Go Florence-Pisa-Livorno

Stayed at: Hotel Villa Carlotta, Florence

Bag: The Carnaby in Magenta from Nadia Minkoff London

Dress: Black Pompeia from Leblon London

Sometimes all you need (and all you have time for) is a long weekend to get away from it all and recharge your batteries.

So here’s the long and the short of it, my Florence long weekend escape.

FLORENCE

Visit:

Climb to the top of the Duomo for the most spectacular views

2. Central Market for the sheer colour and beauty of it and some specialised spice and ingredient shopping

3. Cross the Ponte Vecchio- simply because you can’t visit Florence without crossing this bridge

San Miniato the perfect walk up the hills, spectacular views, unbelievable crochet (to marvel at and to buy) as well as a jar of their own honey.

Eat:

Best sandwich:

All’Antico Vinaio

The hot spot for street food lovers and according to those in the know, the best sandwich in the world. Freshly baked bread, freshly prepared, extra large and most definitely worth the queues ( the queues are very long!)

Fantastic Pizza:

Gustapizza

Pizza, Pizza and only pizza , nestled adjacent to the Basilica Santo Spirito square ( which you want to hang out in , in any case) . Wood Fired Pizza, really well priced, the queues are long but well worth the wait.

Delicious ice cream

Gelateria Della Pasera

Spoilt for choice in Florence but can definitely recommend this small ice cream bar serving artisan home made ice cream

Dine

The best pasta I have ever had ! Trattoria Da Rugerro, This local little restaurant is an absolute gem: traditional, small, absolutely delicious. Pre book to get in.

Coffee

Ditta Artigianale Sprone

If you want a comfy coffee bar where you can sit inside or outside, get some work done and have a top class artisan coffee, this one is close to the Ponte Vecchio and it’s great

Stay at:

Hotel Villa Carlotta,

Escape the hustle and bustle of central Florence and stay in the beautiful neighbourhood of Porta Romana. It’s a 15 minute walk in a straight line ( and through the Roman gates) to the centre of Florence. Enjoy a quiet dip in the hotel pool or just relax and read a book

PISA

1hr 20 mins by train from Florence, the train station in Pisa is just about in the centre of this picturesque town.

Breakfast :

Cristallo café has an outdoor garden at the back of the main drag. Pastries are great and you can experience a Pistachio Cappuccino, a first for me and it was delicious.

Visit:

Leaning tower of Pisa,

You do have to check if it is still leaning and catch a selfie standing upright next to it. I didn’t go in, but people watching outside was good enough

Shop:

Wonder in the old town and shop, you’ll find fantastic clothing shops everywhere

snack and swim:

Take a bus to Marina de Pisa for a seaside bar and a quick swim. The beaches are pebbled and steep and the bus service is erratic ,don’t go late or leave late!

Dine:

Branzo serves some of the best and most interesting seafood you can get. It’s like street food but from a restaurant with top notch service and great outdoor sitting in the square ( weather permitting). Be sure to book or you won’t get in. The various seafood burgers are a must!

LIVORNO

Livorno is 20 minutes by train from Pisa

Visit:

If you want a day out swimming in beautiful , clean beaches , look no further. There is a bus from the train station that stops at all beaches, when you see the one you like just hop off.

Snack:

Livorno has plenty of delicious small bakeries to get you going if you need to grab something on your way to the beach

Lunch:

Alongside the fish market you can find many traditional eateries and bars. A good friend recommended Cantina Sense serving typical Livorno cuisine. Perfect seafood and home made gnocchi.

Post beach refuel:

Pasticceria Accademia if you need a refuel after the beach, this is a quiet, charming little café. Perfect ice coffees and some pretty fantastic cakes too.

Go Japan

Traveller: Our very own -Sawako

Bag: The Rena Go in Honey

My holidays in Japan involve: eating, visiting family, shopping, sight seeing (… more eating) and this always means numerous train journeys to crisscross the country. Who needs Bullet Trains when you can have one covered in cartoon characters, both inside and out

A relaxing stroll through Korakuen Garden in Okayama, a traditional Japanese landscaped garden.

Daytrip to Naoshima, a tiny island that has been turned into a modern art lover’s destination.

Spot the “additional feature” on the famous Kusama pumpkin.

Spot the Tourist! In Japan I am always a tourist

Remember, In Japan there’s no such thing as too many cats. This is at Gotokuji Temple in a suburb of Tokyo.

And finally, I couldn’t complete this without mentioning the incredible food!

My sentiments, exactly!

Keeping things Limit-Ed

Our Limit-ed range of jewellery combines all the things we truly love and believe in, only a small qty ( max of 10 of each style) is hand made at our London atelier, so each item really is a limited edition.

