City-tripping in Japan | Kyoto

Kyoto, the city of a thousand years. From the stories about temples and shrines, we had always imagined this city to be an open air museum with fairy tale forests tucking away the most beautiful temples beyond imagination. That’s partly true. Other than that, Kyoto is also just like any other city with houses, roads, public transport, big buildings, lots of people…of course…!

Our haven

For our time in Kyoto, we stay at Suzaku Crossing in quite a large room for Japanese standards including a kitchenette and washing machine. The 5 story hotel concept is based on the ancient concept of “Wu Xing” or the “Five Phases”. The rooms on each floor are designed to correspond with wood, fire, earth, gold and water. We stay on the blue or water floor. The perfect haven around the corner of an interesting street that has a local supermarket with sushi to die for and even a French bakery, called Petit Blanc. Japanese really love everything French. If you start paying attention to it, you’ll see that many Japanese girls and women carry a bag with Paris written on it, as if they just came back from a city-trip to Paris.

Our hotel has a ‘share your stay on social media and get 1 day of biking in return’ offer which we obviously go for. The bikes are electric…our first experience on an electric bike (yup, really) and we quite liked it!

Kyoto market

As in Tokyo, you also have your pick of food markets in Kyoto. Lucky for us, as we did get 1 day of rain, this one has a ceiling. In case you missed the Tsukiji Outer Market we talked about in a previous blog in Tokyo, you can still make up for it plenty at the Nishiki Market in Kyoto. Heaven for foodies.

Breakfast

Suzaku Crossing goes all out on assisting you with picking the right attractions, trips and restaurants as what they don’t have on offer is breakfast. But we so do not mind as we discover a local vintage gem around the corner, ‘with the neighbours’, as they call it at the hotel reception: Mariya. Where you’ll find Mariya herself still behind the stove, father waiting tables and daughter behind the cashier and damn…does Mariya make some yummie pancakes and pour some hot strong coffee! In here you also realize the Japan-American connection from the past…

Shrine and palace

As said in previous blog, Kyoto has over 2.000 temples and shrines. You cannot visit them all. On our first (rainy) day in Kyoto, we stopped at the Shimogamo Shrine on our first electric bike experience. We brought home an orange gate souvenir with a special self-written message on it in Japanese. Thank God for Google Translate.

Not too far from our hotel you’ll find Nijo Castle. As the Tokyo Imperial Palace, also this one is surrounded by a moat with it’s typical gatehouses on each corner. We shot some pictures of the castle by night. Very magical indeed.

 

 

 

 

City-tripping in Japan | Around Tokyo

Cats, green chai latte, tea, tapioka drinks, more temples, more parks, sushi and Tokyo Tower are keywords for the remainder of our time in Tokyo, before heading to Kyoto.

Yanaka

If you feel like escaping the metropolitan feel of Tokyo, for sure plan a day visit to Yanaka, Tokyo’s most traditional district, is what people call it.

Our first stop after hitting Ueno Station is Kayaba Coffee House where you can sip the most delicious green chai latte in a traditional Japanese house. The place is very tiny so don’t be surprised if the waitress orders you to wait outside pretty strict. Sit it out as the coffee and homemade cake is worth it. And if you don’t like green chai latte, they also master the more traditional barista skills.

From Kayaba Coffee House, we begin our stroll through Yanaka. It’s a bit of a magical place and walking through it really gives you a glimpse of local Japanese life. A big part of the town is cemetery that you walk through. And they seem to have a big love for cats…which is one of us’ favorite pet, so right up her street. Strolling through Yanaka Ginza, a traditional 1950’s retail and dining area, will make you understand why we think they love cats.

For some peaceful reflection, the Tennoji temple is just the perfect place.

