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Hotel Agua Barú: Day 2 Down Cartagena Way
If you read yesterday’s post about our stay at the Hotel Agua, then you really missed something! Arthur practically had to pry my hands off the front door to get me to leave. The lovely, 17th century boutique hotel felt like home – only bigger, with servants and a pool.
Today, I thought I’d show some photos of our one-night stay at their other location, Hotel Agua Barú. It’s on an island just off the coast of Colombia. We enjoyed our one-hour boat ride along the coast to Barú where we were once again greeted with cool water and a cool towel.
Like Agua in Cartagena, Barú is small. This one structure serves as both lounge, restaurant and …
a beautiful long table that served as both decoration display and buffet, when needed.
We travelled up a long flight of stone steps to our casita.
The room sleeps four. There are 2 twin beds on either side of this splendidly made bed. Ahh.. Comfy.
The bath had a stone floor and an open shower.
Just below our balcony we found the pool – our very own.
Who could wish for more?
After a wonderful stay, we headed back to Agua in Cartagena.
Read on for scenes of street and night life in Cartagena.
Hotel Agua, Down Cartagena Way
My family took some time off last February to enjoy some much-needed time in the sunshine. Our destination was Cartagena de Indias, Colombia, which lies on the Caribbean coast. We stayed in the old, walled part of the city – a World Heritage Site. That means, the city has been preserved much as it has been, for 500 years. It was a spectacular trip.I thought I’d share some photos of our hotel, Agua. This is probably the nicest hotel I’ve ever stayed in. A private home was redesigned by the owner into an exquisite hotel with only 6 rooms. The staff were so kind and wonderful that I wanted to stay forever. I really felt like this was my home. Let’s take a peek.
Inside the entrance you’re welcomed by antique baskets and wooden bowls – and staff with cold cloths and lime-flavored water.
The living room (above) and the breakfast area (below) made up the public space. The perfect place to enjoy a cocktail before heading out to dinner. Need a dining suggestion? The staff knows just what you want and will make the reservations for you.
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The breakfasts were so delicious, we’ve started eating in the same style now that we’re home. That means fresh, tropical fruit, eggs, bread and jam. I haven’t figured out how to make those wonderful tortilla things stuffed with cheese. On my “to-do” list.
Follow the jump to see the rooms and rooftop pool!
MarieBelle Chocolate
I’m taking a quick break from vacation (in New York and New Hampshire) to share this treat I found via my friend, Minnie. Thanks, Minnie! (I think)
MarieBelle Sweets, on Broome Street, in SoHo, is both a chocolatier, and a tiny restaurant that serves very dangerous hot chocolate. It’s like drinking a cup of the gooey insides of a lava cake. Just thought you’d like to know.
I’ll be back on Tuesday with lots of great decorating ideas for summer. Stay tuned!
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Forget the food, at Buddakan great lighting makes the meal
I spent a wonderful evening at Buddakan, an Asian fusion restuarant on 9th Avenue. The food was delicious. The evening was spectacular. Why? Well, first I was with some amazing friends. That aside, Buddakan’s designer did such an amazing job that I felt I had been transported to an Asian palace far away.
Before you start rolling your eyes, take a look at the photos (not so great, but they suffice I think). The incredibly tall ceilings are brilliant, but for me it was all about the lighting.
The use of tightly focused spots emphasized the height of the ceilings.
Large chandeliers, hung along the length of one enormous table, give the illusion of a different place and time. A ball at Versailles perhaps?
The touch of red was highlighted by more spots.
Floor lamps and candles on the table serve as task lighting -so you can read the menu. The layers of light give an overall look of drama and romance.
A large canvas, hung like a curtain behind the entrance counter is spotted. All around is mysterious darkness.
Buddakan is an enormous restaurant, with lots of rooms – each with its own sort of design. But they all work together. To find out more about the restaurant, visit their website by following this link.
Bah! To the Grosse Pointe Blues
Yesterday the New York Times ran an article in the Style section about Grosse Pointe, entitled Grosse Pointe Blues.
The good ‘ole days
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The article detailed how far my neighborhood has fallen since the good ‘ole days when Muffy and her husband, Biff spent their days tossing back highballs at the club and ordering the servants about. Sigh.
Now our houses are worthless and the clubs will let anyone in – even the riff-raff (I guess that’s me).
