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.

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.