HOTEL-OBSESSED
In love with the classics and sports their iconic emblems wherever possible

Le Colombe d’Or menu tablecloth – The chicest menu from the coolest hotel

Chateau Marmont Keychain Tassel and their branded t-shirts

The Ritz Paris bathrobe – The plushest robe in their signature apricot-hue 

Canned peaches from The Greenbrier 

These perfectly kitchy Madonna Inn glass goblets

Eloise at The Plaza matching slippers for parents and kids

The Hotel de Crillon’s Rivolta Carmigniani bedding – Sadly, the bed-making itself is DIY

A Bemelmans Bar Tote or these adorable branded linen cocktail napkins to spruce up cocktail hour at home

Mini Pellicano bag – Conversation starter meets flex, perfect for walking around other hotels with your sunscreen, glasses, and a book

Ritz luggage tag – Everyone needs a good luggage tag, right?

Raffles Singapore coasters – The birthplace of the Singapore Sling!

Bring Mezzatorre into the backyard with this umbrella

Claridge’s tote – To make schlepping groceries slightly more glamorous

The Mark Hotel slippers 

Villa d’Este monogrammed ashtray – If you didn’t steal yours during your stay

Eden Rock x Diptique Ylang room spray 

Hotel Splendide by Ludwig Bemelmans – A fun and gossipy read about the BTS of hotel life

COOKS & EATERS
Comes back from Marrakech with preserved lemons and saffron, books tables before flights, and always packs a tin of moshio salt

World Kitchen Explorer Subscription – Each monthly send comes with 7 or 8 spices and globally-inspired recipes to push your repertoire 

Millie’s Thai Lemongrass Sipping Broth – Brilliantly packaged in tea bags so you can sip broth on the go

Jacobson’s travel sized infused salts – A little goes a long way!

Crepe spreader – To step up your crepe technique 

TNFx Bialetti Travel Moka Set – Everything intrepid javaphiles need to make a proper pour in their Airbnb or on top of a mountain

Staub fondue pot – Channeling Swiss chalets at home

Mastering the Art of French Cooking by Julia Child. Iconic.  

Brasserie Lipp espresso set – For a morning cup that transports you to one of our favorite Parisian brasseries

Tabletop hibachi grill – Inspired by traditional Japanese yakitori grills, an apartment-friendly grill that doubles as a griddle for pancakes or burgers

WM Brown apron – Made in a sturdy Japanese selvedge denim with dual front pockets 

Maison Masarin vintage French tea towels – Carefully sourced from around France, then revived in their Lyon artisan workshop. Durable, absorbent… and we’re a sucker for old French linens.  

These traditional donabe pots from Iga, Japan, are made with naturally high-heat resistant clay that has been used for open-flame cooking for hundreds of years.

Japan: The Cookbook by Nancy Singleton Hachisu. Essential. 

Moroccan tagine – The perfect vessel for making your own slow-simmered stew (with those preserved lemons you brought back)

Traditional Molcajete – This Mexican kitchen staple will seriously elevate your guac game, and looks so great on the counter.

PotLuck Market Sauce trio – A trio of Korean jangs—fermented sauces or pastes used for seasoning—that work as dips, marinades, or dolloped into soups

Le Fontaine de Mars napkin – “We have Fontaine de Mars at home”

Italian pasta chitarra – For that friend who took a cooking class in Italy and hasn’t made fresh pasta since

Ravioli stamp – The pasta accessory nobody knew they needed

Indian Cookery: A Cookbook (40th anniv. edition) by Madhur Jaffrey

CHIC NOMAD
Swears by our favorite (Yolo-approved) travel uniforms

Ancient Greek pony mule – They go with everything, and are dressy without taking up as much space as heels. 

Comme Si Cashmere Hooded Scarf – Perfect for keeping warm on the plane  

Our favorite cashmere turtlenecks on the high and low end of the spectrum

Kule “Over the Shoulder” Tote – A carry-all for flea or farmers market hopping that packs down flat in your suitcase 

Navy polka dot scarf from William Crabtree  

45r unisex long sleeve t shirt – Great layering pieces for a capsule travel wardrobe from a cult-favorite Japanese brand 

Birkenstock shearling slide – Keep your feet comfy on the plane and miles beyond! 

Gammarelli Papal Socks – Pure silk Italian socks that come Pope-approved

Ann Mashburn Safari Shirt – Equally rugged and chic, and a great travel shirt for all seasons

&Daughter Cashmere Triangle Scarf – For bundling up without the extra volume 

Dragon Diffusion bag – A bag that can go from beach to dinner 

Comme Des Garçons Polka Dot Clutch – To store your passport or take out on the town

Ann Mashburn Lara pants – The most flattering pants that hold their shape even after a red eye in row 34

Baggu Travel Cloud Bag – A well-designed personal item with a trolley strap and laptop sleeve that folds down to nothing if you need to stash it away

Alex Mill Pajamas – PJs you won’t be embarrassed to greet room service in

Olympia Le Tan passport clutch – Where to next? 

Clare V Grande Fanny – Perfect for wandering hands-free in a Moroccan medina or while biking along the Seine

Aime Leon Dore travel slipper – Comes with a smart zip-up pouch to store in your carry-on 

The Il Bisonte Yolo Bag – Duh!

En Route charm – A most elegant travel talisman

Silk Laundry blazer and pants – A 100% silk set that feels like pajamas, yet sleek enough to wear to a meeting straight from the airport

Malachite charm – A traveler’s stone said to bring good luck on trips

New&Lingwood Yolo smoking jacket – Combines the ease of a dressing gown and the elegance of eveningwear

These Asahi deck shoes slip on and off seamlessly to breeze through TSA

Métier Stowaway bag – Brilliantly designed to work as a clipped-in organizer within the larger Métier bags, or worn with a crossbody strap on its own. 

PRODUCT JUNKIE
Always optimizing their in-flight skincare routine or testing the latest K-beauty fad

Take it with you

YSE Brightening & Depuffing Eye Patches – Perfect to wear on the plane if you want to land glowing, but refuse to wear a full sheet mask in-flight

My Neighbor’s Facial Cleanser Bar – Liquid-free face wash for the friend who’s constantly maxing out their TSA baggies

Skinsheet Cleansing Coins – 1-inch coins that expand to a 10×10” facecloth with a bit of water

Jao Refresher Sanitizer – A multipurpose sanitizer spray that disinfects your hands (without drying them!), but also works as a zitzapper, aftershave or under-arm refresher

Dualist Balancing Oil Serum – The best oil-meets-serum that is absorbent, not greasy, and easy to throw in your bag for doubly-duty when packing carry-on. 

Aesop Ginger Flight Therapy – The best roll-on pulse point therapy that soothes nausea and stress

Monastery’s Universal Balm – An all-in-one hydrating skin salve that’s great for the face, hands and body

OMAD Bio Cellulose Restore & Repair Serum Mask – Designed to heal compromised skin after laser treatments or chemical peels, this single-sheet mask is what your skin craves after hours of stale plane air.

Travel size La Bonne Brosse – The founders of this cult favorite French beauty brand swear brushing your hair after flying is like pressing the reset button for your scalp and your mood.

Egyptian Magic – Made with just six ingredients, this all-natural ointment is always in our bag to tame frizzy hair, use as a lip balm, or nourish dry skin. 

Saint Charles Propolis Candies – We love the immune-boosting propolis spray from this Viennese pharmacy, but these are a bit easier (and tastier) to travel with.

The chic, pocket-size French hand-mirror we swear by 

Transporting at home

Iris Hantverk Bath Brush – A gorgeous horsehair and oak body brush made by artisans in Sweden and Estonia  

Saint Charles Apothecary Hand Cream – This non-greasy cream smells like the Austrian Alps 

Lilis Korean Body Resurfacing Set – The best Korean body scrub you can find this side of Seoul

Blue Lagoon Lip Balm – Made with bioactive microalgae from Iceland’s Blue Lagoon, it’s one of the best hydrating lip treatments we’ve come across

Japanese onsen bath salts – A blend of hinoki essential oil and onsen minerals extracted from Mt. Yakedake in the Japanese Alps, which breaks down hardened keratin and smooths skin

Lavender Oil – Pure lavender oil with no preservatives or additives, sourced directly from a farmer in Mont Ventoux, Provence. Pour a bit into your bubble bath, spray it on your pillow, or dab it on as a natural mosquito repellent. 

Naxos Apothecary soap – One of our favorite pharmacies in Greece thankfully ships worldwide, and this bar of soap that smells like an outdoor shower after a day at the beach is the next-best thing to a flight to Naxos. 

