You may remember I promised a longer post than usual this week – you’re in luck, here it is! Scroll through for highlights from our midweek break at the Blue Gum Country Estate in Stanford and more…
Friday, 24 May 2019: Commodore conferences and half-price cocktails
My Friday started with a first – while I’ve attended hundreds, this was my first time speaking at a conference! I popped into the office while it was still dark out, then went on to the Commodore Hotel at the Waterfront for the Content Marketing conference.We celebrated the start of the weekend and my much longed-for leave at Catch22 that evening. Bonus? Half-price cocktails before 6pm! See my colourful ‘Catch23’, as well as the seafood curry Husband and Dad both ordered, Mum’s sushi and my buccaneer beef burger.But first, cocktails! See Mum with her Bloody Mary, Dad with his Long Island Ice Tea, Husband with his Beeracuda (tequila, lime, sundried orange and a Corona beer). Cheers!
Saturday, 25 May 2019: Bean Authentic breakfast and bee stings
We had a long Saturday ahead as Husband needed to spend some time in the office, so we lined our tummies with breakfast at Bean Authentic in Monte Vista as we still had an Entertainer voucher to redeem. See the lovely strong flat white served in glass mugs, as well as my Ferrero Rocher mocha and Parmesan-crusted toastie filled with bacon, jalapenos, feta and spicy mayo. Husband had the bacon, cheese and sundried tomato egglets on avo.The whole family popped in for a braai later that afternoon – also see Bertie’s slightly swollen lip from a bee sting. The swelling went down soon after I snapped this.
Sunday, 26 May 2019: Kauai and Eden on the Bay beach walks
Spec had slept over on Saturday night so joined us for breakfast at Kauai at Eden on the Bay. The boys’ mom also popped in for a cuppa tea and avo on toast. Proof we were all there.We had a short post-breakfast stroll along Eden on the Bay, as Husband wanted to wet his feet.
Monday, 27 May 2019: Nutella hot chocolate and banoffee waffle at Panarotti’s
Husband went to work on Monday but I was already on leave, so joined my parents for a late breakfast at Panarotti’s in Table Bay Mall. My Nutella hot chocolate and ‘Bellissima Banoffee Belgian waffle’ were lovely!
Tuesday, 28 May 2019: Roadtrip to Stanford, night at Blue Gum Country Estate
It was a real treat to sleep in late on Tuesday but still rise in time for the earlybird English breakfast special at News Cafe. Tomatoes were well cooked and flat whites strong, as you can see here.Roadtrip time! We made our customary stop at the Sir Lowry’s Pass lookout point. Husband was impressed with neither the elevation nor the gustiness of the wind. See a much more wind-swept version of this pic here, from when we visited Old Mac Daddy in Elgin.Some of the pretty sights we saw along the way. Sheep, various cows and even Carpaccio, the solo springbokkie. So cute!Looks like Husband is sharing a joke with this spotted horsey. Neigh!A few pics of the setting, at Blue Gum Country Estate, 10km from Stanford. It was peaceful, quiet and cold – too cold for a dip in the pool, alas.We felt we were well and truly out in the country while gazing at the view from our private balcony.Gorgeous view looking out from our balcony.Some of the pretty sights on our quick ride for supplies along Queen Victoria Street in the heart of Stanford.We stopped in at Raka Wine Farm for a quick winetasting, too, and stocked up on specialty snacks. Yum!Dinner is served! Not much is open in Stanford on a Tuesday night as Winter approaches, so we dined at Blue Gum’s own Barke restaurant. We had the place to ourselves.The Milkshake Queen in action! Couldn’t resist the ultra-chocolatey milkshake with my dins.See Husband enjoying a glass of red at the fireplace and his two-course dinner of fillet steak and creme caramel with sorbet. I went for the toasted chicken-mayo with stacks of chips. Just the thing when paired with a chocolate shake!The standard gownie shot – with our pre-bed milk treats purchased in town. Toffee Caramel for me, Banana for Husband.
Wednesday, 29 May 2019: Milkshakes in Hermanus
Good morning? It sure is! For me, it doesn’t get much better than a freshy brewed coffee with a view like this…Breakfast, my favourite meal of the day! See the fireplace – a different one to where we sat the previous evening – as well as the lovely continental buffet table and Husband’s hot breakfast order.Why did we go to Stanford? This picture, snapped by Husband just before we left Blue Gum Country Estate on Wednesday morning, says it all.We also rode out to see the lovely trails along the Stanford river before starting the long trip home. Next time we’ll stay longer, so we can fit in a river cruise.The MIlkshake Queen strikes again! We took a slight detour on the way home to take advantage of the sunny weather in Hermanus. See my coffee shake and Husband’s cappuccino at Burgundy’s.We also stopped at the Winelands 1-Stop once we were nearly home, to redeem our free Wimpy burger meal for the quarter – thanks eBucks! All this and we only paid for the drinks. This time the milkshake (banana) is Husband’s. The granadilla-mint slush is a must.
That’s all, folks! May your weekend be relaxing. 🙂 Looking for more?Click here for my full review of our stay at Blue Gum Country Estate on Bizcommunity, and tune in for my next update next week – same time, same place. 🙂
*Disclaimer: Our bed and breakfast at Blue Gum Country Estate in Stanford were part of our review package. All else came from our own pockets. All enjoyed equally.
