What you missed at AfricaCom 2018 and Friday evenings at Moyo

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I went for the colourful Smoky something (seems Pakalolo’s online menus are out of date or else I would tell you the exact name).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.

That’s all for now, folks! See you next week 🙂

Superette study buddy brownies and midweek sunset burgers at Jerry’s

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 🙂

Sunny winter weekends at the beach

Last weekend, the weather was sunny and mild so we spent lots of time out and about, as you’ll see from the pics below…

Friday, 13 July 2018: Warding off the winter chill at work

The winter chill returned last Friday, so much so that I wore my fingerless gloves to type at work. I also gladly accepted the orange my sweet deskmate offered.

Saturday, 14 July 2018: News Cafe earlybirds and beachview burgers at Jerry’s

We started our weekend with earlybird breakfast specials at News Cafe on Marine Drive – the full English for me, the eggs benedict for Husband.

Later that day we were doing weekend chores at N1 City, where I snapped these brightly coloured cream doughnuts. Was almost tempted to have one, but…

I knew we were heading to Jerry’s for an early dins so kept my appetite for it. See Husband’s ‘drunken chicken’ burger with skinny fries and my cheesy ‘heart attack’ with sweet potato fries. Also see Husband’s glass of red and my wild berry shake.

View from our table at Jerry’s, Table View. Chilly, but gorgeous.

Aww. Bertie looked so proud of himself for getting a hug from his dad that evening.

Little Miss Bassie was equal parts suspicious and jealous, but also received lots of TLC.

Sunday, 15 July 2018: Melkbos Kitchen breakfast and doggy beach walks

The weather was bright and beautiful again on Sunday so we took a little drive for breakfast. See the calm sea of Melkbosstrand.

Melkbos Kitchen looked most appealing, so that’s where we ate. See our flat whites, Husband’s eggs benedict and my apple-ginger flapjack stack. Close-up to follow…

Close-up of my apple-ginger flapjack stack.

This was the beautiful empty road later that day – it just shouts of ‘Sunday afternoon drive in the country!’

Later that afternoon the wind had died down, so it was perfect weather to take the doggie for beach walkies.

Sweet Bertie at Kreeftebaai. If you look closely you’ll see he is Very Wet as he loves to swim doggy-paddle along the shore and then sprint up and down the coast, barking at sea birds.

Sea birds in flight, soon after Bertie started barking at them.

Sweet little Bassie also enjoys a brisk trot but prefers to stay dry, for the most part.

See the quiche and mini sausages we snacked on at Husband’s parents’ house that afternoon. The doggies were delighted when my parents popped in for a few minutes, too. See Bassie nestled between me and Mum, Bertie asleep on the couch against his grampa’s leg, and the chocolate cake Mum rustled up in the microwave when we visited later that evening.

If you’ve been active on social media this week, you’ll know this also happened…

That’s all, folks! Have a happy weekend 🙂

Beach dogs, art galleries and a splash of coffee

The past week-and-a-bit was filled with dashing around from work event to work event, a few arty moments – and coffee, of course…

Monday, 21 May 2018: Social media workshop at Southern Sun Newlands

I spent all of last Monday at the Southern Sun Newlands, soaking up knowledge from the Vivid Engage ‘understanding social media and using it to market your business’ workshop. Click here if you missed my overview on Biz!

It was a wonderfully rainy day so we were happy to batten down the hatches, ask questions and take notes. There was a tempting foosball table right outside the conference room and also lovely conference food in the Newlands Cafe downstairs at lunch time.

Tuesday, 22 May 2018: Startupbootcamp FastTrack interview

Then on Tuesday I dashed off the Old Mutual Centre in Pinelands for a quick lunchtime interview with Phil Kiracofe, CEO of Startupbootcamp. If you have no idea what I’m talking about, click here to educate yourself!