Grosse Pointe sits on Lake St. Clair. Squint and you’ll see Canada.
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While it’s true that we’re all suffering from lower housing values, we still live in a beautiful neck of the woods. It’s a real, old-fashioned community where kids ride their bikes to the public schools, which are actually good.
Let’s take a peek at Grosse Pointe. Maybe we’ll see Muffy slumming it at Farm’s Pier (the local, free swimming pool).
Enjoy the free pool and clubhouse!
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Got a boat? Park it here at The Farms’ Pier. There are five Grosse Pointes – each with their own swim & tennis club.
Three car garage!
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There are plenty of large piles to decorate in Grosse Pointe. But no one ever buys anything here. I guess that includes houses. Get these while they’re hot.
More Grosse Pointe loveliness after the jump. (more…)
Balcones del Atlántico
A new planned residential resort, Balcones del Atlántico, is opening this summer in the Dominican Republic.
The homes and townhouses come furnished. Here’s a sneak peek at the interior designs by Patricia Reid Baquero.
Natural materials were used throughout. Spots of color come from the accessories and plants. I love the arrangement of plants and dishes set atop the hand-carved coffee table in the top-most photo. Not so great are the seashells on the oars. But the burst of blue is a hit with me.
I always like looking at beds for new ideas on how to dress them. I think I like the style on top the most. What do you think of the teal?
I’m a sucker for a beautiful beach sprinkled with palm trees.
Have you been the the Dominican Republic? And, who’s up for buying a beach house?
The American Brewery
The American Brewery is an East Baltimore icon that many despaired would fall down. My brother, Stephen Hulse, has had “the great privilege,” as he said, “of being the Project Executive on the building’s restoration.” Last Fall, Steve gave me a tour of the scaffolded building. Now, the scaffolding is down, and this architectural masterpiece is smiling once again in my home town.
History
Built in 1887 by John Frederick Wiessner, a German immigrant, the American Brewery was one of the largest breweries in the state of Maryland. At its peak, the brewery employed 61 workers.
Prohibition forced the facility to shut down in 1920. The brewery was sold to the American Malt Company in 1931, who modernized the interior equipment and operated the brewery until 1973. The building was listed that year in the National Registry of Historic Sites and has been vacant ever since.
Humanim hires Struever Brothers, Eccles & Rouse
Humanim, a non-profit organization, is restoring the building and is planning to house employment programs and clinical support services for the residents of this poverty stricken community.
Baltimore Architects, Cho Benn Holback & Assoc. were hired to plan the restoration. Because the building is historic, restoration (as opposed to renovation) is required. In short, that means lots of “do’s and don’ts regarding exactly what changes can be made to the building. Its historic integrity had to be maintained.
Struever Bros., Eccles & Rouse (the company Steve works for) was, in turn, hired to redevelop the building. If, like me, you have a passion for historic architecture, I know you’ll enjoy this photographic essay.
Restoring A Baltimore Jewel: A Photo Essay
The asymmetrical nature of the building is what makes it so singular. The assortment of windows, combined with the brickwork and wooden buttresses work together in such a perfect way…
It’s like looking at a piece of music transcribed into bricks and mortar.
The Mansard roofs! I’m speechless.
The back end has a new addition. Strict rules had to be followed to maintain the historic nature of the property.
These buttresses are made entirely of wood. The pitch of the roof, and the fact that the roof shielded the buttresses underneath, spared the building, and the extraordinary architectural details like these, from collapse.
This is a shot of the interior Mansard roof. The huge beams were steamed to form the curve of the roof. The windows lie underneath. This room will become a conference area.
I can’t wait to see The American Brewery once the interiors are completed. Much of the brewery’s machinery has been saved in order to incorporate the metalwork into walls and furniture.
I’m homesick now!
Are you from Baltimore? Sadly, here in Detroit, much of our history has been torn down. What’s your opinion of the importance of historic preservation?
Grand Hotel Tremezzo
It’s time to take a little vacation. Lake Como is our destination. The Grand Hotel Tremezzo. It’s only an hour (in rush hour traffic) away from Milan. And half of that is spent traversing the lovely, narrow and twisting streets along the lake.
This is where Arthur and I stayed last week. As grand as this hotel (and spa!) is, our room was half the price of one in Milan during Salone week. It was worth the extra drive. I thought I’d take you on a little tour.
