ARMAGH/15th Birthday today!!

We are celebrating our 15th Birthday today! We cannot believe how the years have flown by and how our business has grown from 2 rooms initially, when Johan and I did absolutely everything, to the 6 room and 2 Cottage portfolio of today!

Rafters has been a huge success serving as we do traditional South African cuisine such as boboties and bredies (all we could cook initially) and evolving into such exotics as crocodile, warthog carpaccio, venison and of course the extremely healthy low fat ostrich meat. Seafood evenings will also be a twice monthly feature in the new Season commencing mid September.

We are also featuring our lovely Spa Therapists, Elzette and Tanya (See picture at the very top) Now that we have two young ladies permanently in place, we can offer the very popular Couples Massages which are particulary wonderful for the Honeymooners - increasing numbers of which we are getting. Where do they stay? - in our Candlewood or Oak Cottages, of course, which are as romantic as can be.

Lastly, lest Johan be forgotten!!, one of his winter projects (among several) was to revitalise the ponds in front of the Guest House and restore the koi, who were sadly eaten one late supper evening by a Cape Clawless Otter! Imagine! It is not easy in Africa!! So below is the result and what a feat!

Reminiscing over the past 15 years OH! how much we have learned, we have laughed and cried, we have been hurt and misunderstood, we have been praised and we have continued to work.

I think the most important aspect is to know one never arrives; one strives always to improve, to be better, to think laterally, to continue to dream, and to build literally on those dreams.

One of the most beautiful affirming aspects is how many of our initial Guests, way back in the days when there was no lawn and no trees and not even a ceiling in those first two rooms, have just returned and returned to us. That is why it is so rewarding and still a pleasure to come to work to greet our many loyal Staff for another day in paradise!!

We want to see you here again soon!

Wow! Time flies! & Low Season News

Phumla is happy! she is going on leave soon meaning she will see her little boy who is living with her mother on the Wild Coast. Low Season in South Africa means May June July we are very quiet in the Guest House; fortunately we have had quite good business in Rafters Restaurant and the Tsitsikamma Mountain Spa. But it is a good time of year when we have a chance to do things that are impossible when all our rooms are full of Guests so painting, walls etc - not canvases! spring-cleaning , fixing etc takes precedence. Our loyal Staff go on holiday.

Johan and myself are busy tackling projects, such as a new edition -long overdue- of our very successful Armagh in Africa Tsitsikamma Recipe Book. The new one will be bigger with more pictures and a wee bit of a travelogue. The design and initial set up is Johan's responsibility, and I rush in with the additional recipes we have introduced since our first book was released way back in 1998. What a success it has been! - with some of the proceeds going to our local school feeding schemes, we feel really happy that our Guests by purchasing are so interested in supporting these endeavours.

My main task, and what a pleasurable exercise it's proving to be! is scrapbooking the Guest House since we built in 1994. Now I know a trip down memory lane is guaranteed to reduce stress levels mightily!! One pores over shoe-boxes full of pictures. I begin to think that the more bling one throws at this craft the better it is! Never thought I would take to it but already I have plans to tear apart the family albums and force them to undergo a reincarnation also! If only there were more hours in the day.

On the sport front we have just witnessed a very successful British and Irish Lions' Tour and indeed we did benefit here from the tour with some lovely lads from the ould country coming for Breakfast and others coming to stay. What fun they were!

I really am going to try to write more often in this blog as there is so much to say and I know many out there are reading and catching up with our news in South Africa. So I promise I'll be back soon!!

Guided Hikes & Art News

This is Danny, our Guided Trail person, who is looking forward to walking with you in the near future. He is seen lurking under a Podocarpus Henkelii common name Henkel's Yellow-wood.

This one is in our garden at The Armagh. Incidentally we have planted in excess of 200 indigenous trees on our two adjoining properties (2 acres in total) which contain the Armagh Guest House, Candlewood and Oak Cottages and the Tsitsikamma Mountain Spa....this over a period of 15 years since we built the Guest House.

Our latest venture, which will shortly appear on our Main website, www.thearmagh.com is related to ART. We are re-starting the Art Courses run in the past by the late and great Tim Robson. This is the ideal opportunity for you to join a 4 -day course being held in August this year. The venue is our Bitou Studio set in the middle of our own home property, surrounded by forest and tweeting birds. Learn the Very basics of Watercolour. This is for rank beginners and the frequently asked questions will, we promise, be answered. Combine this with yummy food at Rafters, cosy beds at The Armagh, and the odd walk,( see Danny above) thrown in. (With apologies to Danny - I didn't mean that he will be thrown anywhere) - but you get the drift!!

