The Lavender Farm Guesthouse -Franschoek ,South Africa

                                                      

'Take a deep breathe...

 Inhale peace .

Exhale happiness. '  A.D.Posey 

Do you love the look and smell of fresh lavender? If you do ,you will love this place !

I visited this charming guesthouse in October 2020.

It is a lovely little property that is nestled in the Franschoek Valley, located just a few minutes from the town.

It is surrounded by mountains and the view is spectacular!

I spoke with the General Manager, Schalk, who told me that the guesthouse has been operating for around 9 years and they have done many improvements and added more rooms during this time 

They also plan on adding a picnic and 'braai'(barbecue) area initially for in-house guests,then for the general public.

                                                     Rooms

The accommodation is just lovely. The room has a high ceiling, which opens up the room, making it feel much more spacious.
There are 14 rooms on the property and there is accommodation for 28 guests.My room had twin beds, a couch,a desk, television, wifi and a shower /toilet with a private terrace (perfect to relax and enjoy the surroundings)

My room 

                                                   The Lavender Field 

If you want some tranquility, to get away from the craziness of the city, or just to enjoy an amazing view, this is the spot. It also boasts being the ONLY lavender field in Franschoek.
The field is 3 hectares and is simply stunning! I loved the view and it almost seemed like I was immersed in a real-life painting. A sense of happiness will overwhelm you when you take in these lovely surroundings.
Lavender is known for its calming properties which aid in sleep, reduces stress and anxiety amongst other amazing benefits and I know I was very relaxed during my visit so I can manifest to this.

                                                    Breakfast

The breakfast is served daily and you can choose from either an a la carte or buffet menu I ordered the traditional English breakfast with eggs, bacon sausage tomato and a hash brown which was delicious .The dining area decor is as enchanting as the rest of the accommodation .

                                                    Bar

There is a bar outside which is surrounded by jasmine and other flowers and is located near the pool area. It serves in-house guests every day and is stocked with a variety of local products amongst others 

                                                   Wine farms 

You can visit a variety of wine farms from this location eg Colmant Cap Classique &Champagne  which is right next door 

                                                   Conclusion

The entire experience was wonderful. The staff are always available to help. The accommodation is clean, spacious and very beautiful.

The food is really well prepared though they only serve breakfast so visitors have to get lunch/dinner in the town which isn't very far away.

There is also a lovely swimming pool area with lounge chairs to relax 

The view is amazing and somehow I felt an amazing sense of calm and peace, probably because of the pungent smell of lavender in the air (who knows ). 

I simply loved the combination of classic style and elegance this accommodation offers, reminiscent of the period when French Huguenots lived.Whether you are looking for a romantic getaway or if you want some calm and tranquility this is a really lovely option to consider when visiting the Franschoek area in the Cape, South Africa 

For more information check out the below links :

https://www.instagram.com/nicolesteppingout/

https://twitter.com/nicolestepping1

https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCoot1u1Q80wectlyaJCAeVg?view_as=subscriber

http://www.lavenderfarmfranschhoek.co.za/

https://www.facebook.com/lavenderfarmguesthouse/

https://www.instagram.com/lavenderfarmguesthouse/?hl=en

Exploring Frankfurt

Have you been to Frankfurt ?

I had 2 days to explore this vibrant German city and I simply loved it especially as it was my introduction to Germany !

The transport system in Germany is very efficient ,and I took a train from the airport to the main station then I just had to walk to my accommodation which was opposite the Frankfurt Hauptbahnhof .

View from my hotel room

You might ask wasn't this very noisy ,unsafe or unclean ,however it was a budget hotel which was very small but very clean.

Noisy ?Yes ! But thats what you'd expect from being close to the station especially in Europe .It is my personal preference to stay as close to the main station as possible as it is just so much more convenient as you can take a train ,bus or tram to any destination easily and its especially handy when going to the airport (rather than struggling with luggage when staying far away)

Most European train stations have a wealth of food and drink vendors where you can get a cheap snack costing only a few euros and Frankfurt Main Station is no exception .I was able to get a delicious pretzels/pastries/sandwiches there.

I spent my time exploring the city

I walked to the Eisener Steg or "Love Lock Bridge "

I took a river cruise down the River Main which was amazing 

I visited the historic Imperial Cathedral of St.Bartholomew /Frankfurt Cathedral which can be found just 4 minutes from the Romerburg area.
It was built around 680 AD, and has 1 tower which is 95 metres(312 feet) tall
The central altar is believed to hold pieces St. Bartholomew's skull

MyZeil is a shopping mall in the centre of Frankfurt .It stands out in comparison to the surrounding buildings as it looks like a space age building .It was designed by Italian architect ,Massimiliano Fuksas and officially opened in February 2009.

Romerburg

I don't like beer but since I had arrived in my first German city ,I had to have a taste .It is good especially with some schnitzel

Interesting facts on the city 

Frankfurt is the fifth largest city in Germany 

It is on the River Main

Frankfurt airport is among the busiest in the world 

It is the largest financial centre in continental Europe 

Gelato is delicious in Germany too!

I visited in June which I felt was an ideal time as the weather was good.I must say I noticed it always looked grey and overcast when I was there .The Frankfurters are an extremely friendly bunch of people and I found myself having long conversations with many random strangers .

Conclusion

Be sure to get to the airport very early !The departure from Frankfurt via Frankfurt Airport was not a good experience to be honest .I arrived there 4 hours before my flight with the intention of shopping, however I had to stand in queue to get through immigration for about 3,5 hours ! The queue extended across the airport and was very slow moving and there were only 3 immigration agents that day with all those people and it wasn't even a weekend !
Besides this my visit to Frankfurt was wonderful and I've visited 4 additional cities after this visit and I am determined to visit again 

Interview with the Phanganist Magazine

Check out my interview with The Phanganist Online Magazine !I am so excited and honored to be featured !

https://phanganist.com/global-travel-bloggers-eco-tourism-article/nicole-stepping-out-shift-towards-more-responsible-tourism 

#phanganist #kohphangan #travel #blogger #tourism

Visit to Emilia's Restaurant -Arthur Avenue , Little Italy ,The Bronx

Visit to Emilia's Restaurant

I was really fortunate to have the opportunity of visiting this charming Italian restaurant ,which is located at 2331 Arthur Avenue ,Little Italy in the Bronx (New York City ) 

I met the owner, Nunzio Sapienza who opened the restaurant in 1992.

The restaurant is cosy with a distinct Sicilian ambience 

The interior is decorated with lovely murals on the walls.There is also a bar which is stocked with a range of delicious Italian beverages 

We sampled the food as we sat outside at the back of the restaurant which has a lovely water feature, giving it a tranquil feel 

Appetizers:

Emilia's fresh homemade mozzarella with roasted peppers 

Arancini /Sicilian rice balls served with panelle (chickpea fritters)

Caponata (Sicilian eggplant dish)

Main Course

Osso buco served with rice -lamb shin with Arborio rice

Linguini a la vongole (linguini pasta with clams )

Branzino (steamed fish and vegetables ) -the fish is steamed in special parchment paper making it a delicious and healthy meal 

Rigatoni -homemade pasta served with portobello, shitake and button mushrooms with a madeira wine sauce ,topped with truffle cheese 

Meatballs with shredded cheese 

Dessert 

We were served delicious homemade cannoli with ricotta and cannoli cream 

We also had homemade ricotta cheesecake 

We ended our visit with a lovely cup of cappuccino 

The owner, Nunzio Sapienza and his wife were wonderful hosts ,and did a great job of making us feel comfortable .I can't wait to visit again !