Sushi

Of course think Japan, think sushi. It cannot be missed on the menu. The local supermarket sushi is better than most restaurant sushi we know at home. So unless you want to splash out on star level sushi that you’ve never tasted before and probably don’t want to afford, you can also just try out sushi places as you pass them by as you’ll know you’ll not be disappointed. We’ve had sushi at Isomaru Suisan, a fresh fish palace, and Shinjuki subnade, an underground shopping mall right out of Shinjuki station. It’s always a bit of a gamble but we gambled well on these and had some of the freshest tuna sushi one can hope for. Very convenient for us tourists is that in the first place, you can scroll through the menu on an iPad with English translation and order yourself, reducing the risk of ordering, let’s say, fish gut…

Parks

Especially when it’s as hot as it was when we were in Tokyo, an average of 38°C, you’ll be grateful for all the public parks Tokyo has. Too many to visit them all but we’ve for sure seen our part of it. We mentioned Hamarikyu Gardens in previous blog. When you think you’ve seen the nicest in Tokyo already, you can still get surprised by an even more beautiful garden: Rikugien Gardens. Not on the most obvious track, but as we always say: go off the beaten track. It is (as always), worth it.

Bonus after visiting the garden is that on your way back to Komagome Station, you can stop at Café Port Brooklyn and get your fix of some great coffee served by some obvious New York & Brooklyn lovers. The iced chai latte was a hit!

Tokyo Tower

The best time of day to see Tokyo Tower is at night, when it’s lit up magically. We decided to catch it from Roppongi Hills, one of Japan’s largest integrated property developments in Roppongi, the city’s most popular nightlife district offering a large number of ‘foreigner friendly’ bars, restaurants and night clubs. As such we had dinner in an Italian restaurant that evening: The Kitchen Salvatore Cuomo. Yes, Japanese can also excellently cook Italian and seem to like it a lot themselves. The Roppongi Hills houses a Tokyo City View Observation Deck for which you can pay admission and most likely get the best view of Tokyo Tower. We also saw it more than well from a few corners of the Roppongi Hills without paying the admission.

Cat Café

The Japanese invented the cat café. And as one of us loves cats and misses her fluffy cat wherever she goes, we could not miss this one while in Tokyo: Mocha Cat Café. They are a chain and have many cafés (they call them ‘shops’) around Japan which also makes it a bit commercial. It does not come cheap especially when you stay longer than anticipated. While the idea behind it should be to become zen around cats that you can cuddle, the concept they apply makes it a bit stressful, to be honest. Then again, the cats were adorable either way. We also passed by cafés where you can cuddle different dog breeds so if you’re more a dog person than a cat person, don’t you worry.

The Japanese answer to Starbucks

We talked coffee. The Japanese also have an answer to Starbucks and coffee: The Alley. For when you like something different than coffee: lovely tea and interesting tapioka drinks it is!

 

City-tripping in Japan | Tokyo

So many things to see in Japan. With 15 days incl. flights and the knowledge this is our ‘big summer holiday of the year’, one has to make choices. With the travel in mind and the fact Japan is not your typical paradise destination, we opt for 3 cities : Tokyo, Kyoto and Nagoya by train.

Tokyo

Tokyo is big. And has lots of different characteristic areas that you have to choose from when deciding where to stay. Plenty of reference material to provide you a description of each area if you’d like to make a very deliberate choice upfront. We basically look for nice places to stay, regardless of the area, and experience that with the top notch public transport in Tokyo, wherever you stay, you can easily get around to each different area. So pick one haven that is able to persuade you while booking and take it from there.

That’s how we ended up in Hotel Resol in Akihabara, the electronics district. Home of otaku (geeks) and their love of anime (Japanese animation), manga (Japanese comics) and J-pop culture. Our room is as big as the bed, the grandeur is in all the details. Mysterious entrance, nice perfume and fancy slippers is what awaits you. The hotel is walking distance from Akihabara train station, on the other side of the Kanda River. A quiet part of Tokyo where you can experience the real local Japanese daily city life.

Restaurant highlight

On that part of town you can find Kikanbo where you can eat the best ramen we’ve had during our Japanese trip. Ramen and eating it is an art in this place. You select your choice of ramen outside at a vending machine. Inside you decide how spicy you want it et voilà…the best ramen you ever tasted. Leave the ‘devil’ spice option for the locals. The place feels very mysterious and the traditional Japanese warrior music tops it off. Don’t let the dark entrance fool you, just go in and enjoy !