Thursday, 24 May 2018: Afternoon at Southern Guild

I’d been to Southern Guild’s gallery space once before, when they were just up the road in Woodstock (that’s where we snapped this pic of me in a Porky Hefer original), but not since their move to the Silo side of the V&A Waterfront a year ago, so was only happy to attend their ‘announcement event’. The actual content shared is under wraps for another week still, but you can take in some of the scenes so long – that’s a glass of Krone in the bottom right…

Some of the sights in and around Southern Guild. It was another much-needed rainy day, so my umbrella tagged along for the trip.

Sweet little Bassie warming herself in front of the fire that evening.

Saturday, 26 May 2018: Golden lattes and ground-splattered ice creams

We had some mall admin to do so breakfasted at W Cafe at Woolworths in the new Table Bay Mall. See me smelling my ‘golden latte’ – turmeric, ginger and cinnamon. Also Husband’s flat white in the background, his exotic shroom bowl and my Nutella French toast. Yum!

The weather had turned crisp yet sunny that afternoon, so Husband had his weekend plunge in the Atlantic.

Isn’t this the saddest thing you’ve ever seen? Luckily not mine, but it was right outside our car when we returned from our beach visit.

Sunday, 27 May: Cup & Cake brunch, Jerry’s burger’s lunch and train station collection

We had brunch at Cup & Cake with Husband’s parents on Sunday. See my creamy spiced chai latte at Cup & Cake.

Ah, pancakes! Cup & Cake’s current special is three cinnamon-sugar ones for R20. They’re fresh and tasty.

We had early lupper at Jerry’s on the beachfront as we’d only be collecting my parents from the train station much later that eve. Husband told me to pose.

The view at Jerry’s is quite something, as is the food. Husband went for a Bloody Jerry to drink and Drunken chicken burger to eat, while I opted for the peanut butter-banana shake and the ‘Heart attack’ burger with sweet potato fries. We ate it all.

Finally! Husband managed to get us onto the exact platform at Cape Town station where the Rovos rail would eventually pull up, so we were there to film my parents and their new friends as they got off the train.

Monday, 28 May 2018: Almost-disastrous day-off dog walkies

After some bike admin first thing on Monday – the reason we’d taken a day’s leave – my parents treated us to breakfast at All in the Kitchen, which is only open on weekdays. I agree that coffee is always a good idea! See the pretty foamy flat whites, my ‘nutters’ granola bowl, the bacon-cheese croissant Husband and Mum went for, and Dad’s toasted bacon-and-egg.

Such an attractive breakfast spread!

We drove the doggies up to Kreeftebaai and due to the chilly weather with drizzle on-and-off, found it absolutely deserted. The doggies had a ball running to and fro.

Sweet little Bassie running back towards me from all the way up the coast. You’ll notice her brother is nowhere in sight.

See Bassie trotting sweetly beside her dad, only to realise brother Bertie is long gone chasing birdies up the coast. We drove two beaches further up before Husband found him gazing out at sea in ‘wild dog’ mode. Bassie won’t admit it but she was slightly concerned. All’s well, though!

All tuckered out, Bertie was very content to just lie on the warm blankets that evening.

Thursday, 31 May 2018: Crystal Towers working breakfast

I met a PR colleague for our annual catch-up chat first thing on Thursday. It was yet another much-needed rainy day so the strong cappuccinos were just what we ordered.

That’s all, folks! May your weekend be happy and warm; and your ice-cream not go splat on the ground.

Melkbos’ best chocolate flapjacks & ice cream at Fish Hoek beach

T’was a long weekend for us here in sunny SA, with Heritage Day taking place on Sunday so all and sundry celebrated on Monday. Here’s what we’ve been up to since returning home from Zanzibar…

Wednesday, 20 September 2017: News Cafe breakfast

As we only got home around midnight on the Tuesday, we had thought ahead and taken the Wednesday off work, too. This meant we could sleep in and spend some quality time with the doglets, before answering our tummies’ call for breakfast, stat! It was still fairly early so we made our way to News Cafe at Marine Circle. This was my much-needed cappuccino (to wash down the malaria pill)…

And of course I went for the early bird breakfast special. Full English is just R35 if ordered before 10am. Well worth it!