Remember I shared last week’s blog post a whole day early? That’s because we were out of town on Friday – as a double-whammy 35th birthday and family destination wedding getaway…
Thursday, 14 February 2019: Valentine’s Day hot dogs and shakes at Rocomama’s
I’d taken a day’s leave on Valentine’s Day, so that I’d be well into the holiday spirit for our weekend away. See my lovely lunchtime treat at Rocomama’s with my parents – that’s a double BCG hot dog (topped with bacon, cheese and guacamole), as well as a Nutella-banana waffle and various cold drinks.
Friday, 15 February 2019: My 35th birthday – Hermanus waffles and dinner in Gansbaai
Happy birthday to me! Imagine balloons and such. We were both obviously on leave so we slept in until after the weekday alarm usually goes off, then decided on a New Cafe breakfast as we needed an early start for the first leg of our road trip up to Hermanus.Lunchtime! After a good few hours on the road, we met my parents at Belgian Waffles, Burgers and Beers in Hermanus. See some of the beers sampled, as well as my Speculaas waffle and ginger-white chocolate cappuccino. Happy happy!Husband and Dad off to dip their toes in the sea at Grotto Bay – it was quite a low tide so they didn’t venture in beyond their ankles.Benguela Lodge in De Kelders was our home base for the weekend. Lots of blue skies and the sound of water everywhere made for some happy Aquarians (and Leo parents).A spot of birthday cave exploring? Why not! It was so hot, we were happy to dip our feet in the sea again…Love how Husband captured Mum capturing this snap – the only ‘birthday hat’ photo we took. 🙂We decided on birthday dins at the Blue Goose, just up the road in Gansbaai.Scenes from my birthday dinner at Blue Goose restaurant in De Kelders. See the sunny dining area, bottle of Hermanuspieterfontein red, my chicken dish and the linefish, both with crispy baby potatoes.Beautiful sunset over Gansbaai on our way back to De Kelders that evening.
Saturday, 16 February 2019: My cousin Shelley’s wedding at Panorama Farm in Franskraal
T’was a cold, drizzly Saturday morning so we decided to pop in at the wedding venue for a quick recce. See the pretty pruned trees, main castle building and various dogs and horses we befriended.Next stop, we drove up to see where the shark cage-diving happens in Gansbaai. There were so many folk in wet suits! Not us, of course…By then we needed a treat so stopped at Giuseppe’s Pizza in Gansbaai for cocktails – their special is ‘buy any two beers, pay for both’. Lol! See my toffee-nut shake; Dad’s enormous Long Island Ice Tea, with a thick lemon wedge separating the white spirits from the sugarless Cola; Mum’s bloody Mary; and Husband’s orange Sex on the Beach. All were yum!Sights we saw at Panorama Farm in Franskraal, at Shelley and Richard’s wedding.Panorama Farm has a lovely forest ceremony area, which is where we witnessed the vows. See Shelley walking down the aisle with her brother and dad.Aww. Such a special moment, snapped between my cousin Darryl (brother of the bride) and his son, Dylan.Introducing Mr and Mrs Lothian! The joy and love was all around us.Wedding bubbles! See the sweet individual bubble blowers we used at the ceremony, with rose petals, as well as the enormous bubbles we created when it was time for ‘snacks and lawn games’. Also see Dad and Husband doing the same the next morning, at the post-wedding breakfast.Beautiful platters adorned the wedding reception tables.Sunflowers were clearly the theme, adding a sunny touch to the tables, with Shelley’s hair featuring daisies.See the individual cheese, cracker and spread platters that were waiting on the tables, as well as the dessert table, including the cake and cinnamon cookies Shelley baked herself. Yes, those are Groot and Deadpool cake-toppers! 🙂Teehee, happy faces at our table at the wedding reception at Panorama Farm.Various family dance floor shots – the newly married couple opening the floor to ‘Love to see you smile’ by Homer and Marge Simpson, posing with the rest of us, and the family on the dance floor.The sunset from the ‘Love’-lit pond was so beautiful.
Sunday, 17 February 2019: Post-wedding breakfast at Panorama Farm
We missed our doglets very much but made friends with Benguela Lodge’s sweet African bush cat, Oscar.After a speedy check-out, we started our Sunday with a brief explore of the walkway down to the deck overlooking the sea at De Kelders. It was just beautiful.Champagne sparkles on the glossy blue sea.Next stop, our third visit at beautiful Panorama Farm, where we all met up for a quick farewell ‘foodtruck’ brekkie, featuring coffee and bacon-egg rolls. Just the thing after all the dancing of the night before.We had worked up quite an appetite from our morning walk, so the bacon-and-egg buns and cups of coffee in the sunshine went down a treat.
That’s all, folks. Here’s to a relaxing weekend ahead! 🙂
It was Husband’s birthday on Tuesday, so there were quite a few celebrations over the past few days involving cocktails, pizzas and beach visits…
Friday, 25 January 2019: After-work dinner at Ikura Earth Cafe
Husband fetched me from the bus stop after work last Friday and we had an early dinner together at Ikura Earth Cafe. See my very pink shake, Husband’s glass of red, his salmon handrolls and my crispy honey chicken. Yum!
