This past weekend we ate winter-warming food and tried to fit in a spot of relaxing, as you’ll see from the pics below…
Saturday, 13 July 2019: Ou Meul Bakkery brekkie and Balducci lupper
We started our weekend with breakfast at Ou Meul Bakkery in Willowbridge last Saturday. See my red-velvet latte.See our breakfast bowls and happy faces.Bright bunches of wild flowers on display in the eating area of the Willowbridge market.Our sun-dappled garden that afternoon. Not seen: Bertie running around like a wild thing trying to bite the sprinklers and becoming sopping wet in the process!We were invited to review the new winter lunch specials at Balducci’s in the V&A Waterfront that afternoon. See my Amarula Colada shake and Husband’s salt-and-pepper squid starter.For mains, we went for the gnocchi carbonara and lamb shank respectively. Click here for my full, wordy review on Bizcommunity.We were full to the gills by then, but couldn’t pass on dessert. See my ‘white Lindt chocolate’ cheesecake slice, and Husband’s ‘white Nile chocolate martini’.As seen during our post-meal walkies around the Waterfront. Note Husband’s one-leg-up ‘pirate pose’ as we stood near the pirate ship.Palm trees at Woodbridge Island at sunset, as seen on our way home that evening, always make for a pretty photo.Table Mountain standing guard in the background.Low-flying birdies over the water at sunset, just past Dolphin Beach.
Sunday, 14 July 2019: Breakfast at Kauai, Eden on the Bay
We met Husband’s parents for breakfast at Kauai in Eden on the Bay on Sunday morning. Chilly air meant long sleeves and scarves all round…
Tuesday, 16 July 2019: R59 pizzas at Panarotti’s
When I got home from work on Tuesday, Mum quickly whipped up a batch of crumpets and served them piping hot, with syrup and coffee. Yum!On Tuesday night we ventured out to Panarotti’s at Table Bay Mall for their R59 pizza special. See our four different pizzas here as well as a Belgian waffle to end the meal.Dad and me, enjoying our Amarula hot chocolate and Nutella mikshake accordingly.
Wednesday, 17 July 2019: Briyani and doggy jerseys
Wednesday was another cold one, as you can see here, with Bassie wearing her jersey. It was a briyani dins night, with flavoured milk to ease some of the burn.
Thursday, 18 July 2019: Bizcommunity’s 67 minutes for Mandela Day CSI outreach at Manenberg Primary School
A bit of rain didn’t stop the team’s 67 Minutes for Mandela Day activities. We delivered sweet treats and bookmarks to all the kiddies of Manenberg Primary School, and read to 70 learners from the grade 1 and 2 classes. Also see the pretty birdie painted on one of the exterior classroom walls, and our quick team pizza lunch at Ashley’s Family Restaurant post-event. Team pics snapped by Gail and Bardo.
That’s all, folks! Click here to recap my Balducci review on Bizcommunity. We hope you have a warm, restful weekend ahead.
*Disclaimer: Our meal at Balducci was part of our review package. All else came from our own pockets. All enjoyed equally.
Last weekend was cold and rainy – perfect for a weekend away in Franschhoek! But first, we had some family celebrating to do…
Friday, 12 April 2019: Father-in-law’s birthday dins at Portalia
Saturday was Husband’s father’s 76th birthday, so we all joined him at Portalia last Friday evening to celebrate. See the fairy lights in the outside seating area, proof we were all there, the dads having a drink together, my dad’s flambeed chorizo meal and some of our pizzas, and my Amarula coffee.See the boys’ end-of-evening whisky dom pedros.The weather was quite wintery when we got home that evening so we snuggled with the little doggies and noticed a rainbow just after sunrise the next morning.
