Our Train To Seville And The Lovely Hotel Abanico

We left Barcelona at about 6 AM for Seville. We purchased turista-class tickets as the only difference between turista-class and second-class was 30 Euros. So we said, "Why not!"

It was a good decision. Our train ride was quiet and relaxing. We were the only ones in the car all the way to Seville.

 Seats were comfy and clean.

 Empty and so quiet.

 Although the movies were in Spanish, we managed to watched and still put together the story of "Snow White and the Huntsman."

 Gotta have my soda and some pork rinds for the ride.

 Arriving at Sevilla-Santa Justa - the ride was about 6-7 hours.

 Hotel Abanico - a hotel that really embodies the beauty, character and hospitality of Seville. The workers there treated us so well and they were genuinely accommodating. I love that their coffee room is open for 24 hours.

 As usual when in Europe, don't expect a double bed but instead, two twin beds put together.

The bathroom is nice and just what we needed.

 These lamps were adorable.

 There were potted Poinsettias everywhere.

 Christian paintings/art adorned some walls and there were antique collections around the hotel.

 It didn't feel like a hotel at all. This is the hotel lobby.

Here's the lovely mirror in our room and a welcome bathroom kit when we arrived.

From Hotel Abanico, we walked to all the historical sites. We chose this hotel for its location but we were amazed that the hotel itself is a destination worth experiencing.

Boscolo Bellini Venezia: A Review

For our first night in Venice, we booked one night at the Boscolo Bellini Hotel. I love the location of this hotel. It is both walking distance from the Santa Lucia Station and the Piazalle Roma. There are also several vaporetto stops in close proximity to the hotel, so it's a great place if you like to stay close to all different types of transportation. Mind you but I still prefer to walk and get lost on the streets of Venice. Also, close to the hotel are a number of shops, cafe bars, restaurants and including a Farmacia right in front of the hotel.

For a hotel that claims to be a 4 star, I found our room to be good and adequate but not great. I did love the antique look and the beautifully painted ceiling, and the receptionist was helpful and polite. The bathroom was small and the shower area cramp that the water was splashing everywhere when I took a shower. In my travels within Italy though, I think bathrooms are a lot smaller compared to ones in American hotels. Still, our room provided what we needed - a clean bed and a place to shower. Since we were staying for one night, this room was manageable for us.

For this hotel, I have two main complaints: (1) Our room's heater was broken and kept the room so hot all night long. We had to sleep with the windows open, but I happen to observed that even the flooring was heated. We even turned off the heater, but it seems the heater has a mind of its own. Even the maintenance guy didn't know how to fix it and just left without resolving the problem or offering a solution to our heater concerns. Since we were staying for one night, we decided to keep the room and sleep with the windows open which did the trick. (2) The hotel's wireless Internet didn't work. When I asked the receptionist about the connection, she claims that their Internet doesn't work with American computers. Go figure! I think that's an easy reason for them to avoid dealing with the Internet problem.

This is actually two twin beds put together to make it look like a king.

I love this deco piece.

The is the ceiling and it's very relaxing to look at it before you sleep.

Shampoo and simple essentials.

Our room had the Venetian look and feel.

This hotel is good for a one night stay, and it provided what we needed for the time being. I'm really hoping they'd get that room's heater fixed soon and that Internet problem resolved. But then again, finding the best hotel that suits your needs is all in the matter of the consumer. I would recommend this hotel for a quick stay and that the location is GREAT, but if you were to stay for a longer period of time, maybe it's best to look and compare other hotels in the area. As for me, I still prefer a hotel that would go above and beyond to meet their customers' needs especially that we paid $125 for one night at this hotel.

Boscolo Bellini

Lista di Spagna, 116/A
30121 Venice, Italy
041 524 2488

The Inn At Kitchen Kettle Village

I usually cover Hershey, PA very well, so I'll start with where we stayed at Intercourse, PA. The picturesque town of Intercourse is surrounded by beautiful Amish farms and homes. Most of all, I love the town's abundance of specialty shops; they sell all sorts of handcrafted Amish products to homemade jams and pickles. For our overnight stay, we chose to stay at the The Inn which is in the Kitchen Kettle Village. The decision to visit Intercourse was out of a whim and curiosity. We made our reservations online the night before our road trip, and I'm so glad we did.

