Dreaming of Greece on a Friday evening...

#38 - What's your Friday routine, my learnings for the week and thoughts turning to a summer in Greece...

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Don’t you love Friday evenings?

There’s a sense of having accomplished a week’s worth of work and an anticipation of the weekend which really works for me. It’s also my favourite time now to write to you and send this newsletter.

Spotify is treating me with a playlist based on my favourites (Damian Rice, Paolo Nuttini, Michael Kiwanuka), a hot cup of tea brings me warmth and the soft glow of my desk lamp completes the atmosphere.

This is a good time to reflect on “what did I learn this week” too.

This week I found out more about copy writing tools powered by Artificial Intelligence, how to select a currency broker and keep your money protected - this is related to our French holiday home search - and the benefit of working in the office. Being around others who work at the same time does motivate me. I love the flexibility of working from home but sometimes my mind wanders…

What are your Friday evenings like? Let me know in the comments.

On the blog

6 new stylish hotels in Greece

We are two weeks from flying off to Mexico for a week in the sun and by the beach ! Our thoughts are also starting to turn to summer. We are thinking Greece again, maybe returning to Eros Keros. If not, there are always those six hotels to consider. Read more

Extra finds 

(hotels with or without pool not on the blog)

Penlan Cottage, UK

3 nights froom £735 - Check latest prices and availability

A new luxury Welsh cottage holiday let in the Brecon Beacons lovingly restored by a loyal reader of From the Poolside. Jess told me that she wanted to create a indulgent retreat where one can cocoon themselves from a busy city life. It was a huge undertaking - bought with an asbestos roof and rotting interior - and was renovated during lockdown. Jess wanted to maintain the cottage’s honest, traditional Welsh interior whilst injecting some 21st century, sustainable credentials and the result is a big success. Have a look!

Mouco Hotel, Portugal

From €79 B&B - Check latest prices & availability

A 62-bedroom hotel which is also a concert hall and cultural space, in Porto’s Bonfim neighbourhood. As well as an outdoor pool and alfresco dining, this converted warehouse has a music library of more than 600 vinyl records, and guitars, keyboards and turntables to borrow; music lessons are available too. Rooms are named after songs, come with sound systems and amps with headphones, and even the spa offers physio specifically for musicians. The beach at Matosinhos is a 15-minute taxi ride away, the historic centre and Douro barely a whistle away.

Chateau de Vignée, Belgium

From £220 - Check latest prices & availability

Chateau de Vignée is a manor hotel with spa standing amongst the strong landscape of the Ardennes. The estate offers a genuine boutique hotel experience with a restaurant and spa. The spa has an indoor heated swimming pool, a hamman and Finnish suana overlooking the riverbank.

Hotel MOTTO, Austria

From £252 - Check latest pricing & availability

Lovingly designed, fully homegrown, and very reasonably priced, Hotel Motto Vienna gives guests a vivid insight into contemporary Viennese life with a touch of 1920s Paris. The top-floor Chez Bernard serves breakfast and food throughout the day.Up on the seventh floor, the small wellness space has a spa and a mixed sauna big enough for four.

The Villa Ostuni - Puglia, Italy

From £1235 for a minimum 3 night stay - Check latest prices & availability

This uniquely restored house hidden away in the heart of Puglia is the perfect combination of the traditional Italian design with a modern twist. The house - featured in various international design publications - is decorated with love for design and an eye for detail. There is a private pool, outdoor patio and rooftop with partial sea views.