Saturday, 13 April 2019: Lunch at Anthonij Rupert Wyne’s Terra del Capo, night stay at Akademie Street Boutique Hotel
We started our Saturday with breakfast at Mugg & Bean in Bayside Mall. See my peanut-butter latte and avo-rainbow slaw toast, as well as Husband’s egg-and-bacon toast, Coke Zero and cafe crema.Next stop, Husband treated us to a couple’s massage at Aiyara Thai Spa in Eden on the Bay. We were prodded and pummeled with Tiger Balm for a good 45-minutes, to ease the stresses of the first quarter of the year.Next, road trip! We stopped at Anthonij Rupert Wyne on the very outskirts of Franschhoek’s main road on our way into town for lunch. Once our appointment was ticked off at the gate we parked and made our way into the tasting area, all decked out for Easter.See Terra del Capo’s fresh-out-the-oven breads with olive oil and balsamic vinegar in upcycled Protea wine bottles, Husband’s Franschhoek trout and smoked salmon antipasti dishes, and the ‘digestifs’ trolley with cocktail options.Mmm. My sweet-potato gnocchi with hazelnuts, pancetta and Tallegio cheese was the highlight of the meal at Anthonij Rupert Wyne’s Terra del Capo, as one of the handful of warm dishes on the summer menu.We’re yet to sample the high tea at Anthonij Rupert Wyne’s Terra del Capo, but if the desserts are anything to go by, they’re a must! See my cappuccino – Terbodore’s hazelnut blend, with a sweet iced bunny biscuit, as well as the berry-topped chocolate torte and the mini ‘crossover cake’ – a mix of cheesecake and carrot cake. We just managed to finish these between the two of us.Cheers! There was a roaring fire blazing in the upstairs wine-tasting room, a quaint car waiting down below, and delicious wines to imbibe. Click here for my full review on Bizcommunity!Home for the night – Akademie Street Boutique Hotel in Franschhoek. Perfect for a winter stay, scroll through to see why!Some of the eye-catching things in and around Akademie Street Boutique Hotel. That’s Husband with a Bluetooth-activated gramophone, so you power your choice of songs from your phone. The ‘Africa’ art bottom right comprises booklike paper folds.Views of windows, from windows and the cute hand-drawn map from Akademie Street Boutique Hotel.The main pool – bottom-left – has a jacuzzi at one end. Also see the private pool and jacuzzi outside out cottage’s suites in the top-left and bottom-right. Consider us two waterbabies delighted!We stayed in Gelatenheid A. Some of the sections of our suite: See the wall of books and mirrors, freestanding bath tub and heated towel rails – not used, balcony as seen from the hot tub and bed at the centre of the suite.One of my favourite labels ever: “Come quickly, I am tasting the stars.” This MCC Brut was a lovely welcome treat – thank you Akademie Street!There’s nothing nicer than hot-tubbing when it’s bucketing down outside. As the barrel-shaped hot tub is wood-fired, we were happy and toasty all afternoon.As sunset started to streak the sky, we reluctantly got out of the hot tub for a spot of exploring.The gardens are quiet and filled with pretty things, like these statues and wooden works of art. Take a stroll around the grounds, weather permitting!See Husband strolling down from our suite to the Orangerie area for pre-dinner drinks, snacks and games. He also played the piano for a while.For dins, we walked down to the Elephant & Barrel Village Pub on main road around 7pm. I had a delicious coffee shake, Husband had a Castle Lite draught, and as we were still so full from our lunch at Terra del Capo, we shared the potato wedges with sour cream, guacomole and curry mayo. Yum!Lol! This night’s stay featured straw sun hats in the standard gownie photo. See four of the numerous attempts at this photo.Our full bellies and the sound of rain outside meant we slept very well that night.
Sunday, 14 April 2019: Doggy beach walks at Kreeftebaai
Scenes from breakfast on Sunday morning. See the pastry selection, platter of fruits, granola, yoghurt, smoothies and honey on each table, as well as the Le Creuset coffee carafe and our hot orders – eggs benedict with bacon for Husband and pancakes with bacon and honey for me.Husband walking with an umbrella to our checkout on Sunday morning. See the nice sign at the empty bicycle rack – “I don’t ride a bike to add days to my life, I ride a bike to add life to my days.”Terbodore coffee’s Big Dog Cafe was closed as we made our way out of Franschhoek on Sunday, but the Terbo Truck looked inviting – will try stop in on our next visit!We took the doglets for nice long walkies at the beach that afternoon. See Bertie and his dad in the sea while Bassie steered me toward the safety of the dunes.More beach walkies at Kreeftebaai.
