Port of Call: Newport, Rhode Island

Newport’s pretty harbour

A few days ago, I returned from a gorgeous 7-day New England and Atlantic Canada cruise. My mum organized this amazing trip and took me along as a treat. I can honestly say, it was one of the best vacations of my life, bar the seasickness.

Our first port of call was the picturesque Newport, RI. What a beautiful place! It was like a postcard and it has no mosquitoes. None! As the harbour is too shallow for the Caribbean Princess, mum and I had to go ashore by tender:

The tender

It may look big in the photo, but that is basically a small ferry. People who know me will be amazed to find out that 1) I was on a ship at all, and 2) I voluntarily boarded a smaller ship. I am not a big fan of sailing, but mum convinced me that cruising was different and the tender was perfectly fine. It actually was perfectly comfortable and a good size, so I wasn’t too nervous. Besides, the beautiful scenery and a promised tour of The Breakers kept my mind occupied during the short journey.

The Breakers

The Breakers was definitely the highlight of the excursion. It is simply so immense that it’s nearly impossible for me to describe it’s size. At over 136,000 sq ft, it was staggering, as well as beautiful and completely over-the-top. I loved it all.

We couldn’t take photographs of the inside; however, we had a magnificent and very informative audio tour. There were entire rooms made of marble, clawfoot tubs with faucets for both salt and fresh water, platinum wallpaper, a 2-storey butler’s pantry, and an incredible loggia that looked out over the sea. Not to mention an adorable children’s cottage that was nearly the same square footage as the first floor of our home!

Image from Wikipedia

I loved hearing the stories from members of the Vanderbilt family and how they spent their summers there. Hearing stories of Vanderbilt children sliding down the Main Staircase on trays in the Great Hall, as well as playing croquet on the lawn made The Breakers feel more personal, despite it’s huge size. I still can’t imagine, though, sleeping in a room that is over 600 sq ft and has 15 foot ceilings!

Just to get an idea of the size of the home, here is the layout of the first floor:

• Entrance Foyer
• Gentlemen’s Reception Room
• Ladies’ Reception Room
• Great Hall (50 ft x 50 ft (15 m) x 50 ft)
• Main Staircase (though visitors may not use them)
• Arcade
• Library
• Music Room
• Morning Room
• Porch
• Lower Loggia
• Billiard Room
• Dining Room
• Marriage Chest
• Breakfast Room
• Pantry
• Kitchen

While The Breakers is now owned outright by the Preservation Society of Newport County, members of Cornelius Vanderbilt II’s family still summer there, privately tucked away on the third floor of the mansion. Only the first two floors are open to the public. Even so, it took mum and I well over an hour to complete the audio tour.

I highly recommend visiting Newport and all its attractions. I also highly recommend cruising with Princess. The entire experience was incredible!

Getting Glam: Part 2

Ah, the Ritual Rooms. Pure bliss.

I really did have an incredible time whilst in London. I spent time with one of my favourite people ever. I got to wear a stunning dress. I saw the Strictly final live. And, I got a makeover!

My orders were to arrive at the Ritual Rooms at 11:00 a.m. and enjoy myself to the fullest. Being an excellent follower of instructions, I did just that.

It’s an oasis of calm in the midst of Central London. Its modern and tasteful decor of chocolate and cream instantly relaxes you. When I arrived, I was shown to a lovely relaxation room and given peppermint tea and biscuits while I filled out some paperwork. Shortly thereafter, the lovely Angela came to collect me.

Now, one of the innovative things about the Ritual Rooms is their treatment rooms. They are incredibly soothing and have been designed so you can have all of your treatments and pampering without leaving the room! No more hopping from the massage table to the pedicure chair to the stylist’s chair. In each room is an uber-comfy chocolate leather massage table that converts into a pedicure / manicure chair and then further converts into a stylist’s chair. Allow me to illustrate:

See? Gorgeous, relaxing, and clever! I started my day with a wonderful facial and aromatherapy massage (Ladies, if you’ve not done this – go to your nearest spa now and do it! Better yet, when in London, have it done at the Ritual Rooms), followed my a very soothing manicure and pedicure, with a very cool chocolate cherry polish.

After all that – I was so relaxed I felt like a wet noodle! – Matt, the very sweet and lovely French stylist – came in to transform me into a Hot Mama. With his charming French accent and his great skill, I let him do as he pleased, with these two conditions: my hair must look sexy and be very easy to care for.

Matt transformed me from this:

into this (I’m the brunette, Kristina is the stunning blonde):

Makeup by Kristina, gown from Anne O’Dowd

Pretty amazing, yes? I was afraid my own family wouldn’t recognize me at the airport! LOL!

What a wonderful day that was. So much pampering and I felt like a zillion dollars when I came out of there. If you’re in London, be sure to make an appointment at The Ritual Rooms. Tell them I sent you. 🙂

Relax In Style

Visiting Kristina in London was simply fabulous! Not only did I get to spend time with her – which was the best part – she really did roll out the proverbial red carpet for me.

I’ve mentioned before how I Got Glam (and there’s still more to that story), but did I mention how I unwound?

Kristina, as you all know, is a lovely, kind, and generous person. In order to make sure that I had enough rest and was comfortable (I would have been happy sleeping in a cupboard under the stairs, Harry Potter style. Truly!), she arranged a room for me at The Edward Lear Hotel.

It is an exquisite building. The architecture outside had me drooling, and indoors had me swooning! Sweeping staircases, soaring ceilings, and tall windows are just a bit of what’s in store for you at the Edward Lear.

My room was gorgeous! It faced Seymour Street and had two massive windows, a large double wardrobe, a very comfortable double bed, a flat screen TV, and a super cute pink bathroom. I must admit, I slept starfish-fashion in the bed. How could I resist?

Staying at the Edward Lear was wonderful. Not only did I feel completely spoiled by Kristina’s generosity, it was marvellous to be in Central London and be really immersed in the culture and lifestyle. Their staff are knowledgeable, helpful, and unfailingly courteous.

The Edward Lear Hotel is a stone’s throw from Marble Arch tube station and – wait for it – Oxford Street! Oh, yes, you shopping mavens, it’s a superb location, to be sure. Buckingham Palace and the theatre district are also very close.

I highly recommend The Edward Lear Hotel when you next travel to London. I know I would stay there again in a New York, um….I mean in a ‘London’ minute. Visit this link to read more about Edward Lear.

My Excellent Adventure….

My suitcase is packed.

My jet plane is waiting.

I’m ready to go for My Excellent Adventure, Kristina & Sarah style.