My Bella Travel

12/21/2024

Had a fabulous Holiday Goose Dinner at White Oak Kitchen and Cocktails last weekend. What a treat!!

This downtown Southern-Infused gem had a gorgeous space (perfect for our group’s holiday dinner), and they created a special goose dinner just for us. (We love love to be off-menu).

The chef came out between each course to share his vision of our bespoke dinner. It’s a nice touch—something we like to do at the Chaine to connect better with our chefs.

Any night where you can dress is all you sparkling glory and have fine wine and a well-crafted tasting menu is. Good night!

Vive la Chaine!

10/31/2024

Bella has made another appearance in our industry's travel publications--this time speaking about the affluent traveler and increasing your share of the Luxury Travel space.

https://agentathome.texterity.com/agentathome/library/page/october_2024/22/?fbclid=IwY2xjawGQjoVleHRuA2FlbQIxMQABHVGXboP_nFVsRbofzRPTrGq7KtMG5vraFK_7eyIejoFmyeKoPOGvhklbqw_aem_4X1UWmICAWaGgSFuQq4C5g

TappingInto Today’sLuxuryTravelMarket ADVISORS PAINT A PICTURE OF THE AFFLUENT TRAVELER AND OFFER TIPS ON HOW TO CAPTURE A LARGER SHARE OF THE LUXURY MARKET By Claudette...

10/29/2024

Last week, my mother sent the fam a picture of her voting sticker with a quote: “History is made by those who show up.”

I feel very fortunate to belong to a family with a long history of showing up: community volunteers, poll workers, service men and women, nurses, teachers, telephone operators, farmers, entrepreneurs, and the like. They instilled in me a responsibility to take care of my community.

I think of the women who came before me every time I vote. The 19th amendment giving women the right to vote came in 1920. My great grandmothers were in adulthood when it passed.

Imagine being a grown woman and being told you didn’t have the mental capacity nor emotional clarity to cast a vote.

My vote is for Mary Leola, a middle class mama who was smart as a whip, commanded respect, and raised her own kiddos plus many foster children.

My vote is for Zenovia, who being half Cherokee—seen as such an undesirable by society that her wealthy father abandoned her at the insistence of his east coast family. She was an adult when she discovered her last name was Drane and not Dream as she was told. She was taken in by a family who took care of her, but also used her as house labor.

My vote is for Eva Marie who lived on a cattle ranch in Clayton, NM. She fell in love with a professional baseball player and left her family for a new start in Arkansas. She was a horsewoman, and drove a car in the 1920s. Her grit got them through the depression.

My vote is for Millie who was known as a hard working, wiry, country woman. Her father died when she was 3, and at 16, she secured a job keeping the house for a nearby family. She hitched the mules to plow the fields, traded crops (including to***co) for material to make and sell quilts.

Each of these women’s legacies made me who I am today. Resilient, determined, entrepreneurial—and who loved their families—kiddos, grandchildren, and great grandchildren like the dickens. They had no voice in the selection of our country’s leaders in their lifetime.

Proud to vote. I have a voice and because of their legacies, I will use it.

09/29/2024

Yesterday’s private excursion to Sintra (outside of Lisbon) checked all the boxes: dramatic scenery, imaginative castle with a love story, a winery visit (again with a love story), and ab amazing lunch at this local place with outstanding food.

Yes, Sintra is super popular (ie: crowded), but our shoulder season adventure helped. Plus our friends at The Boutique Traveler scored us fast pass, skip the line tickets (a must for the castle).

We learned about the local pastries, customs, and history, and had the best time.

I really do love my job!

.traveler

09/25/2024

Normandy has long be on my list to explore. I wanted to stand on the sands of bravery to contemplate those who came before me who were willing to fight—to risk their lives to liberate their brothers and sisters an ocean away.

At the American Cemetery memorial, I read a quote from Franklin Roosevelt which stuck with me: They fight not for the lust of conquest. They fight to end conquest. They fight to liberate.

We stood at the foot of a cathedral in Saint-Mere-Eglise where paratroopers landed in the village—one of which was stuck on the cathedral spire and survived to tell about it. The stained glass windows inside depict the landing and the bravery of the men who fought there.

We wandered over to Saint-Martin-de-Varriville to wander over the remains of anti-landing gear and german bunkers along the dunes.

We walked through the memorial sculptures of Utah Beach ending with a reflective path at Pointe du Hoc where we encountered craters, bunkers, and barbed wire.

I was enamored with the juxtaposition of rusted barbed wire with the bright blue of the sea. I named that photo series the beauty of sacrifice.

It seemed appropriate.

My only regret was that I didn’t have more time to explore and reflect.



Some 📸 by

09/22/2024

London Eye. It’s been one of those things perpetually on my London List. On this visit, I was determined to take a ride and see first hand what I thought.

It was cool seeing the city from high above at sunset.

The Eye takes about 30 minutes to make the loop. We had a handful of people in our pod—but not so many where it was tough to get a good view or good picture.

We reserved flexible, fastpass tickets so we could go any time convenient for our touring day. I was really glad to have the flexible tickets as opposed to a set time.

The London Eye was a fun way to start our trip!

🎡

09/21/2024

Cotswolds you charmer! We spend a lovely day exploring this picturesque region just outside London with our favorite driver guide.

We wandered the countryside, stopped at a pub for fish & chips, perused the shops, and climbed the towers.

Sometimes after several days of go-go-go, you just need a slower pace in the countryside.

09/19/2024

Hampton Court Palace has long been a favorite way to get my Bella Travelers out of the city.