That’s all, folks! We hope you’re having a relaxing Easter long weekend. 🙂 Click here for my full review of our lunch experience at Anthonij Rupert Wyne’s Terra del Capo on Bizcommunity, with my review of Akademie Street Boutique Hotel to follow soon. Tune in for my next update next week – same time, same place. 🙂
*Disclaimer: Our meals and accommodation at Anthonij Rupert’s Terra del Capo and Akademie Street Boutique Hotel were part of our review package. All else came from our own pockets. All enjoyed equally.
You’ll note I said breakfasts, plural – that’s no typo. In a rare occurrence, we had breakfast at Kauai both days last weekend, and felt surprisingly healthy as a result! Lol. See proof of this and other meals below…
Thursday, 4 April 2019: Mid-workday flapjack treats
I worked from home last Thursday, so joined my parents when they had a teatime treat at Mugg & Bean. See our shared flapjack stack and assorted coffees.
Saturday, 6 April 2019: Kauai breakfasts and home braais
Kauai breakfast, take 1. Spec had slept over on Friday night and was with us for the weekend, so joined us when we breakfasted at Kauai at Eden on the Bay on Saturday morning. See our strong flat whites, as well as the boys’ pesto bowl breakfasts and my hot almond-nutbutter-date oats pot.Husband’s parents came to braai on Saturday as Cynthia was visiting from Joburg. See various stages of braai unfolding under our big tree.The sweet doglets snapped at various stages during and after the braai. Note the leaf on Bertie’s nose in the bottom-left pic.
Sunday, 7 April 2019: Curious chameleons and homemade chicken burgers
Kauai breakfast, take 2. We’d enjoyed the previous day’s breakfast so much that we repeated the experience on Sunday, with slight variations – we stuck with the flat whites but the boys tried the protein-egg bowl this time, and I had the choc-protein smoothie bowl. Yum! We’ll be back, for sure.Husband found this sweet little chameleon while busy in the garden on Sunday.For Sunday lupper we made our own chicken burgers and ate them in the garden, followed by creme caramel for dessert. Just what Sunday tastes like!
Tuesday, 9 April 2019: Midweek Italian dins
Autumn has definitely hit the Cape, so Mum rustled up the perfect Italian dins on Tuesday evening. That’s linguine bolognaise with red wine (Tall Horse merlot).
Wednesday, 10 April 2019: Marianne Thamm lecture and Cannes Lions’ 42 Courses masterclass on storytelling
On Wednesday I attended Marianne Thamm’s lunchtime lecture at Red & Yellow School. Click here to read my overview.I also completed 42 Courses’ Cannes Lions masterclass on storytelling.
Thursday, 11 April 2019: Heavy Chef masterclass at Workshop 17
Workshop 17 served as my office on Thursday. Love this elephant/Africa mural.
That’s all for now, folks! The weekend ahead looks set to be cold and wet so stay warm and dry! 🙂
Last week we finally moved into our dream home here in Cape Town, along with the doggies and my parents. It’s a process that we started back in June, so we can’t quite believe it’s real!
As you’ll see from the pics below, all are now settled in and happy – especially as the move coincided with Bertie’s 9th birthday…
Friday, 1 March 2019: Moving day, Bertie’s 9th birthday
Bye bye, Bishops Bend! We’ve loved our four years here in the first house we’ve owned, but the time has come for something different. After everything was packed up, we said our final goodbyes last Friday evening.Hello, Giraffe House! So many things make us happy about our new home, as you’ll see from the pics below and more to come in the next few weeks – two separate houses, one enormous garden for the doggies…More of the pretty corners of our new home.There are beautiful blossoms and trees everywhere you look here, and the doglets love doing laps around the garden. It’s so tropical.Amongst all the unpacking that evening, we even managed to fit in a mini-birthday celebration for Bertie boy.Moving in celebrations! Some of Bertie’s birthday-party snacks, his new giraffe rope-toy, split shooters to celebrate the big move, as well as a beautiful vase of flowers and thoughtful muffin-and-coffee welcome gift from our new neighbours. We feel loved!Bertie receiving his ‘Giraffe House’ birthday present – we’ve had it hidden away since starting the house purchase process. He has pulled out most of the stuffing and now watches TV with it. So sweet!