Temple highlight

Japan has a wealth of religious architecture – Kyoto alone is estimated to have well over 2,000 temples and shrines. But it’s not just in the large cities where you’ll find Buddhist temples and Shinto shrines – nearly every village in Japan has a local shrine or temple. You can even find a small one next to Hotel Resol.

While walking through Tokyo, we ended up at the Kanda Myoujin shrine, where many Japanese end their working day, stopping by and letting go of the hectic day. This shrine is said to help with running a successful business and finding a spouse.

Market highlight

In the Chuo City area, close to the famous luxurious Ginza shopping area, you can find the Tsukiji Outer Market which is one you cannot miss to catch, just like the fresh fish you can find here. Go around lunch time and indulge in all the fresh goodies they have on offer.

Park highlight

There are many beautiful parks all around Tokyo. Meticulously maintained with attention to detail. One of our favorite parks is for sure Hamarikyu Gardens which is a perfect hangout spot after shopping in Ginza and lunch at the Tsukiji Outer Market. This is also one of the parks where you’ll find many Japanese during the cherry blossom season in early April.

Architecture highlights

Make sure to step out of Tokyo station while passing through. And walk around for a couple of blocks in the area where the station is located, called Marunouchi. It feels a bit like walking around in New York, but without the noise. They even have a Dean & Deluca here, a chain of upscale grocery stores of which the first one was established in New York in 1977.

The area around the Imperial Palace and the Outer Garden, is where you can spot traditional Japanese architecture against a backdrop of new style architecture which delivers some interesting photography. The gatehouses at the edge of the garden and within the moat around the palace and garden are typical and a view you’ll see back in Kyoto and Nagoya.

Electronic store highlight

As Akihabara is knows as the electronics district, you cannot not visit one of the whalhalla’s for gadgets and things. Yodobashi Mall is huge and crazy…and one can ask how you can ever stand out with your brand in this store. You may need your sunglasses inside and unless you’re planning to spend a fortune, don’t stay too long.

Adding another spark to our stay| Masseria Della Volpe | Sicily

From Mount Etna to the south of Sicily. That also means that we exchange one super residence address for another. Masseria della Volpe is – just like Donna Carmela – an absolute hit. It’s a charming eco-tourist luxury hotel in the south of Sicily (Modica Casale). Ideally located near some of Sicily’s most impressive and historic cities (see our other post), but also a great base for a day at the beach (*).

The hotel has 23 rooms, ideal for couples, families and friends who blog. Some rooms are adjacent to the beautiful garden or have spacious terraces / balconies that offer breathtaking panoramic views of the surrounding hills and the sea on the horizon. The restaurant serves a top breakfast with very wide selection, organic products and the best of Sicilian cuisine. The hotel also houses a small but exclusive spa, a heated outdoor swimming pool, a gym, a tennis court, a pool bar that serves the most delicious cocktails…

What makes the stylish hotel truly unique is the perfect location in the middle of a beautiful nature reserve. A walk across the domain to the view point is certainly recommended. Masseria della Volpe is surrounded by lemon, orange and olive trees. With a 360 ° view of the beautiful surroundings.

(*) we spent the day at the beach in Fontane Bianche in restaurant Malafemmina. The weather gods were not really on our side that day, but Penetas (god of food) and Bacchus (you know, the one of the wine) clearly chose us! What a delicious lunch! The pastas – one with wild fennel pesto and one with venus clams and parsley pesto – were delicious, the view grandiose, the clouds dramatic and the wine too tasty.

