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Golf Marathon at the Costa Brava

With plenty of golf in our legs and great memories we returned home last week, after a 4 days golf marathon at the Costa Brava. If you include half a day of travel time per way, we played 90 holes (5 x 18 holes and 25h golf) within 3 days. Crazy? Not really, it’s an astonishing beautiful region and the perfect place to play a lot of golf.

Golf Marathon at the Costa Brava

Around 1 hour before departure, our golf baggage was checked in by SWISS at Zurich Airport by a friendly and efficient staff and we set off for Barcelona. We couldn’t wait for this trip, simply because the Costa Brava region is known for golf holidays in Europe and the best course in Spain was right on our doorstep – but more about that later.

Day 1 – Golf D’Aro Mas Nou

From the airport we went directly to the golf course D’Aro Mas Nou, which is more than 300 meters above sea level and offers a magnificent view of the Mediterranean Sea and the mountain of the nature reserve of the Gavarres massif. Due to its location in the mountains, the weather can change at any time and differ from the climate of the Costa Brava. The condition of the place was fine and the view was splendid. Greenfee 169 EUR – 2 Green Fees + 1 Buggy Website & Booking https://www.golfdaro.com/ Drive from PGA Catalunya Ca. 40min Notes The food could have been better.

Day 2 and 3 – Hotel Camiral at PGA Catalunya

After the first 18 holes we arrived at the Hotel Camiral at PGA Catalunya. It’s quickly noticeable: it’s all about Golf here. Located less than an hour from Barcelona, 20 minutes from the beaches of the Costa Brava and 15 minutes from the historic city of Girona, the PGA Catalunya Resort is one of the world’s leading real estate development and fully equipped lifestyle resorts.

The ideal golf hotel at the Costa Brava

The PGA Catalunya has two championship golf courses, a luxurious 5-star hotel, the Hotel Camiral and a large selection of restaurants (especially the Clubhouse is highly recommended). You will also find a variety of activities such as a family adventure park, tennis, paddle camp, cross training, cycling, trekking or horse riding. If you like to play golf on the nearby courses – which are mentioned here – this is the perfect address.
  • 2 golf courses right on your doorstep
  • Perfectly equipped driving range
  • Golf Academy
  • Massive Pro Shop
Spa & Wellness If you want to relax a bit after the golf marathon, you will find a 25 meter pool outside and various massage and spa offers. Large rooms The rooms have modern aesthetics and luxurious furnishings, and the space is ideal for golfers. Prices per double room incl. breakfast from approx. EUR 210,00

Attracting real estate and villas to buy

The PGA Catalunya Resort is not only a paradise for golf lovers, but also offers attractive solutions if you are looking for a property at the Costa Brava. The modern villas are specially designed for the most demanding client to enjoy the mediterranean lifestyle and take full advantage of the extensive leisure activities. https://www.pgacatalunya.com/real-estate/

Stadium Course

This impressive and spectacular golf course has been one of the ten best golf courses in Europe for 20 years and was recently ranked 4th in Continental Europe and 1st in Spain. Infinitely long fairways, lightning-fast and unpredictable greens as well as various bunkers and lakes make this course – even for a pro – a hard nut to crack. The condition of the place is excellent, there is not the slightest criticism. During high season you might expect some waiting time. Tip Beginners should consider to play from blue or red, the fairways often start at more than 100 meters from yellow. Greenfee ca. 120 EUR per Person | Buggy 50 EUR Website & Booking https://www.pgacatalunya.com Drive from Barcelona Airport Ca. 1h 20min

Tour Course

If you are looking for a less tough challenge, the Tour Course is also an attractive, yet easier course to play. The course is a bit shorter and more comfortable than the Stadium Course. The greens are in perfect conditions and equally difficult to play or calculate. Tip If you like to test our Golf Marathon, you can play Tour Course in the morning and Stadium Course in the afternoon – a real challenge! Greenfee Ca. 88 EUR per Person | Buggy 50 EUR Website & Booking https://www.pgacatalunya.com Drive from Barcelona Airport Ca. 1h 20min

Tag 4 – Club de Golf Costa Brava

A historic course, here you will find one of the first golf clubs on the Costa Brava. The design of the course, which stretches over the gentle slopes of the Cadiretes massif with pines and holm oaks, is impressive and throws you back in time. The old farmhouse, built in 1841, has been preserved and is an authentic symbol of the club. Greenfee 159 EUR – 2 Green Fees + 1 Buggy Website & Booking https://www.golfcostabrava.com/ Notes Lots of seniors | no driving range | chaotic conditions on the last 2 holes – because there can be overlaps on this course (red route vs. green route) Drive from PGA Catalunya Ca. 30min

