full for my mains!

Chateau D'Isenbourg Les Tommeries Restaurant - Salmon marinated in soy and sesame, crisp white cabbage wasabi cream 22 Euros

Salmon marinated in soy and sesame, crisp white cabbage wasabi cream 22 Euros

The Partner scored a homerun with this fantastic salmon starter. The chef must have taken pains to lay out each sliver of salmon in this eye-catching geometric shape. The Asian-inspired marinade was a welcome change from European flavours and I think I must have enjoyed this starter more than the Partner!

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Posted in Country Guide - France, Hotel Reviews, Travel Tags: , , , , , , , , , , 2 Comments »

Chateau D’Isenbourg, France

July 11th, 2013 365days2play

Day 5 of 365days2play’s Honeymoon in Luxembourg, Germany & France

One of the most memorable hotels I stayed at during my honeymoon trip through France was the Chateau D’Isenbourg. Although I stayed at a fair number of chateaus during the trip, Chateau D’Isenbourg struck me as being the most ornate and regal looking one. We got the most exquisite looking room and it was as spacious as could be.

Chateau D'Isenbourg (3)

Built on the foundation of 12th & 14th Century cellars, the Château d’Isenbourg is soaked in the turbulent history of Dagobert and Charlemagne, whose names still echo here. Located on the Alsatian wine trail, in the heart of the vineyards, several kilometres from Colmar, it dominates the old town of Rouffach, offering a magnificent panoramic view of the Vosges foothills, the Rhine Plain and the Black Forest in the distance.

Chateau D'Isenbourg (8)

Wouldn’t you just love to stay in a room like this? I love how the dark blue curtains blends so well with the warm orangey yellows of the walls. I feel like royalty staying in this room! Even the design of the chairs adds to the grandeur of the room, plus the ornate looking writing desk. I think if the bed hadn’t been there, and if I’d told you that this was the sitting room of someone from the British Monarchy, you might have just believed it, right?

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Obernai in Alsace, France

June 25th, 2013 365days2play

Day 5 of 365days2play’s Honeymoon in Luxembourg, Germany & France

Day 5 of our Honeymoon saw us driving from the Kloster Hornbach on the German side of the border back into France and moving on towards Colmar. The whole stretch is wine region and it’s just a straight long drive from North to South. There are many villages and old towns dotted along the way and we stopped at a couple of them while driving to Rouffach where our hotel the Chateau D’Isenbourg was.

Obernai was one of the historic old towns we stopped at, and I would highly recommend that you do a pit-stop in this quaint town too if you ever come to Alsace. The Obernai region, which was the property of the dukes of Alsace in the 7th century, is the birthplace of St. Odile, daughter of the Duke, who would become the Patron Saint of Alsace.

Obernai in Alsace France (16)

Once again, just like in Strasbourg, the architecture is very “German”. There is a reason for these stone foundation with timber framing upper floorings. One reason why wood features prominently is because of Alsace’s proximity to the Vosges, where much wood can be found. But I’m not the expert in Alsatian architecture so please click this link to read more.

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