We opted for a quick breakfast at Reload Parklands on Saturday morning, before kicking off our admin chores for the weekend. See Husband’s eggy-bacon breakfast, my scones with jam and cheese, our coffees and the lovely leafy setting.After much mall admin, we tried Hooked in Tygervalley Mall for lunch on Saturday afternoon. Husband enjoyed his fishy platter for one and the waffle with bananas and hot, fudgey sauce served in a pan was delicious.We also met my parents at Beach Tavern in Woodbridge Island for Saturday evening cocktails. See the beautiful creamy pina colada shake with pineapple wedge. Dad and me had these, while Mum and Husband had Bloody Marys.The four of us at Beach Tavern, with our happy faces and cocktails.The weather was lovely so we stopped at Dolphin Beach for a quick beach visit on our way home. I was befriended by a doggy and there was a wedding ceremony underway. We sat on a dune and watched for a little while.
Sunday, 27 January 2019: Carlucci’s breakfast and beautiful beach weather
We had breakfast at Carlucci’s in Table View on Sunday morning, with a view of Table Mountain and delicious coffees. Also see my large almond croissant and Husband’s salmon eggs benedict.Beautiful Table Mountain beyond the bowl of Table Bay.Husband walking through streams of mussel shells to reach his preferred sea-swimming hole.Husband and sea birds, between various dips in the sea.I had a ‘Coffee in a cone’ from the cashless Cup & Cake in Eden on the Bay as my Sunday afternoon treat.Precious clean doglets after their Sunday afternoon shower.It was a ‘build your own gatsby’ lupper at Mum’s. Yums!T’was a pretty Sunday sunset, though the sky was hazy.
Tuesday, 29 January 2019: Husband’s 39th birthday dins at Panarotti’s
We met both sets of parents at Panarotti’s in Table Bay Mall for Husband’s birthday dins, after a long day of work. See all the happy faces.Also see some of our pizzas and pastas – they’re all on special on a Tuesday – as well as my Bar-One and Dad’s Cherry Bomb shake.The standard ‘birthday hat photo’ with the doglets once we were home that evening.
That’s all for now, folks! We’re sure to celebrate Husband’s birthday even more this weekend, so keep your eyes peeled for my next update. 🙂
This past week has been wonderful as we’re over the ‘eat eat eat’ Christmas week of the annual December-January break, yet we still had lots of fun times before we start the new work year next week…
Thursday, 27 December 2018: Rocomama’s ribs and shakes
We started last Thursday at The Daily in Big Bay. Queues were long so we just had a coffee to start the day – the condensed milky ‘tin cup’ for me, with the now off-menu tasting tray for Husband.And so, next stop was Cup & Cake in Eden on the Bay for actual food – the three cinnamon-sugar pancakes at R20 for me, while Husband had the hashbrown-mushroom stack.Following a quiet day of rest, we met my parents at the new cashless Rocomama’s in Parklands for an early dins that afternoon. See the order sheets, chilli-cheese fries, BBQ pork ribs and current specials.Milkshake mouths! Mine was espresso, the boys each had a creme brulee, and Mum had a Sprite Zero instead.Dessert much, much later that evening – a fruit-mince pie and coffee in reindeer mug.Bassie thought the mince pie was for her. She had one of her Christmas biscuits instead.
Friday, 28 December 2018: Enormous burgers at the NOB, Tyger Falls waterfront
Various stages of home-cooked breakfast – French toast with bacon and coffee for me, full fry-up for Husband, and hopeful doglets as always.We saw on Facebook that The NOB (No Ordinary Burger) of food truck fame has opened a permanent eatery at the Tyger Falls waterfront, so headed that way for last Friday’s lunch. See the enormous burgers and views. Hand for size.We needed to walk off some of that food before making our way home. Luckily the Tyger Falls waterfront is beautiful and easy to walk all the way around. It’s also surrounded by birdies, like this duck on the pier.
Saturday, 29 December 2018: Breakfast toasties at Reload
Reload is a good breakfast choice as it’s close to home, surrounded by greenery and we enjoy their coffee.Our Saturday breakfast at Reload in Parklands comprised a ‘bacon-egg-cheese toasty’ on brown and flat white each. Coke Zero and Tabasco sauce for Husband.Bellies full, we spent quality time at home with the doglets last Saturday morning. Such cuties!We needed long, cool drinks after completing the Woodbridge Island-Lagoon Beach and back walk on Saturday afternoon. See Husband’s Bloody Mary and my Key Lime Pie shake at the Beach Tavern.Beautiful blue mountain and glassy sea rolling in, later that afternoon.
Sunday, 30 December 2018: Sea swims and summery lupper
Husband coming up for air during a rock pool explore after a home breakfast on Sunday morning.Mum put together delicious summery plates for our Sunday lupper.
Monday, 31 December 2018: New Year’s Eve in Langebaan
We so enjoyed our swim at Shark Bay in Langebaan last Christmas that we did so again with Husband’s family these holidays.Sea swimming! Shark Bay is a magical spot between the lagoon and the open sea, as you can walk out almost to the other end of the inlet before you’re beneath the ‘waves’. We had a wonderful morning splashing about.One of the best things I saw in Shark Bay – this doggie calmly going out for a paddle with his family.Swim done, we took a cool cruise through town in search of lunch.Pearly’s is a popular spot but they had a table for us, so that’s where we lunched. See Husband’s Thai fish curry top-right, the butter-chicken special bottom-left and my coffee shake bottom-right.Er’rybody eating at Pearly’s! See Husband with his Thai fish curry, Spec and Father-in-Law with the butter-chicken special, Mother-in-Law with her snoek quesidilla special and me with the toasted chicken, chips and coffee shake. Various beers and wines for the rest. We left for home soon after and had a quiet evening in, with the doggies.