Saturday, 2 March 2019: Celebratory cocktails and tacos at El Barrio
We were drenched in sweat from unpacking boxes on Saturday afternoon as it was such a hot day, so as soon as we had a gap we hit the beach. It was just what our aching feet needed. Husband said the water was less icy than usual so he had quite a long swim in the sea, too.We also stopped in at El Barrio in Eden on the Bay for a celebration of tacos and cocktails. See our tacos, Husband’s blueberry-filled ‘Mexican hipster’ and my strawberry, lime and mint frozen margarita. Yum!We all had a braai together that evening. Also see Husband testing out my hammock chair.Finally, a tree shady enough to swing from my hammock chair in peace!
Sunday, 3 March 2019: Blueberries breakfast
We stopped in at Blueberries in Table View Shopping Centre for a quick breakfast. See my banana-caramel pancake and Husband’s hash-brown plate.Beautiful star-shaped buds caught in a fine spider’s web in a hidden corner of our new garden.
Monday, 4 March 2019: Rocomama’s waffles
The doggies watching their Granny’s every move while adjusting to the novelty of living together. Such sweeties.Husband was back at work on Monday but I had one more day to unpack all those boxes, so unpack I did – then went for a treat at Rocomama’s once I was done. See Dad’s waffle sandwich, Mum’s Hey Joe saucy hot dog, and my espresso shake.My half-portion Cookies n Scream waffle was just what the doctor ordered. 🙂
Tuesday, 5 March 2019: Sunrise in Woodstock
We’ve had quite a few early starts to work this week, arriving at the office before 7am. See the sunrise as I walk towards my office from the MyCiti bus stop in Woodstock.
Wednesday, 6 March 2019: Interviewing CEOs at YPO
I popped into the CTICC on Wednesday, to interview a few of the members and speakers of YPO, the world’s largest gathering of CEOs. Click here if you missed my first overview.
That’s all for now, folks! 🙂 Check in next week for more pics.
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! 🙂
Last weekend was chilly yet sunny – some would say Spring is here, but the weather at the moment is anything but. Grey, misty and drizzly, with bursts of sunshine now and then, it feels like we’re back at the start of winter. Let’s look back at the sunshine instead…
Friday, 31 August 2018: Bizcommunity and Cinemark’s Cannes Lions feedback session
Some of the scenes from the Cape Town version of the Bizcommunity and Cinemark feedback from Cannes Lions morning – see Proteas and French flags alike at the food table to depict a taste of France (Cannes) in SA; as well as some of my favourite moments from the presentations of the morning. Click here for a more comprehensive overview.Proof I was there! Networking with a lovely attendee from Doctors Without Borders – her boss bought her a ticket to attend the event as a birthday present.
Saturday, 1 September 2018: Spring Day braai at the in-laws
Beautiful palm tree-lined street in Melkbosstrand, and just look at the cute little bench.We got to Damhuis in Melkbosstrand just as they were opening on Saturday morning, so that’s where we breakfasted. See our cappuccinos with tiny rusks to dunk; as well as my scone topped with jam, whipped cream and grated cheese; and Husband’s banting bacon eggs benedict served on a mushroom.Bertie was in the Spring spirit later that morning, merrily sniffing flowers in the garden. Such a sweet boy.Beautiful crashing waves and view of Table Mountain at one of Husband’s favourite swimming spots that afternoon.Lol! Pictures on the right are there to see if you’re paying attention – it’s my caramel treat milkshake and husband’s beer, obviously. This is outside at Doodles on the beachfront in the early afternoon. Just lovely.Later that day, we headed to my parents-in-law’s house for an evening braai.Pretty flowers blossoming at my in-laws’ house.Little Miss Bassie did a heckin’ explore of the long grass in the garden. What a cutie!Bertie boy sitting patiently on the couch while we braai.Sweet little Bassie wanted to see all the foodies on the table. Teehee at her facial expression.Some of the foodies Bassie was interested in – assorted braai meats, salads and chocolate mousse for dessert. Yum!Aww. Bassie having a moment with her father-dad.Such pretty clouds above!
