Tessellated tiles creep upwards, steam curls into the air before you as you exhale into the heat of a giant bathtub – fragranced with incensed oils. The only sound to impede upon your solace comes from the soft popping of the bubbles that luxuriate around you, and the patter of rain on the roof. Your own private souk.
This is how I began the second day of the Aquablogger getaway in my luxurious Aquabelle studio’s opulent ensuite, featuring the most incredible giant stone bath and gleaming wall of mediterranean-blue Moroccan tiling. If you haven’t read about our first day (featuring more luxuriating, natch, and bloggers you’ll love to meet), get up to date here. Starting the day with a bath while outside the waves churn and the skies turn grey is probably the perfect way to enjoy a wintery ocean getaway – something I did after a brisk walk along Rye beach and its iconic pier. Underwater divers bobbed along under the green waters, one of them waving at me as they descended (I assume I had struck a slack-jawed expression of wonder at their adventurousness and laissez-faire attitude to the weather).
Aquabelle’s kitchen and dining zone, where I enjoyed my morning bowl of porridge oats and banana while cheering for the Socceroos at the World Cup. It’s good to holiday in a place you can invite friends over for a proper breakfast (as my fellow-Aquablogger, Cecylia enjoyed) or afternoon tea in comfort. The full kitchen has all you’d need to bake up scones for an oceanic high tea, or even a whip up a roast come to think of it.
Enter the Aquabelle-souk. Morocco via Rye.
Wearing: Target dress and healthy glow that comes from a good night’s sleep lulled by the crashing waves on the seashore.
My perfect Aquablogger Breakfast: 1/2 cup rolled oats, 1 cup full cream milk, sugar and cinnamon to taste. Sometimes I add raisins or candied orange peel for extra sweetness. Bring your concoction to the boil and let simmer until the oats are softened to your liking. Don’t be getting those oats that are ‘quick cooking’ – for ultimate roughage use the whole oats. I don’t often get into intestinal health on the Ruby Assembly blog, but trust me – your belly will thank you!
Chef Nathan Torrens joined with us after our meal, telling us about the provenance of his fare (most of which is local), his culinary influences and the story of Volpino. Having just celebrated its first anniversary, Volpino is popular both with local diners and weekend tourists.
I couldn’t resist taking a photo of our resident thrifty goddess upon whom the spirits of designer goodness shines. On-point in outfits almost entirely altered by herself (often enhanced with designer goodies uncovered at op-shops and markets), Leeyong of Style Wilderness channels A/W’14 Paris Fashion Week in a long plaid skirt and OTT accessories … including earrings from her new label Wilderness Bazaar – fashioned from bombshell casings in Laos. Ultra light and packing maximum tribal-fashion punch! Get your paws on a pair via her online shop.
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