We also treated the doggies to beach walkies. They had a wonderful time. See Bertie barking away in contentment here and Bassie’s various faces of bliss.

And later that day, after naps and some ‘back home but not yet at work’ admin, we stopped off for milkshakes at our nearest Wimpy. That’s my Milo shake and Husband went for the lumo yellow banana option.

Saturday, 23 September 2017: Melkbos Kitchen breakfast

Having survived a short but intense work week for us, we felt like a little road trip to start our weekend so travelled a whopping 15 minutes or so to Melkbos. This is the view of the mountain behind us.

We stopped in at Melkbosstrand’s latest foodie addition, Melkbos Kitchen (where Ritzi’s used to be, between the Hart and I ❤ Melkies). It’s a warm, welcoming setting with pretty lighting. Husband enjoyed the salmon benedict doused in Tabasco sauce…

Cappuccino with biscotti. Delicious!

You guys. Just look at this dark chocolate-banana-nut flapjack stack with side jug of cream.

It was my parents’ 39th wedding anniversary on the day, so we met them for a quick celebratory beer at the Driftwood once they had returned home from their night away in Wellington. Say cheese! 🙂

Later that evening we popped in at Jerry’s on the beachfront – we keep meaning to phone ahead to book one of the booths overlooking the mountain as you see here, next time! I had the Lust Lucy burger (they stuff cheese into the patty, mmm) while Husband tried the Asian chicken burger. As delicious as always, especially if you swap out the standard fries for sweet potato fries. Also see my wild berry shake. Yummers!

Sunday, 24 September 2017: Reload cappuccino and strawberry salad

Breakfast at Reload usually means bagels, omelettes or waffles. On Sunday it meant the first two options – a bacon-bockwurst open omelette with triple cappuccino for Husband and the Copenhagen bagel (grated cheese, ham, mayo as you can see) for me, with choc-mint latte. Close up of that amazing hot drink below…

Just gorgeous! No sugar needed as the peppermint-choc syrup is sweet enough.

Mum made a beautiful bright salad as part of lupper that evening.

Monday, 25 September 2017: Nicci + Lu’s and ice cream on Fish Hoek beach

We’d been meaning to pop into Nicci + Lu’s (in the same centre as Reload at the Parklands SuperSpar) for a while now, and finally got around to it first thing on Monday. Were we in for a treat! There are gifts aplenty to browse and the food is just what we were looking for. See our cappuccinos here, as well as Husband’s breakfast wrap and my toasted avo, feta and bacon. They have other light meals and daily baked goods to choose from, so I’m sure we’ll be back!

Following a quick visit to see brother-in-law Spec’s new place in Fish Hoek, we stopped off at the beach for an ice cream, despite the shivery weather. I was clearly delighted (and Husband had the camera far too close so I couldn’t help laughing nervously, teehee).

Here’s a better shot of the ice cream cone, plus see Husband trotting off into the sea in the distance.

That’s all, folks! Have a happy weekend 🙂

Rambling Litchi’s best of 2016

Just when you thought I was done for the year, I decided a ‘best of’ compilation post was necessary.

See the list below for some of our favourite things from 2016, all in and around Cape Town obviously, and expect an annual update*. Some categories will remain, others will change. Note that most of these came to mind instantly, but some were dismissed as we experienced them last year, not this year, and others I had to manually search my blog(s) for mentions and reminders – links included if you want to walk down my memory lane again. If there are any categories you feel I’ve left out, let me know! 🙂

Milkshake: There’s no denying milkshake is my favourite treat. This year, I’ve learned that if an establishment goes so far as to title something a ‘Freek shake’ best you believe it. Gibson’s Peppermint Caramel Freek Shake was enormous and I probably should have shared it. Ditto with the Festive Underground Eatery or FUE‘s cocopine shake much earlier this year.

Gibson’s peppermint caramel Freek shake.

