Brisa do Mar @ Hotel Quinta do Lago, Quinta do Lago, Algarve, Portugal

During my fiance's and my vacation in October 2016 in the Algarve we wanted to try out the all-day dining restaurant Brisa do Mar at the Hotel Quinta do Lago, so we reserved a table beforehand, afterwards we embarked of a tour of this beautiful hotel incl. room, views, Bar, Spa and more.

We took a taxi from the Conrad Algarve, where we stayed for 3 nights. Please see review.

Receptionists directed us to the restaurant.

At the restaurant we were warmly welcomed and brought to our table on the terrace. 

Umbrellas were arranged to protect us from the glaring sun. Unfortunately it took a bit and even the short exposure caused a mild heat stroke in one of us. Next time we will sit inside.

The staff was on the one side warm and efficient and on the other hand only approaching when they were needed.

The terrace offered wonderful views over the Ria Formosa estate/sanctury and the hotel's grounds.

The atmosphere was relaxed and fellow diners were matured couples.

Little birds added to the romantic atmosphere. They liked to be fed with bread crumbs.

The cuisine was upscale and beautifully presented.

Our order was one large bottle of still Vitalis water, two orange juice, one Gazpacho with croutons, cucumber and tomato, one shrimp salad with dill citrus dressing, avocado cream and a melon mango rose, one spaghetti carbonara with quail egg and one orange and carrob cake, rice pudding and vanilla ice cream.

The Gazpacho and the shrimp salad were refreshing.

The carbonara an indulgence, but it was relatively light.

The orange and carrob cake was unusual and very tasty.

Our bill was 88.10 Euro, ca. 103.50 USD.

Afterwards we asked at reception if we could see a room, since we considered staying in the future at the Hotel Quinta do Lago. We received a comprehensive tour, given by the receptionist Filipe, who had been working there for half a year at the time. We enjoyed seeing the grounds, a partial sea view room with balcony (It was furnished with traditional Algarvian furniture.), the spa, indoor pool and reading and meeting rooms.

We would have a meal at the Hotel Quinta do Lago again and would indeed love to stay there as well in our future.

 

©2017

 

Lobby Lounge @ The Como Metropolitan London, England, United Kingdom

During our 3 nights/4 days in London [July 2017] we had dinner on a Sunday evening at the Lobby Lounge of the Como Metropolitan Hotel.

 

It was our second visit and again we enjoyed it very much.

 

Since we had had a very satisfying and indulgent lunch at Galvin at Windows at the neighboring London Hilton Park Lane we weren’t very hungry and looked for something light.

 

Normally there should have been a waiter. Since we had waited quite a while, the concierge took our order, which included one The Source still water, one hot chocolate, two zucchini rosti with smoked salmon, rocket salad and ricotta cheese and one exotic fruit salad.

 

He handed the order over to our waiter, who suddenly arrived.

 

For some reason the hot chocolate seemed to have gone lost in translation. We received it only after a friendly reminder.

 

The meal itself was very good and our main courses and the dessert were from the Como Shambala cuisine menu.

 

We chatted a bit with the waiter since we were the only guests.

 

The bill was 53 GBP (ca. 59.85 Euro / ca. 68.30 USD) including service charge, but the water hadn’t been charged.

 

We would return and at some stage and might even stay at the Como Metropolitan Hotel in our future.

 

©2017

 

Coburt Brasserie @ The Conrad Dublin, Ireland

During our two stays in November and December 2016 at the Conrad my fiancé and I had two dinners and two breakfasts at Coburg Brasserie.

The restaurant was very interesting. It was equestrian inspired, so there were lots of buckles, leather and other materials associated with riding.

When arriving one of the first things we noticed in November 2016 was the Henriot Champagne table, the art work and mirrors. 

The Coburg Brasserie uses the Coravin System to pour fine wines.

The staff was friendly and attentive.

We were alone due to the timing being too late for lunch and too early for dinner.

Our meal consisted of two large bottles of still Uisce water, two Connemara Whiskey cured salmon with avocado and micro greens, one Freya's Schnitzel with salad, one corn-fed chicken with onion tart and peas, one cinnamon creme brulee, one lemon posset and to round it up one hot chocolate and two Patron Cafe XO.

It was classic with a modern twist, light and delicious. The most memorable dishes or components were the salmon, the schnitzel and the onion tart.

The cost of the dinner was 107.50 Euro (ca. 124.80 USD).

We were looking forward to another exciting dinner the following month.

Returning in December we had booked a dinner and breakfast included rate. We could chose a three course from the a la carte menu. Only the steak had a supplement of 5 Euro (ca. 5.85 USD). Drinks and side dishes were not included.

Unfortunately the only menu available was geared towards Christmas and much more classic and heavier than anticipated.

We also wanted like one month earlier a glass of  Patron Cafe XO each, our favorite drink. It was sold out. We settled for two Tia Maria instead and Uisce water instead.

Our starters were a prawn cocktail with baby gem salad and chicken liver pate with fig, mango chutney and brioche.

The main courses were 35 days aged steak and rack of lamb with cherry and sage sauce. As a side dish we had seasonal vegetables, also 5 Euro (ca. 5.85 USD).