Tuesday, 1 January 2019: Happy New Year!
Loved this on the wall of Seattle Coffee in Exclusive Books at Table Bay Mall, when we stopped in for Husband to have a New Year’s Day espresso con panna.We spent the day easing into the new year with a family braai at home with my parents, and more quality time with Bassie and Bertie. It was a scorcher, so they were happy to cool down under the fans.
Wednesday, 2 January 2019: Rocomama’s burgers and chilli-cheese fries
We had breakfast at Woolworth’s W Cafe in Table Bay Mall on Wednesday. See Husband’s flat white, Coke Zero and chorizo bowl, as well as my honey-nut latte and cakey coconut loaf with espresso cream.After some reading under the fan, we were ready for food again. We had so enjoyed our burgers at Rocomama’s the previous week that we were there again for an early dins on Wednesday, this week. Also see my Belgian chocolate shake and our shared portion of chilli-cheese fries. Yum!
That’s all, folks! We’ve had a lovely, lazy break and luckily there’s a full weekend to go before we hit the office. Here’s to a super successful 2019!
This has been our most family-filled Christmas in a long time, as we got to celebrate with both sets of parents as well as extended family on both sides. We were also lucky enough to start our December holiday with a stay at La Petite Ferme in Franschhoek, what a magical place!
Our souls are happy and bellies full – you’ll see why from all the snaps below…
Friday, 22 December 2018: Holiday waffles and Blowfish dins
Mum and Dad treated me to a waffle at Milky Lane in Table Bay Mall to mark my first day of holiday last Friday. See my Crunchie waffle, Dad’s lemon meringue version and Mum’s churro ice cream cup that looked just like Stitch from Lilo and Stitch.By then, Husband was done with his morning of work so he joined us for a strong flat white at Limnos Bakery in the mall. Let the holidays begin!The colours at the beachfront were just gorgeous that afternoon. If you look closely, you’ll spot Husband waving from the waves.We started the weekend with an early lupper at the Blowfish restaurant in Dolphin Beach that afternoon. See Husband’s seafood pasta and my butternut-feta gnocchi.
Saturday, 22 December 2019: A stay at La Petite Ferme, Franschhoek
Bread & Butter in Sunningdale has extended its trading hours over the festive season, so that’s where we had our early Saturday morning breakfast. See our flat whites and single eggs benedicts – Mexican for Husband. bacon for me. Bellies full, we were ready for a road trip…We were excited to see a different side of Franschhoek that weekend, as we were reviewing a night at La Petite Ferme, set on the foot of the Oliphant’s Pass. See fields of lavender and the lush green maze of Terbidor’s Big Dog Cafe on our way into town.Views of the valley, vineyards and vino at La Petite Ferme – ‘the little farm’. It’s different from the typical ‘Main Road Franschhoek’ accommodation as you’re situated up above the town with a view of the mountain on the one side and on the other, twinkly lights of the valley below. Highly recommended!We were lucky to stay in the Provencale Vineyard Suite as the accommodation is pure luxury, complete with a view of the blue mountains and vineyards right from the bathtub, and delicious cookies at the in-suite coffee station.Some of the scenery around our private cottage suite – inviting shady tree-lined walkways, a welcome bowl of fruit, and of course our private pool.View of our private pool from the main living area of the suite. It was heavenly!Husband spent most of his afternoon in the pool. The dark green tiles made it feel like we had slipped into the background and were part of nature.I’ll drink to that! Husband enjoying a taste of La Petite Ferme’s oak-barreled Chardonnay.Guests are welcome to a private wine tasting and tour of the vines on the property. See the five wines we sampled, each paired with a specific savoury bite from the kitchen. Watch for my full wordy review on Bizcommunity in the new year!Mr and Mrs Andrews making their way from their suite to the restaurant – we couldn’t stop gazing at that beautiful view!Sunset signals supper time at La Petite Ferme. See the magical glow over the mountains and valley below – you can just spot me in the picture on the top-left.The food tasted as good as it looked. See our breadboard, including charcoal rolls with harissa paste, two views of our shared zucchini roll starter and our mains – the deboned whole trout for Husband, and the pulled lamb for me. Both were all so delicious we left our plates clean. Not pictured – the caramel milkshake I slurped to the last drop.A feast for the eyes before we’d even had a taste. See another view of our mains – lamb top-left and trout top-right, as well as our desserts – chocolate torte bottom-left and pumpkin doughnuts with peanut-butter ice-cream bottom-right.The ‘gownie shot’, once back in our suite that evening – this was the best option of about 20 takes, I promise.