Sunday, 2 September 2018: Brotherly breakfast at the Pink Olive
Spec slept over at ours that night, so we breakfasted at the Pink Olive the next morning. Big smiles once our coffees were downed.The Pink Olive should be called the Blue Olive with this decor, really. See our coffees, the boys’ ‘bacon banting basket’ breakfasts (yes, Husband’s second banting brekkie of the weekend) and my toasted chicken mayo with red onions and gherkins. Yum!
Monday, 3 September 2018: Sunrise from the bus window
Sunrise on Monday morning, as seen from the bus window on my commute to work.
Wednesday, 6 September 2018: I always feel like somebody’s watching me
This is how the doggies stare at me when I’m trying to work. That’s when they’re not jostling for spots on my lap, of course.
That’s all, folks. Keep warm and dry this weekend!
Apologies for the slightly delayed post, loyal readers. As you probably know, I’m in Durban this week covering the Loeries so making do when I have a spot of free time.
And you’ll see the past week and a bit has also been busier than usual as we had the the Women’s Day public holiday, as well as both my parents’ birthdays.
See how we celebrated this and more below…
Monday, 6 August 2018: Media networking at Expresso Studios
It was an odd feeling to see all the settings that are synonymous with the Expresso morning show. We also met the six new SABC3 presenters, so click here if you missed my interviews with them.Husband and I enjoying a flute of bubbly in front of the tropical wall at Expresso Studios.
Tuesday, 7 August 2018: Future Females’ women in leadership breakfast
I attended my first Future Females women in leadership breakfast session on Spin Street, all about better communication in the workplace. Click here for my coverage on Biz, if you missed it.
Thursday, 9 August 2018: Women’s Day breakfast at All in the Kitchen, Mexican dins at El Barrio
We started our Women’s Day on a delicious note, with breakfast at All in the Kitchen. See my bacon-egg croissant, the salmon-poached eggs-avo ‘omega breakfast; the others went for, and our flat whites. Also pretty roses, cakes and shots of Amaretto.We tried El Barrio in Eden on the Bay for dinner that night. See the lovely decor and Husband’s ‘Mexican Flag’ tequila shooter.The menu design is just gorgeous, and everything we ate and drank was delicious. See my Mexican chilli hot chocolate (you melt the chocolate into the hot, spiced milk); also our taco bowls – mine was pork, Husband had beef) – and also sunset.
Friday, 10 August 2018: Dad’s 68th birthday treats
Last Friday was my dad’s 68th birthday, so we popped in to wish him in person once we were done with work for the day. See some of the sweet treats Mum created, and the doggies loving all the attention.Such a bright, pretty sunset in the suburbs.
Saturday, 11 August 2018: Daily Cafe breakfast, Panama Jacks lunch
We breakfasted at the Daily Cafe in Seaside Village on Saturday. See Husband’s coffee tasting tray and breakfast wrap, as well as my condensed-milky tin cup and ‘waffle pop’, topped with caramel and bananas.The doggies had a heckin explore later that morning when we took them for a wander close to home. See Bertie in the water, curious Bassie and the mountain behind us.We stopped in at Panama Jacks near the harbour for lunch after Husband popped in at work for a quick half-hour. See some of the sights we saw.Lunch! Husband had the Thai fish curry with a glass of red, I had the duck starter and a ‘cookie’ shake. Yum.Sleepy sweeties on the couch.
