I am pleased to share with you some memories of my recent holiday. Unfortunately, my vacation is over...

I am a girl from the north coast: the sea, boats and sailing are never far away when I plan a vacation. This time the choice stops on a transatlantic cruise of 15 days chosen for rest (7 days at sea) and for outstanding destinations. Depart from Fort Lauderdale to Madeira, Lisbon, Gibraltar, Malaga, Cartagena, Barcelona and Mallorca. Isn’t that wonderful?

At sea. On the ship, during some evenings it is "Formal dress code and Black-tie Formal wear". Impressive: the ladies and gentlemen are very elegant. A beautiful show! Black dresses and sequins are in order. Otherwise, it is simpler, more casual.

On the boat I meet a lady from Brazil whose shoes fascinate me. You will understand why. A Norwegian pattern that I recognize is used by Lacoste. A good idea to pass on to inspire Dale of Norway!

Madeira. Flowers are beautiful and views are breathtaking. No wonder Churchill and Sissi adopted that place. I make a pleasant meeting with an artisan. Her striped collars remind me of Saint James.

Lisbon. The items made of "Cork" (tree native to Portugal), attract my attention, particularly bags and shoes: beautiful, comfortable, waterproof therefore easy to maintain.

Cascais. Seaside town with boutique offering branded products: Stella McCartney, Dior, Celine Prada etc. More accessible shops present colors as ecru, sand, tan, camel and carmine.

Gibraltar. Fascinating for its history and the views it offers. If you love jewelry and perfume, this is the place. I loved taking a white glass at Casamates Square thinking of you.

Malaga. A visit to the Picasso museum was needed. The pavement of the shoping street strongly impressed me. The tiles were just…wow! I made the discovery of Massimo Dutti. This is a chain of Spanish BCBG boutiques for men and women. Nice shops with good presentation and products that seem popular.

Majorca. What a great discovery! A very popular sailing destination. Never have I seen so many marinas and boats in so little time! I really loved the village of Valldemossa. I understood Chopin of having made an extended stay!

Barcelona. I love this living, vibrant and young city. One never tires of admiring the architecture of the buildings. Strolling on La Rambla, the emblematic avenue, is pleasant even in the rain. In the store windows, white linen, pale blue denim and vertical stripes are featured. Of course, there are lovely shops featuring colorful printed collections.

In sum, I spent a very enjoyable holiday. You want to know my next destination? Let’s dream! So here I leave for Lisbon and Porto Santo. Or maybe should I go to Barcelona and Mallorca with a stop in Valldemossa ... Enough to occupy my dreams a whole year.

Suzanne, blogger from time to time