Dining | Travel gems by Miss Sophie

Tag: Dining
- Boen Gård – a gem in the South of Norway
  
  Posted at 12:39 pm by mylifemyworldrg, on June 7, 2020
  You get this warm feeling in your heart, like falling in love, when you discover something wonderful perfect, that really extend your expectations. You want everyone else to go there and have the same experience too, because it is truly wonderful. This is how I feel after staying a perfect night at Boen Gård nearby Kristiansand in Norway. I will try to express this in this blog with some pictures, but you have to go visit to get the true feeling and experience.
  
  Boen Gård is a small hotel, with only 18 rooms in different buildings. Boen Gård is from year 1520 and has an interesting history. When the buildings have been renovated over the last couple of years, they have managed to preserve some of the original materials and keep the touch of their history. Boen Gård has previously been a place for salmon fishers. Located just by the river, it is just a few steps before you are ready to start fishing. The surroundings are beautiful, and when the sun is shining and you have a walk by the river, you discover many beautiful scenery. Norway is a beautiful country
  The river view from the hotel
  
  Welcome to Boen Gård
  
  The Bar
  
  The room we had was in the main building, and was very comfortable. You had the view to the river from your window. On the walls there was pictures related to the history and fishing. You also had some old books about salmon fishing, if you spend several days and have time for reading.. I loved that there were a lot historical items in the room, and also some related to the salmon fishing. The ambience was kept very well with the history and the property.
  
  Bedroom in main building
  In the main building you also find the restaurant. Smaller rooms making the atmosphere very good. Wonderful rooms, well kept and in harmony. Flowers from the garden on the tables. Candle lights in the evening making it even more cosy.
  The dinner was perfect. 5 course dinner, with some small additions, ending up with 8 courses. All dishes very tasteful and very nice presented. The wine package made the total experience even more perfect. They are using only local products, and some of them are also made on the farm.
  
  When the setting, ambience and total experience exceed your expectations, then you have to grab the opportunity to make it even more magical.. So I had a glass of a Madeira from 1834. A wonderful ending of a perfect dinner.
  The breakfast was just as good as the dinner. Fresh products, nice presented. First we got a plate with some cheese, sausages, salmon and fresh salad. Together with a wonderful warm and freshly baked sourdough bread. Some nutella (homemade I assume). The butter “Søren så godt” was from Hodne Gård in Evje, Setesdalen. And it was “damn good”..
  
  Next plate consisted of yogurt with honey from the farm, waffles, fresh fruit and strawberries and some more homemade honey and jam.
  
  In addition you could have some warm dishes, different eggs, baked tomato, sausages, bacon..
  After breakfast we had a walk along the river and different paths on the property. The sun was shining and the scenery was beautiful.
  From around the farm
  The most recently renovated building
  It is hard to convey how great this stay was. I recommend you to go visit and explore yourself. I think you get a very good value for money. If you enjoy smaller hotels, with a lot of history, charm and ambience, you appreciate the attention to details, fresh and local products, and a staff team who do the most for you to relax, enjoy and explore their wonderful hotel.. Then go visit Boen Gård! A member of De Historiske
  
  Some videos to the end
  
  From the tour we had together with the Maître d’hôtel
  Posted in hospitality, Hotels, nature, norway, travel, Uncategorized | 0 Comments | Tagged #agder, #boengård, #dehistoriske, #dehistoriskehoteller, #heritage, #Kristiansand, #salmonfishing, #travelinspiration, #travelnorway, Dining, food, gem, history, holidays, hotel, Hotels, Leisure, nature, norway, travel, travelling, wine
- Istanbul – vibrant and loads of history
  
  Posted at 2:12 pm by mylifemyworldrg, on October 17, 2019
  
  Istanbul is a “must visit”. I didn’t know before I actually did visit.. and I had to come back again and again..
  
  View to Hagia Sofia from Seven Hills Restaurant
  
  This wonderful, vibrant city, with all its history, and being part of both Europe and Asia making it even more interesting. It is a colorful city with a lot of charm. The city have several districts being quite different from each other. You cannot be bored in Istanbul. There are so much to see, experience and learn about. There are a lot of wonderful places in the world, but if you just have to chose one – chose Istanbul and you get a taste and experience of “everything”.
  
