Ludwigsburg and real life fairy-tales

Ludwigsburg is about 12 kilometers away from the Stuttgart City Center, and is known for the Residential Palace and Mӓrchengarten (Fairy-tale Garden). It is a lovely city and the Palace is beautiful.

I highly recommend a visit to the Mӓrchengarten. It may sound like something suited for children, but it is exciting for people of all ages. Seeing your childhood fairy-tales come to life and the characters in larger than life form is wonderful and exciting. Take a boat ride through Geppetto’s workshop, and see Pinocchio come to life. Climb up Rupunzels tower or visit the Frog Prince’s residence. A wonderful morning or afternoon activity for young and old that will have you reminiscing about your childhood.

The Palace is massive and breathtakingly beautiful. It is also one of Germany’s largest Baroque Palaces. It is surrounded by the most stunning gardens as well as the Mӓrchengarten. Just a few minutes’ walk away you will also discover the Hunting Lodge and Summer Residence Favourite, which Duke Ludwig built for his mistress. It is lovely to look at, but pales in comparison to the giant Residential Palace.

Ludwigsburg makes for a perfect morning or afternoon adventure and is only a short train trip from Stuttgart. It was also covered in beautiful street art at the time of my visit. One can easily walk from the station to the Mӓrchengarten and Palaces, so transport is not a problem.

I recommend you visit this lovely place and relive your childhood fairy-tales.

Helpful tip #8

Whilst I should actually be setting a Science test right now, I suddenly feel the desire to write a blog post instead. Procrastination.... check! So, I hope you find this helpful.

Tax free is not always cheaper.

Aboard some flights and in shops at certain airports in some countries, goods will be advertised as duty-free (tax free). This means that whatever you buy is tax free, provided you plan on taking it out of the country. While you may find some great specials (and Christmas gifts), look carefully as sometimes you can actually buy the product for cheaper outside of the airport. I found this to be particularly true for food products such as chocolates. I was able to buy the exact same product for cheaper in a local supermarket. Perhaps this was just my experience though, so let me know what you think.

Duty-free, however, seemed really worth it for more expensive items such as jewelry or perfume. Just be observant and do not fall for it just because the name has the word "free" in it.

Happy shopping (or not).  

Chintsa East - My home!

As I sit on the beach and write this, I am reminded that whilst I have most definitely been bitten by the travel bug, and am ever so eager to explore the rest of the world, see new sites and have exciting new adventures, I am also reminded of just how lucky I am to live where I live. Perhaps growing a little older has left me feeling rather reflective and so feel it is only right that I write about my home for a change.

Whilst I technically live in East London, South Africa, I consider my real home to be a tiny seaside village just outside of East London. I feel slightly apprehensive about giving the name of this quaint little place as I would not want my thousands of readers (yeah right...) taking over the place and changing the atmosphere. But I shall divulge none-the-less. Whilst I am sure hundreds of villages just like this exist, I am certain that none can quite compare to the little gem called Chintsa East.

Growing up here has been incredible. A holiday town, with very few of us "locals", which consists of mostly retired people and those wanderlust travelers who somehow got stuck here on their travels. Then you have the few parents, like mine, who gave their kids the chance to grow up in this place.With a close knit community, infinite hours spent in the sand and sea, countless bonfires, mud-fights and beach walks. It is kind of like the life people live in movies. One of holiday friendships, tree-house building, themed parties (as we got older) and childhood shenanigans.

There is nothing more wonderful to me than watching the crabs scurry across the shore, or hearing the waves crashing or the sandpipers chirping. It is nature at its best and is truly magical. The stars sparkle so clearly in the unpolluted, midnight sky and one feels safe enough to venture off on their own. The locals are friendly, and you will inevitably be invited in for at least one cup of tea on your way down to the beach. It is easy to see why visitors to this place never want to leave. It is beautiful, and one of my favourite places to be.

