The most sensational dinner at Kudu, a new South African restaurant that I’ve been dying to try! Really exceeded my expectations: food, service, atmosphere and of course company were all such a pleasure. Thanks for the treats! ❤️
Have ticked off many items from my dining wish list, so have added some more.
The new restaurants are:
COOL: Gaia, Greek Mayfair https://gaia-restaurants.com/london/gaia-london
CHILLED: Nina, Italian, Marylebone https://www.nina.london/
CLASSY: Lilibets, Seafood, Mayfair https://www.lilibetsrestaurant.com/
SPICY: Gymkhana, Indian tasting menu, Mayfair (2⭐⭐) https://gymkhanarestaurants.com/
FUN: Humble Chicken, Japanese/Creative tasting menu, Soho (2⭐⭐) https://humblechickenuk.com/
Do you ever look at one nice hotel and then from that moment all the adverts you ever see are gorgeous hotels and then you can’t stop going through their websites and imagining yourself in each hotel?
….me too!
I can’t help it. I love beautiful places. Here are 5 gorgeous hotels that are top of my Bucket List.
Jade Mountain Resort, St Lucia
I really identify with this hotel because its Caribbean, hot, and the photos look so good you’d think its AI. What I love about this hotel, other than that it’s in the Caribbean and I honestly think Caribbean service and hospitality is so personal and warm, but look at these rooms which are totally open air with a massive infinity pool and views of the sea and surrounding nature! Very romantic and absolutely gorgeous!!!!
This is an independent hotel (a restored 1000 year old castle) on a massive private estate in Italy. I haven’t been to Umbria before but love the food and culture of the region and would love to discover Umbria with good company. I love these types of countryside hotels which are on big grounds perfect for a long walk or a sexy moment in the woods (not that a classy lady such as myself would ever do such a thing… well…. maybe after a Negroni…). This one looks beautiful all year round, very cosy and private, with just a few suites.
One and Only Gorillas Nest, Rwanda
So when I say I love camping, this is what I mean 😻 I stumbled across this one yesterday and was immediately obsessed by this luxurious retreat in Rwandas unspoiled National Park, specifically designed for access to the Gorillas (I always wanted to see them in the wild – especially the babies!!!). You won’t usually find me in a raincoat and Wellington boots but for this place I will make an exception. Africa has so much to offer and I’m very keen to explore the continent more.
Montenegro? I hear you say…, Well, apparently it’s becoming THE new place to go, and I also trust Aman so they wouldn’t build a hotel somewhere if it wasn’t great. Things I love are the private beach, the hotel itself (sooo well done with sumptuous interiors), and also this would be a totally new country and experience for me and I think there’ always something special about exploring a new place (hence 5/6 of the hotels I’ve picked are in places I haven’t been to). What’s in Montenegro? I have no idea! But I would love to find out.
Ok I’ll admit it. I’ve done ski trips before where I’ve not done any actual skiing. It has to be said, if you’re considering skiing with someone else, she can probably beat me on the slopes, but she can NEVERRR beat my outfit 😂 Don’t get me wrong, I love skiing, but not as much as I love melted cheese, red wine, hot tubs, pine fresh air, naked sauna (here in the UK we do not get naked in the sauna), and strutting to the bar in Moon Boots and a skin tight ski suit. I usually wouldn’t pick somewhere like Lefay as its very modern and chic whereas when skiing I often prefer something more rustic. But hard to resist such an iconic hotel!
Years ago I was supposed to go to this hotel, then covid hit and the whole thing got cancelled. Oman is a beautiful country, quiet and peaceful, great hiking and I also love middle eastern food. This is what the travel agents call “barefoot luxury”; a hotel with no Crystal chandeliers and nobody banging on about the stock market. A peaceful, quiet, adults only place to relax. Yes you can get picked up by a taxi at the airport, but they also offer a Speedboat transfer right up to the bay (you can probably imagine which one I would choose!)
I have just realised that in this list I have included no City hotels at all – only secluded hotels in remote locations. This wasn’t deliberate, but perhaps it’s what I’m craving at the moment? Probably living in Central London during Christmas season has lead my mind to wander to sunnier, less chaotic environments. I shall have to make another post for my Bucket List city hotels another time!
B✈️❤️
I am fighting back tears.
Something shameful has happened. I’m not sure where else to share this so I’ll just do it here. The following story may shock you, I’ve just called my therapist as when the news arrived I was completely overwhelmed and immediately felt I will never be the same again. Never in my life did I think this could possibly happen and I hope this is a safe space where I can speak without fear of being judged.
