Diary #1

MAY-BRITT’S (HOLIDAY) WORK TRIP

to CAPE TOWN

Every single time I was drenched with buckets of water in the dreary Dutch weather, there was one thing lifting my spirits. January 29th, 10:10 AM. That’s when this lucky lady’s tush would be seated in KLM’s economy class jetting off to Cape Town. And the sun. And bottles of Chardonnay.

For months I’ve had the words ‘Coty-trip’ jotted down in my agenda: the annual beauty trip which cosmetics firm Coty (from OPI, Marc Jacobs, the Miu Miu perfumes, Philosophy, Chloé, Rimmel and Lancaster) organizes for the Dutch press. And if you’ve been invited to tag along, all you want to do is twirl around with glee.

First of all, their destinations are always sunny. I mean let’s not forget, we’re there to test Lancaster’s newest products. Secondly, their trips are always planned in the winter. We need to take the time to experience everything and write about it before the rest of the world has entered summer mode. Then there’s the company you travel with. In my case I get to travel with a dear friend of mine and old colleagues from magazines such as Vogue, Marie Claire and Harper’s Bazaar. Plus, our hostesses Jenny and Daphne are so seasoned and know everything there is to know about the business so they know exactly what us somewhat ‘spoiled’ girl group looks forward to. A great hotel, a comfortable bed, good coffee and a cold glass of white wine every now and then.

As I am writing this, I am installed on the balcony of my hotel The Table Bay Hotel in Cape Town. With a view of Table Mountain obviously, which we are about to go up and climb. Yesterday we went out for lunch at the Warwick Estate, a vineyard in Stellenbosch, and we spent this morning swimming in our hotel pool and reading books. Evidently we made sure to smear on some of Lancaster’s sun screen. You know the funny thing about these idle days? That I always manage having to rush from one place to the next. Like this very instant. Off I go to Table Mountain, after which we have a dinner planned at the beach and more fun adventures which I will make sure to tell you about tomorrow.