What’s more no two semi-precious stones are ever identical and as we also incorporate upcycled chain and beads, it’s fair to say that each and every one is unique.

When we launched our Burnt Orange Assymetric Earrings we certainly didn’t expect them to take off as they did, we just hoped they’d be well received. They have sold out weekly, we have shipped them globally and they are already on their 8th version and counting.

Our subtly asymmetric, lightweight and easy-to-wear earring range has grown and expanded . The real semi precious stones and glass beads give a luxe feel to the entire range ( including the Necklaces and Bracelets) and the rich colours create a statement whether matched with more colour, or worn as an accent with neutrals.

Deigned to be worn from day to evening, combined with other stones and crystals, they come from us with love.

Escape to Morocco

I was lucky enough to escape to Morocco for some winter sun. I have wanted to go for years and this winter break came as a complete surprise bought for me by my better half who decided I needed Time-Out even though I had not planned on having any.

3.5 hours from Gatwick to Agadir is really a very quick escape, we left at 4.30am on a very dark and very cold winter’s day and landed just after 14:00 hrs in full sunshine and 26c.

Before I start, I have to say just how much I loved Morocco: it surprised me, charmed me and I am definitely going again. I’m saying this first as possibly you might not think so from my initial observations, so please be sure to read till the end!!

AGADIR

On first impression and if I am honest, Agadir was not what I expected at all, it is somewhat of a building site. Turns out that in 1960 it was totally wiped out by an earthquake, so it genuinely is a building site. Not a single old building survived the earthquake: no blue walls, no small alley ways, none of that. Furthermore Covid seems to have dealt it a bitter blow. Our hotel , which was highly rated, was falling apart at the seams: from the lift that hardly worked (in fact we got stuck in it on our last day), to a very sad breakfast, no shower gel as it ran out and we were given shampoo instead. The gym, Sauna/ Hamam, hair and beauty salon closed down when Covid hit in 2019 they remain closed and left in a state of disrepair.

But the people who worked at the hotel were lovely, they did all they could and the best they could to keep it together and offer a heartfelt service. They worked extremely long hours, smiled and carried on, I have nothing but respect for how genuine they were.

Agadir is built around a very long bay, it’s not one of those ‘picture postcard’ beaches: no palm trees, no crystal clear turquoise blue water. But it is pristine, the beach and the sea are clean and with it being a bay the water is calm and perfect for swimming.

Was the food amazing?? No, not at all. We found a couple of reasonable local restaurants, that’s about it. What it lacked in good food it made up for with its bakeries. OMG, the bakeries are on a whole different level, French patisserie infused with hints of Moroccan flavours, can it get any better? Not in my books. The bakeries are open from early morning to late at night ,you can eat all your meals there, or just have a drink and people watch. I would go back tomorrow.

Tafarnout was absolutely my favourite bakery, can’t recommend enough.

Next door to Tafarnout is L’anice , if you ask me it has the best biscuits I’ve had anywhere, they are not cheap but they are worth every penny

And across the road Café La Fontaine is great for a late night mint tea and cake, sit upstairs on the roof and check out Agadir.

The only local restaurant I can recommend for its charm and fresh food was Rafiq,

Finally, I have to mention the Souk, the Souk El Had in Agadir is the largest in the area

Walk in through one of the gates and step back in time. This walled Souk is enormous, the nerve centre of Agadir, selling everything from furniture to freshly made Argan oil.

The stalls of Dates and Olives did it for me, just incredible.

TAGHAZOUT

The bus outside our hotel said ’32 Gone Surfing’ well, had to jump on it to see what this was all about. 15 minutes out of Agadir is desert on one side and the Atlantic coast on the other, lots of coves with white beaches ,big waves and a lot of surfers.

The final stop, some 30 minutes up the road is Taghazout and Taghazout is exactly what I thought Morocco would be like, even better. This small fishing village with its narrow winding alleyways lined with cafes, pottery , blue doors and plenty of sea food is picture perfect. The people are lovely, it’s very chilled, the beaches are fantastic, coffee is spot on and if you like freshly grilled fish , this place has it all. I can’t recommend it enough. We tried a fair few of the local cafes, all of them were great so I’m not going to recommend a specific one but I definitely recommend visiting.

I must mention the cats and dogs as there were plenty of stray cats and dogs everywhere. No matter where: beach, street, outside restaurants.they were constantly fed, kept hydrated and well looked after. I was impressed.

I even made a new friend who decided to enjoy the shade of my beach recliner

Finally, seeing as I am a bag lady 🙂 for those who asked about my Instagram pics, I travelled with my Full Circle Duo, of course I chose colours I thought would look great in Morocco. You can now get my exact Limit-ed Edition Duo from our website ( and in our winter sale, but be quick)

Recharging – Personal Trainer Time Out

Personal Trainer ( PT) : Liza Wright Fitness /What The Squat

Vacation: Paphos, Cyprus

Hotel: Asimina Suits Hotel

Travelled : Gatwick London to Paphos with BA

Bag: The Essential Borough Bag in Magenta

So here goes….

