São Paulo, Brazil + Arundel, England
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Alison is obsessed with Don E Gee’s More Please salsa that she tried while at the host home where we filmed this episode from our #10KDrivewayTour. She’s literally buying some more online, that is how scrumptious this salsa is! Lulu is obsessd with her newly designated mask drawer. She loves all things organization, form and function, color coding, etc….and this is where we are, she loves her masks!
Alison is wishing for a white 2021 Ford Bronco Sport with black rims. Hello, Santa? Lulu is wishing for a Saguaro cactus, which somehow she didn’t see while traversing the southwest on our recent road trip. Perhaps before this wish is granted she should wish for a green thumb.
Lulu is headed to São Paulo, Brazil where she found a "house with a view" on Airbnb in which she should not throw stones. This stunning structure with its incredible views was once featured on the cover of Brazil's Arquitetura e Construção magazine! It has four bedrooms, 3.5 bathrooms, and is only 300 meters (less than ~1000 feet) from the beach! Situated well into the woods, you will feel oh-so-connected to nature, in part thanks to the location, but also because of the floor to ceiling glass walls! For two nights with fees Lulu's cost was around $900 for a space that sleeps 8 people, which is so achievable you may just be googling "cost of flight to Brazil"! According to one review, the house is not maintained incredible well, so she decides to hire some local cleaners to spiff up the place before her arrival. She wants the glass to be so clean that life imitates art a la the folly in the Windex commercials!
For breakfast Lulu heads to Padoco do Mani, whose offerings encompass "everything that comforts the palate and the heart!" Well, okay! They have loads of vegan items, a grilled cheese served at breakfast, and they serve an afternoon tea and packaged meals-to-go!
The Coffee Lab is her next stop where she takes the online course "How to Improve Your Coffee at Home". This is a Zoom course so you too could do this course from anywhere for roughly $40 USD! Lulu takes her new found coffee knowledge and plays connoisseur at King of the Fork, a specialty coffee and cycling culture café. Properly caffeinated Lulu aims to enjoy local culture and indulge her sweet tooth at the same time, hitting up Maria Brigadeiro for 100 of the traditional Brazilian confection.
Now that she's had coffee and chocolates, its time for some lunch! She's going for some sertaneja or rustic cuisine at Mocoto. She orders the lamb which is cooked slowly with manioc, cherry tomato, green onion, pickled pumpkin, and served steaming on the pan! She also orders multiple dishes with Coalho cheese - if you know, you know...YUM! - and finishes off her meal with cashew juice, a cocktail, and homemade candies! You can also purchase ingredients from their pantry, so Lulu drops some dough on unique items like spiced sugar, rapadura syrup, granulated tapioca, and cashew vinegar. Souvenir shopping is the new grocery shopping, don't you know?
Lulu loves all things Brazilian, but especially their take on what we Americans call mid-century modern designs. So while in São Paulo, Lulu is investing in some furniture, and is buying this Trevo Armor chair by Prototype for $2000. Padded leather over chain mail means comfort and support, all very worth the $2,000 price tag. Plus it has a sleek and chic drink tray!
Dinner is at D.O.M. Restaurante, whose authentic Brazilian cuisine-on-a-mission earned it the 54th spot on S. Pellegrino “World´s Best Restaurants” in 2019. It has been on the list since 2006, meaning to get in you have to make a reservation months in advance! Worth it for the wonder of French and Italian techniques bringing out the fantastic local flavors favored by the chef. Lulu goes for the tasting menu so she can try multiple dishes!
Heading back to her glass house, she realizes that getting undressed could be a bit problematic for those more inclined to some modecum of modesty. That predicament is easily fixed with the purchase of this Melihat folding screen by Brazilian designer Larissa Batista for just $2600 on 1stdibs.com. (Hope that fits in her suitcase!)
A few more purchases were made prior to her arrival to make her evening all the more luxurious. Lulu is excited to change into this Agent Provocateur Classic Silk dressing gown, then lounge on her new chair while checking out the near 360 degree views with these night vision googles.
Arundel is a market town and civil parish in a steep vale of the South Downs, West Sussex, England. If you are thinking the name of this town sounds familiar, don't worry, we'll get to that later in the day! Upping her luxury hotel game, Alison found a luxury hotel castle to stay in. That’s right, feast your eyes on the stunning Amberley Castle!
Her best life starts immediately with the “A Taste of Amberley Castle” package, which adds some culinary decadence to the usual room and board. Cream tea and homemade scones are waiting for you upon arrival, a three-course tasting menu dinner is included (as is the pre-dinner champagne!) and the morning’s full English breakfast is also complementary to her Junior Deluxe room. And don’t even get us started on that bathroom! Swoon!
One castle just isn't enough, Alison heads out for a tour of Arundel Castle. She books out a guided tour, where she gets to see the state rooms and bedrooms, the gatehouse and the keep, and tour the chapel and gardens, all while learning about the history of this 11th century castle! Guided tours are £23.00 ($30 USD) per person, with a minimum charge of £460.00 ($610 USD), and you can have up to 25 in the group per guide.
Near to Arundel Castle is the charming seaside town of Littlehampton featuring a promenade of pubs, fish and chip shops, and restaurants with terraces by a pebble beach river where the yachts drift by in the summer. It's here that Alison finds the charming 47 Mussel Row, where she bravely starts her lunch by trying the crispy salt and pepper squid, and then thoroughly enjoys the mussels and chips, as well as an apple and plum cobbler. To bump up the cost of her lunch tab, Alison says why not and orders a bottle of Chateau Rauzan-Segla Margaux 2008, a red blend for all intents and purposes. Word to the wise, they have lunch hours and dinner hours and are closed in between!
While she is in Arundel, she can’t help but hear the resemblance to Arendelle, and her frozen heart flutters with excitement. While the film’s scenery is inspired by Norwegian locales and not English, the similarities are enough that Alison is going to take her Disney freak flag and “let it go”!
Alison heads back to Amberley Castle where she is staying, throws on this custom “Anna” costume she got from Etsy and goes for afternoon tea. You can take your tea in the castle, or get a hamper to take wherever you wish. Taking her picnic basket of tea and treats, she heads out to explore the grounds. In full costume. So obviously, she wants to do a photoshoot. She hires wedding photographers Howard Visuals to capture her frolicking in her Anna frock on the grounds of the castle. Wanting to make the most of the moment, it’s time for a costume change into this $3500 custom-made Elsa dress, just in time for a few more snaps!
Now technically her "A Taste of Amberley Castle" package came with a three-course dinner, but Alison decides to up the ante and rents out Amberley Castle's wedding reception area.
She books the intimate ceremony package, which can accommodate up to 12 guests for a wedding ceremony with a selection of three canapés and two glasses of house champagne, followed by a wedding breakfast. The three-course wedding breakfast comes with coffee and petits fours, half a bottle of house red or white wine per guest, a glass of house champagne per guest for a toast, and still and sparkling water. Table linens, napkins, and silverware are included, as are place cards and menus printed on Amberley Castle stationery and use of a silver cake stand and server! Prior to the wedding date, the happy couple - or just the cosplaying Frozen fangirl living her best “Show Yourself” life - is also treated to a complimentary three-course meal with wine, coffee and petits fours.
CHECK OUT THE CHARITIES WE FOUND IN THE CITIES WE VISITED:
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