Our desserts were black forest fondant and a boozy mulled wine pear tart tartine.

The quality was as high as before, but the choices simply not completely to our taste.

The staff was attentive and efficient, even though they were very busy.

The bill was 20 Euro / ca. 23.25 USD.

As Hilton Honors Gold Members we chose the free breakfast as our My Way benefit.

Each morning we were brought to our table.

The breakfast is a mix of a hot and cold buffet and an a la carte menu.

The buffet was small, but had everything needed from juices to bread to fried and boiled eggs, smoked salmon and mackerel, different types of cheese, cold cuts, Killowen yogurt, pastries, potatoes, stir fried vegetables, bacon, grilled tomatoes and the infamous Nutella muffins. Of course there was much more including a gluten free corner.

As Gold Members we could choose a la carte items from the left side of the menu, like smoothies and buckwheat pancakes. French Toast was payable and cost 9.50 Euro / ca. 11.05 USD.

The quality was on both occasions good.

Service was attentive and staff had time for a chat about our plans for the day during our first visit. In December they were way too busy and receiving our a la carte items took a long time.

The buffet was overrun with guests and the staff couldn't keep up with replenishing things.

Considering our experiences we would return for dinner excluding Christmas and not join for breakfast again.

 

©2017

 

Conrad Dublin, Ireland

In 2015 my fiancé and I had agreed to requalify for the Hilton’s loyalty program Hilton Honors gold status, so in January 2016 we pre-booked stays accordingly to achieve our goal.

We had stayed at the Conrad Dublin before, so this was our second and third stay in November and December 2016 for one night each, which I have combined.

The Conrad had gone through a major renovation and the restaurant and bar received a make-over too.

It was unrecognizable at first. The hotel had finally arrived at the 21st Century.

The interiors are inspired by nearby Iveagh Gardens, so there were flower arrangements and prints.

The chandeliers were inspired by branches of trees.

The Coburg Brasserie, an equestrian themed restaurant which felt modern and inviting and Lemuel’s Bar was inspired by Gulliver’s Travels. We liked both designs and felt well visiting both.

The reception had moved closer to the entrance. There were maps of historical Dublin behind it.

We liked the details, like mirrors with flower frames, the seating areas including a pink sofa, the marble and Art Deco elements.

A ball room was also located on the ground floor.

The business center and meeting rooms, named after rivers in Dublin were on the first floor.

The fitness center with TechnoGym equipment and the pub Alfie Byrne were on the lower ground floor.

Check in was done very efficient and the welcome was warm.

We booked a Deluxe Room and received one on the 6th floor.

When checking at the online application the Deluxe Room chosen for us had already the view (over the National Concert Hall, Earlsfort Terrace and the city) we wanted, so we kept it.

The room was large and the color scheme black, white, green, brown and anthracite. 

There was a small hallway with a wardrobe.

The floor and one wall are wooden, which gave the room a residential feel. It reminded us of our stay at the Sherwood in Taipei.

A sofa was facing the comfortable king sized bed and was located underneath the TV. Obviously watching TV from the sofa wasn’t possible. We enjoyed sitting there for a chat and to have a light meal before our dinner at the Coburg Brasserie.

There was also a carpet.

The bedside lamps were unusual and reminded us about the Burren.

The modern artwork above the bed had us discussing what it was depicting. We came to the conclusion it could be inspired by the stairs of Earlsfort Terrace or it was a river, muscles or an arm.

The handles of our drawers looked like tree trunks or branches.

The writing desk was lacquered with integrated outlets, which were easy accessible, and had an elaborate base. There was a golden designer lamp as well. The desk was facing the room and located in the bay window. 

Watching TV from the writing desk was possible. There were around 40 channels with lots of regional and international ones like Bloomberg, CNN and CNBC. The WIFI worked well at all times in the hotel as far as we remember.

Magazines available were Conrad’s own, the 30th edition Dining in Dublin and Travel Ireland. There was also a jogging map and suggestions by the concierge what you can do, when you have 1, 3 or 5 hours in Dublin.

The mini fridge contained two bottles of complimentary Conrad branded water.

We used the 24 hour in room dining, which was promptly delivered and correct.

The friendly member of staff and I chatted about my Doctor Marten’s boots. He liked them.

Our order included two Connemara cured salmon and one fresh fruit salad with a dollop of fresh cream.

When requesting the meal we were offered tap water too. It was a thoughtful touch, but we had our own drinks, so it was okay.

The presentation was beautiful and the quality of the food very high.

The cost was 38 Euro / ca. 44.30 USD.

There was also an iron and ironing board.

The bathroom was large with a sink, bath tub-shower combination and a toilet. 

My fiancé surprised me by having requested Shanghai Tang bathroom amenities instead of the usual Aroma Therapy Associates via the online concierge. We have clothing from Shanghai Tang and know some of their perfumes, so we knew we would like it.

The water pressure of the shower was good and there were no complaints about temperature changes.

When checking in in December 2016 we had to wait for a bit due to a small queue.

We had booked a Premier Room to find out what the difference was to the Deluxe Room beside the inclusion of two drink vouchers per person according to the website.

