This past weekend was Father’s Day, and this week the 2018 Cannes Lions Festival of Creativity award week in full, so it’s been a super busy time, as you’ll see from the snaps below.
We went car crazy with the dads and took in not just one car museum but two, visiting the Wijnland Auto Museum before our appointment at the Franschhoek Motor Museum, followed by lunch in Franschhoek town itself…
Friday, 15 June 2018: A work farewell
Friday was a dear colleague’s last day working with us so we went for an early team dins. See some of the snacks in office, my latte and shared slice of cheesecake at Derry’s on Carlyle in Vredehoek, and a group shot.
Saturday, 16 June 2018: News Cafe and Moyo eats and treats
It was a ‘News Cafe breakfast special’ kind of Saturday, see my early-bird English and cappuccino, as well as Husband’s flat white and bacon eggs benedict.It was very wintery weather so we decided on the Moyo pulled-lamb linguine for an early dins. I had a vanilla latte, Husband had a Castle draught and we also splurged on a set of the Chief of Greatness ‘communal shooters’ – Skyy infusions vanilla vodka, roasted hazelnut extracts and Cape Velvet chocolate liqueur.
Sunday, 17 June 2018: Father’s Day at the Franschhoek Motor Museum and Tuk-Tuk Microbrewery
Bertie boy waiting for his dad to open his eyes so he could welcome him to Father’s Day with a big lick.Oh, my heart! Little Miss Bass having a Father’s Day snuggle with her dad.For Sunday breakfast, we stopped in at Village Place Cafe. See Husband’s eggy mince-on-toast, my berry-banana banting flapjacks and large caramel cappuccino – also the sweet mini cakes we spied, will have to go with enough belly-room for one next time!The sun shone through the streaky clouds, making for the prettiest Sunday roadtrip sky.Our first stop in convoy was the Wijnland Auto Museum in Paarl, on the way to Franschhoek. We saw it all, from the delightfully old…To the very new! Not sure which road is wide-enough to accommodate this rocket-car, it’s quite something.Ahh, Franschhoek! It’s one of the most beautiful spots in the country, especially in winter when they skies are grey, mountains blue and grass finally green from the much-needed rains.We got to the Franshhoek Motor Museum bang on time, boarded the tram from the parking lot and were ready to take in even more motor vehicles in the greenest surrounds.The Franschhoek Motor Museum’s entry area features this bright, Chapman’s Peak-inspired artwork.Wine and art go well together, clearly. Some of the goods for sale in the Franschhoek Motor Museum’s main hall.We were told at reception to make the ‘Food truck hall’ our first stop, and we’re nothing if not good at following orders. See the queue for Terbodore coffee, a bowl of truffle-mayo fries and more.Next, we paused to watch a few cars go around the track. Some real beauts.Several cars were whizzed around the track at a leisurely pace, but the big halls are the main attraction. Just took at these old beauties!Each vehicle on display at the Franschhoek Motor Museum is worth a second look.A quaint, glass-cased collection of model cars.By then there was more then one rumbling tum, so we high-tailed it to Tuk-tuk Microbrewery in the heart of Franschhoek for some grub.Tucking into Tuk-tuk food. See the bowl of salty chips we shared, two of the ‘dogs’ on special – a Mexican and a chorizo, as well as my chicken chimichangas and the fish tostado.We also strolled along the main street and stopped in at Leeu House right beside Tuk-Tuk for the dads to take photos next to Madiba and Gandhi. Plus, chocolates!Precious doglets under a blanket on their Granny’s couch, much later that evening.
Wednesday, 20 June 2018: Family dins at Bossa with Gords
Cannes Lions is one of the busiest, most stressful work weeks of the year, so I was fortified by headphones, coffee, and Kit-Kats that magically appeared on my desk. 😉How beautiful! The dam at Mellish Welbeloond reflected the sunset sky when we drove past on Wednesday evening for family dinner at Bossa in Burgundy Estate.This is what (some of us) came for – Stone-baked base pizza, burgers, beer and shakes. Yum!Happy snaps of the family in eating mode. Gords was clearly down from Joburg for a visit, too.See my mochaccino, as well as assorted burgers and pizzas. We finished everything between us, not a jot needed to be taken home in a doggy bag.Gords’ view of the table. My happy Cape Town family! ❤
That’s all folks! Hope you have a restful, relaxing weekend ahead 🙂
We’ve both been battling a Winter cold this past week so when not at work, we mainly stayed home to avoid the rainy weather (at last!) You’ll also notice this week’s selection of pics strongly features snaps of the doggies watching us eat…
Friday, 8 June 2018: Raisin scones drop-off
I worked from home last Friday to skip the long commute in to the office, and mum popped in with a homemade treat – raisin scones, fresh out the oven. So yum!