Apparently if you’re a Personal Trainer you choose your holiday accommodation by the gym! No fully equipped gym in the hotel = it’s a no go.

It’s also the first thing you check on arrival.

The gym at the Asimina Suits was good ,fully equipped with everything you need (how considerate that it even matched the Magenta Borough bag)

Post training you can finally relax poolside , you can even eat 🙂

The Asimina Suits hotel had the best breakfast buffet , as well as 4 excellent restaurants and the level of service was outstanding.

Give it a couple of days and you get into vacation mode, you still train but you let go and realise just how much you needed the break.

Both the hotel pool and private beach were great. But the real magic is sitting under the old olive trees in the hotel grounds

There is plenty of delicious local food to explore at night.

However, the favourite restaurant had to be : Koutourou Ouzeri

Don’t be fooled by the ‘small’ sharing dishes, they are far from small but try them all, they are delicious.

In conclusion:

Everyone needs time out, even the fittest need down time to recharge their batteries.

Thank you Paphos, it was great!

Find out more about training with Liza Wright online or in person :

email: lizawrightfitness@gmail.com

Instagram: @what.thesquat

At last it’s time to go, Portugal escape

This past January, just before lockdown restrictions ended in the UK and after almost 3 years of staying put in London, I finally boarded a plane and travelled.

Travel prep, testing and documentation was a mine field, just about enough to put you off from going anywhere. But with all the paperwork done and negative Covid test results confirmed I was Portugal bound taking with me my all new ‘Rena Go’ bag.

Well, I did design it to be a bag on the go, so only right to test drive it properly.

The airport was deserted, only 15 of us boarded the flight (I had to count), hard to describe just how alien it felt.

The flight was a direct flight to Porto, I was warned it rains a lot in Porto and it did exactly that. But I loved it, what a beautiful town, such friendly people and the bakeries… oh my, take me back.

The old port , bridges ,blue and white tile clad buildings and steep cobbled streets make it a fascinating town to visit and discover.

A 3 hour train journey which ended being a 5 hour journey from Porto to Lisbon was not great, if I am honest. The steep walk from the station up the hill to Alfama was picturesque. I’m not sure what I expected, but it certainly surprised me , so very quaint for a capital city, living in London you expect capital cities to be big and crowded.

One advantage of travelling during Covid was just how empty and quiet everything was. I understand Alfama is a bustling tourist district, not so when I visited. I appreciated the sunshine, views, colours and silence.

Lisbon is an absolute gem, beautiful, vibrant, interesting, tasty.. and if I’m talking tasty , a meal at Pharmacia is a whole different experience. Especially if you can sit outside on a sunny day. Don’t miss it!

There are plenty of short excursions to be had from Lisbon ( another reason I will be going back).

I managed to visit Cascais, a short train ride from Lisbon along the coast to this old fishing village. Inside the walls of the old city is the Cidadela Art District with it’s galleries and museums. It was too cold to swim in January but the white sandy beaches were beautiful all the same and the old port with it’s outdoor dining hub was buzzing.

Did the Rena Go pass the test drive?? the intention was to create a ‘down sized’ bag for the times… we live out of our phones after all so travelling with a big bag is unnecessary. We do need compartments for our phone, passport, masks, sanitiser, book… The Rena has just enough space for all these necessities plus a sewn- in key fob and card holder. With it’s wide, adjustable and detachable webbed cotton strap, I think we did good.

Ooh La La, The Richmond Bag in Paris

Photography: Brian Minkoff

Bag: The Richmond

Is there a more photogenic capital city than Paris? arguably not in my humble opinion.

We sent our iconic Richmond Bag travelling just before Christmas ( and Omicron), so here’s a bag’s eye view of this beautiful city.:

From the newly renovated La Samaritaine Paris Department store

to the Place Vendome

The Louvre

The Eiffel Tower

Le Marais and it’s delicacies

Art Deco meets the new iphone at the Place St Michel

Even the bears over do it sometimes, but how can you not?

Despite Covid ,Paris is as beautiful and as tasty. In fact, maybe Covid restrictions and complications have made short, successful getaways even more special.

Happy New Year to all, may 2022 be healthy, happy, tasty and a whole lot easier.

How changing times changed our design sensibilities

“I don’t think we could have stood the test of time had we not paid such close attention to what our customers want, what they buy or the direct feedback they provide us with. Covid meant we had to look and listen to your feedback even more to make sure we could keep our business alive. Our new AW21 bag collection has taken all we’ve seen; all we’ve learnt and all you’ve asked for and suggested to us into account.”