At check in we received only one each, so I asked about it and received another set. 

Late checkout at 2 PM was granted without problems.

The room layout and look were identical. Here are some of the differences we noticed.

The refreshment center could be stocked at request with choices of snacks including Keogh’s crisps (2.50 Euro / ca. 2.95 USD), Dormen’s Jelly Beans, wasabi peanuts and chili and lime cashews (5.45 Euro each / ca. 6.40 USD) or Benoit’s Chocolate Factory at 5.95 Euro / ca. 6.95 USD.

The views from the 7th floor were better than the ones from the 6th. While the differences in height sound small on paper in reality the difference was noteworthy as we found out.

The artwork was different too.

The room felt more luxurious due to the loofa, shoe polish equipment and more pillows. 

We had also requested arrival amenities. The strawberries dipped in Valrhona chocolate and a bottle of Acqua Panna were already waiting for us. The strawberries were yummy as expected.

During this stay we had in room dining too. It included a beef burger with Dubliner Vintage Cheddar Cheese, home-made relish and twice cooked chips and a Croque Monsieur with Glen of Arklow baked ham, creamy béchamel sauce and Emmental Cheese on toasted sourdough bread and a fruit salad. The bill was 44 Euro / ca. 51.10 USD.

We used our drinks vouchers at Lemuel’s Bar. It was incredible busy, so we decided to make sure we would get a table by calling from our room to reserve one for later in the day.

In a separate review I will write about breakfast and dinner at Coburg Brasserie.

We would return again, if we are looking for a luxurious stay in the heart of Dublin. The Conrad beside the Morrison, A DoubleTree by Hilton Hotel so far remain in our books the most memorable, stylish and luxurious Hilton options in Dublin, Ireland.

©2017

Free Fall

It was ruled a suicide.

When Coldham Fintan Noose III, nick named Fin, heard about it he was totally shocked and didn’t believe Kenneth Loesing had killed himself.

Fin knew Kenneth Loesing pretty well. Their relationship had been a difficult one. Both were self-assured, ambitious and leaders. They could be arrogant, selfish and stubborn. While Kenneth was conservative Fin was liberal. Fin was in his late twenties when Kenneth Loesing died, aged 66.

Kenneth Loesing was balding, grey haired, craggy faced and blue eyed. Fin was light ash blond and blue grey eyed.

They had met four years earlier. Fin started working for Kenneth Loesing under a pretense. He was a burglar and after a piece of jewelry belonging to Mr. Loesing.

The new driver was too own minded in Kenneth’s opinion and due to this they were at logger heads.

Later he found out Fin wasn’t what he claimed to be and was angry and upset about it. Thank goodness Fin kept his cover intact and Kenneth believed Fin was a security specialist.

Fin started discreet inquiries if Kenneth had been near bankruptcy, indebted, involved in shady business or had martial problems. Nothing came up, so Fin was convinced something else must have happened.

Kenneth was on a business trip in Singapore, when he “committed suicide”. He had checked in at his hotel – when it opened in the 80s it had been the tallest hotel in the world – a few days earlier.

Fin had spent part of his honeymoon at the same hotel and knew that all guest rooms had balconies. He didn’t believe Kenneth jumped. Had it been an accident? Some underestimated how vertigo inducing the height could be and simply fell. Or had something more sinister occurred and Kenneth had been pushed or forced to jump? Fin was puzzled why someone would want to kill Kenneth. Fin was sure Kenneth had made enemies during his career or even in his private life.  He could be quite brash. Was this enough to kill him? Fin couldn’t let it rest and since there was currently no new job waiting for him he decided to go to Singapore himself and investigate.

Fin took his wife and daughter with him and booked into the same hotel as Kenneth had. Interesting enough some of the hotel staff recognized Fin and Frieda. They were delighted Fin and Frieda had grown their family and spoiled Casey.

Fin spoke with the receptionists, dropping casually that he knew Kenneth Loesing and that his death was a tragedy. He found out Kenneth had been a regular and made no signs during his final stay to be depressed and behaved like always: demanding, a bit rude, but generous with tips.

Fin heard from the check in staff that Kenneth’s favorite bar was on the top floor. He checked out discreetly which staff members had dealt with Kenneth.

One of the bartenders remembered seeing Kenneth with a lady, who could have been his daughter or granddaughter. Fin guessed she must be quite young. According to the bartender the lady was about 5 ft. 7 in. tall and had caramel colored hair. She was thin and attractive.