Burger: What goes with milkshake? Burgers, of course. You just can’t go wrong at Jerry’s. The patty is tasty, cooked to perfection on a brioche bun and the side of fries doused in Sriracha is a treat in itself. The bacon, cheese and onion ring-topped buccaneer beef burger at Catch22 also gets a thumbs-up from me.

The cheese, rocket and caramelised onion topped ‘Jerry’ burger at Jerry’s, with fries doused in Sriracha sauce.

Hike: We’ve done quite a few hikes this year to work off all those burgers and shakes – most recently the Skeleton Gorge version up Table Mountain – but our faves all involved caves. That’s because you want a good view, sense of accomplishment and a body that’s not on the point of collapse once you reach your destination. Wally’s Cave in Lion’s Head was this year’s hidden hideaway gem.

Wally’s Cave, conquered! If you know where to go it’s quite an easy climb up Lion’s Head.

Conference venue: It’s not all about weekend activities though. Conferences are the lifeblood of my worklife. The Artscape Theatre and trusty CTICC are always a good bet for Wi-Fi, tasty snacks and temperature control, but my best was the Vineyard Hotel.

The distracting view from my seat in the Vineyard Hotel ballroom, where I attended a few conferences this year.

Night away: Living in Cape Town is a little like living in paradise, but everyone needs a break away from their daily routine once in a while. For us, the best version of this was at Majeka House in Stellenbosch. Just over an hour from our front door, the suites are enormous, the spa treatments are heavenly and the food is simply superb.

Chandelier-style lights lit up the spa and pool area at Majeka House. I spent a lot of time in the jacuzzi at the far end.

Romantic dinner: You also need to celebrate special occasions as they arise. Maybe just because we went there to celebrate our ninth wedding anniversary, maybe because they’re just up the road, but Homespun is at the tippy top of our ‘lovey-dovey locations’. The food, drinks, setting and service are all commendable.

The lamb shank at Homespun.

Once-in-a-lifetime meal: This category is for those breathtaking meals that cost quite the pretty penny and offer course after course of plates you simply can’t help but take photos – and videos – of. The Tasting Room at Le Quartier Français in Franschhoek was our winner here. Go soon if this is something on your foodie bucket list, as chef Margot Janse is leaving these kitchens early next year.

Posing with the wire win glass to prepare for the eight-course pairing dinner at Le Quartier Français’ Tasting Room.

Road trip: Whether you’re staying the night or just out for a few hours on the road, there’s nothing like a few empty hours to fulfill your wanderlust. We did so a few times this year, enjoying a few afternoons in the unspoilt beauty of Gordon’s Bay and Langebaan, both around two hours from home.

Beautiful views along the road that hugs the coast from Pringle Bay to Gordon’s Bay.

Winter special: One of Cape Town’s best-kept secrets is that many of its fine dining establishments offer warming meals at pocket-friendly prices in the cold winter months. Some of this year’s best include the half-price chicken curry specials at Inside in Eden on the Bay.

Two of our half-price winter chicken curries of 2016, at Inside Lounge in Eden on the Bay. That’s a bunny chow and a mild korma.

Alcohol tasting: You’re really spoilt for choice if wine is your thing, but those who prefer a more refined tipple are also in for a treat in the Cape. Val du Charron in Wellington does so with beautiful legends behind each wine blend, and many wine farms offer an MCC tasting of their bubbliest bubbly, but it’s the KWV brandy tasting that got Husband’s seal of approval this year.

KWV’s ‘brandy and Huguenot chocolate’ pairing.

Weekend lunch: This list proves it’s not all about the bustling CBD. In fact, on weekends there’s lots of appeal in driving a little off the beaten track to find a new venue where you can spend a few hours eating, drinking and laughing with loved ones. Glenelly Estate in Stellenbosch is a beautiful spot for this, with panoramic views of the estate’s 123-hectare vineyards, an adventurous menu and their own wine varietals on The Vine Bistro‘s menu.

View of the vineyards from Glenelly Estate.