Kama Ayurveda Body Oils – Abhayanga at home with oils specific to your dosha

Costa Brazil lymphatic massage duo – Firming body oil with a massage brush equals Brazilian-looking skin

Savonnerie Le Serail Olive Oil soap – All-natural and hypoallergenic soap made by artisans in Marseille that’s safe for skin and home 

ARTISAN WORKSHOP WANDERER
Can’t pass a loom or pottery wheel without bringing home a souvenir that needs its own carry-on

This marbleized ceramic plate from Totem Home, made in a female-led Portuguese atelier, would make such a pretty cheese or cookie plate.

Romanian Horezu vase 

A Kene tapestry representing ancestral memories—made by the remote Amazonian Shipbo tribe on a backstrap loom (whose designs inspired a Dior purse)—is so stunning, and is said to carry harmonizing energy!

Barrocal Handwoven blanket – These intricately patterned blankets are handwoven on traditional wooden looms by artisans in the Alentejo region of Portugal. 

The smoke-fired Oaxacan clay vase by master potter Rufina Ruiz Lopez has multiple handles and would look great on a mantle or stuffed with blooms. 

Maybe this is the year to get a Sicilian “Testa di Moro” from one of the best local sources?

The Elephant Way’s Ranger Parka comes in a rich oxblood red and is embellished with valor bars handbeaded by Samburu mamas. 100% of profits are returned to support indigenous communities and their sacred land. 

Norlha Split Cape – Made from softest yak down it’s definitely a splurge, but was handwoven by artisans all the way on the Tibetan plateau and is fantastic for travel. 

The Kashmir Loom Sariska Stole is another irresistible wrap from afar, made in Ladakh from Changra goat cashmere.

This smoky handblown ashtray could not be chicer (for holding nuts, not just butts) and was made in a NYC Chinatown atelier.

This signet ring crafted from lapis lazuli and 18k gold by a master metalsmith in Nantucket will make you feel like island royalty.

We’re obsessed with the elaborate ceramics style of Michoacán, Mexico, and have our eye on this gorgeous blooming barro vidriado-style vase by Studio Binat. 

An Egyptian royal palm plate – How cute is that? And it’s made in Fayoum! 

We’ve long coveted these elegant beaded cuffs made by Tanzanian women’s collective, Sidai Designs.

Still waiting for someone to buy us this wavy Ghanaian basket

Our favorite wicker-workers at Atelier Vime are offering their version of a 19th-century Provençal fruit-gathering basket filled with local olive oil, handcrafted trivets and soaps, and more.

Peruvian alpaca throw – Spiffs up the arm of any couch.

Threads of Time: This gorgeous new book is a journey in textiles across the globe, with photos by several Yolo contributors!

Oil paintings by Lotta Teale transport you to Provence, Venice, the Dolomites and beyond.

A VAWAA Gift Card is a down payment towards a “Vacation With an Artist” trip (weaving in Oaxaca, printmaking in Kyoto, traditional cooking in Greece…). Yes, please! 

LITTLE TRAVELERS 
To expand their world, keep them occupied, and get them there without a hitch 

​​Push pin globes – We love this as a gift for kids that’s really a keepsake for the parents, to commemorate a first international trip 

Hey Kids, Watch This – Dozens of adult and kid-approved movie recommendations that span decades, countries and genres, so in-flight screen time feels a bit more intentional 

Kid Travel guide books – A great gift if they have a specific upcoming trip to get excited about

Travel backpack – Manageable enough that kids can carry it themselves

Dusen Dusen Recycled Leather Luggage Tag

Baby Bjorn Crib – Yolo-tested: the best travel crib by far! 

Travel highchair – A portable chair that hooks right onto the table at dinner, then folds up after 

Cute packing cubes in punchy colors motivate kids to pitch in

Childrens travel pillow – Kid-sized with cheery sayings 

JetKids BedBox – A genius ride-on suitcase that turns an airplane seat into a toddler-size bed 

PJ sets that double as outfits—perfect for plane rides and cute enough for hotel breakfasts 

Mini Magnatiles– Game changer as a plane activity 

Non-rolling crayons – Made for kid-size hands, these are triangular so they won’t roll off the tray table! 

Fahlo Plush Tracking – Sweet stuffed animals that track real lives ones, with proceeds going to support conservation efforts

United States wooden puzzle – A classic! 

Travel inspired legos – An Italian postcard? Cherry blossoms in Japan? We won’t judge if you buy these for yourself. 

Explorers Suitcase – Kitted out with a treasure box, binoculars, and everything they need to play “explorer”

John Derian stickers – So you can all pass a couple of hours in-flight without screens

Adopt a baby orphan elephant through the Sheldrick Wildlife Trust! The funds directly support the Nairobi-based nonprofit’s care for rescued baby ellies, as well as their antipoaching conservation work in Kenya. Or sponsor a rescued cheetah through the Cheetah Conservation Fund, a giraffe through the Giraffe Conservation Foundation (both in Namibia), or a gorilla through the Dian Fossey Gorilla Fund in Rwanda—and all proceeds support these organizations’ impactful conservation work. 

THE CONSTANT TRAVELER 
Knows every airport lounge Wi-Fi password by heart and yes, they’ll take it to go

Portable speaker – Because a good playlist instantly makes a hotel room feel more homey 

Bose Frames Tenor – Sunglasses with built-in headphones for that person who is always losing both

Portable charger – The best one we’ve come across that can fully charge a laptop, or a smartphone four times over, with USB-A, USB-C, and wall charging ports

Airpods with live translation – So you can finally understand mass at the Vatican 

Airfly device – A genius invention that connects your airpods to the plane TV, so you don’t have to suffer through Crazy Rich Asians with tinny audio for a 12th time.

Travel Reading Light – Do not disturb thy neighbor

Portable steamer – Wrinkles are inevitable. Luckily this steamer is sleek, under 2lbs, and uses dry steam that won’t leave your clothes damp.

L’Uniform crossbody pouch – To hold your passport and phone in transit, or to keep some doggy bags handy on a walk

The chicest water bottle that looks like hand blown glass, without the added weight. 

Suri electric toothbrush – Uses the same charging port as an iPhone and has the coolest self-cleaning UV travel case

Ettinger Personalised Pill Case – Not your grandma’s travel pill case!

Smythson Passport Cover – Crossgrain leather in a lovely range of colors, with easy access pockets for your passport and boarding pass

Foldable, superlight travel yoga mat – If you just have to downward dog everywhere

Clare V travel domino set – For the analog traveler

These incredibly elegant, linen, made to order travel pouches. 

Travel-friendly incense – Tiny incense packets that fit in your wallet and are designed like matches, so no lighter needed!

Ettinger card case – Play hearts on the go, but make it chic

Longchamp Le Pliage Original – Iconic for a reason 

This and this dopp kit are made with waterproof zippers, NASA grade insulation, and a reflective surface that keep your cosmetics or tech at a stable temperature, even in a hot car or at the beach.  

Ralph Lauren Cashmere Travel Kit – For that friend who’s always cold on the plane

July trackable suitcase – You’ll never worry about forgetting to put an Airtag in your suitcase again! 

Rimowa carry-on – Our polycarbonate cases have circled the world with us many times over, and they only look better the more dinged up they get.

Wm Brown x Seil Marshall carryon – Family favorite, obvi.

Rue de Verneuil Traversée bag – Works double duty as a handbag or carry on, and expands/contracts with snap closures  

Cram packing cubes – These come in fun, bright colors and have an impressive amount of compression

Briggs & Riley larger format packing cubes are our go-to for checked bags

Cadence parcel & capsules – We have sung the praises of these before and we will again.

Métier Vérité Weekend Duffel – Perfect shape, and even has a laptop sleeve

Ries set of travel containers – For the friend who can’t live without their full haircare routine on the road 

Lexxola glasses & jewelry case – A cute solution for the sunglasses-obsessed

Parallelle toiletry bag – Our friends Pia and Natasha talked about this bag in a way we’ve never heard someone talk about a toiletry bag

A credit card and coin purse from our favorite leather shop in Milan, Pettinaroli

Smythson Chess roll – Portable board with two zip pouches for all 32 mini pieces 

ADVENTUROUS SPIRIT
Plans their trips around sunrise hikes, never caught without an extra layer, and believes “function” is its own form of beauty  

Sentier Italia hiking boots – Finally, a hiking boot so chic you’ll wear it off-trail

Sparkling water bottle – The coolest portable soda maker for your acqua frizzante obsessed friend

Amundsen Field blanket – Waxed cotton on one side, brushed flannel on the other, with a layer of cozy Norwegian wool in the middle to lay down for a picnic or wrap up around a campfire

Fieldbar cooler – This retro-looking cooler can keep up to three bottles of wine chilled for hours in the sun

Design-y rechargeable mini lantern – Rechargeable with a USB-C port—no batteries needed! 

Cold Plunge Changing Robe – Keep dry and warm after swims, surfs, or cold plunges

Wm Brown x Chatham Camp Blanket – Rugged and versatile, WM Brown collaborated with a family that’s been making blankets in this style since the 1800s, designed to go everywhere with you. 