Fin was puzzled. Who was that mysterious girl? Kenneth’s mistress? Fin wondered if maybe back of house knew more. He thought the house keepers wouldn’t trust a male, so he asked his wife to speak with them. Frieda took her time to gain the trust of the ladies and gentlemen. At first the mostly Filipino staff didn’t trust Frieda. It was unusual for a guest to be interested in them. When Frieda had gained their confidence she dropped that she had heard about the recent suicide and wondered what the staff made out of this. Firstly and not surprisingly jumps occurred more or less frequently. They agreed with their fellow employees and Fin. There hadn’t been any indication or reason why Mr. Loesing would have killed himself. He had behaved as usual. Mentioning the young woman in Kenneth’s company the staff got shy. They didn’t want to speak about that. Finally Maribel agreed to talk. They met at a café. Normally Frieda was a coffee lover, but for some reason she couldn’t take the smell and felt nauseous, so she did forgo her usual cuppa and ordered mint tea instead. She was glad Maribel wanted to sit on the patio. The smell wasn’t as intrusive there. “So, the lady staying with Mr. Loesing, was she his wife?” Maribel shook her head. “No, I have met Mr. Kenneth’s wife and children. I know what they look like. Ms. Anna is around 15 years older than the missy.” “So the girl was Mr. Loesing’s mistress?” “My mates and I believe so.” Based on Maribel’s description Frieda made a sketch of the woman. Maribel advised a few changes. By the end a clear picture emerged.

Frieda and Fin discussed how to proceed. They tried first to see if the receptionists knew the mistress’s name. Unfortunately they didn’t. Fin and Frieda dismissed the idea to check with Singaporean immigration. They didn’t want to draw attention that they were investigating themselves. So what could they do? Frieda thought of going to contact Kenneth’s family. Fin wanted to engage friends of his to hack into the US Department of State to locate her. Frieda didn’t believe the young woman was American. She thought Kenneth’s lover was Australian or New Zealander. They agreed on calling Patsy Loesing, Kenneth’s mother, with whom Fin had a good relationship.

Patsy was surprised to hear from Fin. He wasn’t the most loved person of the Loesing’s. “Mrs. Patsy, my condolences.” Fin offered. She burst into tears. Kenneth was only dead a month. It was hard on Patsy. She always had believed she would die before her son and couldn’t believe he had committed suicide, but he must have done it, because he had obviously jumped.

Normally Patsy was strong and didn’t show much emotions, so she was a bit embarrassed about her crying on the phone. “Mrs. Patsy, I don’t believe Kenneth killed himself.” “He must have done it…” Fin had debated with himself before calling if he should be straight forward. Knowing Patsy he thought she would prefer honesty over beating around the bush. “Did you know Kenneth had a girl staying with him in Singapore?” Patsy’s free hand went to her mouth. “I had no idea!” “Well, I suspect she was his mistress. I’d like to talk with her, since she was probably the last one to have seen Kenneth alive. Do you think your family might be able to help identify her?” “I’m not sure, but I will check.” Fin explained he had a sketch of the person and Patsy promised to sweet talk her daughter in law Anna to have a look and she herself would too of course. Anna didn’t want to hear anything about it. “I fucking don’t care what Mr. Noose wants! My husband is dead and Mr. Noose has nothing better to do than accuse Kenneth of having an affair!” “Remember when he worked for us he was always honest.” “He lied and he’s doing it now again! I bet he’s gloating about our misfortune.” “He lied to protect us. Don’t forget the Wallenstein branch of the family wanted to harm us and Mr. Noose was here to protect us. Otherwise he never lied and was a good employee. I trust his instincts.” “If it really means so much to you, go ahead and invite him!” Anna gave in, but she wasn’t happy at all.

Fin, Frieda and Casey travelled to Dallas, where the Loesing’s lived. Fin returned to the mansion, feeling tense, sad and guilty. Fin could guess he wasn’t going to be made very welcome and he could understand it.

As expected he was let in by Florence Durazo, the housekeeper, and led to the living room. All the family members were there. Fin was a bit wary of the youngest son Javier, who had kicked him the last time they met. Thank goodness Javier gave him only icy stares like Anna, Wylie and Johnny, the oldest sons, did. The only welcoming faces were Patsy’s and Adrien’s, the youngest and only daughter of the Loesing’s.

Patsy looked at the sketch first. She shook her head. “No, I don’t recognize her. Sorry.” She handed it to Anna, who briefly glanced at it and said. “Nope.” Johnny, who was fifteen denied ever seeing her. Fin gave up hope. The family probably didn’t want to face that Kenneth had been cheating or they simply didn’t want to help him because of their shared past. Wylie identified the unknown person. “That’s Sarah Condos. She was at the guest lecture my dad gave about oil, environment protection and why it is safe to drill in National Parks, like the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge in Alaska last year at his Alma Mater. I remember her so clearly, because she sat beside me and blew Dad kisses. I was wondering why she would do that…” The seventeen year old had now a better idea. He had already guessed that his dad might have had affairs before Sarah. There had been signs, but Wylie had been too young to understand it.

From then it was easy. Sarah was Australian and had been an exchange student at the University of Dallas when Kenneth Loesing had given his lecture for the Economics department. She had returned to her native Australia, but not to her home town Adelaide. She now studied in Sydney.

Checks confirmed Sarah had been in Singapore at the same time as Kenneth.

To get a better picture of Sarah Fin wanted to observe her, so he had to get a visa from the Australian Embassy.  He was relieved when he got it and finally could be on his way.

Sarah Condos was quite active. She went to her classes every day and to Aikido training twice weekly and worked three times a week as a waitress at a greasy spoon. Weekends Sarah met with friends or stayed home.

Fin watched her closely and couldn’t detect that she was upset about Kenneth’s death.