  Sultanahmet is the Old Town of Istanbul were the famous Hagia Sofia (Ayasofya) and Blue Mosque (Sultan Ahmed Mosque or Sultanahmet Camii) is situated. Sultanahmet is the district in Istanbul with most tourist, and can be very crowded. But still a very nice, colorful and vibrant place, with different bazars, a lot of restaurants and some shops. And of course a lot of hotels and other accommodation. It is a very nice place to stay, and easy to use the tram to move around in Istanbul. If you are staying for a longer stay or more than one visit, the Istanbul Card is recommendable.
  
  When starting to write on this blog, I realized it is to much to write about for just one post, but I will try to..
  
  View to Hagia Sofia from Seven Hills Restaurant
  
  Hagia Sofia
  
  Hagia Sofia is a former cathedral, which became a mosque, but is now a museum. The history, and the beautiful inside of Hagia Sofia is worth a visit. The architecture is wonderful and so many unique Mosaics.
  
  Gülhane Park is situated in connection to Sultanahmet , a nice park were you can have a short walk in relaxing surrandings, if you want to get away from the crowd.
  
  Nearby you also find Yerebatan Sarnici or Basilica Cistern, with the Medusas. An interesting story, and this attraction is both cheap and do not have this long queues as many of the others.
  
  On the other side of Bosphorus you find Karaköy with Galata Tower (Galata Kulesi) and the Taksim shopping street. A visit on the top of Galata Tower gives you the best view of Istanbul, but here again – there is a lot of people and you have to stand in line for a while to get the opportunity to explore this view..
  
  In Taksim shopping street you find all kinds of shops, expensive to cheap, and Istanbul is a good place to shop. You can find very cheap alternatives to whatever you would like to shop.
  
  In Taksim you also find nice cafés and bars, as you find all over Istanbul. You can always find some good food here, their food is inspired from both continents, and every country and culture around Turkey, and “added” their own traditions. The food is tasty and with flavors and colors 🙂 .
  
  A very good option to dine is one of the restaurants situated by the Bosphorus
  
  Turkish tea
  
  Desserts and sweets
  
  Mado Café
  
  Mado is of Turkish origin and their ice creams are made of goat milk. It is very tasty, and the goatmilk taste is not strong. Mado have a history of more than 100 years. And you can choose between plenty of tasty desserts and ice cream flavors.
  
  A daytrip to Price Island (or Kızıl Adalar in Turkish) is absolute to recommend. The ferry takes about an hour, and there are different island to choose between. The largest island Büyükada, is a really nice and charming island. I recommend to rent some bicycles and bike around the island to get to know ot and see all the charming Ottoman Mansions and beautiful views, a wonderful experience.
  
  Beautiful scenery with Istanbul and the beginning of the sunset in behind, when the ferry is bringing you back from Adalar / Prince Islands.
  
  The Ortaköy area of Istanbul is also very nice. More quiet, but still very vibrant. A very good option to were to stay, and very nice view as well. The Ortaköy Mosque is the “landmark” of this area.
  
  There are also many different cruises to join at Bosphorus, both daytime and night. If you choose to go, I recommend you to do good research to find one that will suit you. There are different dining options, music and entertainment. The pricerange and the quality varies a lot. For me, I don’t think it was value for money. Even if you have nice views, the total experience was not worth the money, but then I probably should have choose another cruise supplier.
  
  Views of Istanbul..
  
  Since I have been in Istanbul a couple of times I have tried different hotels as well. My favorite is Kempinski Ciragan Palace, but Swissotel The Bosphorus was a very pleasant surprise. Both are in Besiktas area, with some distance from Sultanahmet. In Sultanahmet area I can recommend Hotel Yasmak Sultan. It is located just a few minutes walk from Hagia Sofia, and only 2 minutes from the Tram Station. The restaurant is situated on the top and have very nice views on both sides of the city. The room and bathroom was delicate and fresh. And they have both pool and gym.
  
  Another option is Celine Hotel situated on the other side of Hagia Sofia. This is a Ottoman Mansion with only 14 rooms, so breakfast and facilities are limited. Nice, but don’t think I will stay there again.
  
  On the Galata Tower side, Karaköy, you find 10 Karaköy Istanbul a sbe hotel. Not a favorite either if you are looking for value for money. The rooms are small, and breakfast average. But interior are nice and delicate.
  
  Then we have Swissotel The Bosphorus Istanbul, i really liked this one, it was large but not too large. It was vibrant and modern. The room had a very nice view to the Bosphorus, and had plenty of amenities.
  
  And I loved of course the rooftop bar and the view..
  
  Kempinski has another price range, but it is my favourite, and I have stayed there three times, so it have to have it’s own blog post..
  
