9.24.2010

far flung friday: aqua pura



mr c found the fabulous mr and mrs smith hotel website when we were searching for places to have our wedding....and i was immediately hooked.  i believe i love every single hotel they have featured and in fact covet their job as dynamic husband and wife hotel advisers extraordinaire.

we ended up not having our wedding at any of their locations, but we did spend our honeymoon at one
http://www.mrandmrssmith.com/luxury-hotels/mexico/jalisco/verana/ and it lived up to every ounce of hype.  in fact, while in verana, we ran into a couple from the uk who claimed they only stay at mr and mrs properties and if i had my druthers...
i would too

had we decided to go the far flung wedding route....aqua pura, located in douro portgual, would certainly have been in the top 5.  this north-western patch of portugal is golden by name ('douro') and golden by nature and looks completely magical with its sepia-tinged hills and amber-hued valleys.


the hotel sits atop a striking, sun-kissed mountainscape, neatly combed with vine-filled terraces, where the tranquil river douro lazily winds its way from the atlantic coast to spain. on its gentle journey, it passes through the oldest wine-producing region in the world: little wonder these wild, earthy winelands have been awarded unesco world heritage status. portugal’s second largest city, porto stands proudly on douro valley’s oceanside edge; from here, you can follow the river into the fertile region once best known for mateus rosé, but now celebrated as an epicurean paradise.


perfectly positioned to take in views of the valley in all its sweeping vine-clad majesty, aquapura hotel was once a rural, red-painted family farmhouse. now, after a dramatic designer reinvention, it’s portugal’s sexiest spa retreat, offering indulgent wining, dining and poolside reclining.


this is on our "one day" list......
but for today....a nice bottle of portuguese's rose and some day dreams shall suffice....
 
have a grand weekend ~ mrs m

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