Tips and worth knowing

  • ZRH – BCN round trip with SWISS approx. CHF 400 per person (depending on season, booking time and load)
  • Rental car approx. 80 EURO for 4 days incl. insurance
  • With the SWISS Golf Traveller Card, the golf baggage is free of charge.
  • The courses can all be reached within max. 40 minutes from PGA Catalunya. It is essential to book a rental car (SUV or station wagon) in order to reach all seats easily and with sufficient storage space.
  • Don’t despair, all the courses are not easy to play.
  • If you stay longer or try to play our golf marathon, you should consider a buggy.
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Glashütte Original presents the revival of the diving watch

With the SeaQ Panorama Date, Glashütte Original celebrates the revival of the first diving watch from Glashütte and is designed for the fearless, adventurous, sporty men of the world. The ideal place to show this sporty-elegant timepiece: a sailing trip to the southern France.

sunreef yachts

Pictures & Rights @ Sebastien Rohner

Cannes, tu est tellement belae

A lovely warm and sunny morning in Cannes, after some fresh croissants and delicious coffee it’s time for our trip with Sunreef Yachts. The fresh salt taste of the sea is in the air, while the crew carefully maneuvers the sailboat out of the harbour and the skipper orders the sails to set, turn into the wind and sail with the refreshing breeze to the open sea. 

You will never really enjoy the world until the sea flows through your veins, the sky covers you and the stars crown you”. – Thomas Traherne

seaq panorama date glashuette

Glashütte Original celebrates the revival of the diving watch

Since the 19th century, precision timepieces from Glashütte have also been used as reliable instruments for navigation and positioning on land, sea and in the air. 50 years after the 1969 Spezimatic type RP TS 200, Glashütte Original presents the SeaQ line, inspired by the original. 

The SeaQ Panorama Date is a timepiece for men with the need for freedom, adventure and a certain understanding of style and elegance.

glashütte seaq panorama date

sunreef yachts

Design meets history and modernness

The design of the SeaQ Panorama Date is inspired by the historical model. The Glashütte designers have mastered the challenge of varying the award-winning caliber 36 for demanding underwater use. The dial has been accentuated with ray polish, Arabic numerals and applied indexes. The modern version comes with a 43.2 mm diameter stainless steel case, a rotating bezel made of stainless steel with ceramic inlay and a sapphire crystal back.  

glasütte orginial seaq panorama date

seaq

Glashütte Original SeaQ Panorama Date | Ref. 1-36-13-02-81-08 | CHF 11.0000.-

glashütte seaq panorama date

Waterproof to 300 meters

The watch complies with the DIN and ISO standards for diving watches with regard to water resistance, readability, shock resistance and salt water resistance. Each model is extensively tested in the Glashütte factory before being delivered to the customer. The unidirectionally counterclockwise rotating bezel is used for the safe determination of the diving time. The SeaQ Panoramadatum is waterproof to 300 meters and therefore also suitable for diving professionals.

sunreef yacht

glashuette seaq panorama date

 

About Glashütte Original

Glashütte Original stands for modern German watchmaking whose roots date back to 1845. As an authentic manufactory in the prestige segment, Glashütte Original combines traditional craftsmanship with the latest production methods under one roof. With tact, passion and a high internal manufacturing depth, exclusive timepieces are created that combine technical sophistication, highest precision and timeless elegance.

More information: https://www.glashuette-original.com/spezialist-collection

seaq panorama date

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Across Italy with the Land Rover Discovery

With tight schedules and last-minute trips we often no longer enjoy travelling, perhaps a comfortable car like the new Land Rover Discovery will change that. 

Across Italy with the Land Rover Discovery

These are some of the wonderful Italian routes we discovered on this trip. On this journey not only are the destinations important, but also the means of getting there. And with the comfortable new Land Rover Discovery and all of his features, the journey has definitely been a pleasure. A route from Switzerland to the south of Italy. On the way stopping by in Emilia Romagna and Tuscany, through to Lazio, Campania and ending at a wedding in Calabria.