Monogrammed Original Swiss Army Knife – What can’t this do?

Cold Joy on the art of the plunge and wild swimming, by Libby DeLana

Blundstone suede clogs – Something easy to kick on and off for airport security or at the entrance to your tent

Daiichi Raka Boots – Vulcanized (completely sealed) boots made in Japan with a helpful strap to tug them on or pull them off

Burton’s brilliant neck warmer magnets directly onto your ski goggles for fog-free warmth and no gap over the bridge of your nose

Alpine Refuges – Mountain hygge by Aaron Rolph

Mini theragun – To unwind after a day on the trails or slopes

Tracksmith ultra-lightweight rain jacket – “There’s no bad weather, only bad gear”

Binoculars – Maybe 2026 is the year to finally get into bird watching

Mini bike pump 

Yeti tumbler – Utilitarian for obvious reasons, but we love it because it doubles as a cocktail shaker in a pinch

National Park Foundation – Make a donation to the official nonprofit arm of the National Parks Service, which protects and improves more than 400 parks across the US and needs a lift now more than ever!

THE MEMORY-KEEPER  
Always stops to paint (or journal) the flowers 

Schmincke Retro watercolor set – For plein-air painting when the inspiration strikes 

Watercolor travel journal with postcard-sized paper to paint on 

Blackwing pencils – Ticonderoga who?

Oroblanco sketchbook – Really lovely textured paper and a flexible binding for sketching on the go

Color Block Pencil Set

Kyoto pastels are inspired by the light of the city, and made by a 4th-gen, family-owned art supply company in Japan

Sienna plein air pochade box 

Portuguese pencils handcrafted in the oldest pencil factory in the Iberian Peninsula

Mudle crayons that could easily be mistaken for colorful rocks 

The chicest gold-edged notebooks

Serapian notebook – Bound in an Italian leather that feels as soft as cashmere

Kodak 35mm Reusable Camera – See your vacation on film

Zero Waste Disposable Camera – Mail in the whole camera once you’re done to get your film back, and they’ll refurbish the camera for its next user

Smythson photo corners to add your pictures to an album once you’re home 

Leaf imprint kits – Place shells, leafs, or whatever you want to make a print of on the paper and in 15 minutes on a sunny day you have a mess-free keepsake

Malachite pen from Pineider

THE HOST WITH THE MOST
Offers a standing invitation to their amazing beach/ski/country house

Night carafe – Made by skilled glassblowers in Chiba, Japan for almost 100 years

Matt Hranek’s Cocktail Books – Negronis, martinis, and more! 

Carl Auböck Brass Candle Holders – These would certainly score you an invite back

Carte D’Armenia Incense – Perfumed paper that burns flame-free. Made in Italy and inspired by the Armenian tradition of “medicinal papers,” which burned benzoin resin to purify the air 

Cosi Tabellini Pewter Cocktail Shaker and accessories – For stirring up Bond-worthy martinis

Mark Thomas wine glasses – Mouthblown wine glasses made in Austria, with slightly angular walls that enhance the tasting experience

The Wm Brown x Another Country Bar Cart

A Lisa Corti or Autumn Sonata tablecloth – Channel al fresco summer dinner parties on even the dreariest winter days 

Haws Faseley Watering Can – The most stylish way to irrigate

Giannini Firenze Marbled Guest Book – Guess who came for dinner? Now you don’t have to!

3lb bucket of Maldon salt – This industrial-sized tub of the best salt that money can buy will not go unused

Handmade Dutch gardening tools

Gohar World personalized embroidered lace envelopes – We doubt postage stamps would stick to these, but they’d be great for some chic jewelry storage 

A lovely chalice fruit bowl from Henry Holland

Mclean’s of Braemar Roe Buck candlestick – For your friend who went to Scotland this year and is dreaming of retiring to a restored bothy

Côte Bougie Moroccan Candle – The herb-scented candle we buy over and over again, poured in ceramic jars made in Tamegroute, Morocco

Skye McAlpine, The Christmas Companion – For that friend who starts decking the halls on Nov 1

A transportable boule set that almost looks like a sculpture 

Mariage Freres Wedding Imperial Tea 

Signe Hytte Book Weight – This sleek almond-shaped book weight is so helpful to keep a cookbook open instead of constantly flipping pages with flour-covered hands, and is chic enough to leave out on a desk when not in use. 

Budd unisex nightshirt 

Monogrammed pillows with navy trim from London & Avalon  

Mokkamaster drip coffee maker – Impossible to brew a bad cup from this

Fornasetti Candle

Gohar World Host Rubber Gloves – Suddenly being on dish duty doesn’t sound so bad!

Ginori 1735 trinket dish

Sharland England rattan tray – Perfect to serve cocktails in the backyard or breakfast in bed

Bedside carafe and glass set handblown in Murano, Italy.  

“Words for the Table” French embroidered napkins

Glass ice bucket from Simon Pearce – A classic

G. McGee Towel – Super clever beach towels with chess and backgammon boards designed into them 

JAPANOPHILE
Came back from Japan and can’t stop talking about the konbini egg sandwiches and Shinkansen bento boxes  

Woven bamboo tea strainer – Arguably not as functional as a finer mesh strainer, but we just love the look of this old-school bamboo one. 

45 R bandana – Handiest headband, neck scarf, mouchoir

Ikebana kenzan – Throw out that soggy green foam and use this sleek kenzan for flower arranging

White and navy dot Tenugui – A traditional hand-dyed tengui that can be used as a kerchief, tea towel, or even as gift wrap

Mini straw broom – Crafted with sturdy bristles that are gentle enough for crumbs and dust, this mini broom makes the chore of sweeping slightly more enjoyable. 

Japanese incense

Wasabi Salt – For a hit of salt, spice, and umami all in one

Garden Scissors – Delicate scissors for delicate flower pruning 

Hand soap – A gentle, unscented hand soap that we’d buy just for the packaging

Japanese scrub brush 

Junpei Kawaguchi rattan baskets – Handbraided baskets that are more like functional sculptures 

Tamanohada fish soap – Soap on a rope in the shape of the Tai fish, a symbol of good fortune in Japanese culture

Matcha tea ceremony set – So your matcha-loving friend can learn to DIY 

Kintsugi repair kit – Turn that broken dish or mug into a soulful wabi-sabi object

Ikebana: The Art & Beauty of Flower Arranging by Frédéric Gerard. Skills!

Japanese snack subscription box – A mixed bag of 20+ candies, snacks, and teas to fill the Japanese 7-11 shaped hole in their heart

Japanese Pickle Stone

Snow Peak Coffee bean grinder – Japanese-designed hand powered coffee grinder that can be used camping or in your own kitchen

Kim Pan-ki Comb Pattern Celadon Lidded Mug

DOG PARENT 
Can’t leave home without their furry friends

 Dagne Dover Pet Carrier – Ticks all the boxes—folds down flat for easy storage, has a trolley strap, and a cozy interior bed that you can remove and use as a dog bed when you arrive at your destination.

A custom dog painting by our lovely friend and London-based artist Sophie Brinson, who painted Yolo’s mascot, Prune, last year! (She takes commissions by DM!)

Hay Travel Blanket – Honestly, all of the Hay pet accessories are great 

Tuft and Paw Porto Carrier – They say it’s for cats, but it works for a dog up to 30 lbs. It has a mat that opens out so it feels like a cave with an opening. Plus, there’s a trolley strap! 

Astier de Villatte chien bowls – Handmade in Paris, bien sûr!

Celine dog bag holder – Bathroom breaks have never looked so good

Ware of the Dog Crochet Squeaky Toy – Adorable and a fair-trade product made by craftswomen in Nepal

Car seat + travel bed – Perfect duo for road trips

Oscar de la Renta dog bow – Ok, yes it’s $200, but at least it benefits a rescue group

This Barbour fair isle sweater comes with a matching hat for the owner

Aesop dog shampoo – Just because. 

This dog bed from Airelles Le Grand Contrôle at Versailles, because your pet should be treated like royalty. 

Fern green rope leash – Made of marine-grade cotton rope with an adjustable design that you can loop around your waist or turn into a shorter handle 

Loaf’s incredibly chic dog bed – Cute and functional—all the covers are fully removable so you can throw them in the wash 

Gucci heart dog charm – Jewelry for dogs, why didn’t we think of this sooner?

Hermes dog brush – Because they deserve nothing but the best!

Perfect dog-walking cross body which holds poop sacks, a phone, and a pair of glasses! 

The Mark Hotel’s pooch provisions include Prune’s favorite, The Mark Dog Kit. 

Bonus! STOCKING STUFFERS

A 12-in-1 kitchen tool is really all you need to cook at your weekend rental

Spice passport – The size of a real passport, only instead of stamps it’s full of single-origin spices from small farms around the world. 

Beverly Hills Hotel bottle opener – Under $20!

Egyptian Magic Mini Skin Cream – Our favorite, to go.

