Solo trips, quirky facts and the return of extra finds

A glimpse into my world: from Nutella cravings to solo trips and everything in between and more hotel discoveries to explore #77

I really liked the writing exercise that

Nathalie Longevial ⭐️

shared recently. You just write without thinking all random things about you. There’s a French and English version below.

If you are so inclined, I would love for you to also share a few sentences about yourself in the comments so that I can get to know you better.

The usual hotel content is still there below of course!

Quelques mots sur moi

J'ai la double nationalité franco-anglaise depuis 2018., J'ai vécu ou travaillé à Paris, Londres, New York et Amsterdam. Mon grand-père maternel est né en 1898 et n’a jamais voyagé bien loin de son Anjou natal. Quelle distance en 2 générations! J'adore le chocolat. J'aime marcher ou courir le matin tôt lorsqu'il n'y a personne. Je suis à la recherche permanente de la meilleure baguette fraîche à Londres mais je ne l'ai pas encore trouvée. Je recherche également la meilleure crêperie et il y en a une ou deux qui sont passables mais loin d’être aussi bonnes que les vraies crêperies bretonnes avec les galettes aux sarrazin croustillantes. Je préfère largement dépenser beaucoup d'argent dans une expérience telle qu'un hôtel ou un repas 3 étoiles que dans un sac ou des bijoux. Les gens qui marchent lentement m'agacent. Je descends extrêmement rapidement les escaliers de métro. Deux voyages seule m'ont particulièrement marquée: mon tour solo des USA à 23 ans et Cuba à 33 ans. J’ai vu 3 des 7 merveilles du monde: Petra, le Coliseum de Rome et Chichen Itza. Petite, j'avais le nez dans les bouquins tout le temps, à tel point que quand ma maman me disait « mais va faire quelque-chose dehors», je prenais mon livre, je m'asseyais sur le bord de la porte et je lisais. Maintenant je me perds dans la technologie, je suis une geek, je peux passer des heures sur mon ordi, à tester des logiciels, des outils webs. D'ailleurs, je suis le IT support desk de mon mari quand il travaille à la maison. Faire des puzzle est ma méditation. Je ne peux pas résister à un pot de Nutella. Mes fleurs préférées sont les tulipes. Je suis porteuse du gêne modifié BRCA2. J'ai commencé le jeûne 5-2 il y a deux ans et demi et ça me convient parfaitement. Je fais 1m58 et je chausse du 34, donc mission impossible pour trouver de jolis escarpins à ma taille. Je cours trois fois par semaine et c'est déjà pas si mal. J’adore les jeux de société. Je suis montée à Paris, comme on dit, depuis ma Vendée natale, à 18 ans, après mon bac pour faire prépa, et j’y ai enfin trouvé “my people”. Je suis très impatiente, mais avec les années, ça s'arrange. Et j'étais très grognon quand j'étais petite. Mon mari dirait que ça , ça ne s'est pas arrangé! Je suis ce qu'on appelle en anglais ‘a late developer’, je n’ai vraiment parlé que vers 2 ans (le docteur avait dit à ma mère “ne vous inquiétez pas, Einstein n’a parlé qu’à 4 ans”), j’ai eu mon permis à 29 ans (et jamais conduit depuis!), ma fille à 40 ans, j’ai vraiment pris confiance en moi professionnellement à 43 ans et je me suis mariée à 47 ans. L'officier d'état civil qui a enregistré ma naissance avait la Légion d'honneur. Je suis ENTP dans Myers Briggs. De plus en plus en vieillissant, je trouve que le plus beau voyage, c'est le voyage dans la nature.

J’ai l’immense chance d’avoir une famille très aimante, aussi bien côté français et anglais. C’est ce lien d'amour, ce cercle de solidarité autour de moi qui est ma grande richesse.

Parfois je me pose des questions sur ce que je veux atteindre, quel est le but de ma vie. Et puis plus souvent, finalement je pense que le vrai but de ma vie c'est de donner de l'amour à mon mari et à ma fille et de l’élever pour qu'elle devienne une jeune femme forte, indépendante et heureuse.

Je suis fondamentalement optimiste. Malgré tous les problèmes qui peuvent arriver dans la vie, je continue à dire que la vie est belle.