Sunday, 12 August 2018: Rocomama’s burgers, dogs and shakes
I went for three cinnamon-sugar pancakes for R20 and a butterscotch latte for breakfast at Cup & Cake in Eden on the Bay last Sunday, while Husband had a flat white, Coke Zero and the salmon eggs benedict.We headed out to Rocomama’s Durbanville for a between-parents-birthdays treat. Their burgers and dogs are always a treat!See the beer- and cider-drinkers at one end of the table, the milkshakers on the other, and the ‘ plain half waffle’ we shared for dessert.Speaking of milkshake… I made my way through this fantastic freak shake – the ‘Surprise Me’ on the day was an Oreo cookies/peanut buttery-caramel concoction, dripping with dark and white chocolate. Delicious!My precious doglets. Probably wanting some of my coffee that evening. Or rather, the biscuit.
That’s all, folks! Watch for my Durban Loeries highlights in next week’s blog post. Wish me luck…
Last weekend saw us in Stellenbosch, where we had the most wonderful time. I’ll let the pictures do the talking so you can see for yourself…
Saturday, 4 August 2018: Lunch at Majeka House’s M Bar, chocolate pairing at Waterford Estate
We had some weekend admin to sort out first thing, so Saturday’s breakfast was enjoyed at W Cafe in Woolworths, Table Bay Mall. See Husband’s eggs benedict and flat white, with my poached pear-topped French toast and vanilla-cinnamon cappuccino. Yum.What’s a road trip without caffeine? We ended up with a cafe mocha for me and a Coke Zero for Husband, and enjoyed watching the scenery become all woodsy the closer we got to Stellenbosch.What a welcome! When you see that tree in the middle of the road, you know you’re in whisper distance of Majeka House. Also see one of the quirky pig ornaments (they’re everywhere at Majeka House), and the herbal infusion from Majeka’s own herb garden, served in the prettiest floral cups.The M Bar at Majeka House is beautiful, with gold touches and pops of royal blue everywhere. There was a toasty fire blazing inside, but we opted to eat out in the elements, amongst the unusual cacti.Our lunch choices from the Majeka Menu. We opted for just a main each – the line fish for Husband and the pasta for me, with the vanilla creme brulee for dessert.There were no burgers in stock and the menu was quite seafood-heavy, so I the coriander-chilli-broccoli-bocconcini pasta was my best bet, especially when paired with a gingery rose martini. Also see husband’s asparagus and the linefish – Cape breem on the day, cooked to perfection, as well as the vanilla creme brulee topped with a cookie and paired with a cappuccino.Strong, rich coffee, a crisp breeze, bird song and blues and greens everywhere you look. That’s Majeka House!Bellies full, it was time to explore our room! We were in one of two with access to a private (very cold) pool. Also see the pretty pink and grey birdy theme, even on the glass doors on the bathroom.I won’t tell you how many takes we took at getting it to look like I was wrapped up in the flamingo birdy. 🙂See the beautiful but chilly pool. The base is striped and would be good for a few laps! I didn’t brave it much more than this, alas. The coffee was much needed, and even that didn’t do the trick so we decided it was time for a quick explore of the local wine farms. What a good idea!Waterford Estate is like something an artist imagined and brought to life with a magic paintbrush.You just can’t go wrong with visiting a wine farm in the Western Cape, but Waterford Estate has a special touch. From the game viewing vehicle to the pretty trees…To the classy country setting with lights and log fires everywhere you look…To the chocolate-wine pairing, which is complementary if you’re staying at Majeka House. Waterford Estate was actually the first local wine farm to offer a chocolate-wine pairing, and we can see why it’s been such a success. The chocolates are specially crafted and can only be bought at the Estate. We highly recommend this activity if you’re visiting Stellenbosch!But the best part, for us? The tiny fruit dotted on trees in rows and rows across the estate. They were sweet and seedless, and left our fingers orange-scented.Dornier is on the same road as Waterford Estate, so we stopped in for a quick visit – see why I say you can’t go wrong with visiting a wine farm in the Western Cape?Some of the things we saw while travelling those semi-rural roads of Stellenbosch.Juice and dessert! We’d just returned to our room when there was a knock on our door in the early evening, and we were presented with fresh, spicy juice and a yummy berry-chocolate panna cotta.Later that evening we made use of the fitness centre and the steam room, sauna, indoor pool and jacuzzi. This is bliss!This was the best option from our standard gown photo shoot. I promise. Not seen: Just how fluffy and soft and warm they were.Night time! See the sky at sunset and how the Majeka House archways light up once the moon rises.
