Mélange Travel

20/09/2022

More travel advice. Time to stop following everyone else’s must-do list. Instead, decide what you like to do when you travel and focus on those things. You’ll enjoy your trip more!

11/08/2022

One of my most favorite parts of my work is planning + arranging full day private wine tours and tastings for clients at places with gorgeous views like this ♥️

The wineries are always family owned, lesser known boutique gems, very authentic with top quality wine- not large commercial wineries. It’s much more intimate that way.

But that’s just one way I work with wine lovers!

I can also arrange a wine tasting lunch in a beautiful or unique setting like an ancient wine cellar, a vineyard, or overlooking the sea.

If you’ll have a car and you prefer a DIY experience I can also help with that, so that you can visit independently.

🍷 I make appointments for tours/tastings

🍷 I organize full day wine touring/tasting itineraries

🍷 I arrange cooking or pasta making experiences at wineries, so you cook, taste and eat

🍷 I organize wine and cheese pairings

🍷 I can recommend the best wineries, wine bars or restaurants to visit with an emphasis on high quality wine

Click the link in my bio for info on wine tours, advice for DIY tours + tastings or to contact me to arrange something memorable for you!

03/08/2022

FOOD is my love language.

Drop a ♥️ if this is you too.

01/06/2022

I adore Ostuni - the charming white city in Puglia. 🤍

It has beautiful Baroque architecture, tiny white washed alleyways, miniature olive trees tucked into doorways and delicious food, wine and olive oil! And it makes a perfect base for exploring the area.

For my recos for what to do, see and where to eat click the link in bio ⬆️

20/04/2022

For all of you foodies heading to - check out my new guide for where to eat in the Canal Saint Martin neighborhood.



https://mymelange.net/mymelange/2022/04/where-to-eat-in-paris-canal-saint-martin-neighborhood.html

25/02/2022

Birds-eye views of Castello Reschio a fabulously restored ancient estate and historic property complete with a castle in the Umbrian countryside - the green heart of Italy 💚 I can’t imagine a better place for a slow a relaxing vacation surrounded by nature and of course amazing food. It’s simply stunning.

28/01/2022

PARIS IS ALWAYS A GOOD IDEA 🇫🇷 ♥️

Especially when it’s a foodie focused trip!

It looks like travel is making a comeback in 2022 and dare I say it’s sooooo good to be back baby!

Just this week, requests have started rolling in. I’ve taken on 3 new clients for trips this year and over the moon doesn’t being to cover how that feels.

My fave is a couple heading to Paris for 5 days in the spring (shhh, don’t tell the others 🤫 😂)

That’s exciting enough - BUT they requested me specifically because they wanted to experience ALL the best wine, cheese and bread the city has to offer and heard I could make that happen🍷 🧀 🥖

This is right in my wheelhouse, kismet really, and the minute I read that I knew it was meant to be and we’d be a perfect fit for each other! This is the stuff that lights me up💡💫

It’s been a rough two years. I haven’t been this excited to work with travelers, plan itineraries and share my recos for my favorite city, in a really loooong time. So I’m extraordinarily grateful and can’t wait to live, eat and drink vicariously through them in a few short months. And I’m thrilled to bring lots of wonderful customers to my network of trusted guides, wine bars, restos and culinary gems - I know they’ll appreciate the business. 🙌🏻

Now, it’s time to dust off the old planning skills….hope they aren’t too rusty after much too long of a hiatus.

I’m hopeful this momentum continues and travel starts to return, stronger than ever! ✈️ 💪🏼

Where are you dreaming of going? Will this be the year you make it happen?

27/11/2021

This has always been true, but more so now. Take the trip when you get the chance! After these past almost 2 years, maybe we will all appreciate any chance to travel, no matter where it will be. I know I will.

Where will you go next?

20/11/2021

When the ratio of fresh seafood to pasta is like 3 : 1 in favor of the seafood THAT’S my idea of a good Fra Diavolo 🌶 so pretty you almost don’t want to eat it. Almost 😉

15/11/2021

I love when gated storefronts like La Bottega della Gina cleverly advertise their biz when closed with a colorful mural. It makes you want to visit during opening hours! And it beats looking at a boring ugly garage door ♥️

Can you tell from their mural what they specialize in?

14/11/2021

Colazione in Verona ☕️🥐

Each region of Italy has a variety of pastries that are typical of the area. In , you’ll find risini - which are buttery flaky oval-shaped pastry shells filled with custard made with rice.

Some say the oval shape plays homage to the city’s Roman arena.

Paired with a cappuccino it makes the perfect breakfast!

You’ll find risini at better caffes and pasticcerie all over the city.

12/11/2021

A stunning spot in for lunch, drinks or aperitivo simply because of the location! 😍 The outdoor patio has amazing views of historical Roman monuments while sitting right on the Adige River - it is the perfect experience! ✨

Do you like drinks with a view?

10/11/2021

FOCACCIA BARESE🍕

Many regions of Italy have focaccia- but just like pasta they are all slightly different.

In Bari, you find Focaccia Barese. It’s really thick topped with whole tomatoes (not tomato sauce), oregano and in some cases studded with olives and always with a liberal glugs of olive oil.