Breakfast at La Petite Ferme is a treat, with so many delicious choices from the buffet table – see the pastries; fresh fruit and fish; my ‘first breakfast’ bowl of granola with berries, cranberry juice and cappuccino; and Husband’s beautiful plate of eggs Onassis – spinach, salmon and Hollandaise sauce.More of the buffet spread; along with my prettily plated hot breakfast order of French toast topped with bacon and cooked apple slivers; and my ‘third breakfast’ nutty pastry plait with cappuccino; as well as Husband enjoying his plate of eggs.I’d heard about the beautiful peacocks at La Petite Ferme and we spotted a few during our stay – they often leapt into the trees to sing their odd ‘mewling’ cry. But more impressive that this…Look! A little chick on the peahen’s back! Two eggs had just hatched during our stay.After checking out we made our way back home, then stopped in at Pakalolo’s on the beachfront with Spec for Christmas cocktails that afternoon. See Husband’s bloody mary, Spec’s mojito and my ‘champagne mojito’, complete with sparkly MCC.The celebrations kept coming! We had Peche Royale sparkling peach, as well as salad and toasted sandwiches to literally ‘toast’ the start of the holidays with Spec at Mum’s house that afternoon. Also see our coconut ice cream with caramel sauce and Bertie’s Christmas present from his granny-grampa – a soft blue monkey, his newest best friend.
Monday, 24 December 2018: Blaauwberg Beach Hotel breakfast and Christmas Eve family dins
The Blaauwberg Beach Hotel has finally opened its doors, so we had breakfast at their Waves restaurant on Monday morning. See my peanut-butter waffle, Husband’s eggs royale and Spec’s breakfast taco. Portions are generous, so go hungry!Of course we explored the rest of the hotel, too – just look at the views from one of three pools! We’ll definitely be back once their cocktail bar opens in the new year.Sweet little Bassie on Christmas Eve. She turned into a shy girl with so many family members saying hi at her grandparents’ house. The food was lovely, too – pre-ordered individual portions of chicken, gammon and ham with rice, roast potatoes, creamy cauliflower, carrots and butternut. Yum!Merry Christmas Eve! The full family enjoying our festive feast.
Tuesday, 25 December 2018: Christmas lunch in Big Bay
Woolworths Cafe was one of few places open for breakfast on Christmas Day, so that’s where we topped up our tummies again, this time on vanilla-cinnamon cappuccinos, flat whites, Labneh apple-toast and chorizo hash bowls. My parents also popped in for generous portions of scrambled eggs, bacon and avo on toast.Merry Christmas! We spent much of the rest of the day at the beautiful new Big Bay house of relations on Mum’s side. See the slide-cover pool and view across the ocean to Table Mountain.See some of the Christmas day laughs captured here.Full family (apart from Eleanor, taking the photo) at Christmas lunch at the Conradies’ newly built house. Also, Gillian presenting the beautiful Christmas tree starter Mum created.Did we eat and eat! See the cheese, fruit and crackers; roast potatoes; Christmas pies – steak, chicken and venison; pigs in ‘scarves’ (their bacon ‘blankets’ shrunk in the cook); and the beautiful cheesecake made by my cousin, Erin. There was also homemade malva pudding with custard and Uncle Al’s bread-and-butter pudding.No wonder some of us were very sleepy that evening, dreaming Christmassy dreams.
Wednesday, 26 December 2018: Day of Reconciliation (AKA: Christmas leftovers)
We filled our bellies (again) with the early bird English breakfast special at News Cafe on Marine Circle.Day of Reconciliation means lots of Christmas leftovers. We found ourselves back at Husband’s parents’ house with his extended relations for a final taste of Christmas. It was yummy but we are so done with cooked ham for a while!
That’s all, folks! We hope you had an equally delicious Christmas week. Excuse us while we try walk off some of those calories. 🙂
*Disclaimer: Our meals and accommodation at La Petite Ferme were part of our review package. All else came from our own pockets. All enjoyed equally.
Last weekend was a different one for us, as we were invited to the launch of the Spier Light Art Festival on Sunday night, so we took a day’s leave on Monday so as to extend that weekend feeling…
Saturday, 8 December 2018: Cup & Cake’s pancakes
It felt like a ‘Cup & Cake’ kind of day, so that’s where we had breakfast on Saturday. See my 3 cinnamon-sugar pancakes for R20, caramel cappuccino and Husband’s mushroom benedict-style breakfast.After a few hours at Husband’s work, we treated ourselves to ‘Ralph breaks the internet’ at GrandWest Casino. See the pretty Christmas tree just in front of the skate rink.
