It's No Ritz-Carlton, But I Love It Just The Same

Like most people, I love to travel. I love virtually everything about it, from the flight and car rides to good food and scenery, but one of the things I look forward to most is the accommodation. I feel like I've experienced a good variety of travelling abodes considering the extent of my travels is not as wide as some. I've slept in beautiful hotels, dirty motels, strange hostels, scenic campgrounds, cars, basements and on trains - just about whatever the situation calls for. I like to think that fun and adventurous vacations come from a mix of luxury and ruggedness. But just like I never get tired of telling others about my (now funny) travel horror stories, I never forget some of the beautiful places I've stayed.

When I was about ten, my family went on vacation to the east coast. As always, we enjoyed great food and long drives from place to place. When we arrived in New Brunswick, we visited the Algonquin Fairmont Hotel. This beautiful old estate was beautiful and grand, and my bossy ten-year-old self begged my parents to stay there. Typical for the time period, the rooms were small but luxurious with tall ceilings and beautifully crafted furniture. Thankfully, whenever memories of this trip come up, my Mom usually mentions that she is so glad I insisted we stay there.


Last summer, I was fortunate to be able to backpack around Italy and France with a friend for a few weeks. We had a few sketchy hostel experiences, but they're secondary in comparison to some of the beautiful places where we did stay. Whether it was the front entrance way, architectural detailing or simply just the view, these are a few photographs of the places I loved in Europe:

Outside the hostel in Rome, Italy.

This amazing garden (excuse the glare!) was in the centre of our hotel in Florence, Italy.

For anyone interested in making their own headboard....why not try something different from the usual tufted style! This beautiful leather headboard was in Florence, Italy.

The view from the shower (I know, amazing!) in Paris, France.


Gorgeous hotel in Cassis, France. It had very modern decor and lots of windows to admire the view. Like this....

Beautiful shutters, stone work and iron gates on the windows in Nice, France.

I can only imagine how beautiful this view in Aix-en-Provence is on a fall day.

I hope these images help you reminisce about your vacations, or dream of places to go. I love just about everything about the European lifestyle, so even if I can incorporate the soft colours or simple details into my work, I might feel like I'm back there again!

Photos by Jenna @ the beautiful shelter