5 reasons to stay at Solage

Image by Solage

Those of you who follow me on Instagram will probably have seen my recent holiday spam. A couple of weeks ago went on a family trip to California where we stayed in Solage, an eco-friendly  resort on the outskirts of Calistoga.

There are a few resorts in the world that I can't recommend enough and Solage deserves a top spot on the list. Why? Let me count the ways...

Just My Type = Archetype

Image from Instagram @archetypenapa

Everybody knows I love a good brunch.* In fact, the only people in the world who could possibly like brunch more than me are Americans – they can't get enough of the stuff and, let's be honest here, nobody does it better.

I, like every other basic bitch in the land, have a few top brunch spots in the world: Brickwood Clapham is number one, primarily due to proximity but also because their avo toast tastes much better than skinny feels; Holybelly in Paris is a close second and the latest addition to the list is Archetype in Napa.

Holiday Wardrobe: San Francisco Shoppin'

Our second day in San Francisco was my kinda day- shopping! 

Usually, sad though this is, I spend time researching the best local boutiques before visiting a new city. However, this year all my research has focussed on our upcoming NYC jaunt (just FYI, best books for top New York tips are The Fashion Insider's Guide to New York and The Stylists Guide to New York- both are fabulous).

Sadly, San Francisco shopping was pushed to one side and we ended up spending our day milling around generic designer shops, with obligatory detours to Zara and H&M. I worry that we did miss a trick in San Fran shopping, but there were still a few gems in and around Union Square.

We began our day with a lovely breakfast at the Grand Café. I had creamy porridge topped off with sweet strawberries and a wonderfully strong skinny capp. We then began our shopping trip, despite the chilling breeze and grey skies.

The first SF gem we found was the charming San Francisco T-We Tea shop. I am a bit of a tea enthusiast and this colourful, uplifting store was a must visit for me. I hope to do a bigger post on this store in the coming weeks, but it really is quite a treat and a great stop for gifts. The T-We Tea store is in Crocker Galleria, 50 Post Street. 

My mother and I absolutely adored Neiman Marcus, which feels just like Harvey Nichols, and spent a good few hours perusing the beauty and homeware departments. I also found myself stroking Balenciaga leather bikers and Saint Laurent claret shifts… One day, my pretties, one day.

We stopped for a lunch in Neiman Marcus' restaurant, The Rotunda, which was divine.  I opted for a light salad and mocktail, my virtuous choices immediately spoilt by a scrumptious creamy coffee and massive complimentary brioche roll with strawberry infused butter. Oh well, as my father says, you’re a long time dead.

For this trip I wore a demure pleated midi-dress from Topshop, paired with bejewelled ballet flats from Zara. In an attempt to beat off the chill, I slung on my lightweight Zara khaki jacket (online they only appear to have a stone version left), but ended up having to buy a decidedly inelegant H&M hoodie, just as the colour started to drain from my extremities. I finished off the look with my new Zara tote and a bohemian ring from H&M (like this but in cream).

Note to self: Raynauds Phenomenon is not so chic. Bring gloves.