Sunday, 9 December 2018: Spier Light Art Festival
We breakfasted at the Pink Olive in West Coast Village on Sunday. See Husband’s ‘meaty toast’ topped with egg, my fresh scone duo and our cappuccinos.On our way through Stellenbosch, Husband’s phone told us to detour through Vredenheim Wildlife. What a hidden gem, with lots to see, including antlered-reindeer – just the thing to get us into the festive spirit!Some of the lovely sights in and around the Spier entry. Yes, that is Husband taking one of the bicycles for a spin.The exploration continued inside on check-in. See the Christmas trees at reception, welcome drinks and more.Our suite was just right, with a view over two different pools, enormous bed, and in-room coffee-making kit. Yes, please.There are many, many pools at Spier, tucked between the walkways, but the main pool is where the icy, fruited waters were, so that’s where we swam. It was wonderful.There was lots of shade to sit in, once you’d had your fill of sun. Loved the bright, mosaic tables.Some of our post-swim explore included swinging around, spotting ducks in the river and crossing bridges. Wonderful way to spend a Sunday afternoon!Exploring out of the way, it was time for our pre-Festival packed picnic. A full basket awaited us, but you could also create your own from the items in the deli.This was our picnic: Crusty bread, melba toast, butter and hummus, cold meat charcuterie, gherkins and olives, camembert, spicy coronation chicken salad, smoked corn-green pepper salad, a bottle of Spier Signature Wine, gruyere-mushroom individual frittata-style quiches, and rich brownie bricks with a tart summer berry compote. This even got a thumbs up of approval from Husband, and he’s not much for picnics.Sipping wine through linked arms. It can be done!Picnic packed away, it was time for the Light Art Festival to begin. First up, large puppets that roamed the grounds, capturing everyone’s attention until the sun set.This is what we came for. It’s free entrance, every night until the end of January. If you’re in the area, I definitely recommend popping in! Click through to my official review for more info.There was so much to see and hear and do, as the festival took place all over the grounds of Spier. A really lovely way to spend a Summer evening.Teehee. We also made friends with the friendly kitty that was strolling the grounds of Spier.This the the Spier version of our standard ‘gownie night-away shot’. Tick.
Monday, 10 December 2018: Eagle Encounters, Pakalolo’s and Rocomama’s
The breakfast buffet at Spier was extensive and delicious. See a few of our courses here. Husband also had a filled omelette while I stuck with the crispy, streaky bacon and fresh baked goods after my mixed bowl of cereal (including muesli and Coco Pops), and topped with pitted dates and candy-coated sunflower seeds.We took a golf cart down to the Eagle Encounters area at the far side of Spier once we’d breakfasted, but they weren’t yet open. Luckily we still got to see lots of eagle owls, like this one peering back at us.Husband having his ‘weekend’ dip once we got back on our home ground that afternoon.Ahh. There’s nothing like a cocktail at Pakalolo on the beachfront to put you firmly in ‘holiday mode’, even if just for a day. See Husband’s Bloody Mary and my ‘Pakalolo Sunrise’.We finally had an early dins at the newly opened Rocomama’s in Parklands that evening. No better smash burgers and shakes in Cape Town, if you ask me! That’s the espresso shake and creme brulee shake, as well as a portion of chili-cheese fries and our enormous burgers you see here.
Wednesday, 12 December 2018: Wacky Wednesday and Steers’ chips
We were both exhausted when we got home from work on Wednesday, so opted for Wacky Wednesday from Steers for dins. Plus this large portion of chips, drenched in all the sauces. YUM.
That’s all, folks! Read my review on Biz for more on the Spier Light Art Festival. We were back at work on Tuesday already, but towards the end-of-year holidays we will go…
*Disclaimer: Our meals and accommodation at Spier were part of our review package. All else came from our own pockets. All enjoyed equally.
Last week was full of sunshine, good food and sweet doggie moments, as you’ll see from the pics below…
Saturday, 17 November 2018: Afternoon naps and braais
We had mall admin to sort out at Table Bay Mall first thing, so it was a Mugg & Bean breakfast for us. See our samples of blood-orange gingerade (very nice), the bottomless coffee station, table decor and our food, which Husband called ‘un-characteristically underwhelming’.We shared a savoury waffle for Saturday lunch at the Big Bay Waffle Company in Eden on the Bay. Also see my frozen white chocolate latte (frappe) and Husband’s white chocolate shake.Sweet doglets trying to wake their dad from his Saturday afternoon nap.The beautiful, bubbling sea – it looks lovely from a distance but was actually quite murky and foamy up close. So much so that Husband skipped his weekly sea dip!We attended a later-than-usual braai at Husband’s parents that eve, to coincide with the SA vs Scotland rugby match aired on TV after 7pm. See some of the food we ate, and the dessert Bassie wanted to eat.More scenes from the braai – Bassie smelling the flowers and eyeing the braai meat, Bertie licking his dad’s nose and sunset setting in.Bertie loved sitting wedged between his mom and grampa while watching the rugby after the braai.
Sunday, 18 November 2018: Melkbos morning
Our ‘I Love Melkies’ breakfast on Sunday morning was a win. See our coffees and the setting, as well as my bacon-marscapone-strawberry waffle.Husband’s second flat white and ‘hash and pork’ bowl, so good he declared it delicious.A beautiful lilac double-Adirondack I spotted while we were walking in Melkbos. I must have!We stopped in at Catch 22 on Marine Drive for Sunday afternoon treats. See Husband’s jumbo oysters and Bloody Mary, as well as my Ferrero Rocher shake. Yum!Table Mountain, as seen from the powdery sands of Dolphin Beach. The sea was still too choppy for a dip, alas.Mum made a chocolate peanut-butter cake that had us all asking for more.
Tuesday, 20 November 2018: R59 Tuesday pizza special at Panarotti’s
Husband had to work late on Tuesday evening, when my parents usually come over with dins, so instead we met them at Panarotti’s in Table Bay Mall for the R59 pizza special. All thoroughly enjoyed ourselves, from the pizza to the cherry cola and salted caramel shakes as sampled by me and dad. See Husband pretending to pour his glass of red into mum’s Sprite Zero.
