Beautiful Stellenbosch

I recently graduated from university and thus had to move back home, where I will be entering the working world and acting all grown up. While this is exciting, and the prospect of earning a salary wonderful, it has also meant leaving my home of four years... the beautiful Stellenbosch. I felt it was about time I actually mention some South African locations to visit and so the timing seems perfect to start with this stunning Cape Winelands gem.

Stellenbosch is a university town found in the Western Cape, about half an hour from bustling and yet at the same time laid-back Cape Town. Its streets are lined with giant, old oak trees and squirrels scurry around with no care in the world. Everybody walks, cycles or skateboards, as parking in Stellies can be a nightmare. The town is full of local favourites, from clubs (some of which even have *sokkie dance floors) and cute restaurants or pubs that line the sidewalks, to the stunning botanical gardens. Art galleries, interesting little shops, museums and beautiful old buildings and churches provide one with an endless supply of things to see and do. Find Trumpet Tree down a hidden alleyway for scrumptious food, or visit the infamous Oom Sammies se Winkel for interesting treasures. Cheesecake (or any cake for that matter) at Java is a must, just as Pizza and box wine is at Bohemia. You will find many little treasures in this beautiful place, and I can honestly say that I was never bored in my four years there.

Venture out of Stellies to go Champagne and nougat tasting at JC Le Roux, or just go wine tasting at any of the many surrounding wine farms. Many places do free tastings or charge a minimal fee. Paarl, Franschoek, Sommerset West, Strand and Gordons Bay are also situated nearby.

                Paarl – try Cafe Juno or cake at Kika, and see the Taal Monument.

                Franschoek – go chocolate tasting at Huguenot fine chocolates. It is
                only R35 and definitely worth it.

                Strand – Have the most gigantic ice-creams from Nice Ice-cream.

                Gordons bay – Relax on Bikini Beach, while enjoying a book
                purchased from one of the greatest used bookstores on the
                planet, found on the road along the beachfront.

Go hiking at Jonkershoek, or berry picking on a nearby farm. Enjoy one of the wonderful slow food or farmers markets that happen over the weekend. Take a walk in “die laan” and just take in the beauty of this small, yet busy town.

I truly hope that you love it as much as I did.

Forever a Matie.

·       *"Sokkiing" is an Afrikaans dance done in pairs. There are a few different styles, but girls, be prepared to be spun and dipped. Ask anyone on a sokkie dance floor to show you how... and you definitely won’t regret it. It is loads of fun and a great workout.  A wonderful South African experience, and a definite must if you enjoy dancing.

Helpful tip #6

Expect that your body might be affected by travelling – the truth.

This is something that I was not aware of before leaving, and which would have saved me a lot of worrying, had I known. Your body (particularly girls) might be affected by travelling. Changes in climate, minimal sleep, stress, excess exercise, new foods, iffy water and changes in diet might cause your body to take a real knock. Not to mention your body just being run down from constantly being on the go. This is particularly the case when travelling for a longer period.  You might be lucky, and only feel the effects after your trip, or you might feel them along the way. This is normal!

Try to stay relaxed, eat at regular intervals and try to get enough sleep. You should also check if the water is safe to drink, or buy bottled water if you so desire. I found the water fine wherever I went, but I potentially just have a strong stomach, having grown up where I have.

It is important to remember that whilst this is normal, if you are really feeling unwell and it is affecting your experience, and making it unpleasant and less enjoyable, you can visit a pharmacy wherever you are and they will be able to help you.

** Girls, your bodies will be under stress, even if you do not think you are stressing, so do not panic if “that time of the month” is a little off. Try not to stress about it as this will just make it worse.

Where to next??

I meant to mention in my previous blog post.
I am planning a trip for next year, but have two possibilities at the moment. Should I go to Australia in June/July with a friend or Thailand at the end of next year on a solo mission (or possibly with some friends)? I am pretty excited for both, but can only afford one.
Thailand has always been my dream destination, but I am also quite keen for Australia. I have never really found it too appealing, but then again I felt the same about Ireland and Germany and I ended up loving both of those. Let me know what you think in the comments, or give me some suggestions on other places I should visit. I am feeling something tropical is in order.

Peace, love and happiness.

Stunning Stuttgart (part 2)

As I mentioned in my previous post, I loved Stuttgart. I found it to be extremely internationally friendly and there was plenty to do and see. I suppose being there for a longer period also helped. This meant I was able to see a lot more and did not have to try cram everything into a couple of days.

For the three weeks that I studied at Hohenheim University, my routine consisted of taking the U-Bahn to University every morning with my fellow students, spending the day in the most interesting lecturers and practicals on campus, and then spending the afternoon/evening experiencing all that Stuttgart had to offer. Each Saturday a group of us headed off to another city in Germany, with me visiting Dusseldorf alone before flying home from there.

As I previously mentioned, the great thing about Germany in summer is all the different festivals. This provided such a great opportunity to hang out and experience the culture... not to mention the trying of different foods (and beer). There was always good music and even better conversation. It was wonderful to be able to stay out late and not be too worried about getting home because it was so safe. Plus, the fact that the sun went down so late made late evening expeditions more entertaining. Going to the center of Stuttgart later in the evening while it was still light and then returning home in the early hours of the morning to a beautiful sunrise was a strange, but wonderful experience.

