Travel gems by Miss Sophie

Some travel gems, some luxury and some inspiration
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    • Exploring Beverly Hills & Hollywood

      Posted at 2:14 pm by mylifemyworldrg, on January 1, 2018

      This year we decided to visit and explore Los Angeles and California during the holidays. It was a good decision, we had a wonderful time.

      We stayed 4 nights in Beverly Hills, at Mr. C which is a member of The Leading Hotel of the World. The hotel was situated quite good in Beverwil Drive, not to far from Rodeo Drive.

      Rodeo Drive was dressed up for the holiday season, and I loved this area of the city. So clean and beautiful decorated. It felt safe to walk around alone, both in the shopping street of Rodeo Drive, and also the whole street while I one day walked all the way from Beverly Hills Hotel in Sunset Boulevard down to Wilshire Hotel.

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      Sunset at Rodeo Drive

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      Christmastree at Rodeo Drive

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      Beautiful signs

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      Rodeo Drive

      The visit in LA was very good, but not everything was as expected. For me Beverly Hills has been a very positive surprise, while Hollywood for me was a turn down. I had expected that Hollywood was more glamorous, but appeared to be a “tourist trap” with very little charm – from my perspective. I understand that people would like to see the Hollywood sign and the Stars on Walk of Fame, but there is nothing else to see or experience. The area appeared dirty and with a lot of people trying to force you to buy everything from a sightseeing trip to a CD. For me it was quite fussy.

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      Luckily we had this Best of Hollywood Food Tour the second day, were we had a private tour guide telling us a lot about the history of Hollywood. That added some value.

      Trisha, our private guide, had picked out some very nice places for us to visit and dine. First, she guided us around the Hollywood Boulevard area and taught us a lot about the history of Hollywood and the history of the different theaters.
      After a good hour, we started to drive to different restaurants. interesting places we would not have found or chosen by ourself. We had the best pizza ever from the Pizza Mozza 2go – try it if you are in the neighbourhood.

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      At Mr. C we enjoyed the accommodation and the balcony. One morning we had breakfast on the balcony after view the sunrise.

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      Bellini welcomedrink

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      The Bar

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      Christmastree

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      Breakfast with a view

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      Sunset

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      Mr. C – Hall

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      Lemons in the garden

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      Continental Breakfast

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      Restaurant

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      Sunrise – Looking at Los Angeles Downtown

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      Breakfast on the balcony

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      Sunrise

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      View Los Angeles Downtown

       

      One of the days I strolled around in Beverly Hills, and visited some of the beautiful hotels. Had tea at wonderful Peninsula Beverly Hills and had a very good lunch at Beverly Hills Hotel (Dorchester Collection).

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      Peninsula Beverly Hills
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      Wilshire Hotel – Four Season
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      Wilshire Hotel – Four Season
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      Beverly Hills Hotel - Dorchester Collection
      Beverly Hills Hotel – Dorchester Collection
      Beverly Hills Hotel - Dorchester Collection
      Beverly Hills Hotel – Dorchester Collection
      Teatime at Peninsula
      Teatime at Peninsula
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      Beverly Hills Hotel – Dorchester Collection
      Beverly Hills Hotel - Dorchester Collection
      Beverly Hills Hotel – Dorchester Collection
      Beverly Hills Hotel - Dorchester Collection
      Beverly Hills Hotel – Dorchester Collection
      Beverly Hills Hotel - Dorchester Collection
      Beverly Hills Hotel – Dorchester Collection
      Beverly Hills Hotel - Dorchester Collection
      Beverly Hills Hotel – Dorchester Collection
      Christmastree at Peninsula
      Christmastree at Peninsula
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      Beverly Hills Hotel – Dorchester Collection
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      Beverly Hills Hotel - Dorchester Collection
      Beverly Hills Hotel – Dorchester Collection
      Beverly Hills Hotel - Dorchester Collection
      Beverly Hills Hotel – Dorchester Collection
      Beverly Hills Hotel - Dorchester Collection
      Beverly Hills Hotel – Dorchester Collection

      A very good dining option in Beverly Hills area, if you do not want to spend too much money on a meal is Cheesecake Factory in Beverly Drive. The driver who picked us up on the Airport recommended us Cheesecake Factory, and we are glad she did. They have a large selection of dishes, and even have their own “slim” menu. The portions are huge, and are ideal to share. We ordered one dish each, and it was way to much food. On our third visit we had enough experience to just order one dish each, and share instead.

