Snowy Sweden

I could not resist to publish some pictures from the winter in Sweden. It is -20c and a lot of snow this winter. Happy Holidays! 

Ice from the roof 

Time for a barbeque?

Ready for take-off!

Where is my car??

Beautiful landscape

Cosy Christmas Markets

The best Christmas Markets in Europe?

Get into a Christmas Spirit by visiting one of the many Christmas Markets! There are many cheerful and cosy Christmas Markets in Europe. Here are some of my favourites that I have visited. Merry Christmas!

1. The Christmas Market in the Old Town of Stockholm, Sweden. Stockholm is the capital of Sweden and built on 14 islands. The Old Town of Stockholm was built on one of the islands in the 1300 century. The Christmas Market has a lot to offer in handicraft and food. In 2010 it is open 20 nov - 23 dec.
2. The Christmas Market in Vienna, Austria, are not one but many Christmas Markets. From mid-November through Christmas, Vienna's public squares are transformed into Christmas markets. One of them is the cultural and Christmas market in the Ehrenhof at Schönbrunn Palace. It is a Christmas Market in an Imperial Palace surrouding which offers handicrafts, hand-made jewelry and Christmas decorations. There is a diverse children's program and a crib exhibition as well.
3. Estonia's medieval capital Tallin has a Christmas Market in the old town. It was established in the 2000. But the prices are nice, and so is the handicraft that are on sale. It is open on November 27, 2010 – January 9, 2011. There is music entertainment. You can meet Santa Claus and there are a lot of activities for kids.
4. Christmas Fair on Vörösmarty Square in Budapest, Hungary, on 19th November-29th December 2010. Buy handicraft, gifts and decorations and meet Santa Claus. There are also conserts and entertainment during the whole time.
5. Tivoli is the amusement park in Copenhagen, Denmark.There is a huge Christmas Market here during the winter. It is open from 12 November - 30 December 2010. Buy decorations, presents, delicacies, food and drinks. You can eat in one of the many restaurants and try the fun fair rides, if you dare. 
6. Prague, the capital of Czech republic has several Christmas Markets. They are open during December until New Year’s Day (Jan. 1) on the Old Town Square and Wenceslas Square. 
7. Berlin, Germany holds a Christmas Market which is a traditional Spandau Christmas Market at the old market square. Buy art and handicraft here and see the crip with real aninals. There is also a children’s Christmas Market around the St. Nikolai church. Open from 24 November 2010 to 23 December 2010.
8. Paris, France has a Christmas market on the Champs-Elysées, from 19 November to 28 December 2010.
9. Lübeck in Germany is very popular during Christmas because of its Christmas Market. It is open from 22 Nov - 30 Dec 2010. Approximately 400 merchants offer toys and Christmas decoration, food and much more. The historic medieval Christmas market at St Mary’s church is also nice.
10. Brussels in Belgium has a Christmas market, Big Wheel, street activities and a skating rink. Approximately 200 chalets around the Bourse (Stock Exchange), Place Sainte Catherine and the Marché aux Poissons (Fish market). It sells Christmas ornaments, handicraft and food. During 2010 it´s open November 26, 2010- January 2, 2011.

Where is your favourite Christmas Market? Leave a comment here and let me know.

The world's weirdest hotels?