Another secret ingredient used sometimes? Potato 🥔 It makes the dough a bit softer. It’s delicious 🤤 and a great ‘street food’ type snack where you can grab and go.

Two great places to try it in Bari

📍Panificio Fiori Bari

📍Panificio Santa Rita

Do you like focaccia? Have you ever had this Barese version?

08/11/2021

A perfectly framed entrance to the historic old town in Italy, known as ‘citta vecchia’. This part of the city is where I’d recommend you spend time.

It’s so easy to get lost here, in the labyrinth of tiny narrow streets- so it’s almost pointless to have a map. But that’s the fun of it! just take your time and see where life takes you.

You’ll see tiny shops, restaurants, bars and tons of laundry hanging from balconies; Locals chatting it up.

A few notable sights:

⛪️ 2 churches. Basilica di San Nicola and the San Sabino Cathedral. The crypt in San Nicola is worth a visit as well - the bones of Santa Claus are buried there and the mosaics are lovely.

🏰 Medieval fortress/castle with towers to see both city and sea views

🍝 the street where ladies line up and make fresh orecchiette pasta

📍 Two piazzas, always great for a cafe, lunch or people watching. Piazza del Ferrarese, which has part of the ancient Roman road- The Appian Way, and the Piazza Mercentile.

05/11/2021

I was surprised how much I loved ♥️

It makes a great base to explore ’s countryside, but there’s also plenty to do (and great places to eat - especially fresh seafood!) right in the city.

There’s also the historic old town, which is a charming maze of old alleys with ladies making orecchiette (the regional pasta shape meaning little ears) right on the streets! Plus, if you’re exploring Puglia - you can fly in and out of Bari’s airport - so it’s easy to tack on a few days before or after your trip.

You should also definitely make time to stroll the lungomare for awesome views of the port.

Is Bari on your must see list?

12/10/2021

Mmmmmm, what could be better than an entire bowl full of creamy homemade Burrata in !? Once you try one, you’ll go back for more. Trust me.

01/10/2021

Some advice to make packing for your next trip a bit easier. 🎒✈️

16/09/2021

Le Citizen Hotel is an eco-friendly boutique hotel in right on the Canal St. Martin with amazing views, and local organic food. Read more about it, why I loved my stay and which type of traveler it would be perfect for ❤️

https://mymelange.net/mymelange/2021/09/le-citizen-hotel-in-paris.html

An honest review of Le Citizen Hotel in Paris, a small eco-friendly boutique hotel with an organic cafe in the Canal St. Martin neighborhood.

18/08/2021

Bucatini Carbonara edition of
How it started vs. How it’s going 🍝🤤

10/08/2021

Now that it's possible to travel to Italy and France again, I've put together some updates, thoughts and travel advice. Hopefully it's helpful!

http://mymelange.net/mymelange/2021/08/coronavirus-travel-update.html

#

25/06/2021

At first glance, it seems these are framed Italian posters lining the walls, but they are actually painted on 🇮🇹 ♥️ An awesome idea 👏🏻

22/06/2021

Why not spend your summer vacation in the South of France sipping rosé while staring at this stunning view? 🤩 Add a mid-afternoon dip in the pool to cool off. Sounds blissful to me.

📸

18/06/2021

Mamma Mia! Just feast your eyes on this deliciousness 😍🤤

I love finding gems in Italy that serve up tasty charcuterie boards with local products - just add wine and you’ve got a perfect Italian meal 🍷🍷

Visits to wine bars are always included in my self-guided food focused itineraries. I do the research so you don’t have to!

More info here 👉🏻 http://mymelange.net/services/foodie-adventures

What is your favorite thing to eat on a charcuterie board?

11/06/2021

An afternoon passeggiata along the Adige river in 💛✨

08/06/2021

On a wine tour, just outside Verona in the Valpolicella hills, you’ll definitely taste some memorable wines - especially the Amarone - but the views are pretty unforgettable too 🍷♥️

Tag someone you’d like to go wine tasting with here!

05/06/2021

A Quiet Place 💙

San Fruttuoso is a peaceful oasis in Liguria.

Accessible only by boat or walking path, it’s a secluded gem, not to be missed, especially if you’ll be visiting nearby Portofino or Camogli.

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📸 credit :

04/06/2021

I’m excited to start arranging wine tours and tastings again for my clients! 🍷

Thankfully, things are starting to open up in Italy, so these experiences are now possible again!

I’ve already had a few requests and lots of interest for this fall and spring of 2022 - and I couldn’t be happier - both for my clients and for my dear friends and partners in Italy who are really eager to welcome them back!

Some of them are even offering discounts and special pricing for booking early!

📧 contact me [email protected] if you’re interested! I’d love to set up something memorable for you ♥️

02/06/2021

Italian Word of the Day : SMALTOTECNICA 🧡💛🇮🇹

01/06/2021

One thing I’ve missed terribly about Italy is 🍹

I love finding the best spots - especially those with a view 😍

Now that things are opening back up in , I’m really excited to start including these experiences into my client itineraries again!

28/05/2021

Who else wants to dive into Memorial Day weekend in with these views? 🤩😍