September 11, 2015

Hilltop Hideaway: Hotel Crillon Le Brave in Provence

A stylishly designed stone sanctuary that occupies an old hilltop village in Provence, Hotel Crillon Le Brave is a bucket-list worthy destination for any design tripper in search of organic, luxurious relaxation. Crillon Le Brave is perched above the Vaucluse Valley, offering views of vineyards and olive trees. This boutique hotel exemplifies the simple pleasures for which Provence is famous.

The hotel, which occupies eight village buildings in a town that dates back 2,000 years, is ideally situated in the region - 25 miles from Avignon. You are within close proximity to the major sites of Provence, yet heavens away.

We stayed three nights at this historic village property in the shoulder travel month of October (which means deals and no crowds), and I have been dreaming of returning ever since. Six months pregnant at the time, Hotel Crillon Le Brave delivered much needed pampering (one of the best masseuse ever), comfortable bedding and silky linens, deep soaking bathtubs, and breathtaking views of the Provence floor that can only be described as "relaxation at a higher level than yoga". Oh, and let's not forget, the seasonal, epicurean delights served in an ambient stone cellar or on the sun-bathed terrace. The staff was lovely, attentive and helpful in an informal way (no butler gloved hands lingering over your shoulder at this resort).

Historic well overlooking Provence's ground floor

My girlfriend enjoying the perfectly designed breakfast room

As Provence is my vacation destination of choice (how couldn't it be with its beautiful, colorful, artistic landscape (just ask Van Gogh), gorge-worthy food, inspiring design and down-to-earth living?), I am admittedly biased in this review.

Design Trip Notes

Shoulder Season: Provence virtually shuts down during the Winter and is a tourist zoo during the Summer. Traveling during the shoulder season, late September to October or April to May, not only avoids the crowds but also enables luxury accommodations at motel prices. Call Hotel Crillon Le Brave in advance and ask if they have any specials - you'll be surprised by the offered discount!
Brocantes: France is a treasure trove and a pilgrimage for flea market lovers. Avignon and nearly every other village holds a brocante (e.g., flea market) once a week. Ask the Hotel upon arrival and they should be able to provide you with a schedule of the neighboring markets. In April and October, large brocante festivals are usually held at select villages throughout Provence, the most famous of which are Barjarac and Isle-sur-la-Sorgue.
Seeking Lavender: Lavender season is June to August, but this is also prime tourist season. The beauty of the rows of purple balls may just be worth the price and crowds.

Images Brooklyn Boheme (unless otherwise noted)

August 30, 2015

Paris Shopping Essentials

by Brandi Brown in Jet Set

I have been spoiled by Paris, spoiled by the city's charming cobbled lanes, designer patisserie windows, fashionable pedestrians and spoiled from ever traveling to another city. I simply cannot get enough of this city, and I apologize to its neighbor, London, but she just doesn't offer the same grandeur, cafe charm or shopping indulgence. I swoon over Paris's design sensibility and the art-directed window displays of the couture houses as well as the humble yet chic offerings of the many Parisian artisans.

From couture houses, to artisans and gourmands, to brocante markets, Paris offers goods for every wallet size and aesthetic. Exploring Paris boutiques and brocantes is a trip unto itself, and here are my shopping essential tips for Paris.

Paris's shopping bounty is endless, so organize your shopping day by arrondissement. Rue Saint Honoré is a shopping route for those dressed by couturiers, while the Marais offers many vintage and small artisan labels, and the Madeleine is a food lovers delight. Below are my must hit shopping destinations when in Paris.