I will always be grateful for being a part of a place that has, amidst all the hustle and bustle of todays times, remained so wonderful and quaint.

Lake Konstanz

Sorry loyal readers for the delayed updating of this blog. A new job and very busy weekends, have kept me away from my pride and joy and from (I hope) entertaining you. I hope that I will successfully update it weekly from now.

On to Lake Konstanz... this magnificent lake lies on the borders of Germany, Switzerland and Austria, which means if you cross it you would be in another country. This is also, where the water from the Rhine flows. It is truly beautiful and the city of Konstanz is lovely.

Take a ferry across to one of the islands. We headed to Meersburg, a charming medieval city that is basically just pedestrianized, with only a few roads for cars. Instead of driving, one finds oneself climbing stairways and walking up/down rather steep hills. It is famous for both its old and new castle, which are both stunning, and the city is composed of mostly beautiful wooden houses.

Konstanz, a university city, is a beautiful city with the most gorgeous cathedral. One can also see a section of the former city wall, and the Marktstӓtte provides the perfect location for some curio shopping.

I would go back in a heartbeat and truly loved this beautiful place.

Helpful tip #7

Rather spend your money and enjoy your trip, than end up leaving with lots left over. Travelling can be expensive and when you start converting every time you buy something you may start to become rather frugal with your money. This is usually when your currency is weaker than wherever it is you are visiting.

When I first arrived in London I was so afraid to spend my money that I hardly bought anything. While I have never regretted this as I used the money later in my trip I also realised that I had set aside a certain amount of money to spend on my trip and thus I should spend it. Not end up at the airport with all my money and nothing to show of my travels or worse with wishes that I had gone on that tour or gone into that museum which I really would have liked to see but didn’t because it “cost too much”.

This does not mean you should spend for the sake of spending, but does mean you should allow yourself to enjoy what you can. Just budget carefully.

Happy spending.

Munich and Dachau

I was lucky enough to spend a day in the Bavarian capital, Munich. One Saturday, we bought a group travel pass and set off from Stuttgart to explore amazing München. Munich, like all German cities is clean and extremely efficient/organised.  It is also beautiful.

While some stayed in Munich itself to visit museums and such, the rest of us ventured out of Munich to visit the Dachau Concentration Camp Memorial Site. This was quite an experience and took one on an emotional rollercoaster of sorts. While I have been told that the other concentration camp sites are more traumatizing, it was still tough to see. It is hard to imagine that a camp built for 5000 prisoners held 30,000 at the time of its liberation. It was even scarier to see how “normal” the gas chambers looked although Dachau's were never used. It is horrifying to think of the medical experiments done on those who volunteered in hope of release. It was physically painful for me to imagine what Dachau’s prisoners went through and I struggle to understand how guards (Dachau also had the first female guards) could do what they did and then go to church on a Sunday. Dachau was truly on eye-opener. Whilst I understand the pressures of peers, government, and the expectations placed on people. I understand the psyche involved and that it became a norm, I will never, however, truly be able to comprehend how people were able to treat others so inhumanely. That applies to all countries, past, present and future... including my own.

On to less morbid topics. After a morning spent in Dachau, we ventured back into Munich to find ourselves in the middle of gay pride day. This meant that the center of Munich was effectively closed off to cars and other traffic. Stages with performances, stalls and people dressed up gave Munich a wonderful atmosphere and it was incredible to see how everybody embraced everyone, regardless of race, religion or sexuality. I could not help but notice the contrast between now and the 1930’s/1940’s.

It was great to see the infamous Glockenspiel and the beautiful Alter Peter (Saint Peters Church). A good part of the afternoon, before heading back to Stuttgart, was spent at the stunning Englischer Garten near the university.Unfortunately as we only had limited time in the birthplace of Oktoberfest, we were unable to get to Olympia Park or the BMW museum, but I have been told that these are certainly worth a visit. 

A day well spent with wonderful friends, learning about the past and present and a definite recommendation in terms of a place to visit.

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.