Category: Uncategorised (Page 10 of 19)

My boyfriend and I had a very pleasant stay in this lovely hotel. Reception staff was super friendly and helpful. We felt right at home.

The hotel has lots of parking space, which is very convenient if you’re traveling by car.

Our room was beautiful, very spacious with a big tv, a fridge, a water cooker, a coffee maker and two nice big queen size beds. So much space! Beds were very good, slept like a baby. Bathroom was clean with lots of towels, and a bath and douche combined. I really like the art in our room, which showed some beautiful Canadian nature.

Location is key. The Embassy Inn is situated right in the historical center of Victoria. Just a few minutes walking from the BC parliament buildings en the beautiful harbour.

Breakfast was nice, with enough options to choose from (cereal, bread, scrambled eggs, bacon, pastries,…). Loved the scrambled eggs and the fresh fruit salad (went back two times for some extra fruit). You have to clean up your own table, but we didn’t mind at all.

Embassy Inn, 520 Menzies St, Victoria, British Columbia V8V 2H4, Canada

Stayed July 2015. You can find my review about Embassy Inn also on TripAdvisor. My scores: location 5/5, cleanliness 5/5, service 4/5.

A must see when in Victoria. The architecture of the building is a reminder of the wealth of the British Empire. The interior of the British Columbia Parliament Buildings is stunning, with on top of that lots of information about the history of BC. An extra touch are the guides dressed as historic characters which tell you their personal story. We were honored to hear the story of Queen Victoria herself. Oh, and the visit is for free. So you can pop in for a short visit if you like.

British Columbia Parliament Buildings, 501 Belleville St, Victoria, British Columbia V8V 1X4, Canada
https://www.leg.bc.ca/content-peo/Pages/Tour-Information.aspx
+1 250-387-3046

Visited July 2015. You can find my review about British Columbia Parliament Buildings also on TripAdvisor.

Isola Bella in itself is a gorgeous place to visit. We arrived at lunch time, so we went looking for a place to eat. In all honesty we didn’t expect much, because the place is really touristy. But hey, a short walk from where the ferry docked, we found Ostera del Crimine. I was charmed by the lovely terrace in the sun (don’t worry, there are also tables in the shade).

We decided on taking the ‘tourist menu’, hey, we were tourists after all. I must say I was pleasantly surprised. The menu was actually quite good and service was friendly. As as starter I had a ravioloni stuffed with see bass and leek with courgette cream, which was very savory. My fish main course, the fillet of see bass with mediterranean sauce and salad was basic but tasty. To top the meal of my boyfriend and I enjoyed a very well made tiramisu. We never had to wait long to get the next course. Not bad for less than 20 euros.

Osteria del Crimine, Via del Voltone 13 Isola Bella, 28838, Stresa, Italy
https://www.ristoranteisolabella.it/
+39 0323 934630

Visited June 2015. You can find my review about Osteria del Crimine also on TripAdvisor. My scores: value 4/5, service 3/5, food 4/5.

What a beautiful place: full of beautiful architecture and history (Napoleon once staid here). The beautifully landscaped gardens are full of flowers and statues. The view on the lake is breath taking. The name Isola Bella couldn’t be more right.

Entrance for the palace and the gardens is a bit on the pricey side, but I feel like I got my money’s worth. Don’t drink anything in the garden café though, it is horrible overpriced.

Palazzo Borromeo, Stresa, Isola Bella, Italy
http://www.isoleborromee.it/imadre-palazzo.html
100

Visited June 2015. You can find my review about Palazzo Borromeo also on TripAdvisor.

I can highly recommend the architecture tour an the Chicago River. A lovely way to get to know the city and its marvellous architecture better. Staff on board is very professional and the guide really knew a lot about the buildings. She was also open to extra questions.

Boats come equipped with toilets and a café, if you like some beverages during your trip. The inside of the boat has air conditioning, but we preferred sitting outside to have the best views.

It doesn’t matter if you take this boat ride during the day or during the night. You will definitely enjoy it.

Wendella Sightseeing Boats, 400 North Michigan Ave, Departing from Michigan Ave at the historic Wrigley Building, Chicago, IL 60611
https://www.wendellaboats.com/
+1 312-337-1446

Visited August 2015. You can find my review about Wendella Sightseeing Boats also on TripAdvisor.

I can’t comment on the food in this place, because we only had ice cream. The ice cream is really excellent: fresh and made from the milk of the cows from their own farm. No wonder the line was so long when we ordered our gelato. Do try the ‘milk’ flavour, a taste you won’t find in many other ice cream shops.

This really is a great place to visit with kids. There are various playgrounds and different animals to look at or even pat on the back. You will find the classic farm animals and even some llamas and ostriches. It is possible to ride on a pony also. Children will definitely have a blast here.

