Archive for the 'Brasil' Category

We are leaving for Parati today and while I am excited to see a new city in Brasil, I am definitely going to miss Villas de Trancoso with all of my heart.  One of the things that I am going to miss the most is our bed and not for reasons you are thinking right now, but because it is truly my dream bed!

Things I am obsessed with at the moment. . .

This pink boat I discovered on an afternoon walk.

My ridiculously tanned and sexy husband.

The pizzas at Villas de Trancoso. We have had one every single day for lunch.

Caipirinhas

The world's most adorable dog that appeared out of nowhere on the beach and then followed me for an hour.

You know you are in Brasil when you see this:

You also know that you have married an Argentine when your husband says he is going for a walk on the beach and when he does not return for over an hour and you go to look for him you find him playing fùtbol with the Brasilians and having a friendly argument over who was a better player Pelé or Maradona.

It is one thing to be married to the love of your life, however to be with that special someone in a place like Trancoso, Brasil for your honeymoon and to have the ENTIRE place to yourselves. . .well, that is a whole other thing.

Check in: Villas de Trancoso

It took us almost an entire day of a traveling to get to the village of Trancoso.  We had to take 3 flights from Buenos Aires and drive for an hour.  Our expectations were incredibly high, as Brasil is my *husband* and I’s favorite place in the world.  So, our hotel better have been good for as much traveling as we did to get to it and for how much we love the country.  Well, exceed our expectations it did!  Not only that, I honestly cannot think of any words to describe this Paradise.  It was nighttime when we checked in and the owner, Galen, presented us with many wedding presents, one of them being a dinner underneath a full moon.

As you read this, I have a stomach full of gorgeous little butterflies!  Tonight, I will depart for South America, where I will be getting married on May 14th in Buenos Aires, Argentina at Faena Hotel + Universe.  When I arrive to the airport, I will perform my in-transit ritual of sitting in a rocking chair (yes, I live in the South) and watching travelers pass me by with a Starbucks skinny latte.

I have decided that I am going to start a new feature on My Beautiful Adventures.  I am always being asked about my style, thus I thought I would share some fashion inspiration look books from time to time.  The inaugural one being my typical “airplane look.”

From May 5-June 1 I will be traveling throughout Argentina and Brasil.  I have decided that each day I will try my absolute best to post a photo with a caption to keep everyone updated.  Feel free to follow me on Twitter and Facebook as well!  I could not be more excited or more ready for the most beautiful adventure in my life to date. . .

• Promotion 1:  Buy any classic book, get 50% off a second copy.  Expires 4/18 at midnight.  Use code APRGIFT at checkout.
• Promotion 2:  Get 15% off card orders over $20.  Expires 4/30 at midnight.  Use code APRCARDS at checkout.

In 2005, after experiencing a miserably boring New Year’s Eve spent at home, I vowed from then on I would travel somewhere exceptionally fabulous for the holiday.  Since it is my favorite day of the year, I feel that it should be celebrated in style!

Here is a look at the places I visited for the last 5 New Year Eve’s:

London, England 2006.  We rung in the new year on the River Thames inside a boat.  Fireworks were set off from the London Eye.

Madrid, Spain 2007.  5 minutes before this picture was taken my camera was stolen from my pocket.  Thankfully, my girlfriend had her disposable camera with her.  While my friend took this picture, an unknown Italian man gave me a huge Hollywood kiss for good luck and then turned around and walked away.  Guess the night was not a total loss?

Barrosa Valley, Australia 2008.  Because of a severe drought, no fireworks were permitted in that part of Australia, which was our last stop on a 2 week road trip.  This is the wine region of the country, so we celebrated by drinking lots and lots of wine.  Do not worry, we did not drive after drinking, although we did have excellent caravan insurance.

Machu Pichu, Peru 2009.  The plan was to ring in the new year in Cuzco, however a group of Peruvian women decided to go on strike at the train station and it stopped all of the trains for 6 hours.  Thus, we ended up celebrating at the train station.

Rio de Janeiro, Brasil 2010.  I cannot imagine a more unforgettable place to spend New Year’s Eve!  I joined over 3 million people all dressed in white on Copacabana Beach and watched 20 minutes of the most amazing fireworks illuminate the city.

As you read this, I am currently in Paradise Island, the Bahamas. For 2011, I attended a ball with the theme of Alice and Wonderland and then headed to the streets of Nassau for Junkanoo until sunrise.  I am sending you all big kisses and hugs and hoping that all of your wildest dreams come true in 2011!!!

PS  Where is your favorite place that you have celebrated New Year’s Eve in?  I am always looking for new places!

Update: In less than 4 days I got my 200 likes (you guys rock my world!), but now Kiwi Collection has challenged me to get 300 likes, thus I am still requesting your help.

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Hello my darlings!

I have always resisted reaching out for help when it comes to winning contests, as I know how precious your time is and you do not need to be spending any of it on me.  However, after much thought I have decided to in fact reach out for help.  You see, when there is a possibility that your #1 life-long dream could come true, then you simply have to go for it!  There are no ifs, ands, or buts.  So, from the bottom of my heart could you please, please, please read this whole post to find out how you can help me accomplish this dream of mine (and the best part is you too can participate and I promise if you help me, I will help you)?

Lots of love,

Background: My favorite hotel website, Kiwi Collection, is running yet another awesome contest.  If you are not friends with them on Facebook or do not follow them on Twitter, you should immediately, as 1) they are the best of the best when it comes to luxury travel and 2) their constant contests and specials are unbelievable!  Their latest contest is about ultimate travel dreams.  All of the details can be found here.

My Dream:

I am a big believer in dreams.  I think having dreams ensures that we get everything we could possibly want from life.  My dreams regarding travel are lengthy, however I am confident that I will achieve all of them, as once I set a goal for myself I do everything in my power to attain it.  Thus, my problem is not in achieving my dreams, it is choosing which dream to achieve first.  And I had this same dilemma with this contest.  I thought about which dream to choose for days and amongst my many thoughts one in particular kept returning: Antarctica.  Since I was a little girl, my family has always joked that I was born with a suitcase in my hand.  The idea of stepping foot on all 7 continents is absolutely thrilling to me and only Antarctica remains.  I cannot think of a place that exudes adventure more, nor can I imagine the feeling I will experience when I first see a glistening iceberg in the distance or hear penguins playing amongst themselves.  It is a grand dream, but what is the point of dreaming small?

How You Can Help:

1. Visit Kiwi Collection on Facebook and “like” them (trust me you will like them in no time)

2. After you have liked them, visit this link or you can find me in their Dream100 photo album

3. You will then see my ultimate travel dream postcard, which looks like this:

4. Once you have stopped laughing, if you could kindly “like” the photo, we will be best friends forever

5. If I get 100 or more likes I get $100 Visa gift card and the chance to win 4 free nights at a Kiwi Collection property.  Unfortunately, they do not have a property in Antarctica, thus I will use my 4 free nights for my honeymoon in Brasil

6. Thanks a million ahead of time!!!