The International Luxury Travel Market. Sigh. How can anyone look at this photo, taken this morning during my run along La Croisette in Cannes, and not wish to stay here for the rest of their life!?
I am currently listening to Bob, chilling out in the Swiss Lounge at the Cote D’Azur aéroporté, and having an early-ish white wine. What a week!!! I’m an emotional basket case. Well… not really, but wow what a week it’s been! I don’t even know where to start. But I ran three times this week along La Croisette and it was such a luxury. 61 degrees (16C) and if you remember… last year I was struggling with a severely twisted ankle.
Let’s start with next year’s challenge: the arms. My most radiant Four Seasons friend has the arms that Angelina Jolie would envy. My equally beautiful new Four Seasons friend has sent around a traveling exercise regime so we will compare next year, our bicep/tricep improvements in hopes that we can live up. Stay tuned: December 2014! The Four Seasons rented a flat just above Chanel and across from the Palais des Festivals and were so unbelievably kind to welcome me (and friends) ALL week. The brilliant Four Seasons masterminds behind this concept, with their Milano DJs and chefs were so warm and so ridiculously fun, no words really can describe. Thank you. I love you FS. Love. Unconditional love.
Ah and just like that the gorgeous (as I’ve found all the Swiss to be!) Park Hyatt rep just sat beside to join me with a wine! I love life more than I can describe. x
Mrs Jetsetter was so sorely missed in Cannes. But the eccentric connections I’ve relished in, due to our friendship, truly is global. I spent the week with my own internal ‘gorgeous tall Brit’ matters, but was so fortunate to have a full load of meetings, friends and connections that simply put… will forever be! So much fun, so much work too… such an amazing conference.
My new-ish friend, soon to live in Muscat, was also in Cannes and thanks to Mrs Jetsetter, we were fully connected come ILTM. I ‘glommed on’ to her COO last night. I already knew I’d be celebrating her 36th birthday with her, but her COO didn’t know that. He was hilarious all week… shooing me off his booth not realising I’m a buyer and have my share of ILTM insider connections! The COO Hugh Grant (smug Brit) look-a-like and I bumped into one another at the end of the show. That’s when I glommed. What a lucky man! Even more interestingly, as I glommed and scouted new booth locations for his gorgeous Omani hotel … we collected even more glommers. En recherche for champagne, I was offered a sip of $600-a-bottle vodka… well, duh. Um yes please! I looked at her badge and seriously, can life not get any more insane… standing before me is a woman I’ve known (of) for a couple years but had never met in person despite our efforts to. Yeah. Lives in Jersey. What the hell. We were all shocked and the little posse we had collected was so interconnected and random. This particular rep was equally shocked as she was one week shy of sending me an exclusive invite to St. Barthélemy based on the suggestion of my host travel agency owner, as being THE right person to be hosted. I repeat: what the hell!!!? Needless to say, my first trip of 2014 has now been officially confirmed!
Long story short… we had the most amazing last night in Cannes. The Four Seasons penthouse, to the cobblestone streets of old Cannes where ‘Mushroom Soup’ insisted this lovely couple keep their café overt pour juste us, and then to a teensy joint where this gorgeous black expat was singing the blues (not really) and we were able to finally have a proper ‘happy birthday’ sung to Demi and mais oui, en plus bottle of vin rouge! Avec le chef aussi!
This morning during my jog… I was just in awe of the past week. Zurich with Petra, as though no time (uh-hem… 15 years!) had passed, then ILTM and the loads of incredible friends I’ve collected. I’m amazed! I awoke to texts from my lovely Roma hotel GM, breakfast with the gorgeous tall Brit and a looming car service at noon. Sounds like a lot, doesn’t it!?
However, back to Zurich I go with my new hotelier friend on the same plane and headed straight to Baden. I cannot describe (it brings tears to my eyes) how fortunate I feel to be welcomed into Petra’s home this weekend. Tonight we will meet their friends at a local Baden (Switzerland not Germany!) restaurant and then spend tomorrow experiencing her home, just as she did mine in 1998!!! Apparently her husband has an authentic fondue recipe to die for and we will have the most amazing time. White wine and fondue. C’est magnifique!
Life is so full. It overwhelms me with happiness. ‘You’all call it a moment, I call it life’ and ‘I just wanna feel this moment’. Love to all. As chaotic as my life has been this week, both personally and professionally, I am feeling massively blessed. x
