Festive Greetings and New Year Wishes

Johan and Marion & all our loyal Staff at The Armagh Country Lodge Spa & Rafters Restaurant wish you all a very happy Christmas and a wonderful healthy and peaceful New Year.

It has been a really interesting and challenging year. Our Country became a united proud nation during the Soccer World Cup held in June/July and from that moment onward, we, at The Armagh, have been happily busy with Guests and advance bookings.

We have had several changes in personnel in our Spa but in the restaurant we have remained constant with both Veronica and Marie very firmly in place. The Guest Lodge itself found Teshi again but she left us at the beginning of December to have a baby.

We miss her very much but again we were very fortunate that the Student serving his 6 month apprenticeship has proved to be a winner; Vuyo is unfazed by anything and has integrated so well that our Guests think he has been here for a very long time - not just a mere 3 weeks.

Sarah, whom many knew and loved at the Spa, left us end of September to follow a career path in the Kwazulu Natal Midlands at a Health Spa (Hydro).Sadly after only one week in the job she sustained really serious injuries in a car accident. She is slowly recovering and our thoughts are with her and her family as Christmas approaches.

Thank you all for all your support, for your return visits, and for your lovely motivating comments. It is not all sunshine and roses and we live and learn a lot; we are deeply hurt sometimes by what we consider to be harsh criticism but we progress and grow because of it.

We look forward to a very exciting New Year; we feel that overall, as the world economics improve, so the much needed tourists will return to our beaufiul country.
Remember by visiting us over here in Africa many are helped into employment, and they, in turn, have the resources to educate their children.

See you again in 2011!! and travel safely!

Bitou Art Studio: Our first Art Course!!

Comments like :- "Professionally facilitated" "Absolutely fantastic"

"Outstanding methodology" "Time galloped by" "Professional fun!"

emanated from the very first Basic Watercolour Art Course, which has just ended at the Bitou Art Studio (tucked away in the middle of natural fynbos and forest) in the unique Village of Storms River. Johan was in his element sharing his knowledge and experience with the extremely enthusiastic participants. They, I must add, are already well on the way, setting up their own creative corners/studios and rushing off to augment their art supplies.

We have organised another course for the end of September (27-30 September 2010) N.B. Classes are kept very small to ensure personal attention, so demand may decree that we hold another in the middle of September... BUT watch this space and we will keep you all informed. Refresher workshops in a motivational and inspirational mode are also being planned to keep that right brain exercised!

Lunches and teas are supplied and accommodation may be booked at the The Armagh (dependant on availability) or in any of the other Guest Houses/Hotel in the area.

"The goal of life is rapture.... Art is the transforming experience." Joseph Campbell

www.thearmagh.com

Today is Netherlands Day! 06 July 2010

Here they are!...loyal fans of Guess WHERE?? A delightful couple who stayed with us for days, went away, came back, went away again.. all in the support of Holland! They are seen here (with our Spa Therapist, Tania) setting out for the BIG game in Port Elizabeth last Friday which they won.

Meanwhile Johan and Marion went off to Cape Town to join the hordes pouring into the Stadium and the Waterfront for the huge game - Germany against Argentina. See pics at the top and left of this page! What an absolutely amazing unforgettable experience! 400,000 fans came into Cape Town Saturday 02 July 2010 and we were there !! - truly a wonderful unifying and unique moment in our history. We are sad that it is drawing to a close; the Soccer World Cup surely has touched us all in the most positive of ways....long may this unity of spirit continue
.....Viva!

Welcome to the Netherlands!

Welcome to The Armagh !!.. The Dutch on their way to their next game in Cape Town 24th ( two days) in Cape Town against the mighty Cameroon. Netherlands are top in their category.

We look forward to seeing them on television.

Safe journey to them - and thanks for stopping with us for coffee.