Falke Socks – Super breathable socks perfect for logging 20,000 steps exploring a city 

Officine Universelle Buly Personalised Lip Balm – Who wouldn’t want that?!

Trudon The Night-Light Candle 

Maison Louis Marie Mini Perfume Oils

Fortnum & Mason Mint Chocolates – Individually wrapped after-dinner chocolates made in Tuscany with Italian peppermint

Nécessaire The Body Essentials Mini – Probably the chicest travel sized toiletries

Smythson Weekly Planner – Our North Star planner that we buy year after year 

Hedgehog table brush – A charming tool for sweeping up crumbs, made with beechwood and horsehair in Germany

French Hair Pin – Move over claw clips!

Gold Stork Scissors – Italian embroidery scissors that have been made in the same style for over 150 years

Wooden herb stripper – Run mint branches through this to strip the leaves quickly when mojitos are in order and time is of the essence

Curaprox Travel Toothbrush Set 

Terracotta bread warmer – Embrace your inner French innkeeper at breakfast and keep croissants warm for hours

Malachite place cards – Malachite is the traveler’s stone, so even if you’re hosting at home you can surround yourself with good travel juju.

The post YOLO’s 2025 Gift Guide appeared first on Yolo Journal.

Salt is a must in soup, we all agree. But in dessert? It’s amazing how, especially in sweet dishes, a few crumbs of salt can make all the difference between ordinary and sophisticated. I was inspired to create this mousse by the chocolate pudding at the bar Asturianos, one of my many favorite spots in Madrid. The pudding is mixed at the table with a little salt and olive oil – when your mouth is full of chocolate flavors and you bite into a salt crystal, it’s simply amazing. —Ralph Schelling

Ingredients:
1 egg
1 tbsp sugar
150g dark chocolate
400ml single cream
Extra virgin olive oil
Fleur de Sel

Beat the egg and sugar in a thin-sided bowl over a gently simmering pan of water using a whisk or hand mixer until frothy. Be careful that the egg does not curdle.

Turn off the heat. Chop the chocolate, add it to the egg mixture in the bowl, and melt in the residual heat. Stir everything together and let cool slightly.

Whisk the cream until fluffy and carefully fold it into the mixture with a whisk.

Cover the mousse and refrigerate for about 3 hours. Scoop out dumplings with a tablespoon, arrange on plates, drizzle with olive oil, and finish with fleur de sel.

Tips:
Like many of my colleagues, I prefer chocolate from the Schwyz producer Felchlin; their factory shop in Ibach is a must for chocoholics. For my mousse, I used the Grand Cru “Maracaibo Clasificado 65%” couverture from Venezuela. For white chocolate mousse, replace the dark chocolate with white chocolate.

For chocolate mousse fans, a visit to the “Kronenhalle” in Zurich is worthwhile. There, it is served with Crème de la Gruyère.

The post Chocolate Mousse with Olive Oil and Fleur de Sel appeared first on Yolo Journal.

Cliodhna Prendergast is an Irish photographer and writer based on Ireland’s west coast, who we first encountered when our friend David Prior wrote about her and others in the region’s locavore movement back when we were at Condé Nast Traveler. She trained as a chef at Ballymaloe cookery school in Cork and grew up foraging throughout the sea, fields and woods around the small family-run seaside hotel where she grew up.  She’s also the founder of the immersive Workship photography and creative retreats in Ireland and the UK—the next one is taking place in the Scottish Highlands at Boath House on October 17^th-20^th,, with one to follow in Ireland in March (details TBD). Imagining a recipe that represented Ireland in fall, we turned to her for inspiration and she overdelivered with four! —Alex Postman

Walking the wind-swept Atlantic beaches of the west of Ireland, we find storied banks of oyster, mussel and clam shells. These are “Kitchen Middens,” ancient deposits of shells from coastal communities that occupied these lands as far back as 6000 BC. These shellfish were their staple diet, they harvested them from the abundant seas and swallowed them raw.

In Connemara where I live on the west coast, bare mountains rise like limpet shells that skirt the coastline and sweep down to white sandy beaches with clear, often turquoise water. The area is known for its spectacular shellfish and mountain lamb and Connemara ponies as well as its wild, raw beauty.

I was a chef before I became a photographer and so food, its provenance and its producers make up a large part of my personal story. I have gathered, cooked and eaten this regional food for the best part of my life. Oysters and sweet blue lobster from cold Atlantic waters, lamb with notes of hillside herbs and heather, forest mushrooms, small beach cockles and Killary fjord-grown mussels eaten only moments after they are lifted from their ropes. I count myself lucky to have easy access to these delicious wonders of nature and nourishment.

There is a satisfactory sucking sound as the oyster knife prises its way between tightly locked, chalky oyster shells. Keeping the knife against the top shell, sliding it through the dark and unseen, the muscle is cut and the lid lifts like a jewellery box opened by a special key.

We have two main types of oysters in the west of Ireland: the gigas oyster, also known as rock oysters, a species originating in the Pacific but prolific now on our coasts; and our native flat oysters. The two species have very different flavours, and oysters from different bays have subtle flavour differences, leading to the term “merroir,” like terroir for the soil. Both are delicious.

Although enjoyed all year, autumn is the best time to eat this ancient delicacy, as this is when they are in their prime, plump, creamy and mouth-watering. Local producers offer oyster tours and tastings: Kelly’s oysters in Galway Bay, DK oysters in Dawros, Connemara and Flaggy Shore oysters in the Burren have their special Flaggy Shore oysters as well as Flaggy Shore daintys, smaller and intensely flavoured native oysters. Sitting by a roaring fire at the fisherman’s pub in Ballynahinch Castle with a plate of oysters can make for an utterly dreamy afternoon. If you are in the south of Ireland, in Cork, Rossmore Oysters have been grown sustainably by the Hugh-Jones family since 1969. On the southeast coast, at a table with crisp white linen and a glass of chilled white wine at the Tannery is the way to go. 

I enjoy oysters anytime; however, eating oysters always has a celebratory element. Therefore although they tend to figure more at the weekend, we can enjoy them seven days a week. Meeting friends in the local fishing village of Roundstone on a Friday evening is a great time to enjoy a half-dozen naked oysters, straight from the shell and washed down with a pint of creamy Guinness, a perfect pairing and a great way to mark the end of the week.

While walking around Galway on a Saturday morning, I was introduced to oysters with buttermilk by Sheena Dignam of Galway Food Tours, a surprising and delicious combination of creaminess with the tart buttermilk. Sunday brunch is when I love to combine oysters with a Bloody Mary Granita, a bold and perfectly refreshing combination of that tabasco tomato flavour that goes so well with the briny fresh sea flavours of the oysters.

I believe that gathering and eating food from your immediate area brings you closer to it, and at this time of the year, on the weekends, I often gather the family for a walk and pick mushrooms. In September and October, our woods are covered in winter chanterelles or “yellow legs,” as we called them as children. So on Monday, I might make “Forois agus Farraige,” which is Irish for forest and sea, my little rendition of surf and turf. This is a very handy recipe, particularly if you find shucking oysters difficult. If you are grilling them anyway, you can pop the closed oyster under the grill and the lid will pop open after a minute or two. All you have to do is remove the lid and fill with the mushrooms and breadcrumb mix.

Tuesday would be for oysters with a quick cucumber pickle. My favourite recipe is from Ballymaloe cookery school in Cork—it is fresh with a perfect balance of sweet and salty. A little goes a long way on an oyster, but you can use the rest for delicious sandwiches and salads.

The Kirwin family have operated Goatsbridge trout farm in Kilkenny since 1962, and produce trout roe that goes beautifully with oysters. Their roe are little pockets of salty deliciousness which only lifts a natural oyster without overpowering its flavour. Any kind of caviar would be delicious here, and brings a flair to an average Wednesday evening.  

This brings me to Thursday, which I reserve for mignonette. If you can find samphire vinegar it is magnificent with oysters, made in Ireland by Wildwood Balsamic. Otherwise, just use your favourite vinegar with finely chopped shallots and cracked black pepper.

Whichever way you enjoy them, be it a special occasion or seven days a week, kept safe in their briny bath, oysters are the perfect fast food.

RECIPES

Forois agus Farraige  (“Forest and Sea”)

1 dozen oysters

A large handful of fresh chanterelle mushrooms

A drop of rapeseed oil 

A knob of cold butter

1 clove of garlic finely chopped

2  tbsp softened butter

2 handful of breadcrumbs

Salt and pepper

Warm the oil on a hot pan and add the mushrooms. Do not disturb for a minute or so (agitating  the mushrooms on a pan and adding salt too early will bring out the water in the mushrooms and they will stew). Turn the mushrooms and add the cold butter. When the mushrooms begin to soften, add salt and pepper along with the garlic. Allow to cook for a further minute, then remove to a chopping board and chop finely. When cooled, mix through with the softened butter and the bread crumbs.

