Dear lovely followers,
I am taking a well needed rest for a couple of weeks to go to the South of Portugal. I am not sure how ¨fashionable¨it will be but it will surely provide me with the rest and relaxation I need to continue being my sassy self starting up again at the beginning of April.
Spring 2013 will bring a lot of exciting new things for Life and Style Madrid so stay tuned! See you all in April!
XOXO, LZ
Italy is one of favorite places to be in this world. Not only do I love the stunning landscape, delicious food, and fabulous fashion, it´s also home to my heritage and the Italian language makes me swoon. Whenever I get the opportunity to visit I always love to focus on the special, little details…to me that´s what makes Italy a special place.
Enjoy a few highlights from my visit to Rome last weekend…!
Christmas tree made of bottles….very original! And I like the recycling aspect of it!
I just love seeing bikes in cities. Call me obsessed but there is something about people riding bikes around a large city that just warms my heart.
Europe wins when it comes to little stone fountains. Hands down.
Now for my fashion picks….I always think of all cities in Italy as being great shopping places….but truly, Rome has NOTHING on Milan. However, I did see one small boutique I liked- Jodiel, and fell in love with these platforms in their window display. Jodiel is locatd on Via Vittoria between Via del Corso and Via del Babuino.
I always love Miu Miu´s window display. Everytime I go to Italy I have to stop and take a lot. This trip´s glance did not disappoint.
This past weekend, (in addition to it being my birthday) was our annual girls wine tasting weekend in the Rioja region of Spain.
The past two years, we´ve gone in winter, then fall, and this year we went quite a bit earlier, with almost summery temps, so below I have some ideas of what to wear wine tasting in warmer temps.
1. A scarf or pashmina is always a good idea. It can be windy even if it´s warm so you always want your neck to be warm.
2. Layers, layers, layers. Although it might be warm and sunny outside, wine cellars usually keep a temperature of about 57 degrees farenheight, which is quite a bit cooler than the 75-85 degrees it was outside. Because of this, I made sure to layer up so I could take off my cardigan and scarf outside, and put in on during the wine cellar tours.
Here are some pics from this year´s trip. If you´d like to see previous posts on this, check out my 2010 Winter Trip and my 2011 Fall Trip. Check out the Vinobus La Rioja website for more information if you would like to plan your own spanish wine tasting experience.
First I will start with my outfit, and a closeup of my new leopard flats. Then, some group pics of all the beautiful girls-Desi, Brit, Heather, Lori, Elise, and Norma.
I was conveniently in Paris last week, just in time for fashion week, and though I didn´t go to any shows, the whole ambiance of Paris is fashionable. My favorite parts of the trip (besides spending some quality time with my favorite people in the world) were not only the tourist sights but the things that make Paris, well-Paris. Quaint little boutiques, pastry shops, cafes, that clean, meticulous architecture, the emergence of some amazing street artists, the personal style of the french…etc!
Posted below are some special Paris photos I snapped during my travels. I hope you enjoy them!
View of Champs Elysees from up high
Eats and Drinks are a fabulous part of the Parisian culture. You can never go wrong with wine and cheese at a cute little wine bar, and for dessert…of course, macarones.
Of course, you will always some fun and quirky things in any big city…(however I think only Paris serves Jean Paul Gautlier Diet Coke…!)
Here are some of the vintage shops and boutiques I passed.
Some wedges that I loved…
Finally me on my bike…cruisin!
Posted in Fashion, Stores, Travel
Tagged Boutiques, Champs Elysees, John Paul Gautlier Coca Cola Light, paris
Fitur ´Feria Internacional de Turismo´is back for another year at the Feria de Madrid. Last year I went and had a total blast. Not only can you find loads of information related to travel destinations all over the world, there are contests, free food and drinks, free tee shirts, bags, all sorts of fun stuff happening. The general admission this year is 8 euros and it´s open to the public January 21st and 22nd.
For more information, visit the FITUR WEBSITE.
As you all may remember from my original ´What To Wear Wine Tasting´ post last year, I suggested wearing low heels or flats, dressing warmly and of course wearing dark colors.
This year I have a few small additions to make after my second year wine tasting in Logroño, Spain. The weather this year was lovely, sunshiney and brisk but fairly warm. I probably did not need a heavy winter coat, however once you are down in the wine cellars it does get a bit chilly, so the best solution is:
Wear a heavy scarf!
This will keep your neck warm in the chilly wine cellars and can double as a cape or ´blanket´to be draped around your shoulders. However, if you are outside and you begin to get warm, you can simply take it off, and it´s a lot easier to carry around than a heavy winter coat. See examples of scarves below.
Holly, Desi, Heather and Norma, all with warm scarves.
Holly, Heather and I…as you can see we are sporting a no jacket look with scarves
A closeup of Holly and Desi´s patterned scarves
I could take over the world in my yellow-orange scarf 
Posted in Cultural, Events, Fashion, Scarves, Travel
Tagged Logroño, What to wear wine tasting
As a current resident of Spain I plan on visiting each and every one of the Canary Islands. So far I´m 4 down, having visited Tenerife, Gran Canaria, Fuerteventura (which I adore) and my newly acquired contender to steal Fuerteventura´s place as favorite, Lanzarote! The island is a volcanic sight to see, with actual rocks and black ash and mountains with crater´s lining the hightways and coastline. It´s a very special place.