When Sarah was at university Fin broke into her flat. It was easy peasy. The flat was chaotic. Fin thought it was sad, because the contemporary design of the furniture and airy feel of the rooms didn’t fit with the dropped clothing everywhere, dirty dishes in the sink and the strewn books, papers and magazines around the living and bed room. Fin searched in the untidy environment. Fin nabbed the most actual diary and checked out the photographs he found. Some showed Kenneth and Sarah together in different locations. In a few they were kissing, confirming they had had an affair. He took photos of those.

One of the commodes drew Fin’s attention. The top drawer had a lock and seemed slightly larger than the others. Fin tried to open it, but it was locked. Fin didn’t want to leave behind evidence he had opened the drawer, so he went looking for the key. He found it in a ceramic bowl in the kitchen with other knickknacks. The key fit. Fin was surprised how heavy the drawer was. When pulling it out it nearly crashed on the floor. Checking the content Fin saw different gun licenses. Underneath was clothing and weapons. Fin could identify some of them, for example a Smith & Wesson 0.357 Magnum, a Luger 9 x 9 mm Parabellum, a Harrington & Richardson 0.32 Magnum, another Smith & Wesson with a 0.44 Magnum caliber and a Remington 0.41. Fin shuddered. He didn’t like weapons. Sarah on the other side seemed to know how to handle them. Fin returned the content and drawer to its original state and brought the key back. Having seen everything Fin left.

To Fin’s dismay the pages during Sarah’s Singapore stay had been torn out, so he guessed she had something to hide.

Fin read the other entries, though, to get an idea what made Sarah tick. She seemed self-centered and concerned with her own gain. Fin didn’t mind ambitiousness – it was a trait he had himself – but there were things he would never consider doing, like stealing from his brother or friends.

Fin had experience with killing. He had murdered someone once nearly a decade earlier, having had no choice about it. The experience nearly broke him. He would kill again if necessary. He did everything in his power to avoid it at all costs, though. Another time Fin had to protect his family, so he ordered an assassination. It hadn’t been done lighthearted or had been easy. He felt about both decisions regret and guilt.

Reading the diary Fin had the impression Sarah Condos didn’t have any scruples. In fact Fin believed he was dealing with a psychopath and Sarah was highly dangerous. He was also very sure she was responsible of Kenneth’s demise. He tasked his middle man and friend Adam Granato to organize police officers in Singapore, the US and Australia to help Fin in solving the case and contacts in Malaysia and Singapore in organized crime.

Fin met Anthony Smith at the police station, where he was based. According to the information provided by Adam Anthony was 58 and twice divorced. Fin was picked up by Anthony at the reception and brought to his office.

Anthony was on the shorter side and Fin thought some fat hid that Anthony was quite strong and muscular. Fin guessed Anthony spent lots of time outside, because his face was weather beaten, making his green eyes stand out. Anthony had grey hair and a mustache. His office was tidy. There were lots of files, though.

Anthony Smith didn’t know what he should make out of Fin. It was a bit unusual to receive requests from his American and Singaporean counter parts to assist a civilian. Anthony trusted his instincts and couldn’t shake the feeling Fin wasn’t a security specialist. He could have sworn Fin operated on the wrong side of the law. Of course Fin might have changed from illegal to legal work.

Fin was respectful and used the right rank. He thought Fin was too smooth and nick named him “The Eel”.

“Coffee?” Anthony asked Fin after offering him a seat. “That would be nice, Superintendent Smith.” Returning with some awful brew he took a seat opposite Fin behind the writing desk. Fin told him his plans. Anthony wasn’t sure if Fin was crazy. “It’s risky what you are planning to do. What if she doesn’t take the bait? What if she admits killing this Kenneth, but it won’t stand up in court due to it being seen as having made a confession under duress or in the worst case she will try to kill you?” “Well, if she doesn’t confess, it was at least worth a try. I will stroke her ego, so it will be definitely not under duress and if she wants to liquidate me I hope it doesn’t work out. If it does, I died at least for a noble cause.” Anthony shook his head. An idealist! Anthony couldn’t believe it. He wasn’t sure if it was the right motive, but against better judgment he agreed to go ahead with it.

Anthony and Fin worked out the plan for the operation. Fin was equipped with a microphone, transmitter and a bullet proof west. “Try your best not to get shot in the head.” Anthony suggested kindly. Fin laughed. “Thanks for the advice. I’ll try.” 

