Pausing mid-walk for a paddle in a crystal-clear pool (Vintgar Gorge near Lake Bled, Slovenia).
Moments that matter… brought to you by Inntravel, the Slow Holiday people
FREE! My City Guides
In each issue of The Simple Things we publish a local’s insider guide to some of the coolest, most interesting and simply favourite cities to visit. As the summer holiday begins, we’re releasing one online each week in association with our friends at Inntravel – The slow holiday people
This week it’s Helsinki. Download Lauren Memarian’s guide for free
This guide was first published in June 2013 - issue 10.
Did you miss Paris, Copenhagen, Florence, Amsterdam or Marrakech? They’re still available to download.
Coming soon!
25 June – Berlin
2 July – Palma
We'll post on our Twitter and Facebook when they are published.
MY CITY is supported by INNTRAVEL, the Slow Holiday people, who have spent the last three decades exploring Europe’s most beautiful corners along the lesser-trodden path. When it comes to cities, their self-guided walking tours have been carefully researched using their own expert knowledge and insider tips from locals. These specially created routes take in the best-known sights, but also those hidden gems that others miss. Find out more by visiting http://www.inntravel.co.uk
Moments that matter
Taking a well-earned rest by the fountain in the village square (Cerdanya, Catalunya).
Moments that matter… brought to you by Inntravel, the Slow Holiday people
Competition: Win a Gaggia Baby Class Coffee Machine with Betta Living!
For those of you who love nothing more than enjoying a cup of coffee in your kitchen each morning, we’re offering you the chance to win your very own Gaggia Baby Class coffee machine - courtesy of Betta Living - worth £350.
The art of coffee making is becoming increasingly popular and having the ability to create your favourite flat white or cappuccino in the comfort of your own home is even better.
Your coffee kitchen personality
A Betta Living kitchen provides the perfect backdrop for a morning coffee; sipping a latte within the rustic charms of an arts and crafts kitchen, its romantic style and vintage themed interior making for an ideal afternoon in.
If you can’t get through the day without an espresso moment then a more contemporary setting can be found in the form of a New York style kitchen, with all the gloss and glamour of being in the city that never sleeps.
Italian heritage can be found within a Cranford charcoal and chalk mix; just like a cappuccino, this kitchen incorporates classic style with a sprinkle of modernity for a delightful weekend brunch with all the family.
Closing date: Sunday 5 July, 23.59pm
June's The Simple Things is available from all good newsagents, supermarkets and our official online store. Sold out? Download it from Apple Newsstand or subscribe now.
Moments that matter
Savouring lunch with a view – amid the clear mountain air of Switzerland’s Engadine Valley.
Moments that matter… brought to you by Inntravel, the Slow Holiday people
Moments that matter
Gazing on lush, rolling fields as they’re illuminated by warm, Tuscan sunlight.
Moments that matter… brought to you by Inntravel, the Slow Holiday people
Moments that matter
Making it to the market on time: “Fortified by a delicious breakfast, we arrived in the main square to find Provençal life laid out before us: cheeses and meats galore; piles of fresh fruit and vegetables; and cafés full of coffee and Pastis-sipping locals. It was a Monday morning like no other.”
Moments that matter… brought to you by Inntravel, the Slow Holiday people
Turn to page 68 of May's The Simple Things for more.
Moments that matter
Making it back before sundown: “An invigorating day’s yomp in the summer sunshine led to a final, undulating stretch that was mainly downhill. Just out of sight lay our welcoming guesthouse, a glass or two of something chilled, and another tasty, home-cooked meal.”
Moments that matter… brought to you by Inntravel, the Slow Holiday people
Moments that matter
Deliciously Danish: “Cycling along the Danish Riviera was wonderful, as were the mouthwatering open sandwiches – piled high with juicy prawns and creamy mayonnaise. One came from a simple café in Gilleleje harbour that has been in the same family for generations… absolut lækker!”
Moments that matter… brought to you by Inntravel, the Slow Holiday people
Find out more on pages 74-75 of April's The Simple Things.