1. Knock on wood! Stay in a tree... Hotel Norrqvarn in Sweden has two hotel rooms in a tree
2. Cool! Stay in a room made of ice. Sleep on a bed made of ice in the Icehotel in Sweden
3. Choose the Flying bed room and fly into you hotel room in Berlin, Germany 
4. A $500 hotelroom without a toilet? Yes, in an old factory on Gotland island, Sweden Strange but luxury design in this Italian hotel for design lovers , Italy
5. Check in at a design Convent hotel on Mallorca, Spain
6. Have you seen this French bizarre 'hamster hotel'. You can run inside a wheel in France.
7. Totally Pink! Germany’s first Barbie-themed hotel room. Bring your pink suitcase and pink sun glasses.
8. Sleep in a dog house in Idaho, US.
9. A Trojan Horse suite in France
10. The airplane suite, stay in an aircraft in the Netherlands. "From your airplane suite, you will have a fantastic view of the platform and runway at Teuge airport"
11. Feel like an Indian and check into the Wigwam hotel in Arizona.
12. Placia del Sal in Bolivia is a hotel made of salt.
13. Swiss nuclear bunker converted into a eco-luxury hotel. Sounds nice doesn´t it? The Null Stern Hotel in Teufen, Switzerland.
14. The Dockside Crane Hotel is a dockside crane converted into a luxury hideaway for two in Harlingen Netherlands. The view is fab!
15. Das Park Hotel in Ottensheim, Austria. A Bed & Breakfast built from giant concrete sewage pipe segments. I hope they cleaned them well before the put in the furniture...

Have I missed any weird hotel that should be added to the list? Please let me know by leaving a comment here.

South African wine yards in pictures

I really like the South African wine regons and not only because of its wine. The view and scenery is so beautiful. Isn´t it? Here are some pictures from my trip to South Africa in 2010.

Flowers and wine yards in Stellenbosch

Thelema wine yard

Visit Venice

Venice has been described as "the most beautiful city built by man" and "one of Europe's most romantic cities". And I can only agree, it is one of the most beautiful places I ever visited. I just adored it! These are some of my favourites that I can recommend you to see in Venice, Italy.

Top 10 things to do in Venice

1. Visit the Piazza San Marco (San Marco square) and the Basilica San Marco (St Mark´s Bascilica)
2. Visit one of the many glass shops and buy some glass from Murano. Stunning pieces! I found a lovely necklace in glass which I just adore.
3. Have a coffe at the cafe "Caffe Florian"
4. Buy masks. I bought some beautiful masks when I visited Venice. Now I need to arrange a costume party soon!
5. The city is built on city stretches across 117 small islands. Go on a guided walking tour to get the history of the city. Go with a Gondola to explore it from sea and feel the atmosphere of being in Venice.
6. If you like are there are plenty of art galleries and museum. Why not visit the Peggy Gugenheims museum.
7. Take a nice walk over the Rialtobridge
8. Visit the opera house, go there even if you dont like opera, just to see the lovely building
9. Visit the Palazzo Ducale (the Duke of Venice palace)
10. Summarize the day in good compay with a drink at the classic Harrys bar followed by a Italian dinner in one of the many fab restaurants.
11. If you decide that you want your own Gondola after a couple of drinks in Harry´s bar. You can order your own gondola on http://www.tramontingondole.it/

Fabulous hotels in Venice

Some of the hotels in Venice are just too beautiful to be missed. Palaces, luxury and history. Do I need to say more?

• Ca' Sagredo Hotel. A renovated 15th-century palace, with pink façade, between Ca’ d’Oro and the Rialto Bridge on the spectacular Grand Canal.
• Centurion Palace.
• Overlooking St. Mark’s Basin at the mouth of the Grand Canal, Centurion Palace is in the former convent of Palazzo Genovese.
• Liassidi Palace set on the San Lorenzo Canal.
• Londra Palace Hotel is built in a neo-Gothic palace which is over 150 years old. Located close to the St Mark’s Square.
• Palazzo Sant'Angelo sul Canal Grande is a Venetian palace on the world’s most fashionable waterway, just between the Rialto and Accademia Bridges. It has its own boat dock of course...
  
  
  

Top 10 South African Wine Estates

If you love the sea, nice weather, great food and wine, book a holiday to Cape Town in South Africa and you will get everything in one place.

You can rent a car or take a tourist trip with a tourist company to the wine district close to Cape Town.
My favourites are Franschhoek and Stellenbosch.