Fin chose a day he was sure Sarah Condos was working at the greasy spoon. He thought his chances of getting killed during a confrontation there were reduced. Fin took a seat at a window table. Soon Sarah approached Fin to greet him warmly and hand him the menu. “Hey, I think I recognize you from somewhere. Have we met?” Fin asked, looking puzzled. “No, we definitely haven’t met. I would remember someone as good looking as you.” Sarah flirted. “My, thank you! I can only return the complement.” Fin replied charmingly. Sarah thought she had flattered Fin, hoping for a big tip. Fin pretended to study the menu, watching Sarah covertly to sashay away. She was attractive, indeed, and intelligent. It only reinforced he had to tread carefully. He had a look at the menu. When Sarah returned Fin ordered an orange juice and the fried chicken. The food was okay, but Fin’s stomach was knotted with nerves. Sarah arrived to clear the table. “Was it tasty?” “Very good.” She was about to leave, when Fin grabbed Sarah by the wrist. “I remember now! Kenneth has told me about you and shown me pictures of you together.” Sarah frowned. “Kenneth? I don’t know what you are talking about.” “Kenneth Loesing. He was my former boss, but we kept in contact. Before he died he told me how happy he was to have found someone young, attractive and ambitious. Kenneth thought he could have both, you as a mistress and his wife.” “He was wrong about that.” Sarah spat, sending angry daggers with her eyes at Fin. “I must say I admire you.” Fin said. “Why?” Sarah tried to free herself. Fin held on with an iron grip. “You were very clever. The police thought it was a suicide.” “I don’t know what you are talking about.” “Of course you do.” “No, I don’t! He jumped, because I finished the relationship.” “How convenient. Don’t you think you helped him a bit to make up his mind?” “Why would I do that?” “You felt betrayed by him. In your imagination he was leaving his wife and marrying you. When confronted with the truth – Kenneth was never going to get divorced – you decided no one should have him.” “And how would I have been able to make such a strong man as Kenneth jump?” “Very easy. Officially you left for Australia. In reality you crossed the border to Malaysia and spent some time in Johor Bahru. I know for a fact you bought an illegal weapon there. You returned to Singapore and met with Kenneth in his room. Maybe you told him you had a rethink and wanted the relationship going again to gain access…” Fear flickered in Sarah’s eyes. “Safely in his room you managed to get him on the balcony, got out your pistol from your handbag and left him a choice: Either jump or get shot. He chose the first, playing in your hands. The police would believe it was either an accident or suicide, since there was no evidence of forced entry and nothing was missing. It had happened before, so there was no reason for suspicion.” “Wow, you have it worked out perfectly”, Sarah replied ironic, “how do you explain there is a boarding pass available in my name two days after I split up with Kenneth?” “Conveniently your identical twin sister lives in Singapore. You two exchanged passports, so your sister’s will show she has been to JB – short for Johor Bahru -, while yours has a stamp you left Singapore.” “I see you have covered all your bases. What are you? A private detective?” “No. I just couldn’t believe Kenneth killed himself and tried to figure out what happened.” “How can I insure you keep quiet about it?” Fin asked a question instead: “So is this how it happened?” Sarah hesitated for a moment. Her shoulders slumped. A sign she gave up. “I thought my plan was foolproof…” Then Sarah laughed. “You should have seen Kenneth’s face when I pulled out my Luger. He forgot about Champagne and sex on the balcony quickly!” Fin didn’t find it funny. Turning serious Sarah said: “Kenneth begged, but I wouldn’t listen. He had treated me badly – even laughed at me for being so stupid to believe I would ever be Mrs. Loesing. Nobody leaves me! I am the one, who decides if it’s over or not!” Sarah realized she had said too much. Her mind was working furiously. The kitchen! Fin had released her arm earlier, so she could easily march off. She returned minutes later with more juice. “I think we have earned our drinks.” She said. Fin didn’t trust the offering. He was lucky when plain clothed police officers arrived to arrest Sarah. It caused some stir. Anthony entered too. He said: “Congratulations.” “Thanks. Can you do me a favor and have the orange juice analyzed?”  “Why?” “Don’t you think it’s a bit suspicious Sarah offered me a glass without any charge or me asking for it?” “You are right. I’ll have tests done.”

The results showed the beverage contained rat poisoning. It meant further trouble for Sarah, who was charged with murder, attempted murder and owning an illegal weapon. Singapore and the United States wanted her extradited, which she fought with tooth and nail. Sarah won that battle and was sentenced in Australia to life without parole.

For the Loesing’s the case meant closure and they were grateful to Fin, who was satisfied he had figured out how Sarah had committed her crime and sad and angry, because Kenneth’s death had been so senseless.

©2017

Gusto by Heinz Beck @ The Conrad Algarve, Portugal

My fiancé and I informed ourselves about the dining outlets available at the Conrad Algarve, where we stayed in October 2016. We saw there was Gusto by Heinz Beck, who is a three Michelin stared chef at La Pergola at the Rome Cavalieri, Waldorf Astoria Hotels & Resorts and wanted to try it, so we booked a table.

 

Gusto isn't mentioned in the Michelin guide, but it counts as one of the best restaurants in the country and has been awarded 5 Diamonds.

 

When exploring the hotel we found the restaurant, but it had closed. We were a bit curious, so we had a look through the glass door, where employees were already busy. They saw our interest and allowed us in. It was a nice touch.

 

Later we returned for a visit to the bar. The mixologist is one of the best and award winning.

We chose from the "Avenue of the Stars" cocktail list. It is based on films, which have an association with Hilton, in our case the Hilton Chicago. One was the Moonlightning inspired by "Little Fockers" and the other the Touch Down by "Express Ernie Davies Story". One was served with a smoked salt ream. When the salt came in contact with the liquid it made the composition perfect. The other was served like a Tiki cocktail. Both were outstanding. When the mixologist heard we were having later dinner at Gusto, he took our room number and promised the cocktails would be charged with the meal, so we didn't have to sign for two. That's good customer service.