Sunday, 5 August 2018: Breakfast buffet at Makaron
The moment Husband’s eyes were open on Sunday morning, it was time for breakfast in Makaron. See the hot breakfast menu, some of the treats to choose from the continental buffet, and tea equipment.This little piggy guarded the breakfast buffet.The seating arrangements at Makaron restaurant in Majeka House are quite something. Look at these fancy chairs!We had bowl after bowl of beautiful assortment of food. See our strong coffees served with hot milk, clusters of honeyed muesli with nuts and yoghurt, the American pancakes with hot, jammy blueberries and Husband’s full breakfast including tomato, mushrooms and sausages.Suspicious Bassie, once we were safely home again that afternoon.Bertie having a snuggle with his dad.
Monday, 6 August 2018: Sunrise in Woodstock
The most beautiful citrus-streaky sunrise when I got off the MyCiti bus at Woodstock Station on Monday morning.
That’s all, folks! We hope you have a relaxing weekend ahead. 🙂
*Disclaimer: Our meals and accommodation at Majeka House and Waterford Estate were part of our review package. All else came from our own pockets. All enjoyed equally.
Last week was really busy and quite chilly but filled with happy, delicious moments, too…
Wednesday, 4 April 2018: Autumn Risotto Pop-Up Experience at 95 Keerom and Gords’ visit
I’d been invited to review the Autumn Risotto Pop-Up Experience at 95 Keerom on Wednesday afternoon, so of course I accepted the offer. Each bowl was delicious, especially accompanied by Steenberg Wines’ finest.The food and the drink. Yes, I ate all this. Click through for details and full descriptions in my official review on Bizcommunity.Gords, one of Husband’s oldest friends from our Joburg days, was in Cape Town on business on Wednesday so we jumped at the chance to see him at Husband’s parents’ house. See various happy moments below – yes, the doggies were there, too.Husband’s Mum cooked up haggis, chilli con carne, potatoes and various veg in honour of Gords’ visit. See how thrilled Bertie was to greet Gords, also see my Mum with Bassie (my parents popped in for a quick visit, too).
Friday, 6 April 2018: Doggies warming themselves at the fire
The doggies warming themselves at the fire last Friday evening.Sleepy sweethearts.Precious little Bassie peeping out from under her blankie.
Saturday, 7 April 2018: Coffee-filled breakfast at The Daily
The Daily at Seaside Village in Big Bay had revamped its menu so we went for a quick taste. As it was first thing in the morning, we started with coffee! See various shots of Husband’s ‘con panna’ (espresso topped with cream) and my latte.To eat we went with old favourites – toasted chicken mayo in white for me, eggs florentine for Husband. See shots of how they were served on the left and after we’d doctored them with sauces on the right.After a fair deal of weekend admin we decided on an early dinner at The Orient in Eden on the Bay that evening. See various hand rolls, sashimi and maki consumed by Husband, and my cashew chicken dish bottom left.