There is a short overview on: http://www.wineanorak.com/saregions.htm



My top 10 South African Wine Estates to visit are:

1. Rust en Vrede was established in 1694 by the then Governor of the Cape and has won many awards for its wines. President Nelson Mandela selected Rust en Vrede to be served at the 2004 Nobel Peace Prize dinner in Oslo, where he was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize.
2. Vergelegen established in 1685. It has won many international awards and is one of the most historic estates in the Western Cape.
3. Meerlust has a beautiful historic manor house and a nice wine shop. The  estate is producing a variety of fine wines such as Rubicon, Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Pinot Noir and Red and the Meerlust Chardonnay.

4. Delaire Graff Estate, endulge in luxury. Wine tastings, spa, restaurant and lodge. The boutique hotel is gorgoeous with private pools and there is a elegant restaurant where you can have lunch.
5. Alto, another awardwinning wine estate which has won several awards for its wines.
6. The name Kanonkop is derived from a kopje (hillock), from which a cannon was fired in the 17th Century. The estate has a long history and has also won several international awards for its wine.
7. La Motte has won interantional awards for its wines. There are several beautiful historical buildings on the estate and a lovely restaurant and museum. Classical conserts are held in the cellar. Check their website, see link above, for dates and times.
8. Plaisir de Merle is a historical farm from 1693. The estates is famous for its wines and the scenery and nature is lovely.
9. The Groot Constantia wine estate was founded in 1679 and it is South Africa’s oldest wine estate. It has beautiful buildings and lovely surroundings.
10. Avontuur Estate has a wine tasing room, mediterranean restaurant and amazing view from the estate.
11. Thelema wine yard. Very nice staff & wine tastings.
12. Annandale
13. Graham Beck
14. Boschendale
15. Rupert & Rothschild
16. Nederberg 

Scandinavian Design in 3 days

Welcome the home of Scandinavian Design!

Here is your guide to a Scandinavian Design tour in three days.

Day 1 - Stockholm, the capital of Sweden

9.00 Breakfast time at at Vetekatten. A small cosy bakery decorated as an old Swedish home.

10.00 Design shopping!

• Svenskt Tenn This is the Josef Frank design shop. This is the place to go if you like traditional design with a lot of patterns. The shop is located on Strandvägen 5.
• ROOM on Hötorget is famous for its stylish interior design and furniture.
• Nordiska Galleriet on Nybrogatan 11 luxury interior design shop with international design classics
• Designtorget is the shop which has a mix of things designed by famous and unknown new designers. New things in the shop every week. They have several shops in Stockholm; Arland, Götgatan, Kulturhuset, Kungsgatan, Nybrogatan, Ringen and Västermalmsgallerian.
• Bruka design shop has colourful kitchenware in several shops in Stockholm
• Norrgavel furniture designed by Nirvan Richter. A lot of wood and materials form the nature. Located on Birger Jarlsgatan 27.
• PlanEtt Birger Jarlsgatan 32 modern and elegant home interior design shop
• SIA Home - Romantic style interior design shop on Birger Jarlsgatan 27
• Svensk Slöjd - Swedish handicraft made the traditional old way
• Spiti - Warm colours from Marrocco and oriental interior design on Sveavägen 64
• Systerlycklig on Tegnérgatan 12. Home interior design and kitchenware in bright colours. Sweet as a wedding cake!

13.00 Have lunch at Östermalmshallen. It is a food hall which opened in 1888. Today, it houses around twenty different stalls, restaurants, cafes and wine bars in the heart of Östermalm, Stockholm.

15.00 Visit Millesgården. I was totally stunned when I saw all the beautiful statues by Swedish artist Carl Milles in this open air museum. (visit only when the weather is nice). The house were Carl Milles used to live was designed by architect Carl M. Bengtsson and was built in 1908.

17.00 Time for some more shopping at the NK. The best department store, not to miss!

19.00 Have a cool and cold drink in The Absolut Ice Bar. Freezing but nice to have a drink in a glass made of ice (book in advance).

20.00 Check in at Lydmar, the restaurant at the design hotel Lydmar is great. Have a drink outside in the summer and enjoy the view of the royal castle before your dinner.