Shuck the oysters, or pop them open under the grill. Drain off most of the liquid (you can save the excess oyster juice for the Bloody Mary granita). Place the oysters snugly on a tray and top each one with the mushroom mix. Place under a hot grill for about 4 minutes or until the crumb has turned golden brown.

Oysters Mignonette

1 dozen oysters

1 shallot diced very finely

50 mls samphire vinegar or your favourite vinegar

Freshly ground pepper

Mix shallots, vinegar and a twist of pepper and allow to macerate for about a half hour, serve with chilled, freshly shucked oysters

Oysters + Bloody Mary Granita

Makes enough for 2 dozen oysters

2 shots of vodka or poitin for extra Irishness

15 fl. oz of good tomato juice

1 tbsp lemon juice

A few drops of Worcestershire sauce

A few drops of Tabasco

½ tsp celery salt 

A pinch black pepper

Adding the juice of the oysters you have is delicious, too

Add all the ingredients together and place in a large flat tub to freeze. Then scrape the frozen mixture with a fork to top the oysters as you serve.

 Quick Ballymaloe Cookery School Cucumber Pickle

1 lb thinly sliced unpeeled cucumber

1 red onion thinly sliced

4 oz sugar

1/2 tablespoon salt

4 fl oz cider vinegar

Combine the cucumber and onion sliced in a large bowl. Mix the sugar, salt and vinegar together and pour over cucumbers. Place in a tightly covered container in the refrigerator and leave for at least 1-2 hours or overnight before using. 

Keeps well for up to a week in the refrigerator.

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Known for her substack Letter from Berlin and memoir My Berlin Kitchen, Berlin-based writer and cook Luisa Weiss has a knack for making traditional German dishes feel both exciting and approachable. Her latest cookbook, Classic German Cooking, dives deep into the country’s comfort foods and timeless staples. We love these cabbage rolls wrapped up like edible presents—perfect for earmarking as a cozy dinner on cooler nights.  

Stuffed cabbage will always remind me of the wholesome lunches I was fed at the cafeteria in my public school in Berlin. From stuffed cabbage to Milchreis to chicken fricassee, school lunch was a meal my classmates and I ate with gusto. Freshly prepared by grumpy ladies in white hats, dolloped out onto trays with pudding and fruit, and costing a little less than five Deutschmark per child, it was good, honest food. Sure, the older we got, the more we thought the kebabs down the street were a way better use of our lunch money, and by the time twelfth grade rolled around, eating in the lunchroom with seventh graders was, like, totally out of the question, but while it lasted, I sure loved those lunches.

Even with my rose-colored memory glasses on, though, I can assure you that this recipe will be even better than any cafeteria fare, especially if you use Savoy cabbage, which must be the most beautiful cabbage far and wide.

Despite being blanched and browned and braised here, it manages to retain its structure and some of its color at the end. For Germans, the flavorful sauce is almost as important as the stuffed cabbage itself.  

SERVES 4

3 Tbsp vegetable oil

2 onions, minced

1 tsp salt, plus more as needed

2 stale white rolls, very thinly sliced, or equivalent amount of stale sandwich bread, cut into ¼-inch/6mm cubes

½ cup (125ml) whole milk

1 head of Savoy or green cabbage

½ lb (250g) ground beef

½ lb (250g) ground pork

1 egg

1 tsp dried marjoram

Freshly ground black pepper

Small bunch of flat-leaf parsley, minced

⅓ cup (1.7 oz or 50g) minced Speck or bacon

2 Tbsp tomato paste

½ cup (120ml) red wine

1 cup (250ml) beef broth

1 tsp cornstarch, optional

Preparation

Place 1 Tbsp of oil in a small sauté pan and cook half of the onions with ½ tsp of salt over medium heat until translucent and fragrant, about 8 minutes. Set aside.

Place the bread in a large bowl. Heat the milk and pour over the rolls. Toss well, then set aside while you prepare the cabbage.

Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Place a large bowl of cold water on your work surface. Carefully loosen about 10 outer leaves from the head of cabbage without tearing them (set torn ones aside to use elsewhere). Cut out the thick rib. Blanch the leaves in the boiling water for 5 minutes, then place them in the bowl of cold water to stop the cooking process. Set them on a kitchen towel and pat dry.

The bread should have completely absorbed all the milk by this point. To the bowl with the bread, add the remaining ½ tsp of salt, the sautéed onion, both meats, the egg, marjoram, pepper to taste, and the parsley. Mix very well until you get a homogenous mixture.

Fill the cabbage leaves: Start by spreading one cabbage leaf out in front of you. You have enough filling to make between 8 and 10 cabbage rolls. Place around 3 oz (½ cup) of filling on the cabbage leaf, centering it. Fold the side edges over the filling, then roll up the cabbage leaf from the bottom. No filling should emerge or be visible. Tie with kitchen twine and set aside. Repeat with the remaining leaves and filling.

Place the remaining 2 Tbsp of oil in a large pan over medium-high heat. Sear the cabbage rolls until golden brown on both sides, 5 to 8 minutes total. Do this in batches, if necessary. Don’t crowd the rolls. Remove the rolls from the pan and set aside on a plate.

Add the remaining half of the onions to the pan along with the Speck. Cook, stirring, for 5 to 8 minutes, until the fat has started to render and the onion is translucent and fragrant. Add the tomato paste and stir well to loosen and distribute. Continue to cook for another 3 minutes. Pour in the wine and bring to a boil, then pour in the beef broth. As soon as the sauce comes to a boil, carefully place the cabbage rolls into the sauce. Cover, turn down the heat, and simmer for about 45 minutes.

When the cabbage rolls have finished cooking, take them out of the pan and set aside. Snip off the kitchen twine. Taste the sauce and adjust the seasoning if necessary. If you want a slightly thickened sauce, take 3 Tbsp of sauce out of the pan and whisk with the cornstarch in a small bowl until no lumps remain, then whisk this slurry back into the sauce. Let the sauce simmer, stirring, for another few minutes until it starts to thicken just ever so slightly. Turn off the heat. Place the cabbage rolls back in the sauce and serve.

“Classic German Cooking” Copyright © 2024 by Luisa Weiss. Photographs © 2024 by Elena Heatherwick. Published by Ten Speed Press, an imprint of Crown Publishing Group.

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Last May, I finally made it to Isla Holbox, that sliver of white sand off the northern tip of Mexico’s Yucatan peninsula. For years, I’d heard about its nature reserve, populated by flamingoes and pelicans, and its shallow, electric-blue water—a one-time haven for backpackers and bohemian travelers that’s been steadily drawing more visitors as Tulum’s crowds reach a tipping point. One of the early arrivals was Cuban-born music-industry veteran Sandra Pérez, who arrived when there was almost nothing here. She built a family home, then gradually added more rooms, opened it to friends, and eventually to paying guests. 

Twenty-five years later, her 18-room Ser Casasandra hardly stands alone on the beach—Holbox’s secret has been too well discovered—but once you step inside its whitewashed walls, it still feels like an isolated sanctuary. Cuban and Mexican-designed bespoke furniture and artwork fill the airy spaces. (You can read my full Guest Book here.) Across the still-unpaved sandy road, the beach club, Mojitos, is a chill spot for lunch and a swim.

Every day there, I ordered the same thing: aguachile. Similar to ceviche, this Mexican dish features raw seafood (usually shrimp or snapper) in a spicy, citrusy broth of lime juice and chiles. They had several versions—rainbow-bright and super refreshing—which I slurped up and washed down with a Tecate. Before leaving, I asked for the recipe. It’s not something I would have thought to make at home, but on a hot August day with fresh seafood on hand—plus cucumber, red onion, radish, and avocado—it’s surprisingly simple to throw together. And instantly, I’m back at those languorous, feet-in-the-sand lunches, pelicans swooping overhead.

Aguachile de Camarón

Yield: 1-2 servings
Estimated time: 30 minutes

Ingredients:

150g cleaned shrimp
30 ml extra virgin olive oil (divided)
200 ml lime juice (divided)
½ firm avocado 
¼ sliced red onion 
10 g celery
1 clove garlic 
½ piece serrano chili (+ extra for garnish)
15 g fresh cilantro 
½ cucumber (divided)
1 whole radish 
¼ white onion 
3 g fine salt (or to taste) 
2 g dried oregano 

Steps:

1. Marinate the shrimp
Mix the shrimp with 25 ml EVOO, 130 ml lime juice, and salt. Refrigerate while preparing the remaining elements (approx. 15–20 minutes)

2. Prepare the aguachile (green sauce)
Blend together:
– ¼ peeled cucumber
– White onion
– 70 ml lime juice
– Celery
– 1 garlic clove
– 20 ml EVOO
– Cilantro (reserve a few sprigs for garnish)
– ½ serrano chili
– Salt

Strain using a fine mesh sieve or chamois. Keep chilled.