This former favorite home of Henry VIII has a lot to offer explorers who love history as well as families with curious kiddos.

Inside the palace, there are several interpretive stations and often activities to bring the 1500s to light. We watched kidlets enthralled with the sugar etching techniques of a local artist in period costume.

We wandered the halls of the castle and the gardens talking about courtiers, ghosts, and the wives of the king.

It was the perfect way to spend the afternoon.

08/29/2024

As I prepare for my upcoming trip which includes Normandy, I've spent some time pondering my grandpa's stay there after his time as a German POW. He was 90 pounds (I've also heard 80) and waited at the Lucky Strike Camp until it was his turn to come home.

His resilience is the reason I am even here today to type this.

Here's a bit of insight into the Lucky Strike Camp that my momma sent to me, today.

The cigarette camp “Camp Lucky Strike” was a bustling tent city of 58,000 impatient American troops awaiting transportation back to the United States after Victory in Europe. Lucky Strike was described as both “seventh heaven” and complete chaos.

08/11/2024

Last weekend, I had the best time at Modern Art Distillery in Chamblee with my Atlanta Chaine des Rotisseurs friends.

We sampled spirits, enjoyed a welcome cocktail, and got a tour of their gorgeous facility. I seriously love the copper pot vibe going on here!

Their gin was fabulous, and their peachy amaro was a fan favorite.

Perfect way to spend a rainy Sunday!

08/09/2024

Mahjong is everywhere!! Had the best time last night with my ladies of learning about the game of Mahjong with Liz at

Liz gave the skinny on the history of the game, an introduction to the tiles, and an overview of the game theory.

I am so excited to try out Mahjong. Who else is playing or wants to learn? Any tips?

07/30/2024

Sign me up!!! Champagne Picnic in Antarctica in a luxury pod - yes please!!!

White Desert is the only jet service to Antartica, and its private Echo camp is the most exclusive on the continent.

07/25/2024

When Fouquets New York comes to town, and you get to have dinner with your favorite people, you know it’s a good day! The torrential rain didn’t stop us from meeting at the always fabulous Lyla Lila in Midtown (although I did arrive completely drenched from the 1 block walk).

The menu was on point and although it was tough to choose, I landed on the peach, tomato, and burrata salad (so fresh and summery) and the duck lasagne (y’all!!). Delicious! I paired it all with a lovely croatian white wine in honor of my past summer adventure.

Angeli from Fouquets New York gave us the skinny on all the things happening at their Tribeca hotel: speakeasy, rooftop bar, French brasserie, dog pound workout access and more. It’s a lovely piece of France in the middle of NYC.

Thank you .newyork for a fabulous evening. you knocked it out of the park as always. it’s always fab to see you walk into the room and .g.edson I’m so glad you are on my team!!

07/02/2024

Montenegro—I didn’t know too much about Montenegro before I came. It’s been on my list for a long time, and was so close, I just had to pop in. (Have you ever done that???)

The natural beauty of the mountains tumbling in to the clear sea is breathtaking. The Adriatic Sea is clear and peaceful. You’ll spy towns along the coast by the old spires poking up to say hello.

The cuisine in this part of the country is very Italian-like as it was a province of Venice way back in the day. The seafood is fresh, and the hospitality is warm.

We fell in love with the Chedi with her beautiful spaces, local cuisine, and the shops and restaurants along the sea promenade. There are a few@beach clubs here—something for every vibe.

We quickly learned three days was not enough—our goal was to chill (accomplished), and there are so many activities we want to do. A return is definitely in the cards!

Thank you for your warm hospitality! Your team is amazing!

06/29/2024

Circled back to Slovenia for a day to explore the lovely Piran. We are still in lovely Istria, which is shared between Slovenia, Italy, and Croatia.

Piran has salt fields nearby, and I definitely picked up some saline treasures to bring home in my suitcase.

This small Venetian-inspired town is a gem replete with a lighthouse tower attached to a 13 century church. The colors and the sea beckoned for a longer stay, but alas, we had wine tasting to do…but we’ll be back!

06/27/2024

Yesterday, we visited the cute hill towns of Hum and Motovun starting from our port of Opatija (called the Portofino of Croatia).

Hum is super cute and vibey, and with a population of 30, it claims to be the smallest town in the world. Of course, Michele and I remarked to ourselves they have possibly not visited the tiny towns in the Ozarks and other places in Arkansas and Missouri—but we went with it. Nonetheless, the views were stunning and we enjoyed wandering the stone-lined streets.

We learned how the local brandy (raki) is made and sampled a few including a mistletoe brandy.

The hilly area is the peninsula of Istria, which is known for its olive oil production along with many other products. Istria is shared with Slovenia and Italy. Y’all, it’s gorgeous!

Motovun has a pretty church in the town with a fantastic 17th century last supper painting behind the altar by an unknown venetian artist. The hill town is charming—much like the Italian hill towns we love like Montalcino, etc.

It was a great day!

06/25/2024

First day aboard the Seabourn Encore. We are visiting the towns along the coast of Croatia with its azure water and dramatic topography.

The ship is gorgeous, and the cuisine on-point. Of course, the champagne flows non-stop and our every need is taken care of with a smile.

Perfect way to summer in Europe.

06/21/2024

Lake Bled you charmer! Your tall mountains and azure waters made my heart happy and wish I was here for more than a day.

Lake living, flowers, rowboats, paddle boards, and all the greens and blues you can imagine.

We rang the Wishing Bell with wishes and thoughts of gratitude, explored the castle, and sampled the famous Bled cream cake—learning stories from our expert private guide from

Plotting my return as we speak…