Moments that matter
It was an exhilarating descent, from the foothills of the Picos Mountains to the beach of La Vega on Spain’s rugged north coast. Once there, we were greeted by miles of golden sand and a beach bar selling luscious grilled sardines. A paddle in the sea was the icing on the cake.
Moments that matter… brought to you by Inntravel, the Slow Holiday people.
Moments that matter
Finding the perfect place for lunch: This morning’s walk ended in the medieval Catalan village of Santa Pau. We wandered its flower-filled streets; and, on reaching the 13th-century, arcaded square, came upon the Restaurant Cal Sastre, with a table ready and waiting. As far as lunch venues go, this was just about perfect.
Moments that matter… brought to you by Inntravel, the Slow Holiday people.
Moments that matter
Cresting the brow of a hill on two wheels... Meandering the back-roads and byways, the track carved its way gently uphill through fields of gold. Beyond the immediate horizon is nothing but a cerulean sky wisped with cloud. It’s tantalising, teasing, as we anticipate that glorious moment when, freewheeling and free, we head down the other side and into the view beyond.
Moments that matter… brought to you by Inntravel, the Slow Holiday people.
Recipe: Tea smoked trout with horseradish and yogurt sauce
Just in time for the start of the trout fishing season, and with a nice garnish of seasonal watercress, we asked Yeo Valley for their favourite February recipe.
Ingredients
10 tea bags
175g demerara sugar
175g long grain rice
4 trout fillets
1 tbsp olive oil
Salt and pepper
Foil
For the Horseradish & Yogurt Sauce:
100g Yeo Valley Natural Yogurt
1 tbsp of hot horseradish
Juice of a lemon
Small sprig of dill
Method
Cut the tea bags open, shake out the tea into a bowl and discard the bags. Add the sugar and rice and mix together.
Line a deep, heavy roasting tin with silver foil.
Spread the tea mixture over the base.
Cover with either a cooling rack or another layer of foil. Place the roasting tray on top of the stove and heat up.
Once the mixture is smoking slightly place the trout on the rack or on top of the foil, skin side down. Drizzle the trout with 1 tbsp olive oil and season with salt and freshly ground pepper.
Cover the roasting tin tightly with foil or a tightly covered lid, and leave to smoke on the stove over a moderate heat for 15-20 mins.
Mix all ingredients for the sauce together, season to taste, then spoon over the smoked trout and serve with fresh watercress.
Thanks to Yeo Valley for the recipe.
Moments that matter
Taking time out to admire the view - Eysturoy, Faroe Islands. “After an energetic jaunt up the steep clifftop path from the tiny village of Gjógv, views opened up over the aquamarine Atlantic all around. As I collapsed to the grass to gather my breath, a lone seagull hove into view and squawked its airy hello.”
Moments that matter… brought to you by Inntravel, the Slow Holiday people.
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Moments that matter
Wandering through the souks of Marrakesh, I savoured unfamiliar sounds and scents. Crossing a quiet courtyard, my eye was caught by a shaft of light, illuminating a tranquil figure set in the shadows, ladling bowls of aromatic soup. Exchanging smiles and a little money, I was welcomed to this oasis, frequented by Moroccan artisans. Space was made at the wooden bench and we ate.
Moments that matter… brought to you by Inntravel, the Slow Holiday people.
Moments that matter
Squeezing out every last drop of daylight on the final cross-country ski trail of the day.
Next stop: the cosy bar at the Fefor Hotel (Norwegian Highlands).
Moments that matter… brought to you by Inntravel, the Slow Holiday people.
Fancy heading to the snow? There's still time to enter our competition to win a week-long holiday in Norway. Enter now.
Sponsored post: Five ways to make your bed cosier
Believe it or not, we spend a third of our lives sleeping and while most of us may be thinking that our 7-hours-a-day is the best we will ever get, there are some small changes that can make a big impact on the quality of your sleep.
Here are five ways to make your bed cosier.
