If the idea of soaking tents and shared showers (quite literally) leaves you cold, Tara Hill’s Wild Rooms in Gorey, Co. Wexford are a happy mix of country idyll and homely comfort. It’s not even glamping, as each B&B accommodation is a self-contained cube – clad in moisture-wicking Shou Sugi Ban wood – with underfloor heating, quality kitchenette, en-suite bathroom, king-size bed, high-speed WiFi and a picture window overlooking the Coast (it is only 1 km from Ballymoney Beach). “Plush rooms in the wilderness” is how owners Vanessa Tierney and Ben Wainwright describe their pods, which are on sale two nights for one for stays between May 1st and June 30th, 2022: Enter code at checkout FAB50 a. Minimum age 16 years and only quiet, nature-loving stargazers must apply. thewildrooms.com
Sea legs ready: Aran Island Ferries has resumed spring/summer sailings on Ireland’s largest passenger ship, Saoirse na Farraige, sailing from Galway City to Inis Oírr and Inis Meáin before docking on Inis Mór for 4.5 hour walks around the largest of the islands. The ferry leaves the city at 9:30 am and departs from Inis Mór daily at 3:30 pm. Stay at the Galmont Hotel in Galway – its chic spa and hot tubs will warm even the coolest cockles after your Aran adventures. BB from €131.
aranislandferries.com / thegalmont.com
Cave pool at Mystique Hotel In a way, Santorini is a victim of its own success, with postcard views of whitewashed buildings and cobalt blue domes a firm favorite on the cruise scene. Mystique Hotel, although in busy Oia, is an antidote from the hectic crowds. It’s a 41 suite/villa resort seemingly carved into the cliffs of the caldera and spilling down into the Aegean Sea below. Rooms are minimalist, cavernous, and adobe-style, their bright white interiors making the most of the turquoise sea views. Adults-only, ideal for a top-notch honeymoon or proposal – and with a price tag to match: B&B from €550. mystic.gr
Do you want to go to Madrid? Follow your nose to room 83 des Prado Museum, where a scent-o-vision version of Jan ‘The Elder’ Brueghel and Paul Rubens’ painting ‘The Sense of Smell’ (1617-18) awaits you. Clever curators commissioned traditional fragrance house Puig to create 10 key scents inspired by the botanical scene, including jasmine, rose and orange blossom. Less pleasing to the nose, but no less authentic, is the hint of (synthetic) civet, whose moist musk was used in many eau de colognes of the time. museodelprado.es
https://www.independent.ie/life/travel/travel-news/the-wander-list-contemporary-pods-smell-o-vision-paintings-and-a-luxurious-greek-odyssey-41556845.html The Wander List: Contemporary Pods, Fragrance-O-Vision Paintings and a Luxurious Greek Odyssey