Seafood meal: Unless you’re allergic to it, a meal out in Cape Town should include seafood. I passed the baton the Husband on this one, and a few of his favourites were the fettuccinne marina and platter for two at Panama Jacks in the Cape Town harbour.

The seafood platter special at Panama Jacks.

Wild meal: Eating out in South Africa often means eating unusual dishes. The tasting menu at Catharina‘s on Steenberg Estate is an excellent way to do so. Though seasonal, you’re likely to find delicacies like wild boar, crocodile and zebra on offer.

Grilled zebra with aubergine maize meal and spicy chakalaka, part of the eight-course wild tasting menu at Catharina’s.

Eggs benedict: Husband’s weekend breakfast staple, we’ve sampled quite a few this year. The ones we kept going back to were the salmon version from Company’s Garden and the pork-belly bacon benedict at Steenberg’s 1682. Tart Hollandaise, yolk that pours at just the right pace and not-your-average toasted base. Yum!

Eggs benedict with Steenberg’s 1682 pork-belly bacon. Yes.

Dessert: Sometimes you don’t want a full meal. Sometimes it’s just your sweet tooth looking for satisfaction. I seem to have a mouth full of sweet teeth as I’ve had a jaw-dropping amount of desserts this year. My best have been the caramel bar at Majeka House’s Makaron, and the winter chocolate fondant and the summer raspberry ice cream sandwich at Grande Provence’s The Restaurant. Beautifully plated, these are the type of sweet treat you swirl around in your mouth with your eyes closed, and follow with a sip of strong coffee to enhance those flavours.

The Restaurant at Grande Provence’s ‘berry ice cream sandwich’.

Speaking of…

Coffee: My bloodstream is coffee. I’m not fully functional before at least a cuppa or two, so the weekend hasn’t officially started before I’ve had a caffeine-filled cappuccino or latte. My favourites this year include the cappuccino at Village Place Cafe, with a shot of toffee syrup, and the regular cap at The Hart Breadhouse and Eatery in Melkbos.

I’d expect nothing less than a heart swirled into the foam of my strong cappuccino when breakfasting at The Hart Breadhouse and Eatery in Melkbos.

Over and out, folks! Here’s to sampling the very best of 2017, watch this space…

*All photos my own. Disclaimer: Some of these were experienced free-of-charge as I reviewed them for work, but most came from our own pockets. No payment was considered for this ‘best of’ list as it’s all based on personal preference.

Happy dogwalks and house paint refresh 2016

This week was all about hard physical work – we had our house painted, so to distract the doggies over the weekend we took them for long local neighbourhood walkies, and then got stuck into some gardening. The painting is almost complete, the gardening is not – I’ll post pics of that once we’re done, but you can take a peek at the complete transformation offered by a lick or two of paint so long:

Top row is the back and front of the house pre-paint (well actually mid-paint – it didn’t look so bad before they started, that’s lots of loose bits having flaked off after the high-pressure cleaning last weekend). The bottom row shows the difference just a few days later. And yes, the bright Adirondack is the one I showed you how we DIY painted a few months ago, under the patio roof  shelter Husband installed in February 2016 – click here and here for how he did it.

And now, on to specific daily moments…

Friday, 9 September 2016: Social media training at Shift One, Eden on the Bay

As Friday dawned bright and sunny, and it was the day of the social media training I was attending with a colleague in Big Bay, I spent a long time gazing at this view. Note the walkway light was still on, as it was so early.

I always snap a pic from this spot when it’s without a queue of people waiting to pose in the frame. Last Friday the view was gorgeous, with a little ship seeming to float on the cloud below the mountain – do you see it?

Following a frantic morning of note-taking we were each given an envelope with R70 in it and told: “Go have lunch, be back here in 45 minutes.” Needless to say we got back a little late, but we’d eaten well and chatted up a storm. And this bacon-avo panini from Eden Cafe was delicious.