  I will have different recommendations for different people, because Istanbul have everything, and it depends on what you want to experience and prefer of accommodation and surroundings. Please let me know if you have some questions, I will be happy to assist!
  
  Posted in travel, Uncategorized | 0 Comments | Tagged Adalar, architecture, Bosphorus, city, Colors, Dining, Galata Tower, Hagia Sofia, historical, history, holidays, Hotels, inspiration, Istanbul, Karaköy, Leisure, life, Museum, Ortaköy, Ottoman, Prince Islands, shopping, Sultanahmet, Taksim, travel, travelling, Turkey, View
- Athens – heritage, architecture and charm
  
  Posted at 10:06 am by mylifemyworldrg, on July 25, 2019
  
  It is time to start to post some of my travels the past year. It has been a busy year, and time flies. When it slows down in the summertime, you get the time to reflect on what has passed and everything you have explored. And Athens is one of the beautiful cities I have had the pleasure to explore.
  
  Athens has the beauty and charm of the heritage sites and buildings around the city, together with charming streets and wonderful views. All this makes it a wonderful city to visit. And for me that loves history and architecture – perfect. The city center is not that big, and can be crowded as it is a popular city for tourists. I visited in August, and according to the locals it is not so crowded this month because the locals are out of town on vacations.
  
  Since I am not to happy in standing in line for the tourist attractions, I have found my own “way” of exploring the most without. The first day on my trips I usually get on one of the Hop On Hop Off busses to get to know the city and “identify what to explore more in detail”.
  
  Acropolis
  
  In Athens I loved to stroll around in the charming streets, were you still feel the heritage ambiance.
  
  And then I am always looking for a nice place to dine.. preferably with a view and some charm and great food, wine and quality..
  
  Luckily I discovered this place in Athens on my first day, and came back again and again.. A warm recommendation to visit Tudor Hall at King Georges perfectly situated on the Syntagma square. Here you get everything, the wonderful view, ambiance, attention, food and drinks.
  
  And in the evening I am hunting for the sunset. I enjoy to sit and relax and watch the beauty of the sunsets. I found the perfect setting for this at Hilton Athens..
  
  And yes, we returned to enjoy it with our dinner several nights
  
  As a Leading Hotels of the World traveler I stayed at the Divani Caravel Hotel in the beginning of my stay in Athens. I was upgraded to a suite with a very nice view to the Acropolis. The swimmingpool on the rooftop had also a nice view.
  
  One morning I had a perfect room service breakfast in my room
  
  After some days here, we moved to Syntagma Square area and stayed at NJV Athens Plaza.
  
  Here we enjoyed most the location and were happy of having King George and Grand Bretagne as “neighbours”, with more wonderful views and great dining.
  
  The last night I explored the beaches of Athens, staying at Divani Apollon Palace & Thalasso. A wonderful gem, and I got this room with a great balcony and view..
  
  Enjoying life 🙂
  
  Sunset and evening ambiance by the pool area
  
  Breakfast on the balcony with a perfect view in a quiet morning
  
  So, do I want to go back and visit Athens again? Yes, I do!
  
  You know my blogspots are not so into details, so feel free to contact me if any questions on how, what, why’s.. 🙂
  
  Posted in Hotels, travel | 1 Comment | Tagged ancient, architecture, Athens, beauty, city, Colors, Dining, Greece, historical, history, Hotels, inspiration, Leisure, life, nature, restaurant, travel, travelling, View, World heritage
- Museum Hotel, Cappadocia, Turkey
  
  Posted at 2:09 pm by mylifemyworldrg, on April 21, 2019
  
  Museum Hotel – is a gem. Unique, in wonderful settings. Just to sit and enjoy the views, and all the historical items you can find all around you. Be sure not to pack the day with to many other things to visit in Cappadocia when you are staying at Museum Hotel, because you have to spend the time at the property..
  
  The room was very nice, with good size. And there was a lot of amenities. Even in the room a lot of historical items, making the ambiance great.
  
  Since there was changing weather while I was visiting, it was very nice to dine in the warm and cozy Restaurant Lil’a.
  
  The outside area was the best, scenery changing with weather and lighting trough the day. Could never get enough pictures of the views..
  
  In the morning, the two peacocks will be awaking you.. Or at least they was walking outside my window, giving me this joyful morning view..
  
  The breakfast buffet was large, with plenty of turkish and local products. Have to go back to get some pictures from it..
  
  The Museum Hotel experience was very good due to the setting, but many of the team members seemed a bit unexperienced and there was quite a few details missing to make it to the top of the 5 star hotels.
  