Fattoria Pasque’, Via Primo Maggio 11, 21020 Casale Litta, Italy
http://www.pasque.it/
+39 0332 948307

Visited May 2015. You can find my review about Fattoria Pasque’ also on TripAdvisor. My scores: value 4/5, service 3/5, food 4/5.

We went for dinner in restaurant Shanghai after a visit to Pairi Daiza. We parked our car right in front of the restaurant, very convenient. We sat outdoors on the terrace looking out over the garden. Tip for parents: there is a small playground for the children in the huge garden. The restaurant itself is big and spacious. A little tacky maybe, but it is an Oriental restaurant after all.

Staff was friendly and accomodating. On the menu you’ll find Chinese and Thai cuisine. We all opted for Thai cuisine. The food arrived quickly and was great, considering the price. I only paid 13,50 euro for my Ti pan with beef. The portion was big en the meat was served sizzling in a small pan. The duck was a little bit dry, but besides that, the taste of the dish was great.

If you’re a fan of oriental food, this is a great place. Prices are low, so you’ll definitely get your money’s worth.

Shanghai, Rue du Sewoir 115, Lens 7870, Belgium
+32 65 22 99 72

Visited July 2015. You can find my review about Shanghai also on TripAdvisor. My scores: value 5/5, service 4/5, food 4/5.

Our room in Hotel Beukenhof costed 71 euro. So we weren’t expecting much. We had to make sure to arrive before 14h at Saturday, because the reception desk would be unmanned afterwards. I found this a little strange, but no problem, we arrived a little earlier than planned.

The lady at the reception was very friendly and welcoming and showed us to our room. The room and the front door of the hotel could be opened by a key card.

The room we got was situated at the first floor facing the quite busy road. The room was very small with two seperate beds, a small desk and one chair. Bathroom was a bit outdated but very clean and the shower worked very well (always a plus for me). We only got two towels, but since we were only staying for one night, we didn’t mind.

Sleep quality wasn’t great though. Rooms are not equipped with airco, so it was rather warm in our room. We also had quite some noice from the passing cars on the adjacent road. Beds weren’t that great either. Too soft, I felt like I was sinking in too deep.

Breakfast was very basic, like the rest of the hotel. But the bread was fresh and the breakfast room was nice and clean.

If you’re looking for luxury, this hotel is not for you, but for a one night stay it was fine.

Hotel Beukenhof, Antwerpsesteenweg 503, Malle 2390, Belgium

Stayed June 2015. You can find my review about Hotel Beukenhof also on TripAdvisor. My scores: sleep quality 2/5, cleanliness 4/5, service 4/5.

This place is ideal to take a little break when hiking or biking through the beautiful countryside of Malle. This cafè is owned by the famous Abbey of Westmalle and is situated right across the abbey. You can enjoy the draft beer of Westmalle double or triple or even go for a mixture of both of them. The café also serves the cheese made by the Abbey, which can only be bought at the Abbey itself.

Staff is very friendly en efficient, which is needed, because I can imagine this place can get very crowded. I find it a bit of a shame that the architecture of the place is so uninspirational. It is clearly built to serve as many people as possible. It is nice though to relax on the comfy terrace. There is also a playground for the kids.

We ordered the Westmalle cheese, a sangría (sorry, no beer lover here) and a Westmalle half/half. I found 9 euro for a plate of cheese rather expensive, but the cheese accompanied with good mustard sure was nice.

I can understand why they ask a fee for going to the toilet (30 cents), but nevertheless in my opinion toilet use should be free for customers. Toilets were very clean though.

Cafe’ Trappisten, Antwerpsesteenweg 487 Westmalle, Malle 2390, Belgium
http://www.trappisten.be/
+32 3 312 05 02

Visited June 2015. You can find my review about Cafe’ Trappisten also on TripAdvisor. My scores: value 3/5, service 4/5, food 4/5.

We went for dinner at Bel Puur, because it was situated in the same building as our hotel. Bel Puur serves typical Belgian cuisine. It has a terrace in the front and one in the back with a little playground for the kids.

We choose to sit in the front terrace to enjoy the setting sun as long as possible.

Service could be more attentive. For instance, our table, though clearly dirty, wasn’t cleaned up, the stains were just covered by the paper placemats. And the waiter came back 3 times to clear our table.

I ordered scampi Bel Puur and my boyfriend ordered Koninginnenhapje. Dishes arrived after not too long a wait. The sauce of my scampi was served boiling hot though, so I almost burned my tongue. Food was decent but nothing exceptional.

This restaurant serves draft Westmalle, a regional specialty.

Bel Puur, Antwerpsesteenweg 503, Malle 2390, Belgium
http://belpuur.be/
+32 3 322 01 06

Visited June 2015. You can find my review about Bel Puur also on TripAdvisor. My scores: value 3/5, service 3/5, food 3/5.