Chateau Victoria

While in Victoria this past weekend we stayed at the Chateau Victoria, and here are my thoughts.

We checked in about 10pm and the guy at reception was really helpful. Asked us if we had been to Victoria before (we pretended we hadn’t so we could hear the spiel). He gave us a map and a print out of all the different restaurants that were good for breakfast, lunch and dinner. He told us they had a shuttle service which can bring us to some of the “hotspots” in Victoria, we just have to go down to reception and see if it is available, which I thought was really good.

The rooms have all been refurbished and ours was pretty nice. King bed was really comfortable. Rooms are much more modern than the Fairmont. (but you don’t really get that grand feeling because the ceilings in the Fairmont are so much higher compared to the Chateau) We were on the 3^rd floor, but this was actually ground level, so our view looked out onto the underground parking entrance, which was also where the dumpsters were, so we had a few annoying noises, and we weren’t really inclined to open our curtains because we felt people could just look right in. I would request a higher floor.

They have a rooftop restaurant called Vista 18 where we went for breakfast. Breakfast was delicious and staff were really friendly. The restaurant takes up the whole floor with windows all the way round so it is a pretty nice place to eat.

Clive’s Classic Lounge is really cool, big old armchairs, you feel very grande. The bar staff are excellent, they know their drinks and they aren’t afraid to go heavy on the alcohol!

They have a pool and hot tub downstairs, 6.30am – 10.30pm. There were no robes or flip flops in our room so we just went downstairs in our clothes, swim suits underneath. It is a bit odd because there are no changing rooms or lockers, just a bathroom with a shower, luckily we were the only people in there for a whole hour so we just left our clothes on a chair.

There is also a small workout room with treadmill, exercise bike, free weights and a couple of other machines.

Check out is really easy...they slip your bill under the door about 2am the night before you check out. Just sign it, and drop it off at reception with your key in the morning.

Overall I would definitely go back to the Chateau. Location is fantastic, staff are really friendly and rooms are pretty good. Request a high floor!

 

Enjoy ~ Anne Marie

 

Unusual foreign laws, that you should know...

Although there is no word on how often these ordinances are actually enforced, but consider yourself warned.

Amsterdam, Netherlands A curious loophole in the law means that smoking tobacco in a public place such as a coffee shop in Amsterdam is banned, while puffing away on pure cannabis is entirely legal.

Feed pigeons in St. Mark's Square in Venice, Italy. The practice was outlawed in 2008, much to the dismay of seed vendors there, because the historical buildings (and many sightseers) were bearing the brunt of the byproduct.

Run out of gas in Germany. More precisely, it's verboten to stop on the nation's fast-paced autobahns, where German motorists tend to get all Fahrvergnugen behind the wheel.

Drive while wearing flip-flops in Spain. It's also illegal to drive with groceries on the back seat of a convertible. Best to stay on your toes no matter what's on your feet.

 Spit in public in Barcelona. Not a bad call, and one a few more cities might want to consider.

Wear high heels at Greek archaeological sites such as the Acropolis. Pointy heels pierce the delicate "skin" of these antiquities, officials determined in 2008 when they first sought the ban. Indeed, stilettos can transmit more pressure per square inch than an elephant, experts say.

Drive in Scandinavia during daylight without headlights switched on. The reasoning behind the law is sound: Daylight hours are limited during long northern winters.

Eat during Ramadan in the United Arab Emirates. Muslims abstain from food and drink between sunrise and sunset during the month of Ramadan. And non-believers are expected to follow suit. Same goes for Saudi Arabia, where offending foreigners can get their visas canceled for the
infraction.

Step on currency in Thailand. Thai baht bear the picture of the King of Thailand. Defaming, insulting or threatening the royal family is illegal — and so is stepping on paper currency.

Pee in the ocean in Portugal. No word on whether anyone has ever actually gotten busted for this.




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Cobra Pose - ideal for those with asthma and respiratory problems

Cobra Pose (Bhujangasana)

Yoga is known worldwide for being extremely relaxing both mentally and physically. However at time some of the exercises in yoga can be quite strenuous and hard but the rewards they give you at the end bring wonders to your mind and soul.

A similar form of exercise is Bhujangasana (Cobra Pose) which although might be a little tough initially but later when you see drastic results you definitely feel all the effort worth it.

Here Bhujangasana (Cobra Pose) works by toning your abdomen, improving and fixing your blood circulation and which is an effective way of reducing your stress and fatigue.

Furthermore this exercise will open up your shoulders and the back while giving them immense strength along with opening up your chest.

According to famous yoga therapists Bhujangasana (Cobra Pose) is the best and the ideal exercise for people with asthma and other respiratory problems.

How to do the pose

Start off by lying on the floor on your belly with your toes flattened and your forehead lying on the floor.

Make sure that your legs are placed closely together while your feet should be in slight contact with each other.

Now breathe in while slowly lifting your abdomen, chest and head while ensuring that your elbows are parallel and near to the torso. Now you have to move the torso away using your hands’ support.

Here it is to be made sure that an equal amount of pressure is exerted on both your palms otherwise you will lose balance and results will not be as good as expected.

Meanwhile keep inhaling and exhaling and release tension from your shoulders. Now while breathing in and out you have to lower down your abdomen back to the floor.