3. Pickle the red onion
Slice into petals or fine julienne. Blanch in boiling water for 10 seconds, drain, and place in a bowl with lime juice, salt, and oregano. Let pickle for at least 10 minutes.

4. Prepare the vegetables for garnish
Thinly slice:
– Remaining serrano chili
– Radish
– Cucumber (with skin)
– Avocado 

5. Assemble the dish:
Place the marinated shrimp in the center of the plate. Arrange slices of avocado, cucumber, radish, and chili around the shrimp. Add pickled red onion petals. Garnish with cilantro sprigs, a drizzle of EVOO, and coarse salt.

6. Complete:
Just before serving, pour the reserved aguachile sauce over the dish

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I’ve been cooking my way through chef and content creator Meredith Hayden’s Wishbone Kitchen Cookbook this summer, and it’s introduced me to so many great recipes and cooking techniques I would never have tried before (I might even be able to spatchcock a chicken by the end of the month!). Not least of which is a favorite new riff on the Negroni. 

I made this Negroni recipe when a friend came over for dinner and was so pleased when she admitted she loved it, even though she wasn’t a “Negroni person.” The twist in this version is Lambrusco, a sparkling red wine predominantly from Emilia Romagna. While Lambrusco got a bad rap in the ‘70s and ‘80s thanks to Riunite’s overly sweet, mass-produced exports, smaller producers have since revived its reputation with drier, silkier, and more effervescent styles. In this cocktail, Lambrusco softens the edge of the Campari and gin, making it dangerously sippable, and the olive and orange garnish just screams aperitivo. I’m so glad Meredith was open to sharing it here, and I’m sure that, Negroni person or not, you’ll love it too! 

Lambrusco Negroni

1 serving

1 ounce gin

1 ounce Campari

2 ounces Lambrusco, well chilled

Sweet vermouth, to taste (optional)

Orange slice, for serving 

1 green olive, for serving 

Extra-virgin olive oil, for serving (optional)

Add a large ice cube to a rocks glass along with the gin and Campari and stir until chilled. Top with Lambrusco, sweet vermouth (if using), an orange slice, an olive, and a drizzle of olive oil if you’re feeling crazy.

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Near the end of summer, when there’s often a surplus of vegetables at the market—zucchini, yellow summer squash, several varieties of green beans, and loads of fresh tomatoes, as well as garlic, onions, and some bright garden herbs—we make ratatouille. Traditionally, this vegetable stew from Provence involves cooking the vegetables separately and combining them at the end, which can be time-consuming and labor-intensive. Purists say that’s the only way to get the right texture, consistency, and taste. But I prefer to take a few liberties. My riff is a one-pot, quick yet no less delicious alternative to the original. (I also omit eggplant, but feel free to add chopped pieces in with the squash if you like.) Try the ratatouille on its own for lunch with grilled bread, or as a side for grilled or roasted chicken or fish. This is one leftover that stays as it is and does not get converted into any other type of dish. In fact, the flavors really start to jibe when the dish rests overnight or for a day or two in the fridge and then gets reheated.

Serves 4 to 6 

½ cup (80 ml) extra-virgin olive oil

2 garlic cloves, finely chopped

1 large onion, chopped

2 medium zucchini, chopped into ½-inch (1 cm) pieces

2 yellow squash, chopped into ½-inch (1 cm) pieces

1½ pounds (680 g) plum tomatoes, cored and chopped, or one 28-ounce (794 g) can crushed tomatoes

½ pound (225 g) green beans, stemmed and cut in half

2 sprigs fresh flat-leaf parsley or thyme (optional)

Coarse salt and freshly ground black pepper

¼ cup (10 g) fresh basil leaves (optional)

Grilled bread, for serving

Heat the oil in a sauté pan over medium heat until it shimmers. Add the garlic and cook until fragrant, about 1 minute. Add the onion and cook just until soft-ened, 3 to 4 minutes, then stir in the zucchini, squash, tomatoes, green beans, and parsley, if using. Season with salt and pepper. Add up to ½ cup (120 ml) of water if the mixture seems dry; the vegetables will release moisture as they cook. Gently simmer, uncovered, until the flavors meld and the vegetables are soft but not mushy, about 25 minutes. Tear the basil leaves and stir in, if using. Season again with salt and pepper and serve with grilled bread.

Adapted from A Man & His Kitchen (Artisan), by Matt Hranek

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A trip to Italy may not be in the cards this summer, but I’ve found a little of its charm in my kitchen. Here in California, most days are swollen with heat and it is far too hot to turn on the oven, although I’ll happily stand at the stove for a moment to make this particular dessert: Almond-scented yogurt panna cotta paired with a dark, sweet, icy espresso granita. This is a dessert made for languid afternoons and abbreviated conversations, when all you really want is something delicious and cool.

Yogurt and Almond Panna Cotta 

Serves 4 

150 ml heavy/double cream

150 ml whole milk

80 g caster sugar

3 gelatin leaves (platinum gelatin sheets)

385 g plain yogurt

1 tsp almond extract

1 tbsp lemon juice

1 tsp vanilla paste

Method 

1. For the panna cotta –  heat the cream, milk and sugar in a medium pot over medium heat until hot. Remove from heat.
2. Soak the gelatin sheets in cold water. 
3. Once the cream has cooled slightly, remove the gelatin sheets from the cold water, and stir the sheets into the cream mixture until fully dissolved, then add the yogurt, vanilla paste, almond extract and lemon juice. Mix.  
4. Pour into moulds or glasses and refrigerate for 2-3 hours or overnight. 

To serve

Dip the molds in warm water to loosen the panna cotta and with confidence, invert onto plates or bowls, and serve with espresso granita.

Espresso Granita 

550 ml prepared strong black coffee ( I recommend 3-4 shots of strong espresso mixed with water)

120 g brown or white sugar

1 tsp vanilla extract 

Directions

1. In a small bowl, whisk together the strong black coffee, sugar, and vanilla extract until the sugar is completely dissolved. 
2. Pour the mixture into a shallow, medium  dish. Place in the freezer, uncovered, for about 1 hour, until the mixture starts to freeze around the edges. 
3. Use a fork to scrape the ice crystals into the liquid. Repeat this process every 25–30 minutes, about four-five times, until a granita-like consistency is achieved. (Yes, it’s a little hands-on, but the effort will be worth it, I promise)
4. Serve immediately, or freeze overnight for a firmer texture.

Serve with the panna cotta or freshly whipped cream. 

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Marta de la Rica describes herself as “a New Yorker by birth, Spanish at heart, and Biarrot by adoption. The first two were given to me, the last one was chosen.” Known for crafting soulful, artful interiors filled with collected objects and playful details, the Madrid-based designer considers Biarritz—the Basque Coast town where she has spent summers since childhood—her most enduring source of inspiration. You can feel it juicing her latest project, a Cristine Bedfor hotel in Málaga, where striped beach-cabana fabrics and hand-painted tiles nod to coastal nostalgia, and vintage finds conjure the charm of her favorite brocantes.

Her new book, Biarritz: A Vocabulary of Colour, is a love letter to the city. Through photographs both atmospheric and intimate—wild horses grazing in the Pyrenees, sausages hanging in a shop, wetsuits drying in the sun—she captures the rhythms and rituals of daily life in this corner of the Basque Coast. We asked Marta to share her favorite spots, memories, and objects from her happy place.

When/why did you first start going to Biarritz? Has it changed at all in the years since?

I’ve been going to Biarritz basically all my life. I don’t think it has changed much—that’s part of its magic. Like everywhere in July and August it’s incredibly busy, probably more so than years ago, but that’s when you enjoy staying at home, spending time with family, and planning carefully when you go out. What has changed is the people around me—that’s life. I remember my childhood there with my grandparents, who are no longer with us, but now my parents are there as grandparents to my daughters, who didn’t exist back then… It’s the circle of life, and I feel so fortunate that this circle keeps turning in the same place.

How does the city uniquely blend Spanish and French cultures?

There’s a very French side to Biarritz, which feels quite different from Spain, but it’s true that the Basque heritage is shared with the Spanish Basque Country. There’s a strong local pride in belonging to this region. You can see the connection in many aspects: the architecture, the gastronomy, the local festivals (in Bayonne, for example, people dress just like in Pamplona during San Fermín), and in the love and respect for the sea and fishing… These are beautiful cultural ties that both sides of the border have in common.

Your book is called A Vocabulary of Colour. What are the colors of Biarritz—how would you describe the palette?

When I close my eyes and think of Biarritz in terms of color, the sea immediately comes tomind—especially the view from above La Côte des Basques. It’s an explosion of blues,greens, and greys that I’ve never seen anywhere else. At sunrise, it’s tinted with mauves and pinks, and at sunset, it turns incredible shades of orange.

You describe Biarritz as being “about pizzerias and wetsuits.” Can you elaborate on that vibe?