Wednesday, 21 November 2018: Corinium’s Women in Digital and Data conference at The Forum, Embassy Hill
More scenes from in and around the venue.I’d never been to The Forum at Embassy Hill in Constantia, what a beautiful conference setting! The insights were also fantastic and will be featured on Bizcommunity over the coming weeks.
Thursday, 22 November 2018: HeavyChef’s ‘entrepreneurial grit’ masterclass at Workshop 17
One of the best cups of filter coffee I’ve ever had. Delicious and fresh, especially after dipping an arm elbow-deep into an ice bucket for almost 2 minutes for important lessons on mindset. Watch for my coverage of the masterclass on Bizcommunity, if you’re not sure what I mean by that!Some of the sights from inside Workshop 17. What a wonderful co-working space! Easy to see why so many work events are held at Workshop 17.
This past week has been busy as always work-wise, so we did what we could to relax after hours…
Friday, 9 November 2018: Moyo sea-dip evening
Certain cocktails are R39 at Moyo on a Friday before 6pm, like the creamy pina colada.Given the above picture, you can see that we started that weekend feeling earlier than usual by popping out for a quick beach visit once we were done with work. See Husband’s draught (R25 before 6pm on a Friday!), as well as my Pina Colada and our shared pulled-pork linguine at Moyo in Eden on the Bay. Also see Husband’s splash in the sea.The sky was beautiful when we got home that evening.
Saturday, 10 November 2018: CTFM paella and shakes
We had some mall admin to tick off our weekend to-do list so we started the morning with cappuccinos and breakfast at Bayside’s Mugg & Bean. See Husband’s bean and bacon hash benedict, and my rainbow slaw-sweetcorn-avo toast.Lots of birds on the rocks next to Husband’s usual sea-swimming spot.It was so hot that I passed on hot drinks and instead tried the iced coffee slushy at Expresso in Table Bay Mall (delicious). Seen with a chocolate-cinnamon twist and Husband’s tiny con panna.We wanted ‘dinner with a view’ so headed out to CTFM in Seaside Village. See Husband’s seafood paella and my burger with chips and onion rings.See me with my Cookies and Cream shake jar, Husband’s delight at his pan of paella, and how he loved it so much that he licked the pan clean.I spent some quality time with my precious boy dog on the couch that evening.
Sunday, 11 November 2018: Baconville breakfast, Pakalolo cocktails and Dolphin Beach visit
You feel like you’re right in the countryside, travelling from Table View to the Durbanville and Tyger Valley side.We forgot to snap a shot of the attendees, but Baconville was the venue for our Sunday morning breakfast with Husband’s parents. See the heart in my chocolate latte and our various bacon-topped breakfast plates.Nothing says ‘sunny Sunday’ like a beach walk! See our brief visit to Dolphin Beach.View of Table Mountain across the snowy sands of Dolphin Beach.By then, the weather was shouting that it was time for a cocktail. Here is Husband with his Bloody Mary at Pakalolo’s.I went for the colourful Smoky something (seems Pakalolo’s online menus are out of date or else I would tell you the exact name). T’was delicious.Mum set out all the fixings for chicken fajitas for Sunday lupper, and later whipped up a batch of peanut-butter cookies, fresh and delicious with coffee.Bassie thought my cream-topped coffee smelled just as good as the cookies.
Wednesday, 13 to Thursday, 15 November 2018: AfricaCom at the CTICC
I covered sessions of AfricaCom from Tuesday to Thursday, with so much going on at the same time – 9 different conference tracks – that it was held across both the CTICC and new CTICC 2 venue, so you get to cross the ‘skybridge’ multiple times.View from the top floor of the CTICC 2. So much business conferencing going on!More scenes from AfricaCom. The Speculaas ice-cream in the Expo centre was yum, and it was fun to watch the live graffiti installation.Pretty colours in our dining room when Mum created a quick pasta bake for our Tuesday visit.On Wednesday, I quickly dashed out between AfricaCom sessions to catch a ‘bring your own lunch’ lunchtime lecture at Red & Yellow School, before dashing back to the CTICC.I’d brought the popcorn snack with me from the AfricaCom expo – also popped in a few chocolatey treats to munch on while taking notes!It was a beautiful evening and we both got home later than usual on Wednesday so decided on Jerry’s for dinner, as a mid-week treat. See Husband with his glass of red, me with my Pina Colada shake, our burgers and the sunset.
Streaked with clouds, pink pastels, fire ball orange – this past week I can’t believe the beautiful sunsets I’ve snapped, mostly near the sea. See for yourself below…
Saturday, 13 October 2018: Greens breakfast and sunset burgers from Saint’s
We started our Saturday with breakfast at Greens in Plattekloof Village with Husband’s parents. See our smiley faces and breakfasts.See Husband’s Seaside haddock, hash brown and poached egg breakfast; his dad’s deluxe breakfast with beans, chips, bacon and mushrooms; my flapjacks with caramelised pear, pecan and marscapone cheese; and my coffee shake.Spending quality time with the furkids later that afternoon.We decided on Saint’s in Eden on the Bay for lupper as it’s one of the best spots (close to home) to sea-gaze. See my Cafe Capri – it’s a latte topped with chocolate and coconut, as well as Husband’s glass of red and Tom Yum shooter with chilli flakes on the rim, and our enormous burgers and sides.Bellies full, it was almost time to catch the sunset. We posed all around the yellow National Geographic frame…And then we hit the beach at ‘golden hour’ – I find the light to be just magical as sunset approaches. See how the mountain was outlined, and the sun as it set over the sea.See folk on rocks with their dog in the distance.Pretty girl, nibbling some leftovers.