Elegant lingerie and the finest of stockings:
Chantal Thomass: 211 Rue Saint Honoré
Delicious white ceramics:
Astier de Villatte: 173 Rue Saint Honoré
Stylish flats for meandering the cobblestones:
Repetto: 51, Rue des Francs Bourgeois
Vintage couture:
Didier Ludot: Jardin du Palais Royal, 24 Galerie de Montpensier
Chic and classic totes:
Maison Goyard: 233 Rue Saint Honoré
Absinthe selection:
Vert d'Absinthe: 11 Rue d'Ormesson
Truffles of every sort (and the best truffle-brie sandwich for on the go shoppers):
Maison de la Truffe: 19 Place de la Madeleine
Mustard on tap and served in a souvenir ceramic pot:
Boutique Maille: 6 Place de la Madeleine
I am not a fan of one-stop shopping in Paris, but the Belle-Epoque beauty of this famed department store is worth the trip:
Printemps: 64, Boulevard Haussmann
Brocante:
Point de Vanvre (every Sat and Sun morning)
Village St. Paul (Marais)

Belle-Epoque grandeur of the famed department store, Printemps

Images by Brooklyn Boheme.

August 25, 2015

Paris in High Contrast

by Brandi Brown in Jet Set

Dreaming of Paris today (well, everyday). One of the things I love about Paris is the contrast of the city - striking the balance between ancient and modern design, and the culture's mutual appreciation for old and new generations.

In the heart of the Saint Germain, long live the classic Parisian cafe and the leisurely time of a bygone era that it represents. Youth and age alike appreciate the long-standing cultural pleasure of sitting, sipping and enjoying. A simple game of cards still reigns as the cafe entertainment of choice.

The ancient bones of Notre Dame cohabitate in a city littered with fashionable graffiti and mopeds.

Modern sculptural lights contrast against the historical architectural details of Musee d'Orsay.

Victor Hugo's Place des Vosges re-purposed for the modern daily workout regime.

Paris transcends the eras, it fashionably exudes history and persistently emerges at the modern forefront. Audrey Hepburn couldn't have been more correct, "Paris is always a good idea."

Images by Brooklyn Boheme.

August 23, 2015

International Diaries of a Toddler

by Brandi Brown in Jet Set

I believe that you should travel as far as you can, for as long as you can. So, it's no surprise that one of my biggest fears of child-rearing was the inability to travel, and I don't mean the Disney all-inclusive one-stop-shopping type of travel. I mean the immersion in foreign cultures and language, travel that requires planes, trains, and automobiles, and self-service adventures as opposed to bellhop courtesy. Not one to be held down by convention, I strapped on the Ergo and took to NYC, Paris, Bruges, Gent and Middleburg on a 2 week adventure with a 14 month old.

SMART LONG-HAUL TRAVEL WITH A TODDLER requires breaking-up the flight into segments. Since we were traveling from the West Coast to Paris, we stopped for 2 nights in NYC. Genius for three reasons:

West Coast to East Coast time difference helped with the jet-lag transition (meaning, fewer vacation nights spent awakening at 3am with a toddler who thinks it's time to play);
A day at Central Park allowed my toddler a much needed exertion of energy; and
Open Skies was offering a killer deal on business seats from NYC to Paris - a much more luxurious "lap infant" seat option. We booked the red-eye flight from NYC to Paris, so my toddler slept the entire flight!

Typical Paris bistro offers easy dining with a toddler.

BEGIN YOUR ADVENTURES IN A FAMILIAR CITY with the hopes that it will relax you. A relaxed mom is key to relaxing a toddler in a foreign environment. I know Paris better than I know my backyard city of San Francisco, so Paris was an easy jumping off destination. Paris also offers the essentials for toddler travels:

Enchanting architectural visual feast for adults (one that can be enjoyed even when chasing after a toddler);
Loads of open boulevards (for strolling with toddlers while window shopping);
Parks and carousels on virtually every corner and outside popular monuments (allowing unplanned museum visits preceded or followed by a park outing);
Casual outdoor dining with delicious food for adults and children alike; and
General safety.

Paris is designed to encourage cultural excursions with children. Outside the Louvre, the Tuileries offers carousel rides, kiddie parks and an abundance of space to run around. Jardin du Luxembourg features a multitude of kid friendly activities, including a kid-size zip line, fountain boat rentals, and carousels. Nearly every metro stop is adjacent to either a carousel or park. Which means, a daily outing in Paris need not be planned in advance.

Playing in the Tuleries outside the Louvre.