 

We changed for dinner and returned to the restaurant.

 

There was a dramatic change. During the day it was bright and airy; at night sexy, dark and otherworldly with many globe lampshades. The interior and cuisine were postmodern.

 

The staff couldn't have been more attentive, warm and concerned about our well-being during the whole dinner.

 

Fellow diners were two families, a small group and couples.

 

We were brought to our table by the maître d' and handed the drink and wine menu.

 

We knew most of the waters on offer, so we chose a Portuguese one we hadn't tried before. It was called Vimeira. We liked it.

 

The amouse-bouche and greetings from the kitchen were Parmesan cheese, saffron sauce, goats cheese meringue, parsley biscuit with oyster mayonnaise and cracker.

 

Our appetizers were tuna and beetroot Carpaccio on wasabi and beetroot mayonnaise and marinated fois gras on cantucci cream, moscatel desetubal jelly, salted cocoa crumbles and raspberry meringue.

 

The main courses were risotto with apple, fois gras and amaretti biscuits and cod fish cooked in garlic olive oil, sautéed beans with tomato confit and soy, bean foam and parsley snow.

 

The desserts were Lampone 1.1 (eleven textures of raspberry including fresh, dry, pearls, crystalized, cremoso, jelly, white puffed raspberry chocolate, meringue of raspberry, hazelnut raspberry sponge, rock raspberry sugar and raspberry sorbet) and choco passion with passion fruit ganache, cocoa sable, sponge of Cuore de Guanaja, sphere of chocolate semi freddo and passion fruit sorbet.

 

He had a glass of late harvest dessert wine from 2011 Outono de Santar Vindima Tardia Dao. 

 

Petite Fours were served with the bill, which included chocolate with caramel, blueberry jelly, marshmallows and lemon macaroon.

 

The meal counts among the best we ever had so far and reaffirms to us that Heinz Beck and his team of chefs around the world remain in the forefront of fine dining experiences. The dishes were complicated; the flavors were bursting and the combinations worked well together.

 

The risotto was a new creation, it was outstanding and different, so my fiancé was asked for feedback.

 

As promised our cocktails were with our dinner combined on the bill, which was 208.50 Euro,  ca. 245.90 USD.

 

In our opinion it was good value for money and should we visit the Algarve again we would return to this beautiful restaurant.

©2017

Conrad Algarve, Portugal

In 2015 my fiancé and I had agreed to requalify for the Hilton’s loyalty program Hilton Honors gold status, so in January 2016 we pre-booked stays accordingly to achieve our goal.

One of those was the Conrad Algarve in Almancil and very close to Quinta do Lago. We stayed for 3 night/4 days in October 2016, after our 5 night/6 days stay at the equally gorgeous Hilton Vilamora As Cascatas Golf Resort & Spa. See our review.

The estate/resort entrance was impressive with a gate, white walls, and a fairly long driveway. The grounds were harmonious with white washed buildings - containing apartments (some were for sale) on both sides - a water feature, flowers, palms and lemon trees in the middle and the hotel as the center piece at the end of the driveway.

The location is ideal, just across the road from Quinta Shopping, a beautifully designed outdoor shopping village which also incl. restaurants, supermarket and more. 

We were greeted warmly. Our suitcase was taken and we were accompanied to the reception by the bell captain.

Check in took a bit, because all the features of the hotel and amenities as gold members were explained. Welcome drinks were also served and included water and orange juice.

The lobby was impressive with high ceilings, floor to ceiling windows, an atrium, a dome, which was intricately painted, raindrop chandelier, different seating areas and the Lago Lounge.

The views were over the infinity edged pool and the gardens.

We were accompanied to our King Grand Deluxe Room - the room type we had booked - on the highest floor (the 6th), which overlooked the entrance. 

Our luggage was soon afterwards delivered.

The room was large.

It was modern and Moorish inspired with lots of flower designs, wood and frames used. The floor was marbled.

The color scheme was brown, silver, metal and grey.

The room was dominated by the king sized bed with a chaise lounge in front of it.

There was also a club chair with ottoman and a coffee table beside the bed.

A table, seating for two, was frequently used by us to write or share a meal.

There was a credenza containing the minibar. Prices were high, for example 7 Euro, ca. 8.35 USD, for a 0.75 l bottle of Acqua Panna water, so we didn't use it, but once during our stay. Besides the content was more the usual things, like Coca Cola and so on.

A Nespresso coffee machine and tea making facilities were available too.

The air-conditioning was fast and efficient.

Internet was easy to access and fast/reliable at all times.

The flat screen LG TV offered 122 regional and international channels. There was a DVD player. DVDs could be borrowed from the concierge.

The lamps caught our attention. Some had a circle design, while others were mushroom shaped.

Storage space was limited and the room quickly felt cluttered with our personal items.

There was 24 hour room service available and we appreciated the welcome gift of local cakes. They were delicious.

Turn down was offered every night.

We enjoyed the balcony, which had two seating areas and was large. 

The bathroom was also large and creative.

