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Getaway Magazine
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Illyria House -
Pretoria, South Africa
Romance blossoms in Jacaranda City
(from Getaway Magazine April 2001)
 | Where love and food are the music - oh play on! |
Shakespeare used the enchanting setting of Illyria for his romantic comedy, Twelfth Night. It was a land of love, music, leisure and hedonism. A place to visit only in our dreams?
Enter the stage set of Illyria House, cosseted away in a quiet suburb of Pretoria. Once inside the austere front entrance, you’re in the illusion of Shakespeare’s world of whimsical pleasures.
Every wish was generously catered for by my personal butler, Emmanuel Matemba. No set menus here. What would you desire to eat? The chef will go shopping for it, fresh, this morning. Would you like a candle-lit dinner on your balcony or in the antique filled dining room?
On the balcony will be lovely - and it was with five courses served on silver platters, fine wines poured in crystal glasses and Mendelssohn sounding softly in the background. No bustle of busy waiters, just charming, white-gloved Emmanuel appearing gracefully at the right moment, as if on cue from the master play-write himself.
Would you like us to arrange a massage or beauty treatment? I would, thank you and enjoyed a relaxing two-hour kneading in the privacy of my airy bedroom, fit for a princess. Were the cupids, white lace, water fountains and orchids merely a fantasy? If so, may I never wake from the delicious dream.
Illyria promises a romantic first night for honeymooners and sets the tone for guests boarding Rovos Rail or flying to Londolozi. It’s also a fanciful setting for a bride’s night before the wedding. Of course, they lay on the pampering and arrange the pedicures, manicures and make-up.
The charms of Illyria have attracted international dignitaries, royalty and celebrities. Their letters of appreciation grace the visitor’s book - not surprising, since it feels like being in your own manor.
As with most fine works of art, Illyria comes at a price - R1325 a person a night sharing for bed and breakfast. How else to preserve the exclusivity offered at this exquisite retreat?
"and what should Slip into a world of white- |  |
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