A few words about me

I have had dual French-British nationality since 2018. I have lived or worked in Paris, London, New York, and Amsterdam. My maternal grandfather was born in 1898 and never traveled far from his native Anjou. What a distance in just two generations! I love chocolate. I enjoy walking or running early in the morning when there is no one around. I am constantly on the lookout for the best fresh baguette in London, but I have not found it yet. I am also searching for the best crêperie, and while there are a few that are decent, they are far from being as good as the real Breton crêperies with crispy buckwheat galettes. I would much rather spend a lot of money on an experience like a 3-star hotel or meal than on a bag or jewelry. People who walk slowly annoy me. I descend metro stairs extremely quickly. Two solo trips have left a lasting impression on me: my solo tour of the USA at 23 and Cuba at 33. I have seen 3 of the 7 wonders of the world: Petra, the Coliseum in Rome, and Chichen Itza. As a child, I always had my nose in books, to the point that when my mom would tell me "go do something outside," I would take my book, sit on the doorstep, and read. Now I get lost in technology, I am a geek, and I can spend hours on my computer testing software and web tools. In fact, I am the IT support desk for my husband when he works from home. Doing puzzles is my meditation. I cannot resist a jar of Nutella. My favorite flowers are tulips. I carry the modified BRCA2 gene. I started the 5-2 fast two and a half years ago, and it suits me perfectly. I am 5'2" and wear a size 4 shoe, so it is impossible for me to find pretty high heels in my size. I run three times a week, and that's already pretty good. I love board games. I moved to Paris from my native Vendée at 18, after graduating high school, and I finally found "my people" there. I am very impatient, but with age, it has gotten better. And I was very grumpy when I was little. My husband would say it hasn't improved! I am what they call a "late developer". I didn't really start talking until I was 2 years old (the doctor told my mother, "don't worry, Einstein didn't start talking until he was 4"), I got my driver's license at 29 (and have never driven since!), I had my daughter at 40, I really gained confidence in my professional life at 43, and I got married at 47. The civil registrar who registered my birth had the Legion of Honor. I am an ENTP in Myers Briggs. As I get older, I find that the most beautiful journey is the journey in nature.

I am extremely lucky to have a very loving family, both on the French and English side. It is this bond of love, this circle of solidarity around me that is my greatest wealth.

Sometimes I wonder what my purpose in life is. And more often than not, I finally think that it is to give love to my husband and daughter and to raise her to become a strong, independent and happy young woman.

I am fundamentally optimistic. Despite all the problems that can happen in life, I continue to say that life is beautiful.

6 extra finds

A mix of city stays and countryside escapes this week. Let me know which country or theme you’d like me to focus on for next week.

Broadwick Soho, London

From £550 - Check latest prices and availability

Now open, this new luxury independent hotel was designed by Martin Brudnizki, who has worked on the Wolseley hotel and the iconic Annabel’s. The hotel has 57 rooms, including nine suites and one penthouse, as well as a rooftop cocktail bar and an Italian restaurant by Jamie Poulton and chef Ed Baines. No pool.

Holm in Sommerset

From £165 https://holmsomerset.co.uk/

If you can’t stay at the Newt, then this could be a nice alternative and cheaper option. You can book yourself a spa day at the Newt and get to enjoy it for less. Holm is the West Country outpost from the team behind former Brixton institution, Salon and successful South London bistro, Levan. Above the restaurant, seven beautifully designed ensuite bedrooms are available on a bed and breakfast basis. The rooms have been designed with a contemporary feel whilst being sympathetic to the period architecture of the building. All the rooms are en suite, three of which have an additional free-standing bath for complete relaxation. And you can book two rooms at the top to have a private floor.

Estelle Manor, Oxfordshire

From £450 - https://estellemanor.com/

We hope to get to Estelle Manor at some point this year, for a mid week stay to benefit from lower prices. There are 108 rooms so more than our usual preference but it seems to garner a lot of fans and replacing Soho Farmhouse as the London outpost that everybody flocks to... A Grade II-listed landmark house set on a 60-acre estate, surrounded by over 3,000 acres of beautiful parkland, the manor is a hotel and country club with one-of a-kind spaces and old school values of personalised service and discretion. The manor has four restaurants, an extraordinary 3,000 sq metre Roman-inspired Bath House with an indoor pool, a gym with class studios and padel courts. Plus, there’s a kids’ club for the little ones. A 25-metre swimming outdoor pool, comfy sunbeds with hand-crafted umbrellas and a well-appointed bar on the South Terrace.

La Nauve Hôtel & Jardin, Cognac

From 615 euros - Check latest prices and availability

In a former cognac distillery located around the town of the same name, a historic building was transformed into a 12-room boutique hotel affiliated with Relais & Châteaux. There is a gourmet restaurant, a brasserie, a cocktail bar, a terrace and a superb garden. No pool at the moment

Lola Boutique Hôtel, Bordeaux

Check latest prices and availability

Situated in the centre of Bordeaux in the quartier Saint Michel, the hotel has a very welcoming atmosphere and some good rooms at good price. The property is around less than 1 km from Place de la Bourse, and a 16-minute walk from Grand Théâtre de Bordeaux. There is also a great cocktail bar. No pool.

Morgan & Mees, Rotterdam

Check latest prices and availability

Morgan & Mees Rotterdam i located just around the corner of the Nieuwe Binnenweg, an area known for its thriving arts and culture scene, with several galleries, theaters, and music venues located along the street. The hotel is in a stunning Bauhaus-style monument constructed in 1938, and accommodates 20 rooms and suites, a penthouse, spacious restaurant, cocktail bar, and a covered terrace. No pool.