Ending on an absolute high | Portopalo & Marzamemi

In the last few days of our Sicily trip, we’ve witnessed sufficiently large (er) and Unesco-listed cities. For our last day we’re inspired by a fellow blogger and we road-trip towards Portopalo (lunch) and afterwards Marzamemi (aperitif, aperitif, a dance, dinner and sunset). They may not have the grand allure of cities such as Noto and Syracuse, but they are certainly not inferior in atmosphere, appearance and joy of life. Whatever you do in Sicily (Catania area): make sure to pay Marzamemi a visit. You won’t be disappointed.

Portopalo

Portopalo (for the friends) or Portopalo di Capo Passero (in full) is located on the southernmost point of Sicily. It’s a cozy old fishing village, small but very pleasant. You’ll find sandy beaches and reefs, small bays, spectacular sunrises and sunsets (by hearsay as the sunset we witnessed that day was on our next stop). In short, something for everyone.

For us it’s home to Sapori di Puglia, our lunch stop. Our heart makes a small leap of happiness when we see our fellow guests in the restaurant, and we spot some locals right away. Always a good sign! A very enthusiastic host, 2 pastas, good wine and a shared tiramisu later, we know this was a good choice.

Our full stomach “recovers” from this lavish lunch thanks to a walk through Portopalo, to then head towards our very last stop on Sicilian soil. For this trip at least. That we will return to Sicily has been a no brainer for some time.

Go out with a Bang in Marzamemi

When we drive into Marzamemi and park our car on a large (full) parking lot (paying and with a parking attendant), we have a feeling that the €3 parking money is wasted money. We don’t instantly see the x factor and are preparing for an anti-climax.

However, we give everyone and everything the benefit of the doubt … including this hamlet. With this mindset we go on our way and … the sustainer always wins 😊. Just two corners further we’re rewarded as we walk onto the nicest and liveliest square in Sicily.

WHAT A DISCOVERY. We squeal of happiness and immediately make our way to the only empty patio table for a gin and tonic (or two). In the sun and among the local people. It doesn’t get better than this.

AND STILL. After our aperitif, we feel somewhat obliged to discover more than 1 parking space, 2 corners and a square in Marzamemi. We wander through the cozy streets, are once again stunned by all those nice terraces, the cool little shops, the relaxed atmosphere and the life-loving locals. Our cup of tea.

We follow a note of music and – what we thought could not be surpassed (namely the most pleasant little square in Sicily described above) – is completely surpassed by the nicest terrace with a view of water in Sicily. A terrace bursting with liveliness, by the water, with the music a few notches higher and dancing people in broad daylight. This looks like an après ski, but without those painful skiboots. People enjoy life, drink and dance. We cannot simple pass this little corner and we nestle comfortably in a lounge set with a glass of wine.

Lost for superlatives | The cities of Sicily (Catania area) | Sicily

Catania – the second largest city on the island – does not make our ‘to-visit’ list due to lack of time, however, we can certainly recommend that you put five other cities on your ‘to-visit’ list! Taormina, Acireale, Syracuse, Modica, Noto … we came, saw and instantly loved these cities. We were amazed by their monumental buildings, their baroque appearance, their cosiness, their marina, their views and their own unique character.

Taormina
It’s the first (larger) city that we tick off our list. Taormina is one of the nicest and most visited places in Sicily. The reason for this attraction is simple: the picturesque city is situated on a mountain top overlooking the Mediterranean Sea. Besides a lot of people out and about & beautiful views, you’ll also find stately buildings. The city is bursting with rich history and you can wander one after the other cozy street, with cute little restaurants in forgotten corners and alleys. The city is definitely worth a visit.

 

Acireale
Elegant, baroque, phenomenal & impressive. With these four words you’re well on your way to worthily describe Acireale – located at the foot of Mount Etna & with a view of the Ionian Sea. Acireale surprises us. When we stand on the Piazza Del Duomo, we marvel at the beautiful buildings. The square is definitely the baroque center of the city. Magnificent! We get lost in the narrow streets around the square and are completely immersed in the lively atmosphere.