Apply now for this course, and, please note, numbers are extremely limited. Email us on armagh@mweb.co.za and we shall be delighted to send you the Itinerary. Johan always says he initially got into Watercolour painting because he can easily wash the Brushes!! Need we say more?

Autumn Glory @ The Armagh!

We don't have too much evidence of Autumn here in the Tsitsikamma but some years ago we planted an ornamental vine and its leaves turn the most exquisite colours at this time of year. I have just taken this picture looking across from the Fynbos Terrace @ Rafters to the Spa Reception. It really is the most wonderful day!.... as it gets cooler it is so right for the long hikes that one would like to do but prove rather uncomfortable in high summer! This is a very short story today as it has been a day of local visitors and lots of chats - refreshing to see our neighbours in tourism who now have a wee bit more time to get out and deliver Brochures and shoot the breeze a little.

A long absence but here I am!

Candlewood Cottage from the deck with natural gardens in the foreground and the Tsitsikamma Mountain range in the background. This Cottage has been such a success that it has hardly been empty for one night since its inception in mid December. Ideal for that corporate stress releasing break or the Honeymoon hideaway; the addition of the jacuzzi around September and the Spa treatments already just around the corner makes it a unique spot. Custom made Packages on application.

Now what have we been doing? We have been amazingly busy for the time of year but next week is showing the May month syndrome ..our quietest month in this area. it gives us a chance to draw breath and get some plants potted, admin backlogs dealt with and even, dare to dream, a little holiday for us!! It is definitely the time for our Staff to have a really well-earned break.

Since I last wrote Earth Hour came and was celebrated through-out our little Village; Guests in Rafters Restaurant thoroughly enjoyed the atmosphere with candlelight adding flavour to the food and ambiance.

Lovely appreciative Guests have stayed with us, the weather has been, and still is, absolutely perfect - it is virtually winter here in the Tsitsikamma but winters here are very mild - just a wee bit chilly at night. We have cosy snuggle up beds and log fires in the Restaurant. We are hoping that the British coming to support the Lions Tour (see website http://www.thearmagh.com/ for fixtures) will feel welcome to come and visit us - make your trip worth while and extend it a wee bit so you can get some sight-seeing and adventures packed in...incredible Packages and reduced rates in the months of May, June, and July make it even greater value for money in our country.

At the very top of our post you will see two lovely honey-mooners who just left this morning after spending 5 days in the Oak Cottage with various activities laid on to keep them out of mischief. We wish Marie and Keith much happiness and health to enjoy their newly found love.

Gatineau Products have arrived!!

Here we are telling you all about the Spa again! We shall change the subject shortly! However, we just had to say a big Thanks to Oupa for the lettering on the Reception of the Mountain Spa, featuring in the latest pictures with Tracey and Bernadine.

Oupa has painstakingly and perfectly, as is his wont, crafted the individual letters. Oupa is Johan's father, and Ouma and he have lived in the Village of Storms river for approx 25 years.

Since the day we arrived Dec 1993 they have supported us in every way. Ouma makes all the preserves; the wonderful Grape Jam and the yummy Marmalade which appear every morning at Breakfast, the preserved Guavas, Pears, Green Beans, Beetroot and delicious Carrots, all in awesome syrups and sauces, served in Rafters in the evening.

AND the tables and chairs in the restaurant are also made by Oupa - supporting role played by Johan! Guess what? Ouma and Oupa are now 86 years old. So a very big thanks to them for all they have done to help and support us in the 15 years since we arrived and built The Armagh.

And now to the Gatineau, which arrived yesterday; Bernadine is already booked up with facials and pampering treatments. Soon Ouma will be making her way to the Spa when she hears the news - she has become rather partial to beauty treatments, particularly the facials!

We shall still have to work a wee bit more on encouraging Oupa!

I have just taken a photo of Bernadine with her trolley full of these lovely products.

Tracey,Our Manager,&Bernadine at New Spa Reception

Well that was a job and a half getting these two to pose at the new Spa Reception.

The laughs we had meant that we had to go back for re-takes several times!! From yesterday already Bernadine has been kept really busy with the Spa set up, and some lovely treatments - we have also been busy with our Gatineau order so we can quickly start the facials early next week. More essential oils for the treatments will be arriving tomorrow.

The weather is perfect; we have had big numbers for lunch on the Fynbos Terrace - Tracey has been busy with those and with booking new Guests into our rooms. An air of real happiness pervades the Armagh. In a few days we shall also feature the Night Staff.... they must also have their fun posing for the cameras.