Vineyard Retreat

A former Methodist church built in the 1840s has been lovingly renovated by its new owners. As much as possible of the original fabric has been kept ... tin ceilings restored, original floors retained and windows replicated. A labour of love and it shows. The church, in Martha's Vineyard in the United States, is one open space. Dining table and living area and bed in a great room with wet bar, kitchenette and bathroom with a large tub and shower. Does that give you a hint of its new life? Yes it's a vacation rental. (The nearby 2 bedroom house is also part of the package.) Oh count me in! The only thing I love better than a church conversion is the opportunity to live in one even if just for the holidays. The Vineyard Retreat is another hand-picked paradise from Welcome Beyond.

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Monday getaway

Run away! Run Away! It's Monday. Let's keep the weekend going with a virtual getaway to the Hospedería Convento de La Parra in the Extremadura region of Spain. We could call it a retreat. It is a 17th century convent after all.

"Sorry. You are not going to find a television set here, not even a radio tuner. Only spaces for reading, a table for playing board games, corridors for reflection, cloisters that will bring back to you the smell of orange blossom, lime, wood, rest, peace, water and sun."

Aaaahhh! A heavenly cure for Mondayitis.

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Haus Bubkevitz

I'm so excited to be back from the holiday break with new posts for 2014!  A new year, a new week and a great escape. An escape from having to going back to work, an escape from an extreme case of Mondayitis. Come with me as we wind our way down a meandering country road on the Island of Rügen in the Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania region of Germany. To an old schoolhouse/farmhouse. The old barn and endless fields are all we can see as we enter our holiday home. Modern meets traditional, simple minimalism meets rich maximalist murals. American Gothic? A rabbit in the room? Perhaps a minimalist grey attic space. No TV, no internet, no worries. Haus Bubkevitz.

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Big Bay Beach House

I can smell the salt in the air and hear the crash of relentless waves. Sand whipped up by the stiff onshore breeze stings my shins. I squint into the bright light and wonder if I'll trek down to the beach and plunge headfirst into the sea or whether I should be sensible, walk back inside and slather cream into my sunburn. A beautiful location, a beautiful house, a beautiful daydream. Big Bay Beach House, 25 minutes drive from Cape Town, South Africa and available for holiday let. Maybe not a dream after all.

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4 Floors

Four apartments over four floors in Istanbul, Turkey. A contemporary renovation of an historic building by designer and artist Sema Topaloğlu. Within a tradition of craft and craftsmanship Topaloğlu weaves her magic creating an earthy but elegant series of rooms that respect the bones of the building while overlaying it with a new history of bespoke pieces. These beautiful apartments are not locked away from us though. 4 Floors Istanbul provides boutique accommodation where mine host is Topaloğlu's brother Murat. I think a trip to Turkey was just added to my bucket list.

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