It had double sinks, separate bath tub and shower. The bidet and toilet were in their own room. 

Above the bath tub was a small TV.

The bathroom amenities were Aroma Therapy Associates.

The room was completely marbled, had a small carpet in front of the sinks and there were gold tiles as well, plus a modern white chandelier above the bathtub.

The water pressure was good and the temperature even. There was a light flickering in the shower stall. It didn't disturb us, so we mentioned it only at check out.

Most intriguing were the flower motive and chandelier in the bathroom.

There was intricate Moorish metalwork, depicting also flowers.

The design didn't impact the comfort of the room and we felt immediately well, which added to our memorable stay.

An English speaking newspaper was daily delivered to our room. Originally we were a bit concerned, because experience at other hotels normally meant that the newspaper arrived early in the morning. Distribution at the Conrad meant it was only delivered late morning or early afternoon.

Other books/magazines on the room were the history about the art of the Conrad Algarve in Portuguese and real estate.

The hotel has many facilities, restaurants and bars.

Restaurants include Gusto by Heinz Beck [who holds 3*** Michelin Stars for his La Pergola restaurant in Rome] for fine dining at the Conrad, Gusto itself holds a Five Diamond Award and was the "Revelation of 2013" when it opened (We enjoyed one dinner there. Review to follow.), Louro for all day dining, Dado and Dado Seafood Pool Restaurant and Bar and Sereno, which is at the infinity pool, is connected to Lago and the tables have an interesting feature. When you want service or pay you can use different buttons to indicate what you need. The waiter from Lago will arrive soon afterwards.

We went to Louro for breakfast, which was included as gold member benefit, every morning. The first morning the experience wasn't too great, because the restaurant was very busy and we were forgotten by the staff. After a reminder to the hostess our table was cleaned and the service was more attentive from then onwards.

The presentation was very beautiful and the buffet extensive.

A bakery basket including bread and pasteis de Belem and tea or coffee and orange juice were delivered to our table each morning.

The buffet included cured and smoked salmon, a choice of cold cuts, jams (They were a bit difficult to get into the small pot with a big spoon. It looked stylish, though.), fruits, fruit salads, more pastries and bread, cereals, cheese, ten different juices, smoothies and much more.

We stopped at the Lago Lounge twice. Once to have a break and to relax. We ordered one hot chocolate, one peach juice, one Mind Revitalizer (a non-alcoholic cocktail), two lemon and two pistaccio macaroons and two Pasteis de Nata. The bill was 26.50 Euro / ca. 31.60 USD.

The other time we went to enjoy a complimentary experience as HH gold members. The second choice we didn't take would have been to make our own cocktails. The Tea Ceremony included Dilmah Private Estate Teas. We chose one pot of green and one Jasmine green tea. The scones had to be preordered, which we did the day before. We had one Algarvian orange and one fig and lemon scone and two chocolate macaroons.

Marco was on both occassions very friendly, informative and helpful. We felt well taken care of.

The Lago Lounge had a small library and a few board games. There were also flat screen TVs mounted on some of the walls, showing sports channels.

In the reception was a classic Mercedes car. There was an Art Space and Dunas Boutique to the left. The Art Space had an exhibition about Alain Bertrand and the art work could be bought.

There was a spa and fitness center. Classes on offer were yoga, stretching, belly dancing, zumba and much more.

Beside the infinity edged pool was a free form outdoor pool and an indoor pool.

Other facilities included a Billiard Room, a Nannie's Room and table tennis. We tried it, which was fun, but more often than not we missed the ball...he he!

The Tempo Sports Lounge and Golf Shop offered golf related material. An autograph of Tyrrell Hatton, who won the Dunhill Open in St. Andrews at the Old Course 2016, was displayed. It was an interesting connection, since we had stayed at the Old Course Hotel in St. Andrews just a few weeks before the actual tournament and our stay at the Conrad Algarve.

Of course there were tennis and basketball courts too.

A free shuttle service was offered to the beach from 10.00 hours to 12.00 hours and 15.00 hours to 17.00 hours.

A beach concession had to be paid, which was 20 Euro / ca. 23.90 USD for a full day or 15 Euro / ca. 17.90 USD for a half day. It included two sun beds, a shade, water and towels.

The concierge can organize many tours. I have noted some of them. You can go clam picking at Ria Formosa Natural Park, which is nearby. Join a wine master class or explore the local markets with the executive chef; afterwards you will learn how to make Cataplana. There was a speed boat trip 

to a desert island and much more.

It's no wonder the hotel is award winning including "best resort in the world". Some of them were displayed in vitrines and on the reception desks.

The staff we encountered was friendly and helpful. Ordering a taxi was always done quickly. It was a private company and the system interesting too. The drive to the destination could be charged to the room, while the return journey had to be paid in cash or by credit card.

The Conrad was a good place to relax, have privacy, attentive service, fine dining on the premises, stroll in the garden or go upscale/luxury shopping. Visiting other hotels or have a meal at a Michelin stared restaurant was also possible incl. dinner at Sao Gabriel which we enjoyed during one of our evenings in the Algarve. For all those reasons we would return.

©2017