Training finally done that afternoon and certificate of attendance received, I had half-an-hour to spare before making my way home, so I went into Cup & Cake for a looksie. It’s the sweet little bakery directly opposite the Pick n Pay in Eden on the Bay. A little peckish by then, I couldn’t pass up their delicious homemade milktart. At just R25 for a generous slice, and partnered with a delicious cappuccino (yay, with mini shortbread biscuit to accompany), this was the ideal way to switch between work mode and weekend mindset. That’s the very edge of my book you see in the bottom of the pic.

Saturday, 10 September 2016: Neighbourhood doggy walks and Jerry’s burger treats

Setting off for walkies on Saturday morning. Just look at all that happiness!

Love how the doggies and Husband are each going in a different direction here. 🙂 We all followed the same path in the end, sort of.

Much, much later that afternoon, after hours of housework and gardening, we treated ourselves to the deliciousness of Jerry’s on the Blouberg beachfront. I had the Jerry burger (same as when I went to Jerry’s with my workmates recently), but rounded out my milkshake menu-tasting with their Chai Latte flavour. Tasted exactly as you’d expect, sweetly spicy. Gingerbread is still my favourite Jerry’s option.

Husband had the Jack D burger and a Black Label. Chips drenched in sriracha sauce, obvs. We had a lovely time and will try remember to book a booth with a view of the sea for our next visit.

Sunday, 11 September 2016: Breakfast at Lacomia, braai at Mum’s

My Sunday started with this cappuccino at Cafe Lacomia in the Sunningdale Builder’s Warehouse as we needed to buy a few gardening things. It’s one of the few places that still dusts the top of a cappuccino with chocolate powder, and note I got two tiny cookies in the saucer. Happiness.

Husband had the Bullseye you see on the left, I had the cinnamon-sugar pancakes you see on the right. These kept us going through a few more hours of heavy-duty gardening.

Look! Spring has finally reached Cape Town, with wildflowers dotting most of the grassy embankments around our home.

We stopped in at a house on show in our neighbourhood that afternoon to see if it suited Husband’s parents’ housing requirements (they’re moving down to Cape Town from Johannesburg soon, eep!) Look at the loveliness of this enclosed braai room with lots of Adirondacks…

Husband and dad were in charge of the braai for Sunday lupper – a mix of colours of food on the plate like this is always a good thing. 🙂

That’s all, folks! It’s been a rainy few days with snow in some areas as a last-minute cold front has hit, so who knows what you’ll see pictures of us doing in my next update!

Husband’s solo escapade and end-of-Loeries team lunches at Jerry’s

And then the Loeries were but a memory. Remember my blog post about last year’s experience? This year was same same but different, as I didn’t jet along to Durban with the rest of the team but was glued to my laptop in Cape Town for five days straight sorting out all sorts of admin, last-minute changes and uploading of content. Husband was up in JHB for much of that time to attend his Gramps’ funeral so t’was an odd, stressful time all round but we survived.

Highlights of the past two weeks below…

Friday, 12 August 2016: Hills Special Stews

Hills was kind enough to send the doggies samples of their new Special Stews – a tin each. Bassie got the version for mature doggies 7+ while Bertie tried the ‘1- to 6-year-olds’ can. Both gulped them down then sniffed each other’s bowls (both had been the same flavour). That’s me in the chef hat that accompanied the delivery. Click here for more info.

Saturday, 13 August 2016: Beach Tavern breakfast, brief Woodbridge Island beach walk and meeting Zeplin

I can just remember this breakfast if I stretch my memory back two weeks. Husband had an open omelette he could barely finish it was so stuffed with things, and I went for the waffle with syrup and ice cream, as you do on a Saturday morning.

There was a chilly breeze blowing so Husband covered up after we’d eaten, for a very brief stroll along the beach and back to the car, which we’d parked near the lighthouse on Woodbridge Island.

Later that evening we went off to braai with friends who have moved into a new house that included this gas oven and a wonderful shelf full of Batman and Superman coffee mugs. We also met their new doggie, the Brindle Boxer you see me chatting to. His name is Zeplin, and at just a few months old is already bigger than Bassie and Bertie combined!