Italy is a country full of things to see, to do, to eat… and discover! Some locations are more iconic than others but nonetheless, all of Italy from north to south offers a range of unique attractions and travel destinations.

We started our travel from Switzerland for reaching our first destination: Siena.

From the first hours with the Land Rover Discovery our travel resulted quite comfortable and easy, thanks to features like the “Adaptive Dynamics”, “Dynamic Stability Control (DSC)” or the “Electronic Air Suspension”, which perfectly combine performance and comfort. Or like Land Rover puts it:

“The Discovery makes the miles go by virtually unnoticed”.

The Chianti road

Hills that frame small stone villages, estates and vineyards, olive groves that overlook and complete a unique and fascinating panorama, loved by both Italians and foreigners. It is the Chianti Road, also called Chiantigiana, which unites Florence and Siena.

A path where you can enjoy the beauty of the landscape and a unique food and wine experience. It is one of the obliged trips to Italy for lovers of good wine and good living.
In Siena we had the chance to enjoy the view and the beautiful atmosphere of the ancient city, also the food in some of the most characteristic “osterie” in the oldest neighboring city.

Driving along the Chianti Road but also Siena and smaller cities around, the Discovery never felt like the size of car it really is. Thanks to its various assistants and 360° Surround Camera driving through even the narrowest of roads, the Land Rover Discovery rather felt like a Fiat 500. But also driving the highway, with “Adaptive Cruise Control” or “Lane Keep Assist”, is as comfortable as it gets, without having a fully autonomous car.

Deep down to the South

After leaving Siena our travel lasted for a joyous 6 hours before reaching the beautiful “Napoli”.
Naples is one of the largest and most characteristic cities of the Mediterranean. It is the third biggest after Rome and Milan with a population of approx. 1 Million. The city rises on the coast and extends from the Sorrento’s peninsula to the volcanic area of Campi Flegrei with the volcano Vesuvius. In addition to the beautiful landscapes, Naples is also famous for the historic center with more than 2500 years of history.

For two days we enjoyed good pizza, once even in the oldest pizzeria of the citiy next to the “Spagnoli” neighborhood. Also we were exploring the historic parts of the city from “Piazza Plebiscito”, through the archeological museum and “Castel Nuovo”.

From Naples after exploring the Vesuvius volcanic area where the new Land Rover Discovery showed its true strengths along the steep, rocky and very uneven roads before reaching Pompeii and the Amalfi Coast as our next destinations.

The last stop in our adventure was Calabria, the toe of the Boot, separated from Sicily by the Strait of Messina.
The warm climate, the beautiful colors of the sea, the rocky coasts alternating with sandy coasts, the genuine flavors of the local cuisine and the testimonies of ancient origins make Calabria a unique place to admire and discover.
This region offers a wide choice of beautiful beaches like Tropea and Capo Vaticano: a long stretch of fine sand, surrounded by trees and crystal clear waters.

Traditional Wedding in Calabria

We reached our final destination in Calabria where we were invited to experience a traditional Italian wedding. A classic wedding ceremony in an old church with a wedding reception later in a luxurious location, for a total of over 350 guests!
Here we enjoyed a convivial moment of considerable importance, where people ate, danced and together, celebrated this important day.

Food and happiness were the protagonists of the wedding reception. We arrived to several buffets, later heading inside to have the main dinner and ending again with various dessert buffets outside. All over the course of around seven hours!
In this region the ritual of sharing the meal has ancient roots, where sharing and eating food is a symbol of communion and brotherhood.

Since the time of the ancient Romans, the wedding reception had an indispensable symbolic value: the marriage ritual was not considered legal until the bride and the groom broke and ate bread with their guests.

Glenfiddich Grand Cru: Whisky meets champagne barrel

With the Glenfiddich Grand Cru, the traditional Scottish company is breaking new ground. This 23-year-old single malt Scotch whisky spent a second maturation phase in French cuvée barrels, which gives it an additional freshness and balance. Glenfiddich…
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Absolute relaxation - Wellness in the Allgäu region

In the south of Bavaria you will find the beautiful region Allgäu, with its endless forests, an impressive view to the Alps and the cosy atmosphere, the region is one of the most important and largest holiday destinations in Germany. Time for…
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Golf equipment included - the advantages of the Swiss Traveller Card

Every golfer knows it: You get used to your clubs and want to play with them - rental sets or other golf clubs are rather not an option. So if you want to play the many incredibly beautiful courses in the world, you have to take your golf equipment…