A view of the hotel lobby.
The cozy bar – excellent service, too.
The library. There’s a pool room, and several parlors as well.
The porch over looking the lake.
Chair of the Day: Generic Airport Waiting Area Seating
Jennifer & I have some of these lovely seats in our near future. After all, there’s no air travel without sitting around waiting, is there? And they all seem to look like this:
Here’s what characterizes them. 1) A vague resemblance to the Eames Aluminum Management Chair.
And 2): Arms to keep you from brushing up against a stranger – which could be a good thing, I guess, but consequently you can never lie down if you’re sitting through one of those delayed-delayed-delayed-delayed-cancelled flights and want to relax and take a nap.
Airport seating is usually far away from an electrical outlet, too, so most people trying to recharge their laptops can be found along the walls sitting on the floor.
All of this is just to remind you all that we’re headed for Milan this afternoon.
House & Garden Tour Part II: A Chilean Parcela
Here we are in the Southern Hemisphere at the beautiful home (also known as a parcela) of Carmen Oria and her husband, Vicente Rodriguez. Their garden is just as beautiful as their antiques-filled home.
A grape arbor sits just outside the kitchen door. The grounds are filled with fruit trees including lemon, avocado, apricot, peach, and orange. All the trees bear fruit, which Carmen turns into preserves and fresh fruit juice. A gardener helps out.
The grape arbor is the perfect place for a game of ping pong.
The swing sits under eucalyptus trees. It’s the perfect setting for sipping Pisco Sours.
If you drink too many Pisco Sours, you can take a nap in the hammock.
As those of us in the Northern Hemisphere are looking forward to Spring, in Chile it’s closing in on Autumn. But when it’s Springtime in Santiago, the grounds of Carmen’s home are full of blooms. Her flowering plants include roses, azaleas, daffodils, wisteria, poppies, and hydrangeas. The greenery includes pampas grass, creeping vine, acanthus, moss, and yucca.
Welcome to the pool, set under the shade of a giant acacia tree. Let’s all pour ourselves a Pisco Sour (they’re so tasty the way Vicente makes them) and jump in the pool.
A big Thank You goes to Carmen for taking and sending these photos to me. She and I are college friends who have managed to visit each other over the past few years. I wanted to share her beautiful home with everyone because I’ve enjoyed it so much myself.
Don’t you love this house and the gardens? Enjoy your weekend. Cheers!
House & Garden Tour Part I: A Chilean Parcela
I’ve done something new today and am taking you on a tour of the beautiful home and garden of Carmen Oria and Vicente Rodriguez.
During the day, Carmen is in charge of International Relations for the Chilean Education Ministry´s English Opens Doors Program. Her husband owns CommzGate, his own hi-tech systems development biz, specializing in mobile technology. They live in a beautiful home just outside Santiago, Chile, which they built themselves in a classic, Chilean Country House style.
The doors, windows and other architectural elements are from shops known as materiales de demolición. In other words, shops which sell doors and windows from demolished homes.
Carmen and her husband love to collect antiques, too. Their collection is extensive. One of her favorite pieces is an icebox, which sits in the dining room. It was bought in the city of Iquique, up in northern Chile where the nitrate (saltpeter) mining industry was Chile´s main revenue generator back in the 1800s and early 1900s before artificial nitrate was invented. Northern Chile is dotted with abandoned nitrate camps, like ghost towns.
Another is the traveling bar used for train trips in the old days. They replaced the antique glasses with handmade and etched copies. “A lady who had inherited several antiques and needed cash fast sold it to us,” adds Carmen.
Carmen’s mother-in-law is artist, María Elvira Moreno. Much of the artwork comes from Moreno’s studio. She sculpts, too.
In part II, we’ll see Carmen’s beautiful garden, eat grapes off the vine, and take a dip in the pool.
Beach Houses I Can’t Bear To Look At
Once again it’s snowing here in Detroit. We’ve got about a foot of snow on the ground already. And it’s freezing. I mean {bad word} freezing. Perhaps you can imagine my envious longing at finding this beautiful, sunny beach house in my mailbox this afternoon. Oh how I wish I were there.
This photo is from one of four rental properties from around the US being featured on Coastal Living’s site. Think of the tour as a kind of visual vacation from the snow.
photo credit: Jean Allsopp