What makes Biarritz special is the mix of its architecture, which recalls the glamour ofanother era, with a very laid-back, relaxed vibe. It’s the kind of place where people go not tobe seen—because no one really cares about that. You can walk barefoot from the beach and stop for a crepe on your way home.

What foods are emblematic of Biarritz, and where are your favorite places to eat them?

In the city, I love Cheri Bibi, located in a very cozy neighborhood of small houses nestled side by side, called Bibi Beaurivage. They have a small menu with simple yet surprisingly flavorful dishes, and the atmosphere is incredibly relaxed.Also right in the city center, on Rue Gambetta (which is now pedestrian-only), I love Le Bistrot du Haou. It serves simple yet exquisite French food—perfect for a weekday meal. L’Auberge d’Achtal in Arcangues is a classic spot we’ve been going to all our lives—especially for summer dinners under the plane trees, while the kids run around the large fronton until the food arrives. The duck, the fries, and the mushroom omelettes are musts. I personally love the fine herb omelette (my family always teased me for being the boring one… but I’ve always loved it). Of course, Gaztelur, our family adventure that we opened ten years ago—a restaurant and antiques boutique in Arcangues—is also a must. The place is an experience in itself, nestled in Arcangues, surrounded by forest and facing a large meadow. David and Borja, who lead the kitchen, make the best grilled fish and the best rice dishes in the area, among many other things.

You mention browsing flea markets and antiques shops—given your profession, you must have an especially great list! Would you share a few?

Like true French locals, brocantes and vide-greniers are a regular part of life here. Every weekend, there’s one in a nearby village—Ahetze, Arcangues, Guéthary… Sometimes we venture a bit further, even as far as Bordeaux, where there are two great fairs each year, in autumn and spring, that are really worth visiting. Beyond the brocantes, many afternoons we walk from home to the village for our usual visit to our antique dealer friends Pierre Julien and Isabelle Marc to see what they’ve recently found. More often than not, we leave with something tucked under our arm—and always with a fascinating story about a piece of furniture or a special object.

Where do you recommend that friends stay? Are there a couple of hotels that best capture the spirit of the place?

I love having my friends stay at our house, but when I recommend hotels, I usually tell them to go to Hotel Silhouette—it’s right by the market, in the heart of Biarritz, and the area is lively all year round, both during the day and at night, with lots of locals. Hotel de la Plage is also nearby, right on the seafront. It has a super relaxed vibe and you can take a morning swim at La Petite Plage with hardly anyone around. You’ll only run into the “Ours Blancs,” a group of swimmers—some young, some not so young (the oldest are over 80!)—who swim there every day of the year. Thanks to them, if I’m in Biarritz on December 31, I always go for a swim!

You have lots of photographs of children—I assume they are yours? What are some favorite activities for kids?

Yes! They’re my daughters, but there are also a few nieces. What I love about Biarritz is how much time you spend together as a family. We play paddle ball on the beach, catch waves with bodyboards, and go crab fishing. There’s a plan we’ve done for generations when it rains (because you should know—it does rain sometimes!) which is to visit the Aquarium, or the Musée de la Mer as it’s called there. We’ve spent hours watching fish, jellyfish, and seals—I loved it as a child, and my daughters love it now. There’s also a zipline park in Chiberta, which is a big hit.

What beaches would you recommend for swimming vs. surfing, and is there a place you’d recommend at each—favorite restaurant, beach club, etc.?

Biarritz is actually where surfing first started in Europe, when the Americans came to film a movie and brought a surfboard with them. Since then, thousands of surfers have come here throughout the year. For surfing, it depends on your level. For advanced surfers, there’s a legendary spot in Guéthary called Parlementia. For beginners, Côte des Basques is perfect. For swimming, I recommend La Petite Plage, right in the center of Biarritz, past the Atalaya—it’s a little cove nestled between rocks that opens onto a very small beach where you can usually swim, as the sea tends to be much calmer there. I also love the endless beaches of Anglet—La Madrague, Les Corsaires, L’Océan… They’re just past the Biarritz lighthouse and are more like the long, wide beaches of Les Landes. They remind me of my childhood, because we used to meet my grandparents there every morning. Even though the lifeguards are really well-trained, you still need to respect the sea in Biarritz—it can surprise you if you’re not careful. There’s a beach bar I love on La Plage de l’Océan called Oceanoa—it’s the perfect spot to grab something to eat with your feet in the sand.

What is the origin of the wild horses you photographed in your book? Is there a place to see these?

The Potoks are a breed of small wild horses that date back to the Paleolithic era and can still be found grazing in the Pyrenees. There’s a very well-known and beautiful hike from Ascain to the peak of La Rhune. It’s about 10 km with an 800 m elevation gain, and you’re almost guaranteed to spot Potoks along the way.

What are some other sights that a visitor should be sure to see while here?

Beyond Biarritz, there are many nearby villages that are worth visiting. Heading toward Spain along the Corniche Road, you’ll find Bidart, Guéthary, and Saint-Jean-de-Luz. Inland, you shouldn’t miss Ahetze (I actually got married there), Arbonne, Arcangues, and a bit further, Sare. Espelette is another beautiful village, famous for the chili pepper that carries its name.

You photograph a number of objects in the book. What is the significance of these and how are they emblematic of the place you love?

I wanted to dedicate part of the book to objects themselves—that’s the idea behind the “Vocabulary of Objects” section in the middle. Objects are a fundamental part of my work. Beyond their intrinsic beauty, they tell stories and bring soul to interiors. The objects in the book are chosen for the emotion they evoke. I love them for their colors, shapes, or materials, but also for what they represent. For the story they carried before reaching me, and for the story they now have in my life. For example, the ceramic Stilton cheese cover that has always sat on our breakfast counter at home, or the large Baccarat perfume bottle on the cover, which I bought from an antiques dealer friend whom I greatly admire.

One theme you explore is “the beauty of small things.” Hot takes: what are some small things that stand out for you?

Yes, Biarritz has taught me to truly enjoy the small things:

• Going to the market and choosing the perfect cantaloupe for breakfast

• The feeling of putting on a sweater on a summer evening

• Setting a beautiful table

• Taking the time to enjoy breakfast

• Watching a cloudless sunset eating an ice cream from Monsieur Lopez

• Or witnessing an enormous thunderstorm that feels like the world is about to end

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Can you share a bit about how your background and upbringing shaped your interest in roses?

I grew up in South Vietnam, and flowers were just part of our daily landscape—the flame trees that bloomed at the end of the school year, the peach blossoms that marked the lunar new year. I always thought of life in terms of flowers. But roses were royalty—the rose of my childhood was prized far above our tropical flowers, but did not grow in our garden. It was a flower for special occasions, bought from the market by my mother (though there are native roses in North Vietnam, which is more temperate). When my father planted his first garden after moving to California in the late 1970s, he made a rose bed in a sunny corner, mostly modern hybrid teas and floribundas in a range of colors—every shade of pink, coral, yellow, and red. Meanwhile, I fell in love with the story of The Little Prince and his red rose, from Antoine de Saint-Exupéry’s book.

Years later, in 2008, near the end of my dad’s life, my father spent his last days in a room with a view of another rose bed he had planted. Every day, I would go out and check the progress of the roses, wishing them to open. But he passed away before they bloomed. Roses became associated with that period for me, and the fact that my father did not get to see them bloom one last time was something unresolved. When I returned to New York, I was doing volunteer work at the Brooklyn Botanic Garden and discovered all of these beautiful rare specimens and learned about their horticultural history. I decided to start photographing them, and the rosarian would send me home with a bucket of roses each time. I would then spend the day photographing them and mentally having a conversation with my father. That led me to discover this whole world of roses that are special and full of stories. It was my experience of these roses and wanting to share them with my father that kept me going. My obsession with roses led to a desire to do a book about them. It took me over two years to photograph the 11 gardens that ended up in the book.

It is amazing how, as you write, that throughout history—“painters, poets, botanists, scholars, mystics, emperors, as well as humble gardeners from all corners of the world” have been captivated by the rose. Why do you think roses, of all flowers, attract so much mythmaking and ignite the imagination?

First, it is one of the oldest flowers in the garden. It’s been in cultivation, some would say, for 7,000 years. China was probably first to cultivate them, but you see roses in ancient Egypt, and the Romans were very extravagant with their roses. They used them for many different things—rose chaplets were worn to celebrate military triumph; a rose was placed on the forehead of the departed and on graves; the emperor Heliogabalus infamously smothered his banquet guests with a shower of rose petals. Roses were cultivated for medicinal purposes in the Middle Ages. So they’ve been part of human history for a long time. Then there’s the beauty of the rose. You could ask, why do we find it beautiful? But we just do.

So if they were cultivated and adapted across time and place, do the rose varieties wind up reflecting something specific about each culture?