  But still, I hope to be able to revisit and it is on my recommended list for you to visit.
  
  Posted in Hotels, travel, Uncategorized | 1 Comment | Tagged architecture, Cappadocia, Colors, Dining, historical, inspiration, Kapadokya, life, Museum, nature, restaurant, travel, travelling, Turkey, View
- Nairobi Serena Hotel
  
  Posted at 6:45 am by mylifemyworldrg, on March 26, 2018
  
  Wow – due to constructions and renovation work, your first impression is not the best. BUT, when checked in and you experience the hospitality and the afrikan ambiance of this hotel, you discover this is a gem!
  
  As a leading hotels of the world traveler, we were upgraded to a small suite, perfect for us. The room had a lot of amenities from Elemis (spa products) and other small details as a fresh red rose on the toilet and a big bouquet of roses at the working desk.
  
  In the evening we got complimentary Nederburg sparkling wine from South-Africa, together with some fruit. When we checked in there were a big basket with Out of Africa products as coffee, tea, nuts and chocolate. It felt as a lot, and again – from my opinion to be a member of leading hotels of the world is adding a lot of value to your stay (not any add, just a fact)
  
  The ambiance by the Pool Side Bar and Restaurant was very nice, the staff team very attentive and kind, and the food very good. We tried the Kenyan speciality from the menu.
  
  The Breakfast buffe was large and with a lot of fruit and juices.
  
  A very good start at our fist visit in Kenya and Africa. Today we are going to stay at the Giraffe Manor, and we are very much looking forward to it. And then we will revisit Nairobi Serena Hotel tomorrow, and it will be the perfect end on our short Nairobi Vacation.
  
  Posted in Hotels, travel, Uncategorized | 0 Comments | Tagged africa, Dining, gem, holidays, hospitality, inspiration, kenya, Leisure, life, nairobi, restaurant, travelling
- 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.
  
  Sunset at Rodeo Drive
  
  Christmastree at Rodeo Drive
  
  Beautiful signs
  
  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.
  
  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.
  
  At Mr. C we enjoyed the accommodation and the balcony. One morning we had breakfast on the balcony after view the sunrise.
  
  Bellini welcomedrink
  
  The Bar
  
  Christmastree
  
  Breakfast with a view
  
  Sunset
  
  Mr. C – Hall
  
  Lemons in the garden
  
  Continental Breakfast
  
  Restaurant
  
  Sunrise – Looking at Los Angeles Downtown
  
  Breakfast on the balcony
  
  Sunrise
  
  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).
  
  Peninsula Beverly Hills
  
  Peninsula Beverly Hills
  
  Wilshire Hotel – Four Season
  
  Wilshire Hotel – Four Season
  
  Wilshire Hotel – Four Season
  
  Peninsula Beverly Hills
  
  Peninsula Beverly Hills
  
  Peninsula Beverly Hills
  
  Peninsula Beverly Hills
  
  Peninsula Beverly Hills
  
  Beverly Hills Hotel – Dorchester Collection
  
  Beverly Hills Hotel – Dorchester Collection
  
  Teatime at Peninsula
  
  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
  
  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.
  
  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
- Hotel Casa Del Mar at Santa Monica Beach, Los Angeles, California
  
  Posted at 5:43 pm by mylifemyworldrg, on December 30, 2017
  
  Casa Del Mar – This is my new favorite hotel, everything was perfect from start to end. Hotel Casa Del Mar is perfectly situated at Santa Monica beach, by the Pier. Beautiful setting to look at both the sunset or the sunrise. The hotel itself is beautiful with classic interior and decor in maritime colors. The hotel is a member of the Leading Hotels of the World.
  
  Even if we arrived early in the morning, they had the room ready for us for check-in. They had even upgraded our room, to sea view and view to the pier. A wonderful room with good size, with a large bathroom. A lot of amenities in the room, and the I loved the quality of the bathrobe and all the attention to details in the room.
  
  Loved the decor in the room, felt more like a living room at home than a hotel room
  
  View from the Room #1
  
  View from the room #2
  
  After the turndown service in the afternoon, there were wine and snack awaiting for us in the room
  
  One hour bike rental was included in the rate, and it was a wonderful ride from the Santa Monica Pier to Venice Beach and back. Since we visited in December the temperature was a bit low for relaxing on the beach. But it was perfect to enjoy and explore the surroundings without a crowd of people.
  
  The Beach side / Front side of the Hotel Casa Del Mar
  
  Free bike rental handled by their sister hotel “Shutters” situated just a few meters from Casa Del Mar
  
  From the Pier, were trail 66 ends.
  