Syracusa
On our way from Donna Carmela to Masseria della Volpe – our second Sicilian residence – Syracuse seems the ideal stop for a quick lunch. Maximum Return On Investment … after all, we get much more in return than a delicious lunch and wine. When we park our car at the fishing port, a spark suddenly jumps. A crush at first sight. The crush becomes true love as we discover the city. Cozy terraces that look out over a delightful marina and that immediately bring you into an ultra-relax mode. Furthermore… narrow streets, a casual atmosphere, super beautiful (house) facades, at the end of just about every street a beautiful view of the sea and again an immense square that strikes us with silence. The square is huge, the buildings are impressive.

Modica
We visit this city in the evening … and even though the city seems a little extinct (is it due to the evening, or is it not yet ‘high season’, hard to tell), we fully realize why this city is on the UNESCO World Heritage List. Over the years, several nations have been in power here. In addition to the Greeks and Romans, Arabs also lived here and you can see the influences in the city. Modica is built against the slopes of a steep gorge, which results in a huge number of stairs to climb. Fortunately, you can insert enough catch-your-breath-moments in the form of magnificent view points over the city. Take your time and move slowly, as stairs keep coming, in this maze of narrow streets, you’ll discover one surprise after the other.

Noto
It seems as if we are repeating ourselves or that we are struggling with some sort of writer’s block, though our synonym app is working overtime, but also with our review of Noto we need the same adjectives as “grand”, “cozy”, “beautiful”, ” imposing”. This city – which also managed to secure a place on the UNESCO World Heritage List – appeals to us almost immediately. The rich history is also reflected in the majestic buildings along one and the same main road. One building after another evokes our sincere wow. Noto is a very lively city, where the joys of life – eating, drinking and celebrating life – are certainly addressed.

For all five cities count: when the time is right for the eating and the drinking part, wander through the side streets and you’ll eat where the locals eat 😉

Instagram-proof & impressive Etna | Sicily

Mount Etna is located in southeastern Sicily, not far from Catania and even less far from our residence Donna Carmela. The volcano was actually the main reason to go to this side of the island. Visiting Sicily and the surroundings of Catania without a visit to Mount Etna is simply not done.

When preparing for our trip, we seriously doubted whether we would opt for an organized ETNA tour with a guide, or whether we would start the expedition on our own. The pros and cons are considered, however, even a conversation with a professional organization cannot convince us of any added value. There will undoubtedly be advantages to organized tours if you’re interested in knowing all types of volcanic rock or all the data from Etna eruptions. To be honest, we must admit that we’re not completely interested in that, we just want to see the natural beauty of the volcano. Moreover, we have a natural aversion to organized group things, even when the groups are small … freedom while on holiday is our number 1 priority.

So we embark on the expedition independently and hit the mountain with our rental car. The ride is already quite exciting. During our entire Sicilian stay, we have been used to seeing Mount Etna wrapped in a big cloud … so we literally drive through a cloud to get to the top. The top or summit – as in the ultimate area where you can get by car before you can take the cable car to reach the ‘real summit’. Even that is not the real summit as that you can only reach accompanied by a guide, we learn during our own expedition.

A few orchestrated stops for some obligatory snapshots along the way later, we arrive at an immense parking lot (don’t forget to pay at the counter, as it’s not very obvious). From here, you can walk two smaller craters by yourself. As we do – huffing and puffing. We may not be experienced marathon runners, we’re not in such bad shape … so don’t underestimate it, it’s pretty steep, so take your time. But definitely worth the effort. Wearing sneakers by the way. At least one person told us prior to our trip that you need mountain boots because of the lava residue. Don’t fall into that trap 😉 Although we would advice against wearing flipflops. We admire the imposing beauty of Mount Etna and the crater area. We walk through lunar landscapes and lava fields and enjoy 360 ° views around us. Pretty impressive.

We could go even higher and therefore get even closer to the top, but an immense queue at the cable car stops us in our track. It looks a lot like a mega tourist meeting here…and let that be on our ‘what not to do’ list. We decide to visit a number of villages on the way back down. When we make another stop for more pictures, we see threatening and dramatic clouds of smoke coming from the top. Fully Instagram-proof, that Etna. Cool! As it happens, the night following our visit, Etna erupts … quite ‘normal’ for Sicilians, however, we’re still quite impressed to have seen the start of it.

