From a quiet sunrise to hidden alleys and iconic blue tiles, every corner of Lisbon is beyond picture perfect. We had the privilege of exploring the historic neighborhood of Alfama one morning and fell in love!

Here are some of the places we explored:
- Miradouro das Portas do Sol: During the weekdays, the city is quiet until 9am. We arrived at this landing at 8am, about half an hour after sunrise (in November) and there were very few people around.
- Miradouro Santa Luzia: This viewpoint landing is like a secret garden with a beautiful tile mural, red doors, and a pagoda that overlooks the hills of Alfama. Our photographer said that in the springtime, the flowers and trees are in full bloom so the colors are even more stunning.

**From here, take the Santa Luzia Lift down to the first floor & explore the back streets of Alfama**

After a quick sweater change in the lift lobby, we continued our journey down the alleys, towards Praça do Comércio & Lisbon City Hall.

Looking back, I’m doubly grateful that we closed out 2019 with this amazing trip - celebrating our friend’s wedding, exploring a new city , and sharing my London life together!

Jon is definitely getting more comfortable in front of the camera. I guess 9+ years of photoshoots makes a man feel some way. There is hope, ladies! Force a man to smile in enough photos and one day, they’ll find a way to appreciate the memories you create!

Love, MH

Denim: Zara
Sweaters: TJMaxx, Zara
Booties: Stuart Weitzman

Jacket: Levis
Corduroy Pants: Zara

Photography: Claudia // @iheartyou.pt

To celebrate our one year wedding anniversary this past July, we booked a 2 night stay at the newly renovated MacARTHUR Place in Sonoma, CA. After our honeymoon, we were skeptical that we could ever take a relaxing vacation again but boy, were we proven wrong. Not only were the rooms and grounds at the MacArthur Hotel serene and beautiful, but the town of Sonoma and the wineries in Sonoma Valley also blew us away.

We arrived in the early afternoon before our check in time. Thankfully, the hotel had ways to keep us busy. We grabbed a cup of coffee at The Porch, and rented the hotel’s Blix electric bikes* to head to the Sonoma town center for lunch. Biking takes on a whole new meaning when your gear is cute & there’s a motor doing all the work for you. I’m a convert!! We circled Sonoma Square a few times before deciding to eat at Basque Boulangerie Cafe.
*Bikes are available on a first come, first serve basis at no cost.

Within the hour, we were able to check into our room. The rooms are separated into little cottages, with each cottage housing a few residences. It felt like we had entered into a cute townhouse neighborhood with it’s own outdoor pool, spa, gym and outdoor lounging areas. We were smitten!

Our hotel room was bright and cozy - complete with a desk nook, an outdoor patio and fireplace. (Can’t wait to visit in the winter to use it.) Also, this bed… the king size bed was so comfy that I didn’t even hear Jon snoring!

The staff was also super attentive, helping us with our luggage, providing us extra blankets to sit outdoors and arranging our dinner reservation at the hotel restaurant Layla. If we weren’t committed to visiting wineries in Sonoma, we could have easily spent our whole trip just relaxing at the hotel.

It’s rare for us to plan vacations where we just relax & spend time enjoying each other’s company but our stay at the MacARTHUR Place Hotel changed our travel theory. We are such city people that we usually seek to visit cities that have a hustle & bustle, packing our itineraries by the hour. Now, we can’t wait to find the next place to go, curl up in bed & do nothing.

Hope this inspires you to travel differently than you’re used to. Let me know your favorite travel/hotel destinations in the comments below!

Love, MH