 (I didn't have a camera with me, so the above photos were taken by friends.)

The Mercedes museum is a must see. It is extremely good value for money, as I think it cost about 10 Euros. For that you get entrance into the multi-level museum, an audio-tour and a really cool lanyard to take home with you. It is worth every cent. Take time to saunter around, take pictures and marvel at the history of this incredible make of car of which Germany is so proud. Even the outside of the museum has a certain wow factor and is amazing to look at. I suggest visiting this museum on a Sunday, as unlike most places in Germany it is actually open*. Whilst I did not get the chance to visit it, the Porsche museum is apparently also amazing and comes very highly recommended.

One of my favourite places in Stuttgart was the Ritter Sport Chocolate Factory. Ritter Sport is one of the most delicious brands of German chocolate (my mouth is watering just writing about it), and if you are anything like me, a trip to the factory is definitely in order. I will freely admit that I am quite the chocoholic, and thus I was in my element at the factory. You can do a self-tour around a museum that shows you the history of Ritter Sport (and even watch a movie about it) and then head downstairs to the factory shop where you can buy the chocolate at ridiculously low prices. Why not buy gifts for friends and family here as I did. Highly recommend a visit to this little known gem.

I also really enjoyed visiting the Wilhelma Zoo and botanical gardens. It is an awe-strikingly beautiful place, and made me slightly nostalgic for home. It was interesting for me to note how much more I knew about animals and how much more comfortable I was around them. I suppose this is because I have grown up in country and area where you grow up seeing animals in the wild (or at least in reserves). The Stuttgart TV Tower is also a must see, and I recommend visiting it at sunset if possible. You can see the whole of Stuttgart from it and it is breathtaking to see it first in the light and then at night when Stuttgart is all lit up. Moreover, the sunset itself is one of a kind.

I had so many more wonderful experiences in Stuttgart and enough memories to last a lifetime, but so many of them were purely made while roaming around Stuttgart, visiting the public pool or the many beautiful parks that Stuttgart has to offer. I could not possibly begin to explain them all. I realised in Stuttgart, that while travelling alone has its benefits (as I experienced during the rest of my travels) exploring with friends is something completely different. So often the memory or experience has less to do with where you are, and more to do with whom you are with.

Much love, laughter and sunshine.

*It is important to note that most places in Germany are not open on a Sunday. This means that most museums and the likes, as well as any stores are closed. So, if you are cooking for yourself or planning to do a little shopping, make sure to do this on a weekday or Saturday. Shops at the stations and airports will however be open and places like cinemas are too.

Stunning Stuttgart (part 1)

And so ended the travelling part of my trip. With a brief stop in Vienna (for a couple of hours in the early hours of the morning), I made my way back to Germany... my home for the next month or so.

I went from Austria to Munich in Germany, and then on to Stuttgart, where I would be attending an exchange, Summer School, programme at the beautiful Hohenheim University. My first impression of Stuttgart was that it was a clean, modern, and an internationally friendly city. I spent just short of a month in this lovely city, and my first impressions proved to be accurate. Being in Germany in summer was amazing... long days (when the sun goes down late), lovely weather, and plenty of festivals. There was legitimately a festival every day/night during my stay there, which was wonderful. It gave us (myself and fellow summer-schoolers) something to do, and provided an awesome opportunity to get to know the local customs/culture and experience real life Germany.

Perhaps it had something to do with the incredible people I met in Stuttgart, those that I studied with, the ones I stayed with or just the randoms I met along the way, but I truly loved Germany, and particularly Stuttgart. Living there also meant that I had the opportunity to experience it in a different way to all the other places I visited during my travels. I bought food at the local grocery stores, cooked for myself, enjoyed the amazing entertainment at the festivals, hung out in a few nightclubs (and sang ample karaoke), went to a couple of house/roof/basement parties, and even had my own public transport pass. I pretty much lived like a German for a month. I do not know exactly what I expected, but Germany really surprised me. The people are incredibly friendly and welcoming, and their English is excellent. This was extremely helpful considering I did not exactly know much German (although I now have some of the basics down pat). I should however add, that some of my friends who have visited different parts of Germany on different occasions did not feel the same way. 

I loved walking around Stuttgart, exploring the different areas, and using the U-Bahn (tram system) which made getting from place to place unbelievably easy. I truly loved feeling safe enough to venture off on my own, and experiencing the culture was wonderful. I was lucky enough to study with some incredible people, and attend lectures hosted by lecturers whom are top in their field. Whilst I was a little out of my depth studying at an agricultural university (since my studies in South Africa were in Human Life Science), I found it so interesting, and thoroughly enjoyed the lab work and excursions.

I have decided to split my Stuttgart review into two as otherwise; this one will be too long. Please continue to follow my blog to see what I got up to in stunning Stuttgart, as well as some of the other German cities I visited.

I would like to dedicate this blog post to my lovely friends (for life) that I made while there. Tumi, Felicja, JieKai, Sandra, Isabelle, Natalja, Jelte, Yu, Greg, Julia, Dawid, Esther, Rita, Islam, Kasia, Hun Kiat, Anita, Danny and all those who I have not named here. Thank you for being a part of my adventure. I miss you all greatly.