The history of roses is the other thing that explains their popularity. Roses are endemic to the whole of the Northern Hemisphere, north of the Tropic of Cancer. There are native roses in America, native roses in Europe, and native roses in Asia. There were also roses that came from Persia—roses are a big part of Persian culture and important in Islamic gardens: think of the history of perfume and rosewater; it’s said that white roses grew from the beads of the Prophet Muhammad’s sweat; and there’s a whole tradition of literature having to do with the rose. Until the arrival of the Chinese rose, which blooms repeatedly throughout the season, the roses in Europe were once-blooming. In the late eighteenth century, they were hybridized with the Chinese roses, which created whole new classes of roses, resulting in most of the roses that we have today. So now people think of roses as sort of roughly three different groups, within which there are different classifications. There are the species roses, which are the simpler, five-petal ones, like those in Botticelli’s “Primavera.” And then there are the “old garden” roses—gallica, damask, bourbons—the classes of roses that existed before 1867, the year that a rose named ‘La France,’ arguably the first hybrid tea, was created. The third group of roses are modern roses, which includes all the new classes of roses created after 1867, such as the hybrid teas and floribundas, among others.

So going back to your question, the Chinese roses are notably repeat-blooming. There is also another class of Chinese roses called the tea roses, because when they were brought to Europe, people thought they smelled like tea. The old European roses have that old rose scent, like the damask rose they grow in Bulgaria to make rose perfume. Or, for example, the French have another rose called the apothecary rose (or provins rose), which is a gallica. There was a whole industry based around this one flower, which was used in medicine and made into jam and other confections.

The English are also known for their roses. The rose of Shakespeare is the sweetbriar or eglantine rose, known botanically as Rosa rubiginosa, a wild rose that smells like apple, especially after the rain. The rose breeder David Austin created a whole new class of roses known as English roses by combining qualities of the modern roses, like repeating-blooming, with the form and fragrance of old roses.

Since we’re a travel magazine, I’d love to ask you about the gardens you so beautifully photographed in your book. For the ones that are open to the public, would you share a bit about their origins and what’s unique about them/worth visiting?

Yes, a few of the gardens in the book are open to the public.

The Giardino di Ninfa, in Lazio, Italy

The Giardino di Ninfa, about 43 miles southeast of Rome, is mythical among garden lovers around the world. It sits on the ruins of a medieval town, which was abandoned in the 14th century due to conflict and malaria. The site was transformed into a romantic garden in the 20th century by the Caetani family. Drawing inspiration from English-style gardens, they planted a range of exotic and native plants among the crumbling ruins. The garden flourished under the care of Lelia Caetani, the last of the noble family, who helped ensure its preservation. If you love flowers and gardens and romance, I highly recommend it.

Rohuna, Morocco

Of all the gardens in the world, Rohuna is closest to my heart. It’s on the opposite end to Ninfa in a way, a much humbler garden with a wild beauty. I first set foot in this extraordinary place, in the countryside an hour outside of Tangier, in May 2015. My friend Deborah Needleman had introduced me to its owner, Umberto Pasti, when I was looking to document people with a passion for flowers. A plant lover with a collector’s mania, Umberto has filled his garden with plants from all corners of the world that can tolerate the raging heat here, as well as his beloved wildflowers of northern Morocco. It’s an incredible setting, overlooking the Atlantic Ocean. But it also has a very particular mission, created to preserve the wild flowering bulbs endemic to Northern Morocco, which were in danger of extinction. Many of the gardeners who now tend the garden are the sons and nephews of gardeners who built the garden thirty years ago. Generations of local children have played, learned, and grown up in the shelter of this oasis. By appointment: Mohammed Errami at mohamederrami22@gmail.com 

Hortus Conclusus, Alcúida, Mallorca, Spain

The Hortus Conclusus at Sa Bassa Blanca Museum is a contemporary interpretation of the traditional medieval enclosed garden, blending Moorish, Mediterranean and monastic influences. Created by artist Ben Jakober and collector Yannick Vu together with the Egyptian architect Hassan Fathy, the garden was designed as a serene, symbolic space, with more than a hundred varieties of ancient and modern roses. It’s always evolving, because of the changing climate. I spoke to them recently, and they’ve had to make changes as it’s gotten a lot drier in Mallorca, and roses need a lot of water. It’s part of the museum here, which is open to the public and contains an unusual collection of portraits of children from the 16^th-19th centuries, African masks and prehistoric fossils, and contemporary works by Louise Bourgeois, and James Turrell. 

Sakura Kusabue-no-oka, Japan

This garden in Sakura, just outside of Tokyo, is renowned for having many different gardens, one of which is dedicated to the history of the rose. Traditionally, roses don’t have a big presence in Japanese gardens. So that’s why this garden is special, because it wasn’t until the 19th century when Japanese traveled to Europe in larger numbers and brought back their appreciation of roses to Japan. In the 20th century, Dr. Seizo Suzuki fell in love with roses and decided to devote his life to the flower. This garden is his legacy. It gathers roses from different parts of the world—there are collections from a French garden, an Italian garden, roses that were bred in India. It celebrates the rose, but also the friendships that are made among people who are passionate about the flower in different places.

Where else can a rose-loving traveler seek out incredible specimens/rose gardens?

Any garden you go to in England, you will see beautiful roses. I was talking earlier about old roses, but when the new roses came, everyone went crazy for them, and they kind of neglected the old ones. But fashion comes and goes. So in the 1950s, Graham Stuart Thomas, who was a nursery man, and people like Vita Sackville-West, were passionate about roses and very keen to keep them alive. Vita Sackville West wrote extensively about old roses, and in her garden at Sissinghurst, in Kent, there are exquisite roses. If you go there in June, there’s a whole garden “room” devoted to them. And Graham Stuart Thomas had an incredible collection of roses, which he donated to the National Trust and are now at Mottisfont in Hampshire. So for rose lovers who want to get a quick education in roses, these are the two places that you can go to and see a huge variety of both old roses and species roses and some of the most beautiful roses, really.

Today, the Europa-Rosarium in Sangerhausen, Germany, holds the title of the largest rose garden, with 8,300 cultivars and species, including nearly all existing varieties of certain classes—polyanthus, hybrid perpetual, Noisette hybrids, and ramblers. In Italy, the Fineschi Garden in Tuscany holds some seven thousand varieties, collected over a lifetime by the surgeon Gianfranco Fineschi.

June is the best time to see the roses in England, France, and Japan. For Morocco, it’s early May, and for Mallorca, it’s late May.

What is your favorite rose and why?

It’s hard to have just one favorite. One I do love, partly because it’s beautiful and it’s been painted by so many people, is a sport, or a mutation, of the apothecary rose. The apothecary rose is this deep pink, almost purplish magenta color, while the sport, called ‘Versicolor’, is white with red stripes. It’s a very striking rose that was painted by all the best botanical painters – Redouté,  Ehret, Mary Lawrance, and many others. But my favorite illustration of it is by Peter Withoos, a Dutch painter.

Then there’s the ‘Charles de Mills,’ which is another Gallica rose that is full of petals and a deep purple, magenta color and very fragrant.

And there’s a China rose I love that is also very consequential. In China, it’s called ‘Yue Yue Fen’ (meaning the monthly rose). This rose was brought to England and Europe, where it’s known as ‘Old Blush’ and was used in the breeding of all the modern repeat-blooming roses today. It’s so beautiful. It looks like the kind of rose that you see painted in Chinoiserie; it’s so iconic, and very delicate, with petals that are a dark pink on the outside and a lighter pink on the inside.

Do you ever press and/or dry roses on your travels? If so, can you share your technique?

I always try to, but I usually forget to bring my press. So I always end up putting flowers and leaves in books. I mean, it’s difficult to press flowers that are too thick, so I always tend to go with the single, five petal roses that are easier to press than the big ones. And then I’ll forget about them, and when I pick up a book and something falls out, it brings back memories. But there’s no trick really; just always have a book!

All these years later, what was your takeaway from the rose in St Exupéry’s Little Prince?

So in the book, the Little Prince has his rose, and it’s very high maintenance, as roses tend to be. He then travels to other places to learn about things and he ends up on Earth, where he develops his friendship with the pilot. While here, he comes upon this whole hedge of roses. He’d thought his rose was so unique, but then he finds it is identical to hundreds of roses. In the end, it is his love for his rose that makes it unique. He says something that has stayed with me all my life: “On ne voit bien qu’avec le coeur.” In other words, one can only see the important things with the heart. So when the Little Prince looks at the sky at night from earth, “all the stars are blossoming,” because the rose he loves lives on a star. And when the pilot looks at the night sky, since the Little Prince will be living and laughing on one of them, “it will be as if all the stars are laughing.” Put another way, we all see things differently because of the love and meaning that we invest in them.

Photos reprinted from © Roses in the Garden by Ngoc Minh Ngo, Rizzoli, New York, 2025

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