Day 2 - Copenhagen, the capital of Denmark

Take the early morning flight to Copenhagen

09.00 Start the day with a breakfast buffet to get ready for a hectic design weekend. You should stay at one of Copenhagen´s best Design hotels:

• Arne Jacobsen design hotel Radisson SAS Royal Hotel. Turned on the ipod and sat in the coolest chairs ever in the lobby. Drinks on the top of the house... at the 20th floor with a fantastic view of Copenhagen at the Radisson hotel.
• Hotel Fox. Each room is different. Choose among rooms with comical styles, graphic design, street art, fairytales and Japanese Manga to mention some.
• Hotel FRONT with stylish sophisticated design. It is on the Condé Nast Traveller's 2007 Hot List.
• Hotel Nimb with the aim to place the hotel in the absolute world-elite of small, luxury city hotels. Placed in Tivoli Gardens in Copenhagen. The design of the exterior of the hotel reminds me of Taj Mahal.
• Hotel Skt. Petri is one of Copenhagen's leading design hotels.

10.00 Design viewing and shopping at the design department store Illum is a must.
It is located on Ströget, Copenhagens main shopping street.

12.00 Lunch is called Frukost in Danish. Have some fab sandwhiches (smörrebröd) at famous restaurant Ida Davidsen (only open on weekdays, make reservation).

13.00 Time for shopping on street Vandkunsten and the streets around. I just love the small design shops around here!

15.00 If you like art, like me, don´t miss the art museum Glypoteket. It is an art museum that houses more than 10 000 works.

17.00 Rest your feet, have a drink at the Danish designer Arne Jacobsen´s design hotel Radisson SAS Royal Hotel. Go to the bar at the 20th floor with a fantastic view of Copenhagen.

18.00 Time for dinner! The best restaurant in Copenhagen is Noma, it has been named the world´s best restaurant. Reserve in advance to experience extraordinary Nordic gourmet cuisine at its best.

Day 3 - Olso, the capital of Norway

Take the early morning flight to Oslo

9.00 Breakfast at Halvorsens Conditori. It was established in 1881 and is a old café. The French pastry shop next to the Parliament building is an institution in the Norwegian capital, with quality products built on experience and tradition.

10.30 Visit Grünerløkka, it is the place to look for young, Norwegian designers. 

12.00 Lunchtime, combine design and food by having lunch in the beautiful opera house. I love opera but even if you don´t visit the Opera house in Oslo and get astonished by the architecture. After lunch it is time to take a walk up on the roof to see the view and the beautiful building.

13.30 The marvellous Munch museum is worthwhile a visit when visiting Norways capital Oslo. When Munch died in January 1944, he donated all his remaining works to the City of Oslo. Edvard Munch's art is on of Norway´s most important and famous painters. The scream is the most famous painting but there are several more great paintings to view.

15.30 Visit the art galleries in Bygdøy allé. Here you also find a good selection of exclusive, modern interior design shops. A bit further down the road to Skøyen there are several popular furniture and interior design shops as well

19.00 Time for dinner after a busy day. View the ocean, have a coffee or check out the shops at Aker Brygge. The restaurant D/S Louise at Aker Brygge is really fabulous! Try their fresh fish and enjoy the view of the Oslo Fjord (river) with its harbour and Akershus Castle built in 1300.

South African penguins in pictures

When I recently visited South Africa we went to Cape Town. We took a trip to Simons Town to see the sweet penguins. They were really lovely. How cute!

There are about 2500 penguins in Simons Town. Read more on: http://www.simonstown.com/tourism/penguins/penguins.htm

Dubai in pictures

Dubai was pretty cool but warm. If you like shopping, sand and sweets. This is the place to go on holiday. Here are some pictures from my trip to Dubai. Enjoy!

Dubai by night

Downhill skiing inside the shopping mall was a bit strange but cool

The lux hotel Burj al arab seen from one of the 44 restaurants at the lux hotel Madinat Jumeirah

The desert was beautiful

And so was the hotel Bab al shams

Dessert by night

Desert by night

The worlds highest building Burj Khalifa is located in Dubai

Construction work was ongoing everywhere in Dubai.