During lockdown we learnt how to be creative, resourceful and how to make the most of what we have at our doorstep and in our homes:

Walks to the park, discovering a new local beauty spot, queuing up for a take away coffee & pastry, learning something new, time spent watching and discussing Netflix

When lockdown ended but travel was restricted, we learnt how to Staycation and how to support and embrace local businesses.

Now that the skies, restaurants, workplaces and entertainment venues have re-opened did life resume to pre-covid normal or have we changed? adapted? developed new habits?

It’s hard to imagine that we can learn so much at Nadia Minkoff London through our online bag and jewellery sales, but we can.

Roll on Winter 2021 and we’ve adapting:

Our bag sizes have changed- we now ‘live in’ our phones and want smaller, lighter, more practical bags.

We’ve re-designed the interiors of our bags too- different compartments to make life easier: sewn in card holders, key fob holders, face mask pockets, more external pockets.

Our straps are wider, softer and kinder on the shoulders. And our colour palette? goodbye ‘seasonal’ and hello ‘all year round’. Seems we as people enjoy greater freedoms these days, switching things up, doing things our way, adding vibrant colours to our winter wardrobe and basic neutrals to summer one.

In 2017 I designed The Rena Bag in memory of my mother, it’s been a great, staple classic but needed to adapt to 2021. The all new Rena Go for Winter 21/22 is a great example of how we’ve adapted:

The Rena Go a fair bit smaller: at just under 2/3rds of the original Rena that’s a big drop in size!
The layout of the compartments and pockets in The Rena Go is designed to make everything visible at a glance- no need to rummage in the bag looking for that pen, lipstick, phone. But of course the all vital sewn-in key fob remains, you have no idea just how happy that key fob makes me, so useful!
Internally and externally we have maximised the space with a full size outside pouch and clever detailing inside
The new strap is a wide, soft cotton webbing. Not only is it comfortable so you can wear your bag crossbody or on the shoulder it is detachable so you can pack the bag away easily into a small suitcase if your flying light
The all new gunmetal plated hardware give compliments the modern, minimalist shape of the bag,but best of all will work with any jewellery plating be it gold, silver or gunemtal.
And the colours? classic Grey, Warm Honey, Fresh Aqua Blue

Of course, we test and re-test all our bags at the office, at home and outside.

We sent our Rena Go on a short Brighton staycation, which involved walking, cycling, beach strolling, eating out, drinking out and … more eating out.

It was perfect and I think my mum Rena would have approved….Normally she would have gone for Grey but I think this time round she would have gone for the Aqua Blue , Blue was her favourite colour.

Blue summer- creating mood and harmony with a limited palette

Outdoor Photography : Brian Minkoff

Since the first UK lockdown in March 2020 I have been developing our jewellery, handbag and small leather ranges based on limited colour palettes. I choose a palette that I feel fits the current season and the current mood.

Prior to lockdown my colour schemes would have been ‘fashion led’, I would have covered a broad spectrum with a mixture of both cool and warm colours with varying hues and intensities.

I now choose to explore a limited palette, I have discovered that exploring a limited palette creates harmony, clarity, evokes strong feelings and gets the absolute best from a colour.

Those who know me know Blue is probably my favourite colour, choosing to limit my palette not only to Blue but also to a ‘cool colour’ might seem an odd choice given that it is officially summer now ( I say officially as it doesn’t quite feel like summer in the UK as yet).

However, my association with Blue is one of warmth: blue skies, blue seas, blue horizons. Full of depth, never disappointing, dynamic and optimistic.

My design sensitivities have gone from ‘fashion led’ to ‘mood led’ over this past year, my colour palette tells both my story at this moment as well as my outlook.

Simply, this means that my first story for Summer 2021 is dynamic and my outlook is optimistic. Blue Summer, not Summer Blues.

The Limited Edition Blue Summer collection is now available from Nadia Minkoff London and leading stockists online and worldwide

After the Frost

Those of you who follow this blog will know I have documented my views of London in Lockdown since March 2020. London has been my source of inspiration since setting up my label way back when, but of course I never expected to see London during a pandemic: eerily quiet, empty, shut down, dystopian.

For us Londoners, local walks have been an opportunity to see London bare, an architectural backdrop without the crowds.

And just when I presumed this London landscape which was now becoming my familiar ‘new normal’ February 2021 arrived with heavy snow swiftly followed by a frost so deep I can’t recall ever seeing London like this.

Regents Park was frozen, with seagulls perched on the icy lake and ducks wondering along the frozen canal.

The reflection of the sun on the ice made for some beautiful metallic hues, so much so that it inspired my ‘After the Frost’ collection.

But…there was also warmth and happiness it came with music and Salsa right in the middle of the park, who would have thought? A nod to colour and life after the frost