For the sake of completeness and the adventurers amongst you: from the mountain station Rifigio Sapienza you can head towards the top of Mount Etna. Just in front of the station you can park your car and get a taste of the Etna by climbing the Silvestri crater. Which is what we did. You can only reach the main craters by cable car for which you need tickets. From the top station of the cable car you can continue with terrain buses to the Rifigio Filosofo crater, again comes at a price. From Rifigio Filosofo crater, you can climb the crater rim from where you have a nice view over the main & lower level craters. Or you can go to the top of Mount Etna, the real summit, with a guide.

Heaven comes in many disguises | Sicily | Italy

“To have seen Italy, without having seen Sicily is not to have seen Italy at all, for Sicily is the clue to everything.” A famous quote with one clear message … book a flight to Sicily, go and discover this beautiful Italian island. We don’t need more encouragement … off to Sicily in June 2019!

Sicily is the largest island in the Mediterranean Sea and is in fact too large to walk in as little as 6 days. “To choose is to loose”, but as always the by now world-famous Shots & Bites quote comes to the rescue: “You always need a reason to return”. We have no less than half an island of reasons to return to Sicily.

Thank God for that … as it will become obvious after our 6-day meeting with this island, we were more than pleased with Sicily. We take a flight to Catania and concentrate on 1 half side – the bottom – of the island. We organized a first stop in the Mount Etna region and then traveled further south towards the Modica / Noto / Ragusa area.

Donna Carmela
Our first residence is instantly one to frame. Boutique Resort Donna Carmela is T.O.P.! This 18th-century farmhouse is surrounded by a whopping 10,000m² of beautiful garden with sea views on one side and views of Mount Etna on the other. The old building has been converted with great finesse and design into a classy boutique hotel.

The hotel offers its guests elegant, modern rooms, suites and lodges. On top of that also an excellent restaurant, no less than 2 bars, plenty of nice sitting areas throughout the entire domain, waving palm trees and a beautiful swimming pool. Donna Carmela is located in an exceptionally quiet area between Mount Etna and the Ionian Sea. It was the ideal base for us for a number of trips in the area and our zen harbor after a busy day out and about.

Donna Carmela is a 15-minute drive from Acireale, a town at the foot of the infamous Etna volcano, and half an hour from Taormina, home of the ancient Greco-Roman theater Teatro Antico di Taormina. You can reach Etna itself – always present in the background – after a good 40 minutes’ drive from the complex.

Our holiday really starts with a lunch at Donna Carmela. Donna Carmela’s restaurant is described in many blogs with superlatives only. We can only confirm this. The Parmigiana was one of the best dishes of our stay – which means something in a country with fantastic cuisine. Whatever you do, definitely book a table here for lunch or dinner to enjoy this delicious food.

Our welcome at Donna Carmela, the magnificent room, the mouth-watering lunch … the first introduction to Sicily is an immediate hit and definitely tastes for more. We decide unanimously to stay for a while :-).

 

Our favorite spot on the Costa Blanca | El Portet, Moraira

Moraira, a small, upmarket Spanish coastal town 80 km north of Alicante and 100 km south of Valencia, adjacent to the neighboring village of El Portet, with 8 km of coastline backed by mountains and vineyards. It has absolutely become our favorite spot on the Costa Blanca.

A perfect get-away for a long weekend or longer and we have found just the right spot for that: La Colina, a duplex terrace house for 2-4 people with a communal pool and an outside patio overlooking the wondrous bay of El Portet.

It’s perfectly located a 15’ downward walk towards the El Portet beach. Pretty steep on the way back however the beach has everything you need for a lazy day before making your way back up. The beach is just the right size, the water bright blue with tiny waves, the views marvelous with a hill on the left and the Costa Blanca coast all the way up to Calpe on the right. In front nothing but a tranquil horizon with a little sailing boat or two. The sunset and the evening light are amazing. The beach is lined up by a thin boulevard offering three local restaurants/bars (one of which offered our breakfast spot every single morning of our stay) and one top notch Mediterranean restaurant, Le Dauphin. It’s definitely a potential retirement winner for us so far 😉.