Dinner @ Rafters Armagh Country Lodge & Spa

Welcome to the World! We sure are seeing the World and they're all so very welcome! This is the entrance to the Rafters where Dinner is served every evening and even in the daytime we have had so many passing World Cup Guests. What a pleasure to hear their stories and to know they are happy; happy and surprised by our lovely country. Talking to them we know they will be back some day and next time for a holiday! One Serbian gentleman said he thought no-one smiled in this country. How wrong he has been proved. He said friendliness is everywhere; from his arrival at Johannesburg Airport onwards!! It is marvellous to hear these things.. We are also getting so much praise for our beautiful stadium throughout...or should it be stadia or stadiae? Anyhow, we lap it all up proud that we are in the middle, albeit in the heart of the country! We almost feel we also had a hand in the buildings. Again Welcome to the World! we are waiting with the best coffee and delicious traditional South African cuisine. Safe travelling & may your team win! how diplomatic is that!!

World Cup News June 2010

Armagh Country Lodge Spa & Rafters; we are very pleased that the World Cup Tournament is going so well in our Country.

It is amazing how many lovely people we have had passing by Storms River Tsitsikamma and dropping in for breakfast, lunch coffee or accommodation.

Our very first Guests were Mexicans and we have had English, Scottish, Australians, Germans IRISH OF COURSE!! Brazilians, Swedish and Norwegians, all in the space of a very few days since Kick-off last week on Friday. They also have their Vuyezalas and are entering into the spirit of things.

This photo depicts a family from Madagascar about to set out for the game yesterday in Port Elizabeth. They really live in London but father is a Doctor who works all over the world and we were privileged to have them with us for three days. Safe travels to all our visitors !

Viva ! BAFANA BAFANA Viva !

YES! the big moment! has arrived... the excitement even in this tiny Village is palpable.

Ashley, from Storms River Adventures, has got all the flags flying at the entrance to the Village ; Johan has been practising on the VUYUZELA! Jan from the local Hotel was spotted at the Tourism Meeting yesterday wearing his Bafana Bafana regalia, and tomorrow I hope to find some Makarapas for our Staff - if they aren't all sold out!!
Maybe I can upload that pic of Jan tomorrow.

We are so immensely proud that we have got to this point in an amazing journey in our beautiful country.

Negative press overseas: it makes us spitting mad - all we want is a vibrant tournament, success for Bafana Bafana, the unity of our people and loads of visitors to our country. A huge upsurge in tourism can be the result - that will help our country to move forward as more people are employed, housed and educated.

Viva !! Bafana Bafana Viva !!

Apologies for long delay in posting new info

At last my conscience has struck and I have a quiet moment to write a little bit on this very neglected blog. Wow! the weather is absolutely perfect today in Storms River Village with that little hint of chill which heralds Autumn, and reminds us winter is not too far away.

This shows the school playground on the right hand side with Head Teacher and children and the Tsitsikamma Mountain Range in the back-ground.

The other photo shows my sister, Iris, helping two learners with a school project on our fynbos mind you that was a challenge for a person from Ireland! but she had great fun...

The third photo in the middle is just a tiny sample of the elephants we saw recently at Addo

Since November we have been very busy with first of all Christmas and now Easter. In between we have had my sister to visit from Ireland and life has gone by in a tremendous rush as always.

We had an opportunity to visit our local Primary school the other day (photo above) and were privileged to have a demonstration of Irish dancing; one of the volunteers is Irish and has taught the children an Irish jig or two!! We really had big tears in our eyes thinking of the ould days and also praising this lovely girl, Neasa, for coming to South Africa to offer much needed help at our school. Hope I have spelled her Irish name correctly! I am adding a picture of the learners out in the playground with their Head Teacher, Mr Machaka, - such a dedicated man - when one sees such conscientiousness one wants to help in every way.

The last picture I am going to display is the wonderful show of elephants we were privileged to enjoy at Addo Elephant Park recently - also as part of Iris's visit. At one stage there were 80 elephants at one watering hole (they are not all featured in this one picture!); they are huge and beautiful animals - and how fortunate we are to live in this wonderful country with such amazing experiences just up the road.

Look at our website http://www.thearmagh.com/ for the new Elvis Logo and remember that the Elvis Festival is just around the corner on the last week-end of this month ( April 2010) and going into the first few days of May.

Next Blog I shall feature some of our Art as we are getting into the painting again and need to share with you what we have been doing. Oh! and of course we are getting closer to the Soccer World Cup June /July!!