Of course I had an amazing time because I was with 7 fabulous ladies…but aside from the company, the beaches were beautiful, the locals were nice and the food was great.
We stayed in the Playa Blanca area where I highly recommened the Playa Blanca beach, pictured below.
Playa Blanca, gorgeous!
Renting bikes is a great way to get around town, the beach, and the surrounding area. Make sure to rent a car if you want to see the famous Papagayo beach…its a pretty serious bike ride so a car might be a better plan for that excursion.
Me, sporting the perfect ´bike to the beach outfit´…Mango Top, cut off shorts (otherwise known as DUKES) (If I knew how to add a footnote thats where I would also mention I´ve had these dukes since I was 13), fedora from boutique in Dublin, Ireland, and of course, essential beach wear…rainbow flip flops!
Eats…Casa Pedro is where its AT. Delicious seafood, with a beautiful terrace and ocean views…doesn´t get much better than that!
Also, Gravity, a small British owned bar on the main drag is a great place to relax with a coffee or mojito.
Using my favorite website, which I have written about before, Owners Direct UK, I rented an amazing villa, which I highly recommened, the actual link to the villa is here is want to go and have a large group!
Start planning your trip now!
All the girls!
From left to right, Lori, Holly, Norma, Desi, Heather, Amy, Monica, Rachel
Posted in Restaurants, Travel
Tagged Casa Pedro, Gravity, Lanzarote, Playa Blanca, Playa Papagayo
If you don´t yet know what a Smartbox is…your life is about to change this very moment! Smartbox is a type of ´Gift Card´(except way cooler )that you can purchase at many shops including VIPS, Corte Ingles, ABAC, etc.
Basically you pay a certain amount of money for a specific type of thing…wine tasting, a dinner, a spa trip, a weekend in the moutains etc. Then you´ve got an entire book of many cities in Spain and places in each city where they offer the service.
So let´s say you´ve got one for a tasting. It tells you, in detail, the 8 restaurants or places in Madrid, the 10 restaurants in Seville, the 5 in Barcelona etc that offer a tasting, and what they offer. Perhaps in one place you get a dessert and port wine tasting. In another you get tapas and beer tasting. Another is wine and chocolate. Another you´ve got in a restaurant on the beach with different seafood. You get to pick the place, call for a res and you are set! I have had success with the 2 I have received and the few I have bought for others. They have some really interesting ones, like Adventure, where you can drive a Ferrari, go zip lining, windsurfing, tons of different things, depending on your city!
The spa one is fantastic…I chose from a number of options to get a ChocoTerapia, which was a full body massage with chocolate! Amazing!
So next time you don´t know what to get someone…try a Smartbox!
I know I may be biased but after visiting:
Cadiz
Barcelona
Malaga
Alicante
Gran Canaria
Tenerife
Fuerteventura
I have finally decided that the most gorgeous beach I have seen while here is El Cotillo in Fuerteventura. The beach has several lagoons, and beautiful white sands. However there is also volcanic rock amidst the sands and therefore there are many cool tide pools, fish, shells and interesting things to play around with and look at. The waves are huge and crashing and the color of the water is a crystal clear blue-green, reminiscent of the Caribbean.
This beach is off the beaten path, however it´s not deserted. It´s not a nude beach but you will see nudists here, so if that creeps you out, this beach is not for you. Also if you enjoy finding hermit crabs, seeing fish…it´s got marine life too!
Make sure to drive up to the main town of El Cotillo to enjoy some delicious seafood and wine just in time for the sunset. I recommend the restaurant, La Vaca Azul, with delicious seafood and amazing views.
White Sands!
Tide Pools!
Volcanic Rock!
Sunset!
Finally, La Vaca Azul!
If you are looking for a relaxed, beachside holiday Fuerteventura is the perfect spot. It´s got amazing weather all year around and its cheap and easily accesible from Madrid by direct flight and from many other cities in Europe.
Fuerteventura is one of the seven Canary Islands and is often known for its Sahara like beaches with white sands. It can often be windy there, especially in the summer but it rains very little. Corralejo is the largest resort town and many Brits, Scots and Germans find it the perfect spot for the holidays.
The best thing for me about Fuerteventura is that it´s very low key. There are bars and restaurants but it´s really just a very relaxed time. You can rent quads, snorkle, and of course with it´s winds, its the perfect place to learn how to windsurf or kite surf. Try Lastminute Destinations on the main street, Calle Nuestra Señora del Carmen, to take a day trip to Lanzarote, or other fun activities.
HIGHLIGHTS:
Flag Beach. Several kilometers of white, sandy beaches, the perfect spot to simply sun yourself, or kite and windsurf if you so desire!
El Cantante Restaurant-Bar
Perfect spot for a wine or coffee while you enjoy the beautiful ocean view! They also have live music in the evenings.
Paseo Atlántico, 2, 35660 928 53 73 57
Calle del Nuestra Señora del Carmen
Bars, restaurants, places to rent cars and bikes, the main street in town!
El Campanario
A tiny outdoor mall with a huge grocery store, bowling alley, shops, and restaurants. You can even climb the bell tower for amazing views!
View from Bell Tower
Posted in Nightlife, Restaurants, Travel
Tagged El Campanario, El Cantante, Flag Beach, Fuerteventura