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      Another restaurant we visited and were very pleased with was Il Pastaio in Canon Drive. An Italian restaurant with very good ambiance and good food.

      We visited Cheesecake Factory in Farmers Market (Grove) and in Macy’s in San Francisco too.

      Our total experience dining in California or the country as whole, is that the food mainly is quite heavy and unhealthy. A lot of fat, especially for Breakfast were they mainly serve A la Carte.

      If visiting Universal Studios, the recommendation is to buy First in Line tickets. It is a bit more expensive, but the time you save is worth it.

      We would love to go back to Los Angeles, a big city and we did not have enough time to explore everything. But we would minimize the time spent in Hollywood.

      We also had a wonderful time at Santa Monica, see the link below;

      Hotel Casa Del Mar at Santa Monica Beach, Los Angeles, California

       

       

       

      Posted in Hotels, travel, Uncategorized | 0 Comments | Tagged architecture, bar, beautiful, beauty, Beverly Hills, California, Christmas, city, decor, Dining, holidays, Hollywood, hotel, Hotels, inspiration, LA, Leisure, life, Los Angeles, restaurant, Rodeo Drive, travel, travelling, usa, View
    • Riga – Grand Palace Hotel

      Posted at 9:50 am by mylifemyworldrg, on October 22, 2017

      Do you want to have some recommendations on were to stay when visiting Riga? If you like to have a touch of Luxury but still at a favorable price I think Grand Palace Riga is a really great choice.

      From my perspective you get value for money. I guess it is a bit more expensive then many other hotels in Riga, but still compared to a many other capital cities the rates here are quite low. This is the city to try out a more luxury hotel without ending up “broke”. The hotel picked me up at the airport in a nice Mercedes E-class car at an affordable rate, convenient and safe.

      It is a wonderful hotel. It is a small, beautiful with both a historical and luxurious atmosphere. I think it is a gem. And I was really positively surprised. What I loved the most about this hotel was the Bar, were you could sit and relax, read, write, work (if you work in the sky), eat or drink. The atmosphere was relaxed and comfortable, and the service on top.

      I have some nice pictures to share with you;

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      The hotel is situated in the Old Town of Riga, just next of  the “Three Brothers” and with a perfect walking distance to the rest of the Old Town. Just a few minutes walk to “everywhere”. I thought it was perfect.

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      The Checking In was more “relaxed” than on larger hotels. The reception invites to a “personal touch”, while you sit down in the chair and they introduce them self and make you feel welcome and ensure that they want to assist you to make your stay in Riga as comfortable and beneficial as possible.

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      I had breakfast in the restaurant the first morning. The breakfast buffet had a lot of choices, and was fresh and appealing. There were some healthy choices, and you could have freshly made eggs, omelets or pancakes if you wished.

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      The room was nice and comfortable. It contained all I needed. Since I booked through Leading Hotels of the World, I got a very nice welcome gift Black Balsam, fruit basket with flower, and both still and sparkling water. The bathroom had a lot of amenities, and was light and maintained.

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      As Mentioned before the Bar is the best place to be. Relaxed, very good atmosphere and nice decor. And not at least the staff, very attentive and professional.

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      The Restaurant is situated in connection with the Bar. I did not try out the Restaurant, only had a Club Sandwich served in the Bar the first night, since I had a late arrival. The Restaurant looked nice. Something to be aware of is that the bar is a smoking area, and the restaurant is non smooking. I am a non smoker, and I am not used to smooking in public areas inside anymore. I can understand if someone get dissatisfied with the smooking in the Bar, but for me it was not a problem, I was here to enjoy my weekend and travel, and not focus on “negatives”. I spent time in the Bar when it was not  so crowded, and then the issue was gone.

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      Here are some more pictures to try to shoe the “feel” and atmosphere of the hotel;

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      The second morning I had a “sleeping morning” and had breakfast in the room (in bed). They had prepared it acorrding to my request, delivered and served on time. Ensuring a very good start of the day.