we stayed in a room located on Strawberry Street - a quick access to shops and a beautiful view of the nearby farms

the front door

the homey room

TV and a dresser

beautiful handcrafted quilt that adorned the bed

i heard that each room has a different Amish crafted quilt

extra pillows or if you need to iron your clothes

kitchen with fridge and microwave

welcome gifts - chocolates, cherry jam, crackers, and coffee mugs - including a card signed by the owners and hotel employees

a well stocked coffee and tea area

a nice bathroom

and essential bathroom supplies

The room at The Inn really made us feel at home. It was very clean, well organized and the location is perfect. Our room was definitely a home away from home. It's location is superb as it is in the middle of shops, cafes, and restaurants, but since everything closes at 6 PM, we were not deprived of a quiet and relaxing sleep at night. We've already decided that we'll visit Intercourse in the near future and will definitely stay at The Inn again.

Las Vegas: Bellagio

This is one of the hotels I love to visit over and over again in Vegas - the lovely Bellagio.  Apart from the dancing fountains housed on that lake (photo below), it's interior I find absolutely enchanting, elegant and impressive.  When we visited last week, we swore to stay there for our next visit.

Brilliance abounds inside our breathtaking Conservatory & Botanical Gardens. The attention to detail is astounding. The passionate display of nature in all its awe-evoking glory - quite simply, sensational! Let your imagination wander as you assume a leisurely stroll amongst rare natural finds selected distinctively for Bellagio from all over the world.

Admire the essence of every season recreated with exceptionally gorgeous plants, flowers and trees thoughtfully arranged to inspire full splendor. Specially designed lighting spotlights every flower to accentuate its best features. To ensure the Conservatory & Botanical Gardens maintains magnificence 365 days a year, 140 expert horticulturists theatrically arrange gazebos, bridges, ponds, and water features uniquely for each season. Treat yourself to this unrivaled attraction's ever changing personality for the Holidays, Chinese New Year, spring, summer, and fall! (Source: http://www.bellagio.com/amenities/botanical-garden.aspx)

The hotel and the lake - quiet for now.

Dancing fountains synchronized to music.

The fountains

The fountains usually end with a blast.

The hotel's lobby is adorned by about 2,000 hand-blown flowers made of glass called Fiori di Como (by Dale Chihuly). One of the things I find so appealing is that the sweet fragrance of flowers greets you as you step into the lobby.

Fiori di Como (Flowers of Como)

There were several of these scattered on every walkway.

These upside down parasols embellished every dome located in the shopping section.

Upside down parasols.

The Bellagio Conservatory and Botanical Gardens located near the lobby.  The current theme is "Spring 2010" which is brilliantly captured by giant - ants, buzzing bees, olive trees, flowers and more.

 Mushrooms and a green frog.

Watering cans and yellow tulips.

Pink Hyacinths

Bee, butterfly and flowers.

Snail with its shell adorned with flowers.

 

Tulips

And more tulips

I thought these were alien-looking flower buds.

The glass orb water fountain.

Water flowing/dropping on giant leaves.

Giant flower pot and a shovel.

The lighting looks different here because we went back to see the exhibit at night time.  The well-placed lights adds to the ambiance. It's also less crowded at night.

Photo taken at night - an overview of the exhibit.

The ant says, "Hi Kayni."

Mushrooms at night.

Another place worth checking out inside the hotel is the Jean-Philippe Chocolates and Pastries shop.  It is more than a chocolate shop, and this is why:

It's only fitting our world-class Five Diamond resort would have its own World Pastry Champion. The artistic genius of Chef Jean-Philippe Maury is displayed daily at Las Vegas' first truly European-style pastry shop. You'll be welcomed into this imaginative display by a breathtaking chocolate fountain - a fitting entrée to the world of carefully crafted chocolates, cookies, cakes, crepes, salads, sandwiches and more. (Source: http://www.bellagio.com/restaurants/jean-philippe.aspx)

In addition to the dancing fountains, the hotel also houses the Jean-Philippe Chocolates and Pastries shop. The chocolate shop's ceiling showcases this chocolate fountain which oozes with milk, white and dark chocolate sweetness.  For a chocoholic like me, this is paradise.

Flowing sweetness...

Need I say more?

The shop

Pastries beautifully decorated.

Since I'm a Hello Kitty fan, here's a Sanrio themed cake.

Ok, I added this photo to make you hungry...lol.

I couldn't pass the opportunity to taste one of their pastries.  I ordered a hot chocolate with a nutella brioche. Verdict?  The nutella brioche is a hit and the hot cocoa sweet, creamy and rich - just the way I like it.

Happy weekend!