When you feel ready to leave the cosy bubble of La Colina and El Portet, these are a couple of things worth spending your time on:

Platja de la Granadella – not for your average beach visitor as it’s a bit of a steep drive down to this secluded pebble beach but worth every pinch of effort. Take your swim shoes and enjoy it to the max. There are only a couple of houses in front of the beach one of which houses Restaurante Sur Granadella which we didn’t try but looked like a top spot so don’t have lunch before you get here!

Vall de Cavall – a suprising location for a great restaurant in Gata de Gorgos as it will take you to a horse-riding school where the focus is not only on horses but also on delicious food and a couple of rooms to stay. The drive to the restaurant is also nice as it takes you inland along the Parc Natural del Montgó with a great view on the Montgó Massif.

Xàbia – a nice little town with a long sandy beach and boulevard which we walked all the way down to the port to end up at Cala Bandida home of a very cosy and great rooftop bar which at the time we were there was offering great live music and a superb view on the sunset.

Cala Moraig – another secluded beach in Benitachell that takes some effort to get to if parking is not available right at the beach. It’s quite a walk down and then back up but again, absolutely worth it! Be prepared to find some nudity here as for some it’s the perfect spot to take all of their clothes off. On the way to the beach you’ll be ready to invest in a summer house as you pass quite some real estate projects in progress. When driving up prior to getting to the beach, for sure stop to gaze at some great panoramas!

Cap de la Nau – for some great panoramic views this is also the place to be! And for those that want to have lunch pretty much on the cliff, stop at Restaurante Mirador de Javea. A very traditional restaurant but a great spot to have a long relaxing lunch with superb views.

Cala Baladrar – a beach that we had discovered on a previous trip to Alicante and are always happy to return to as it’s small, quiet and offers a great local open-air pop-up summer restaurant with yummie food and great sunset.

Denia, Altea & La Vila Joiosa – when in Moraira and feeling the need to get into town, for sure take a visit to Denia, a bigger village with a decent harbor. On the way back to Alicante airport, to avoid Calpe and Benidorm, you can also stop at Altea and La Vila Joiosa, the latter offering quite some colorfulLa Vila Joiosa houses and a nice beach.

All pretty good material for a long get-away weekend in Moraira!

When Belgians order stew abroad | The Houtzaaagwerf | Kortegene

We stay by the sea, so dining in a beach bar is obvious. This time, however, we opt for something different, we go inland – away from the sea and beach – and let ourselves be guided by a tip from our B&B host. She refers us to Kortgene – somewhere literally in the middle of nowhere – to De Houtzaagwerf. Certainly not an everyday place for a restaurant.

The first thing we see on arrival is a large shed crammed with boards, logs and large sawing machines. Behind this still operating sawmill, we find a surprisingly nice restaurant. On summer evenings you can enjoy the garden and the terrace outside. Idyllic and surrounded by greenery.

Spring evenings cool a bit faster so we take ourselves inside for dinner. But that too proves to be super idyllic. The restaurant exudes cosiness and has a typical brown café atmosphere: authentic, no nonsense, homely, genuine. The characteristics of the interior are also reflected in the food that is served here: pure, simple, real flavors, comfort food from grandmother’s kitchen.

We both opt for stew. Interesting choice for 2 Belgians? Stew was invented in Belgium and perfected into a top dish. Or rather a living-on-the-edge-kind-of-choice? This can only be disappointing, right? Belgian stew is hard to beat. Expectations are high, but one look at the dish and we just know it will be so yummie. This cook can cook! 🙂

Despite a protesting (full) stomach, we share a delicious dessert in which chocolate plays the leading role. It turns out to be the perfect end to a nice Zeeland day and a delicious dinner.