Ahhhhhhhhh……take me back!!!

Looking over these photographs from our little Italian get-away back in May, I’m craving that warm Italian sunshine, cool mountain breeze, delicious Ligurian cuisine and the sheer romance of feeling like we had a whole village to ourselves for a few days.

I really wanted to share a post about our ‘Babymoon’, as it has been one of the highlights of my pregnancy and something I really believe all expecting couples should do, if you can. 

No matter how big or small your break, that time away together, just the two of you, will be SO worth it! We both have busy jobs and our weekends had been spent shopping for baby things, decorating, building nursery furniture, as well as all the other demands of every day life. That time to relax, soak each other up and get excited about the future really did make all the difference to our whole pregnancy and got us ready for this exciting next chapter. It was just what we needed!!

Apricale, in the Ligurian Region of Italy turned out to be quite a hidden gem. I can’t even remember how we stumbled across it as a potential holiday destination, but goodness me, what a find!!!

We were 32weeks pregnant for our babymoon, which, for me, felt just perfect. Most of the hard work at home was complete, the key baby pieces had been purchased, the nursery was finished, it felt like the right time to get away and relax. If you’re planning a baby moon though, I would definitely recommend you check the airline policy on ‘flying with expecting mothers’ before you book however, as many airlines won’t fly you past 30 weeks.

We flew into Nice airport where we picked up our hire car, a cute Fiat 500 which was perfect for the crazy French and Italian roads we were about to venture onto. The drive from Nice to Apricale is breathtaking in itself. You’ll drive along the coast and mountains through Monaco across the Italian boarder. Take plenty of change as there are loads of tolls along the way. 

The journey only takes around an hour, and as you approach the secluded Medieval magic of Apricale, you’ll see what I’m raving about………

We arrived at 8pm to a balmy, dusky evening, a warm welcome from the lovely hotel owner and…wait for it…the sound of thousands of frogs! I wasn’t expecting frogs! Believe it or not, it’s really lovely!

We stayed in Apricus Locanda which I cannot recommend highly enough. This small, 5 room hotel is unpretentious, secluded, shabby-chic romance at it’s best!! Apricus Locanda is nestled in the mountain side at the bottom of the village, meaning you can park right outside (a luxury in Apricale). What’s even better is that it really doesn’t break the bank at around £100 per night. We’ve stayed in hotels more than double this that don’t even come close to the beauty we experienced here.

Each of the individually designed rooms overlooks the rolling hills and not much else. We slept with the french doors open every night and woke up after the most wonderful sleep to the mist rising with the sunshine.

The rooms are beautifully finished with gorgeous white bed linen, a jug of fresh flowers from the garden and sweet little touches like a sprig of rosemary on the pillows. It’s these little details that make all the difference here.

The hotel serves breakfast only (although they also own a lovely restaurant just a little further into the village called Apricus Osteria and Bar), which is simple and delicious. We were lucky enough to have PERFECT weather for our visit in May and had breakfast on the terrace overlooking the mountains every morning. Again, the tables are beautifully laid with white linen and decorated with fresh flowers from the garden.

There is a small pool, overlooking the mountains, and plenty of space to sunbathe. We had the pool area to ourselves the whole 5 days which was great with my rather large pregnant tummy!

Apricale itself is small, but just so special! When we visited in May, there were very few tourists and we felt right at home with the locals. Like many Medieval Italian villages, it’s built around a castle which sits proudly at the top of the hill. There are two beautiful churches, a town hall and a square with restaurants and cute little shops. Apparently the square is often filled with people for various celebrations, although it was lovely and quiet when we were there, just the odd friendly dog running about without a lead whilst his owner sipped coffee in the shade.

The streets are fascinating to wander around. It’s like a maze, houses built on top of one another with doors and windows randomly positioned wherever they will fit. With beautifully maintained artwork on the walls and pots filled with herbs and flowers dotted along these narrow streets, it’s easy to see how much the locals love their pretty home. We felt as though we had stepped back in time.

Then there’s the food. In this part of Italy the food is a lot richer than the South. The menus are loaded with slow cooked meat and tomato based pasta. You’ll find Rabbit, Pork, Beef, Veal, Gnocchi and Pasta. The wine and beer is divine, particularly the local stuff, as you would expect. The mountains are covered in olives and they put them in almost everything……really delicious! Don’t look forward a good pizza though, it’s just not popular in this region, we didn’t see it on any menus in the village. Apricale is all about what the locals want to eat, rather than catering for tourists and we loved that! This also means that eating out is very reasonable, there are no hidden charges and the service is simple and great.

This doesn’t look like much, but the Zabaglione is to die for and you’ll find it on every menu in Apricale. 

All in all, an AMAZING break, one which I wouldn’t hesitate to recommend to any couple who want a romantic retreat with or without the added ‘bumpage’!

If you’re planning a Babymoon to Apricale, here a few of my travel essentials:

A Good Book
There isn’t LOADS to do in Apricale. Of course, you can drive off to other villages and explore, but for us, it was the perfect time to relax, chat and read poolside. I read a great little parenting number Bringing Up Bebe.

Tealights and candles
You can cover the balcony and room with them and sit out all evening, listening to the frogs (lol) just dreamy!! There’s plenty of delicious smelling lavender and herbs around the hotel gardens and their fragrance is even stronger as the sun goes down. We took Jo Malone’s Lavender & Lovage Candle which was the perfect choice to enhance this gorgeous evening scent. 

Big floaty Maxi Dresses and Flat Sensible Shoes
Apricale is a really laid-back place, and you won’t see anyone tottering around in heels… The streets are cobbled and very steep. We wore sandals, which were fine, but you may need something even more comfortable if your feet are a little swollen. I would also suggest plenty of loose-fitting maxi dresses 

Face Mist
Whether you’re exploring the village or relaxing by the pool, a good face mist is essential for keeping you and your bump nice and cool. I used Bobbi Brown Face Mist which was perfect. There are little fridges in the rooms where you can keep it cool during the night so its really refreshing when you reach for it midday. 

If you have any questions at all about planning a trip to Apricale, I would be more than happy to answer, just post your comments below.

Now to plan our next trip……

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