BOOK SPACIOUS ACCOMMODATIONS IN A CENTRAL LOCATION for easy outings and returns for naps. Hotel rooms can be doll-house size in Europe generally and even more so in Paris and Bruges, so we rented apartments via Airbnb and Homeaway, respectively. In Paris, the Marais provided us a central location with an abundance of parks, eateries, museums and shopping. Bruges is tiny, so any location in the city center is central and convenient.

BRING AN ERGO AND LIGHT-WEIGHT STURDY STROLLER to conquer the cobblestones. Our UPPAbaby G-Luxe stroller glided on the cobblestone streets with ease. Between the Ergo and the UPPAbaby, I was able to comfortably explore the city for hours at a time. I would also recommend bringing a rain cover for your stroller - after being caught by surprise (and hostage under street overhangs) by Bruges' moody wet weather, we picked one up at a local store.

Ergo enabled exploration on the Bruges Canal.

BEGIN EACH DAY WITH TODDLER FUN TIME but don't fret about the details of the day. We began each day at our neighborhood park, which meant my toddler was generally napping in the stroller by the time we made it to our shopping or museum destination - thereby allowing fun time for both toddler and mommy. The plethora of cafes, parks and carousels in the cities allowed us to meander without having to stick to a particular route or time regime.

I must confess that Paris was much easier to navigate with a child than Bruges because Bruges has fewer parks (and less impressive ones) and, on rainy days (which there are many in Bruges), finding inside seating at restaurants was a challenge. We were told on several occasions that we could not come in with a stroller - a problem when your child is sleeping.

USE YOUR APARTMENT AS A HOME BASE for exploring the regional area. Bruges is an ideal secondary home base, it's easily reached from Paris via train, and is a 1hr drive to Brussels, Gent and other Belgium cities and a 2hr drive to the Netherlands, and a 3hr train ride to Amsterdam. Bruges is a very charming Disney style town that offers delicious chocolate and beer (much needed for mommy after wine indulgence in Paris), but 2-3 days is sufficient to explore this gem. Next time, I would skip Middelburg and take the train to Amsterdam.

Bruges Architectural Details

Bruges Beer

TO BRING OR NOT TO BRING A CAR SEAT, this was the question that stressed me out until we arrived. I choose not to bring a car seat for two reasons: too cumbersome for airport travel and the safety latches in U.S. car seats are not generally compatible with European cars.

I hired a taxi with a car seat to drive us to/from Orly airport in Paris. Car seats are not required by law in Paris city center, and we got around mostly on feet and via metro, so no car seat needed in Paris. We rented a car in Bruges to explore the region, and I rented a car seat from the car rental agency. The only hiccup was that we had to install the European car seat ourselves - I'm still not convinced that we installed it correctly.

Tiny rental car overflowing with luggage

KIDS MENU NOT NECESSARY (and generally not available). French children are encouraged to eat the same meals (with all the veges and variety) as adults, so menus catered to children are generally not available at restaurants.

My toddler preferred the cultural offerings of croissants, savory crepes, croque monsieurs, yogurt, and Belgian waffles and fries. We deviated from this rule while waiting for our delayed flight at Orly airport, big mistake! A sub par plate of cold sliced ham and french fries was presented as the choice child's meal.

Enjoying ice cream from the famed Parisian Maison Berthillon

Toddler Jet Set Tips

Don't over pack clothes, but bring plenty of diapers and wipes (which can be expensive in Europe). Clothes can be washed at laundry mats available all over the city or in your rental apartment.
High quality formula and portable baby pouch food are widely available in Europe, so you need only pack enough for the plane and transport.
Airbnb and Homeaway offer rentals with cribs, toys and kid friendly environments.
Bring a light-weight yet sturdy stroller, such as UPPAbaby G-Luxe.
Protect your stroller in transit by checking it at the gate in a check bag, which are available at Target and Toys R Us.
If traveling during the rainy season, bring a rain cover for the stroller.
Bring an Ergo or other baby carrier for hands-free carrying.
Make a list of local hospitals before you leave.
Traveling with grandparents or other family can ease the stress and provide mommy with some alone time. (Thank you Grandma and Grandpa Reb!)

Images by Brooklyn Boheme.