Sunday, 14 August 2016: Family birthday breakfast

It was time for the annual family birthday breakfast get-together, this time at News Cafe in Blouberg. Most of us opted for the early bird special, and look at the precious piggy/panda foam art in my cappuccino! Click here to see the 2013 version of this photo.

Tuesday, 16 August 2016: Business Day Wanted Online launch at Smith Gallery

Husband was kind enough to accompany me to the launch of Business Day’s Wanted Online website after work, where we marvelled at some of the art on the walls and the amazing fresh snacks on offer. Look at the size of those strawberries I drizzled with chocolate. Husband had lots of greens.

Thursday, 18 August 2016: Husband flies to JHB, rest of us decamp to the parents’ house

Bertie knew something was up when his dad hauled the suitcase out the cupboard to pack for his brief trip. More so when his dad hopped into an Uber and set off without us. That strip of light on the right is his collar glowing in the dark as he watched dad get into Uber pre-dawn.

Once safely checked in at the airport, Husband had breakfast at Primi with a view over the runway. He took a pic of the wing out his window once on the plane, too. He loves flying.

After a franticaly busy day at work (home) it was time to pack up laptop, doggies and self and set up camp at the parents’ house. The second we got there Bassie and Bertie set about exploring the garden (though it’s hardly new to them as they visit each week). Top is little Miss Bass sniffing the grass cautiously, bottom is Bertie running along the paving all around the house.

Saturday, 20 August 2016: Collecting Husband from airport

Husband snapped this lovely shot out the window on his way in to land in Cape Town where he belongs on Saturday morning. No more pics of the day as it was a blur of work, alas.

Sunday, 21 August 2016: Doppio Zero breakfast

Husband had enjoyed his breakfast with his parents at Doppio Zero in JHB so much that he tracked down the only Doppio Zero in Cape Town and decided that’s where we’d breakfast on Sunday. Such tropical blooms were on display in the reception area of the Mandela Rhodes Place Hotel in St George’s Mall, in which Doppio Zero is based.

Trees of light guided the way to Doppio Zero.

So breakfast we did. That’s my cappuccino, and his breakfast Cola.

What did we eat, you ask? I went for the Nutella French Toast, Husband had the Barbarossa, which is hash potatoes, beans, eggs, chorizo, haloumi, spinach, chili, feta and salsa.

Monday, 22 August 2016: Sleepy doggies while mommy attends online lessons

Just look at Bertie with his new TV-watching companion, Bear (Dinosaur has since been flattened and thrown away). He couldn’t keep his eyes open on Monday night when I attended the first online lecture of the Social Media Marketing course I’ve just begun. I barely kept eyelids open myself.

Tuesday, 23 August 2016: Business of Design conference

I’d no sooner caught my breath from sending out our Loeries overview newsletter on Monday than it was time to cover the Business of Design conference at the Inner City Ideas Cartel, one of my favourites. Look at the yummy pre-conference snacks we got to choose from!

It’s not all about the food at conferences, but that’s what I usually end up taking pics of 🙂 That’s a custardy pastry on top, the lovely stitched goodie bags we received in the middle, and a tiny jar of salad I sampled at lunchtime, on the rooftop. I worked too, promise.

Wednesday, 24 August 2016: Team lunch at Jerry’s, Obz

End of Loeries 2016 meant it was time to celebrate at work. We can’t go for a team lunch without taking a few photos. 🙂 These make me smile. We decided on Jerry’s in Observatory, and all had amazing burgers.

See? Amazing. You can’t go wrong ordering the ‘Jerry’ at Jerry’s. It’s a patty with Swiss cheese, BBQ sauce and caramelised onions. And of course you douse all your chips with Sriracha sauce, like so.

Observatory is a hive of activity on your average weekday afternoon. WJust look at this green vehicle drawing lots of attention while parked outside the Obz Cafe. Reminded me of the flame-painted vehicle parked outside a ‘No parking’ sign we spotted with Dad last year.