So here goes…. The shameful truth…
For the first time in my life, I have been downgraded from British Airways Silver Status, to Bronze*
Please don’t call or message me about this, I appreciate my space and privacy at this time as I grieve the loss and navigate my next steps. I have been disgraced; relegated to the Sunday League of life. I know the road to recovery will be difficult, so I’ve decided to start my Ayahuasca journey in the hopes that one day I can heal from this great trauma.
With the help of therapy, breath work, meditation, Chat GPT, a women’s only yoga retreat in Himalayas, psychedelics, daily 120 min massages at the Dorchester, and probably about 12 pairs of new shoes…. I will rebuild and rise again 🕊️
As Winston Churchill once famously said:
“Success consists of going from Silver to Bronze without loss of enthusiasm”
If you can find it in your heart to still adore me, I will be available for kisses and other good things. If not, I understand I have fallen short of your expectations, and bid you farewell.
Billie ❤️
*A funny related story is when I was heading back to Italy I was way above the luggage allowance as I had a massive Hermes shopping bag with long boots and a coat in it. I knew I had too much luggage but decided to take my chances. A BA staff member at the gate approached me to tell me I have too much luggage. Well I guess my perfume was particularly sweet or my smile was particularly sparkly that day because she then saw I was flying Business and say “oh, you’re Gold Status? No problem madam have a pleasant flight” (She assumed my Gold status I didn’t reply to correct her, which in my book isn’t the same as lying, in fact if you think about it, SHE was the liar 😇🤣) and she let me walk on with my massive shopping bag so I guess the moral of this story is that Gold is an attitude, or at least that’s what I’m telling myself until I get myself to Silver again (help!)
**PS: I’m British so please understand that 82.5% of everything I ever say is sarcasm
Recover from this 😻
Such a pleasure to attend this glamorous event at Bvlgari. I can’t believe they invited me, and oh wow… Look at this magnificent jewellery! My favourite piece was the Serpenti watch with emeralds. Wearing this gorgeous piece gave me tingles! Although obviously not the thing to wear to Waitrose, I do think it suited me 😇 The good news is the price of diamonds has decreased over the last few years so it’s only £950,000 (they say you can’t put a price on happiness but actually I’m sure the price is £950,000). Santa babyyyyyyyy!!!
I have deleted my Twitter account. At first it was temporary, but now I feel confident it will not be returning. Here’s why:
Words can’t describe these few days but numbers can:
10/10
Well… somehow it’s November again. Despite the fact that November does appear to happen every year, being 11 months into the year so soon never fails to surprise me. My winter coats and ski boots have come out of storage, my bikinis have been packed away, and I’m necking 5000iu of Vitamin D a day (not a euphemism) just to combat the 4pm darkness. Damn, I really should be on a beach somewhere….
Speaking of which I will give only one piece of advice about visiting Zanzibar. Whatever you do, don’t visit during an election 🤣 I will fill you in on the Zanzibar adventure/disaster in person. Still, it made me grateful for… electricity, hot running water, and a leader that doesn’t decide to start killing everyone when they don’t get their own way.
Last month I celebrated my birthday in style and wanted to say a massive thank you for the gestures big and small. Thoughtfulness is an aphrodisiac… so now I know who to give special treatment 😉
My hopes for this coming season I feel are realistic: a Birkin, a 1976 Mercedes SL in red with “B1LL13” registration plate, and ideally to leave London tomorrow morning and return sometime in March after an extended stay in the Caribbean. Failing these simple requests, I have some other ideas for things we could enjoy this season:
Hopefully you will join me, and if not… my condolences on making such a mistake… 😉
Billie ❤️
A million thank-you’s for your thoughtfulness and generosity. You will be rewarded in kind ❤️
Fell in love with Barcelona again.
Sunshine, tapas, Gothic churches, birthday treats, 20,000 steps a day, and diner at 3 Michelin Star restaurant Disfrutar.
It’s my birthday October 20th 😻
If you’re feeling generous, I’m feeling grateful ❤️ https://throne.com/billielove
I am issuing a formal apology to Zurich, as I did once rudely refer to it as “The Most Boring City in Europe”. After a wonderful few days of excellent dining, shopping, weather, and… other stuff… I have changed my mind. Actually, Zurich is rather charming. The Most Boring City in Europe from now on (until I change my mind again) is Vienna (sorry 😂)