King & Queen for a day

Stay like a king and queen in the hotels that are built in palaces. I really like the feeling of staying in a historic place. Especially the ones that make me feel like a queen. These are some of my favourites Palaces.

• Austria - Stay at the Palace, Palais Coburg Residenz, also known as Palais Saxe-Coburg in Vienna, the capital of Austria. A prince built this impressive palace which today is a beautiful hotel and restaurant.
• Sweden - A stay with a guided tour the lovely Bjärka Säby castle by the lake Rengen. It was built in 1700 and the former owner was a noble Count who sold it for 1 krona (0,1 Euros) a couple of years ago. It has been restored and is a truly lovely place. http://www.nyaslottet.se/
• Romania - do you dare visiting Dracula´s Bran Castle in Transylvania? It was built in the mid-1300s on a high rock. It looks a bit scary, doesnt it?



Budapest, Hungary

• Hungary - The first time I was in Budapest I was amazed by all the beautiful buildings. I was walking in Budapest and stopped by a beautiful building and asked what it was. The answer was the Hungarian post office.  Hmm... well the post office where I live is not half so beautiful. One of the most gorgeous buildings are the also the best place to stay. It is the Four Seasons hotel Gresham Palace. It is one of the finest examples of Art Nouveau architecture in Central Europe. The hotel has a great location by the Danube river with a view of the Chain Bridge and Buda calste.



The Taj Palace Hotel in Mumbai

• India - India has a special place in my heart. I had an amazing trip to Mumbai in India. I stayed at the luxurious Taj Palace hotel, tried traditional Indian clothes and felt like princess. Maharajas, Princes, Kings, Presidents stayed here and I understand why when I checked in. The view of the Arabian Sea and the Gateway of India is amazing and so is the service and rooms.
• Grand Hotel Florence
• Hotel Danielli
• Schloss Fuschl Fuschlsee Salzburg
• Hotel Imperial and Hotel Gritti Palace
• Palacio del Bailío http://bit.ly/ccqk83 is an art-inspired Moorish palace
• Palacio de Villapanés in Spain is a stone palace of the 18th century which has been renovated into the 21st century  http://bit.ly/aAq0pe in Seville
• The Schlosshotel im Grunewald is a palace which has been styled in the past by Karl Lagerfeld.  http://bit.ly/aqISFA in Berlin
• Residenza Napoleone III http://bit.ly/9NuvLI in Rome

Do you know any more fab hotels and palaces? Please leave a comment here so I can add it to my article.



The Royal Castle in Stockholm, Sweden



The best roof gardens in the world

A garden with a view in the middle of the city? Yes, there a lots of luxurious roof garden restaurants in the world.

1. Honestly, this is amazing. The view from this Roof Garden Restaurant in Athens, Grecce is stunning. You can see Acropolis, Syntagma Square and the ancient wonders of Athens while dining at the Hotel Grande Bretagne 
2. It is said that "All road leads to Rome" in Italy. And to get a fantastic view when you get there, visit the Roof Garden at the luxury boutique hotel FortySeven. In 2009 it was awarded the "Tablet Hotels Selection Award.
3. The Grand hotel de la Minerva, Rome, Italy is build in an old 1600 mansion. Their fabolous roof garden restaurant "La Cesta" offers a dinner while enjoying the sunset over Rome. The restaurant serves Italian and international cuisine.
4. What an amazing place. If you are having a de lux privat party in London. Do book the Roof Garden.There are three themed gardens in 1.5 acres with oaks, fruit trees and a small lake with fish.
5. Boundary is a joint venture between Terence and Vicki Conran, in partnership with Peter Prescott. Do I need to say more? OK, it has an open fireplace, a grill restaurant and a garden in London.

Do you know any more fabolous roof gardens? Please let me know, you can write it in a comment below if you wish, so I can add it to my list.

My pictures of the colourful autumn in Sweden

Heading for warmer countries

The green leaves on the trees are shifting colours