  The beach a sunny day in December..
  
  The interior of the hotel, The Lobby and Restaurant
  
  The beautiful entrance of the hotel
  
  The Restaurant ready for Breakfast time
  
  Wonderful Cabanas
  
  The Lobby
  
  Coffee available for early birds before breakfast
  
  The Lounge with the restaurant in the back
  
  The Bar
  
  Breakfast
  
  Beautiful sunrise view from the breakfast table
  
  The Exterior of the hotel with the pool area, and some pictures of both sunset and sunrise..
  
  Early morning
  
  Soon sunrise
  
  Quiet and wonderful
  
  Sunrise
  
  Sunrise at Santa Monica Beach
  
  View at the Pier after sunset
  
  Casa Del Mar in the dark
  
  Sunset
  
  Sunset at Santa Monica Beach and the Pier
  
  The Pier at night
  
  If you want to learn more about this fabulous hotel visit their webpage Hotel Casa Del Mar or let me know if you have a ny questions.
  
  Beautiful views and surroundings every hour of the day
  
  Posted in Hotels, travel, Uncategorized | 1 Comment | Tagged architecture, beauty, California, casa del mar, casadelmar, Christmas, Colors, decor, Dining, gem, holidays, Hotel Casa Del Mar, hotelcasadelmar, Hotels, inspiration, Leading Hotels of the World, life, Los Angeles, LosAngeles, luxury, luxuryhotel, nature, restaurant, santa monica, santa monica hotel, santamonica, travel, travelling, usa, View
- Apple Farm Inn – San Luis Obispo, California
  
  Posted at 11:10 am by mylifemyworldrg, on December 30, 2017
  
  When visiting California, and driving from Los Angeles to San Francisco, we wanted to explore a genuine American Inn that would give us a specific ambiance and still a touch of high quality.
  
  It took a lot of time searching on the internet to try to find the perfect place, and also with a reasonable distance from both LA and San Francisco. Then Apple Farm Inn popped up, and it looked very charming on the website.
  
  We are so happy we discovered and explored this charming gem. As you see in the pictures below, the attention to the decor and details is great, and especially the Restaurant gave us the ambiance and feeling of an authentic American Inn.
  
  This is a gem that I have no doubt to recommend and is a perfect spot if you need a stay over when driving highway 101 or highway 1 between Los Angeles and San Francisco.
  
  The entrance from outside in both daylight and night;
  
  Main building and Lobby – When checking in they served a glass of chardonnay from the Winery of the Month, they also had a wine tasting in the afternoon included in the rate. A non-alcoholic option was apple cider. Four fresh, homemade cookies we got at checkin as well.
  
  The entrance to the Restaurant and the Shop
  
  We visited Apple Farm just a few days before Christmas
  
  A beautiful car outside the main entrance, dressed up for the holidays
  
  All the lights made the Restaurant look warm and inviting, it was so charming and beautiful during the blue hour and when the dark sneaked in.
  
  The Room, a charming Queen Specialty room with both sitting area and fireplace. We stayed at room 328 in the Inn. Be aware that not all rooms are in the main inn, there are rooms in the Millhouse and Garden Rooms.
  
  The Restaurant was traditional with fun decor. The team of waiters was friendly and helpfull.
  
  Gingerhouses
  
  Sidesalad to the Turkeypai
  
  Turkeypai
  
  Apple Farm red wine, a good Cabarnet Sauvignon. San Luis Obispo County is a growing wine county with some good quality wine
  
  Breakfast..
  
  Blueberries Pancake
  
  The corridor to the rooms in the Inn and the Lobby;
  
  Christmas tree in the Lobby
  
  Decor in the hall
  
  If you need to rest by the stairs..
  
  Corridor at the 1st floor, to the Inn rooms in the main building
  
  Happy Holidays
  
  The Shop and the Mill;
  
  For further information, look at their webiste; Apple Farm Inn
  
  Posted in Hotels, travel, Uncategorized | 0 Comments | Tagged applefarm, architecture, beauty, California, Christmas, decor, Dining, gem, holidays, hotel, Inn, inspiration, Leisure, life, restaurant, san luis obispo, sanluisobispo, slo, travelling, usa, wine, Wine county
- 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;
  
  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.
  
  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.
  
  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.
  
  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.
  
  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.
  
  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.
  
  Here are some more pictures to try to shoe the “feel” and atmosphere of the hotel;
  
  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.
  
  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