Sunday, 14 October 2018: News Cafe breakfast and Pakololo sundowners
We popped into News Cafe in Marine Circle for an earlybird Sunday morning breakfast – we were there before 8am! See my cappuccino and earlybird English, as well as Husband’s ‘Mexican sunrise’ bowl.The top row is lupper at Mum’s on Sunday – homemade bobotie with peach mousse dessert; while the bottom row is from dins at our house on Tuesday eve – Mum made meatballs, spicy rice and veg, while Dad captured the rainbow flower light in this coffee cup reflection.Sundowners at Pakololo’s on the beachfront that evening. A Kahlua dom pedro for me, with a Bloody Mary for Husband.Heart-eyes emoji for this pastel sunset, as captured in our back garden.
Wednesday, 17 October 2018: Smile 90.4FM new office meet and greet
I popped in to see Smile 90.4 FM’s new offices after work on Wednesday. They have gorgeous views across the CBD, with lots of greenery and lovely spaces to relax inside, too…Hanging with the cool kids – I chatted to radio hosts Bobby, Bailey and Lindy from Smile FM, as well as Fatima from the Cape Town Ramadaan and Lifestyle Expo.Another beautiful sunset, while passing Sunset Beach on my way home that evening.
That’s all, folks! May your weekend be filled with similarly beautiful sunsets. 🙂
This week, we got to see all the close Cape family members, as our Johannesburg friend Gords was in town on business…
Friday, 5 October 2018: Sunny office start
I started last Friday with a bright Smile 90.4FM mug of Douwe Egberts coffee in the office, yum.
Saturday, 6 October 2018: The Daily, Melkbos and El Barrio Springbok-viewing
A brand new branch of The Daily has opened in Melkbos, over looking the beachfront, so that’s where we headed for Saturday morning breakfast. See my condensed milk-topped tin cup coffee and ‘waffle pop’ topped with bananas and caramel, as well as Husband’s eggs Florentine.View of Melkbos beachfront, from The Daily balcony.Rugby-themed baked goods on display at our local Checkers when we did groceries that afternoon.Husband had some 2-for-1 salmon sashimi from Best Asia Cape Town, the sushi restaurant in Bayside Mall for his early afternoon treat.Scenes from our early Saturday evening dins at El Barrio – we watched the first-half of the Springboks-All Blacks rugby match and ate delicious taco bowls.Husband had a glass of red, I tried the ‘Mexican coffee’ from the breakfast menu – Sierra Blanco, espresso, Kahlua and melted ice cream, with a cinnamon-rim.Spending some quality time with the doglets that evening.
Sunday, 7 October 2018: Sleepy dogs and Pakalolo’s Bloody Mary
Various sleepy dogs as seen in and around the bedroom on Sunday morning.We had breakfast at Village Place in West Coast Village on Sunday morning. I’d already had a coffee at home, so see my peanutbutter smoothie and Husband’s flat white.To eat, Husband had the mince (and eggs) on toast, while I went for the banting flapjacks – the mix includes bananas, and they’re topped with berries and yoghurt. Yum!Scenes from Husband having his customary weekend dip in the sea.Husband looking pleased with his Bloody Mary at Pakalolo’s that afternoon.Mum made a delicious potato-filled beef curry with rotis for lupper that evening.
Monday, 8 October 2018: Study buddy catch-up at Superette
After work on Monday, I caught up with my former study buddy from Red & Yellow School, Jaryd – he now runs Trusted Talent. We were thrilled to be at Superette in the Woodstock Exchange, as you can see.It was super-hot that day so we were given chilled glasses of water with lemon. I also had a hot-cross-bun latte and we each ordered a chocolate brownie – see little lump of white chocolate inside, with berries and cream.
Wednesday, 10 October 2018: Ads24 event at Nasdak and family dins at Jerry’s
Gorgeous view from the ‘Nasdak’, where the Ads24 Food For Thought event was held on Wednesday. Click here and here if you’ve missed my coverage on Bizcommunity so far.As the event was called ‘Food For Thought’, the food on display was a true delight! See the doughuts, asking to be topped or filled with the contents of the hanging tubes – padkos-nostalgia themed, with strawberry Steri-Stumpie, peanutbutter-and-jam, humbug, guava roll-cream or ‘biltong-and-Melrose’ to choose from. Also see superfood capsules and shakers to boost our morning coffee with cocoa, macha powder, turmeric, hemp seed or mushroom powder.Gords was down from Joburg on business on Wednesday, so we gathered the family at Jerry’s on Marine Drive after work that eve.We had booked a booth, so got to see the lights from Jerry’s reflecting out over the view of Table Mountain and Lion’s Head at sunset.Group shot in front of the Jerry’s tattoo wallpaper before we left.The doggies, caught napping together on the couch again that evening.
That’s all, folks! Have a relaxing weekend 🙂
Ramblings, rumblings and random ruminations, version ii. Also reviews, recommendations and alliteration. Based on living the good life in the fairest Cape. Eating is my favourite pastime. Updated weekly
Rambling Litchii 