Sunday, 8 April 2018: Coffee at Reload, breakfast at Tables at Nitida, liquid treats at Pakalolo
We were up earlier than necessary on Sunday so stopped for a fancy coffee treat first thing. The outside seating area at Reload in Parklands is inviting.See my peppermint-chocolate latte and various weekend newspapers. Sunday morning bliss.As we’d not seen them the day before, we met Husband’s parents at Tables at Nitida for breakfast. It’s such a pretty spot!Love the mosaic tables at Tables (lol) – also see my Milo shake;, the general ‘bacon-eggs-mushrooms-tomato’ brekkie ordered by Husband’s parents; my brioche French toast with jar of scrumptious caramelised bananas and nuts; and Husband’s Italian-style chorizo-pepper-feta-spring onion open-faced omelette. No wonder their tagline is ‘For the love of food!’Tables at Nitida always makes us feel welcome. “May all who enter as guests leave as friends.”After we’d ‘left as friends’, we stopped in at Klein Rosboom for a look around. The entry table is just so pretty. Insert heart-eyes emoji.Some of the lovely sights at Klein Roosboom. We found ‘die hang gat’, where you can sit in a swing chair while tasting wine. Such fun!You can see us peeking into another of the tasting room ‘caves’ at Klein Roosboom in the mirror here.Much later that afternoon, after lots of manual labour in the garden, we stopped in at Pakalolo on the beachfront for a liquid treat. It was a frosty Castle Light draught for Husband and raspberry virgin daquiri for me. Delicious!You can just make out Husband behind my virgin raspberry daquiri here. Lol.Ahh. That’s how you spend a Sunday afternoon. Sipping daquiris and staring at sea views.Mum outdid herself with homemade gnocchi and a crunchy salad for lupper that eve.
Wednesday, 11 April 2018: Overcast fiery skies at night
Overcast sunset sky at night…
Thursday, 12 April 2018: ‘Feel better’ pastries from Trescatelli Bakery
Cloud-flecked sunrise sky in the morning.There was a bus strike on Thursday and I wasn’t feeling 100% so worked from home that day. Day made when my parents popped in with delicious pastries! See huge mug of coffee with chocolate and vanilla-cream cannoli from Trescatelli Bakery here. Mmm.
Last week, our dear doggie boy Bertie turned 8. So despite us both having full plates of work, we made a plan to include delicious food and quality time with our furry children, too…
Thursday, 1 March 2018: Bertie’s 8th birthday
Aww! When we got home from work, I showed Bertie some of the birthday messages he’d received from friends and family on Facebook. He loved them, as you can see.Teehee. This was the best option from a number of ‘birthday hat’ poses, I promise.
Friday, 2 March 2018: Coffee meet at Red Sofa Cafe
Did someone say ‘Friday coffee meet at the Red Sofa Cafe’? I was there like a bear, mirrored sunnies and all.As it was breakfast time, I went for the flapjack stack. Brimming with blueberries, marscapone cheese and honey, it was delicious!I tried the cheeseburger with sweet potato fries from the Bread Cafe downstairs for Friday lunch, once back in the office.
Saturday, 3 March 2018: Cup & Cake buffet breakfast
Husband was working again on Saturday, so I had a breakfast date my my parents at Cup & Cake at Eden, which has just moved to new premises. See some of the cakes and views here.Also see my gingerbread latte, the sweet birdie sugar cup and more.Table shot of all our eats and drinks at Cup & Cake.We headed to Husband’s parents’ house for dins that eve, once he got home from work. Bassie was very affectionate with her dad.Bertie ripped open his presents with a little help from his dad, and was delighted to meet his new TV-viewing companion, Seal. Bassie was happy to share his fancy doggy biscuits, too.Bassie joined me while I had my post-dins coffee outside, just before the sun set. She wasn’t so sure about including Bertie in the photos, LOL.Bertie snuggled with his seal on the couch that evening.Teehee, he really loves his birthday seal!
Sunday, 4 March 2018: Breakfast at Village Place Cafe, Black Panther at GrandWest Casino
We all met at the Village Place Cafe for breakfast first thing on Sunday.My Sunday cappuccino at Village Place Cafe.Some of the food we ate. See Husband’s poached egg on a stack of sorts, as well as brother-in-law Spec’s more traditional plate of eggs, bacon, toast and tomato, with my banting flapjacks and mum-in-law’s mushroomy toast plate.Later that morning, Spec met us at GrandWest Casino as we’d booked tickets to watch the latest Marvel movie, Black Panther. All had a fun time, as you can see 😉
Monday, 5 March 2018: Doggy snuggles on the couch
Bassie having a snuggle with her dad on the couch after another tough day at work.It seems we interrupted an important conversation between the siblings when we snapped this photo of the doggies.
That’s all, folks! The weather looks quite chilly at the moment so perhaps we will give the beach a miss this 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 