1. Manage your sheets
Although tightly tucked sheets and blankets have long gone (replaced by the marshmallow loveliness of the duvet), sheets still have their place on the modern bed. And that place is on top of the mattress (and possibly the mattress topper, see below) not on top of you – top sheets that lie below the duvet may keep it clean but always, always, get tangled around your legs. But what sheets to choose? Thankfully the days of brushed nylon are over, replaced by easycare, no-iron cotton polyester but, really, breathable natural fibre is what you want. Cotton with a long staple such as Egyptian or Pima (grown in the US, Australia and Peru and sold under the name Supima) is considered best for strength and comfort. Sheets made from organic cotton, grown using methods and materials that have a low impact on the environment, are becoming increasingly available and worth looking out for. But linen is the queen of bedlinen. Spun from the fibres of the flax plant and repeatedly laundered in the manufacturing process,it is especially soft and becomes more so, the more it is used. It is also stronger than cotton, stays cool in summer and requires no ironing – if you are happy to live with rumpled sheets, which is part of the appeal. The downside is its price, which can be prohibitive, although H&M sells a linen double duvet cover and pillow set for £60.
Martha Stewart, who gets her bed changed almost daily(!), recommends replacing cotton and linen sheets with flannel (brushed cotton) sheets as the nights get colder. We’re with her on that, though not on the daily change thing. A word about thread counts: all bedlinen comes with a thread count. This is the number of threads per square inch or centimetre, which indicate how closely woven a fabric is. Finer threads produce smoother or softer fabric so a higher thread count is considered better quality: luxury bedlinen can have a thread count of 350 to 500 or higher. PS: Don’t even think about satin sheets.
2. Don’t ignore your pillowcases
Square pillowcases (65x65cm) have begun to appear on more beds as the ‘boutique hotel’ effect is aped by an increasing number of us. Too bulky for actual sleeping on, they are mostly decorative and sit behind the more conventional pillowcases: the Housewife, a plain fabric envelope (50x75cm), and the Oxford, which has a wide fabric border. It’s easy to forget to change pillowcases but considering the amount of time we spend with our faces pressed up against them, it’s worth doing so every couple of weeks. If you don’t, you face the grim prospect of facial oil, dead skin and residue from shampoo and general grime, clogging up both pillowcase and facial pores. A pillow protector prevents all of this besmirching the actual pillow (Marks & Spencer has some quilted ones). Some people swear that silk pillowcases make hair shinier and less static and skin less creased, and it’s certainly true that are lovely to lie against. Worth giving a go.
3. Create a pile-up
Propping pillows against the bedhead, magazine-rack style, gives the bed an extra dimension and prevents it slumping into limp student grunginess. Chuck a few cushions in front and you’re pillowscaping. Consider square pillows, too – they look good piled up in front of your regular pillows – and come with the added benefit of being a reading-in-bed prop (a bolster is also good for this). Whatever you do, avoid pulling a bedspread over the pillows unless you want the unwary to think they’ve stumbled across a dead body. Bedspreads look best folded back to frame your pillowscaping work and reveal your lovely linen sheets.
4. Chuck on a throw
A throw or blanket in a co-ordinating colour or pattern, draped over the duvet, is an easy win in the bed-styling game. Keep it folded at the foot of the bed and it will also keep toes toasty, or higher up within grabbable distance for shoulder-wrapping warmth when TV-in-bed watching.
5. Go for extras
Anyone bitten by the bedlinen bug will know that it’s hard to stop buying it, once you start. Fortunately, there are no end of options to pimp your lie-in. Mattress toppers come filled with down, cotton fibre, topped with merino wool or made from memory foam, and add a layer of softness and ease to the bed (although an old duvet makes an adequate substitute). Bedspreads and quilts are handy for dragging over everything else when bed making really is too much to contemplate, and of course they bring colour and pattern. Valances, ra-ra skirts for divan bases, are good if you like flounce and can’t bear the sight of an undisguised bed base. And finally: if you have never considered an electric blanket, now might be the time to do so: a whole world of snuggly winter warmth and luxuriant comfort awaits you.
The design and sleep experts at Hästens can advise on the best bed buys that will have you waking up bright eyed and bushy tailed every day.
Wordless Wednesday
El Golfo, Lanzarote. By Linda Lashford for Inntravel.
Wordless Wednesday
The wild and beautiful landscape of Asturias, on Spain's northern coast. Photograph: Inntravel, the Slow holiday people.