That’s all, folks. Hope you have a wonderfully relaxing weekend, all! Next week’s update will include how we celebrated our ninth anniversary. 🙂

Long weekend burgers, shakes and fries in multiple locations

Yay, last weekend was a long one – but hold your horses on the excitement, as one ends up doing just as much in a shortened work week as one would usually get through in a 5-day week. As a result Husband and I were riddled with aches, pains and stress – but watch for next week’s update to see how we got to soothe that all away…

Friday, 29 April 2016: More fire dogs

Last weekend was pretty chilly, so the family spent much of its time huddled up for warmth in the lounge together. The doggies are demonstrating how much they enjoy sitting near the fire here.

Saturday, 30 April 2016: Wimpy’s bigger cups and prices, evening at Jerry’s 

We headed to our nearest Wimpy first thing on Saturday morning, only to find new menus, which always mean new prices. Indeed that was the case, and they justified the bigger price with the following cup liner (it states they have ‘sized up’ their cups), but the same isn’t true of the food price hike…

See for yourself. Here is Husband’s streaky bacon breakfast with extra cheesegriller. We ended up paying about R12 more than we used to for the same meal a month ago.

After Saturday chores, we headed off to our local Jerry’s burger, craft and shine in Blouberg. This is me about to go up the stairs to the seating area.

We sat outside at first but the chilly wind soon sent us back indoors. Look at that view though!

The same view from indoors.

Husband had a ‘bloody Jerry’, to celebrate his distinction certificate in graphic design, achieved a few hours prior.

For me, the peanut butter-banana shake. It was thick and delicious.

For Husband to eat: the pulled pork burger, and chips splashed with sriracha sauce.

For me to eat: the plain Jerry burger – with crispy fried onions, melty cheese and rocket. Just what I wanted.

I forgot to snap the sunset while we were there, but caught its reflection over the sea as we headed home that eve.

Sunday, 1 May 2016: News Cafe breakfast, homemade gingerbread ice cream

We started our Sunday with the early bird English breakfast at News Cafe on Marine Circle. It’s a really good deal – just R29 if you order before 10am (that’s without the cappuccino, obs) – cheaper than our Wimpy breakfasts from the day before!

Much later that afternoon we tried Mum’s homemade gingerbread ice cream. So very tasty!

Bassie loves getting attention from Granny!

Monday, 2 May 2016: Breakfast at Blueberries, treats at Canal Walk’s MyShake milkshake bar

We woke a little later than usual on Monday, and as it was a public holiday, headed to Blueberries in Table View Centre for breakfast. This was my pretty-to-look-at cappuccino.

That cappuccino was the perfect choice to wash down my ‘banana and caramel’ filled pancake.

Husband opted for the salmon breakfast, which came with hash browns, cream cheese and a side of toast.

After some reading and other hibernatey-day off from work things, we went to Canal Walk in Century City to try out the ‘MyShake’ bar as many friends had posted a link to it on my Facebook wall. We finally located the kiosk at the far end upstairs, opposite Game.

After much deliberating and deciding, we went for the ‘Oreo Craving’, which came with burned marshmallow bits, chunks of cookie and lots of chocolate sauce squeezes. A bit pricey at R55 for 500ml but I enjoyed every slurp.

The seats shaped like cows were a lot of fun too, and those waiting in the queue for their order kept an eye on the handful of seats so they could hop on and have a turn. Moo.

Wednesday, 4 May 2016: Team lunch at Woodstock Grill & Tap

We finally settled on a date and venue for our ‘meant to happen every two months’ team lunch on Wednesday (our last one was late last year). We really enjoyed the fresh, sweet bread that came out before our orders, and my salted caramel shake was delicious.

While most of the meat orders came out wrong, it’s hard to mess up a burger. I’m so glad I went for this – and that plate of cooked sweet potato – while not wedges as promised – was a delicious side dish.

That’s all, folks, hope you have a relaxing weekend. I know we will! 😉