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      I really enjoyed my stay, the staff team was very nice and caring, always assisting you in a professional behavior. Kind and smiling. Even if this was a solo travel I never felt alone.

      Today I am moving to another hotel, the newly opened Grand Hotel Kempinski Riga. Looking forward to get to know them as well, and later tonight visiting the Opera and listen to The Rose Of Turadia. New blog post on those experiences soon to come. Wishing you all a very nice day!

       

      Posted in Hotels, travel, Uncategorized | 0 Comments | Tagged architecture, bar, beautiful, beautifulhotels, beauty, city, Colors, Dining, gem, grandpalaceriga, historical, history, Hotels, hunting, inspiration, Leadinghotelsoftheworld, lhw, life, luxury, luxuryhotel, Old Town, restaurant, Riga, travel, travelling
    • Riga – Old Town, colorful & charming

      Posted at 12:46 pm by mylifemyworldrg, on October 21, 2017

       

      I had no plans of travelling to Riga, but then SAS had a Eurobonus special offer, and I though “why not?” When Leading Hotels of the World had a hotel in Riga with very favorable rates, I decided to go. And had no expectations of the city or the stay. And so far it has been a wonderful experience and I have to recommend all to have a visit.

      I need several blogposts to cover my stay in Riga. This first one covers the visit in Riga Old Town. There are so many charming houses, streets and places. It is October, and the trees are colorful, together with the houses. The architecture in the Old Town of Riga together with the colors makes it beautiful and charming. Let me show you;

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      IMAG1767IMAG1768IMAG1787IMAG1859 – Kopi

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      Posted in Hotels, travel | 0 Comments | Tagged architecture, beautiful, Charming, Colors, historical, inspiration, life, Lituhania, Old Town, restaurant, Riga, travel, travelling
    • My beautiful home”town”

      Posted at 6:05 pm by mylifemyworldrg, on August 6, 2017

      In my first blog post Exploring life and new Places I wrote that I might post something from my hometown Fevik in the South of Norway.

      Today I will share some Pictures from my home surroundings, and show you how beautiful it is..

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      Harbor at night

      Fevik is situated by the sea, and have this nice harbor just a few hundred meters from my house.

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      Bobby looking at the sea view..

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      Storesand Beach

      There are some very nice beaches, it is the Norwegian Riviera 🙂

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      Strand Hotel Fevik

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      And as you can see, I have this Crush on trees.. For me trees are beautiful because of their diffrent shapes, leafs, pine needles and colors, but also because they symbolize robustness. They are standing strong in rain, storms and winter cold. I love trees..

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      We have this beautiful view to the sea. A really nice place to find new energy before entering a new week

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      And at last a video clip from the vibrant harbor on a sunny summer day. Maybe you want to visit this wonderful place next summer?

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      Posted in Uncategorized | 0 Comments | Tagged beautiful, inspiration, life, nature, norway, View, walk
    • A real gem in Norway, Hotel Union Øye

      Posted at 12:08 pm by mylifemyworldrg, on July 28, 2017

      When traveling around in Norway, you will discover a lot of gems in the most strangest places. Or to be more specific in lovely, small villages.. Last summer we visited Hotel Union Øye situated in Øye by Norangsfjorden. I had heard and read a lot about this charming hotel, and was really looking forward to my first visit. And it is truly a gem, and an experience worth travelling for.

       

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      This charming and beautiful hotel is from 1891 and has only 27 rooms and all rooms are named after royalties and writers that have been staying at the hotel at previous generations. When we arrived all the vacant rooms had their doors open, so we could see and enjoy the different rooms.

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      The atmosphere in the hotel is so unique, and you are really feeling you are travelling back in time. You can sit down in the lounge and relax and enjoy the views before having dinner at the restaurant.

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      After dinner, storytelling took place in the lounge. If you weren’t interested in the hotel and the history before the storytelling, you will be after. It was so engaging, and made you fall even more in love in the hotel. And you get so happy that someone was able to save and restore the hotel, and bring back the “glory”, it is truly unique.

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      The hotel and its atmosphere is really good, and outside you have this beautiful nature as well. There are waterfalls and the fjord ends only a short walk from the hotel.

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      Learn more about Hotel Union Øye and if you want to find other small, unique gems in Norway, you can find them here at The Historic Hotels & Restaurant in Norway

      Posted in Hotels, travel, Uncategorized | 0 Comments | Tagged architecture, beautiful, beautifulhotels, gem, historical, hotel, Hotels, inspiration, life, norway, travel, travelling, Unionoye
    • Miami and surroundings

      Posted at 2:54 pm by mylifemyworldrg, on July 24, 2017

      Almost two years ago we spent some great days in Miami and in the surrounding areas.

      First we spendt a couple a days at Acqualina Resort and Spa on Sunny Isles Beach. Acqulina Resort & Spa or Leading Hotels of the World

      Very nice resort, and we enjoyed one of the best breakfasts ever!

      We were there in September with ontratsing weather, but still could enjoy some relaxing hours by the pool.

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      Birthday Cake and wine bottle for welcome gift

       

       

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      Champagne for Breakfast

       

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      One of the best breakfast ever tasted

       

      After a few days, we travelled to Miami Beach and the SLS Hotel South Beach also a gem and the room was very nice and with the largest minibar I have seen so far 🙂

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      SLS South Beach

       

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      Nice decor

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      Very Nice welcome gift

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      The largest minibar I have seen so far

       

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      Early morning view from the balcony at SLS

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      Early morning at the Beach

       

       

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      Wynwood Art District

       

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      Everglades

       

       

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      Posted in travel, Uncategorized | 0 Comments | Tagged Acqualina Resort & Spa, beautiful, beautiful places, Everglades, exploring, hotel, Hotels, Leading Hotels of the World, life, miami, SLS South Beach, travel, travelblogger, travelling, Wynwood
    • The City of Prague

      Posted at 6:51 pm by mylifemyworldrg, on July 10, 2017
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      Last week I had the pleasure to visit the city of Prague for the first time – and hopefully not the last!

      My three best moments in Prague;

      1. The stroll in the Old City with all its small streets with plenty of charm. You feel like your going back in time, and even if there are a lot of tourists there, you get relaxed by the atmosphere and charm. A lot of small cafés or restaurants were you can sit down and enjoy day.
      2. Lunch at Hergetova Cihelna – a setting with beautiful views, and the food were surprisingly good. It is quite a large restaurant.  We expected it to be crowded of tourists because of the location near the Charles Bridge, but it was calm. We had a great lunch experience. Want to learn more –  Restaurant Hergetova Cihelna
      3. Enjoying the view of Prague from the Strahov Monastery and Restaurant Bellavista. A 15-20-minute walk from Charles Bridge, and you are on the hightes of Prague with a stunning view. If you want to learn more – Restaurant Bellavista with the view

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      Prague is one of the most beautiful cities I have visited so far. I had heard and read a lot of nice things about Prague, but to experience it myself was much better the expected.

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      I stayed at The Grand Mark Prague – a member of the Leading Hotels of the World. In the last years I have been a LHW traveler, staying at one of their properties if possible. I find my memership at Leading Hotels of the World to add value to my stay with nice benefits.

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      The Grand Mark had a very nice garden, with two peacocks living there as well, offering some good entertaining from time to time.

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      The city had great some architecture, and all the small streets in the Old Town was so cozy and appealing.

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      We were in Prague for 5 days, and the last night we wanted to have Tapas even if that is not a “Prague”-thing. But we found this perfect Tapas place, with Live Music and very good atmosphere. A very good choice if you are done with the local food. The place is called La Boca and located at Hotel Salvator. Find more inspisration here – Restaurant La Boca

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      Posted in travel, Uncategorized | 0 Comments | Tagged architecture, beautiful, beautiful places, Charles Bridge, city, Dining, exploring, Hergetova Cihelna, historical, history, hotel, Hotels, La Boca, Leading Hotels of the World, life, Peacock, peacocks, Prague, Tapas, travelblogger, travelling, View
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      Beautiful morning 😍 Birds singing, amazing clouds mirroring in the water, sunrise
      Sunrise in black and white..
      Sunday morning blues..
      Love to start a new week enjoying the silence and beauty of nature 💕
      When you are in love with nature.. There are so much beauty in nature every day, if you just take time to look for it.. At least for me 🌳☁️🌅
      A wonderful weekend stay at Amerikalinjen 🤗
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