Saturday, 9 June 2018: Reading on couches with dogs
We breakfasted at our local Lacomia’s Cafe in Builder’s Warehouse of Saturday morning, as Husband had all sorts of odds and ends to purchase and tick off on his DIY list. See my cafe mocha and toasted chicken mayo, as well as Husband’s cappuccino, his cola in the background and his sloppy joe eggy mince on toast.I spent most of my Saturday afternoon reading on the couch with the doggies. You can just see Bassie, popping up behind my legs. They’re such sweet snuggle buddies.Mmm, soup! We were both feeling quite under the weather that evening so soup with rolls in front of a roaring fire seemed the best idea for dins. It was.
Sunday, 10 June 2018: Reload dog park breakfast, Limnos treat
We had Sunday breakfast at Reload at the Leadville dog park in Sunningdale (our not-so-social doggies stayed at home, though). See my Mediterranean bagel topped with hummus, onions and avo, as well as my peppermint-choc latte and Husband’s ‘trim’ bacon and bockwurst open omelette.The peppermint-choc latte is delicious and sweet enough that you don’t need to add any sugar.Here is Husband, tentatively sipping on a triple cappuccino. We had initially sat outside to watch the doggies play in the park but the wind soon proved too gusty, especially given our compromised immune systems.Our breakfast table looked like this.Then it was time for some weekend admin. When we saw Limnos had finally opened in the Table Bay Mall, of course we stopped in for a look and take-home treat. I went for a salambo eclair, which is just delicious – choux pastry with vanilla cream piped in through the base, and topped with syrupy almond slivers. Yum! See Bassie pretending not to watch me eat it in the last photo.This is post-salambo, pre-coffee. Bassie was happy to snuggle with me on the couch while I convalesced with a new book.Mum made a lovely trifle for Sunday lupper-dessert.You can just see the doggies watching their granny eat hers in the background here.
Tuesday, 12 June 2018: Monthly radio recording at 2OceansVibe
On Tuesday, my colleague Angie and I popped in at the 2OceansVibe recording studio in Cartel House, Loop Street for our second show. We stopped in for a post-show coffee and caught up on emails at Cafe du Cap downstairs.We were careful not to ‘drop the mic. Lol.
Wednesday, 13 June 2018: Mid-week winter dins at Doodles
We stopped in for dins at Doodles on Wednesday to celebrate both finally feeling a bit better from this change-of-season cold. Husband had the winter bangers and mash special for R59, plus a glass of red to wash it down, I had the Wednesday burger and chips special (it’s another R59 meal, but I ordered a latte instead).The cold front was due to hit the following day so watching the sun setting over the sea after dins seemed extra special as we’d be stuck indoors for the next few days.Bertie was happy to snuggle with me again that eve in front of the fire.
That’s all, folks! Stay warm and well, and have a happy Father’s Day weekend 🙂
You can see that winter’s well and truly on it’s way as we’re dressed in woolly hats and socks and long pants in the pics below – the lack of milkshakes and absence of dip in the sea over last weekend is another giveaway that we’re in the colder bit of the year…
Saturday, 2 June 2018: Waffle breakfast at The Daily, wintery braai at the in-laws
T’was a ‘The Daily Cafe’ breakfast kind of day. I went for the ‘waffle pop’ breakfast – a waffle quartered and served with sliced banana, nuts, ice cream and caramel sauce. Husband had an unpictured salmon eggs benedict and flat white.The Daily’s ‘tin cup’ (cappuccino with condensed milk) is a delicious warming start to the day.We did some weekend admin at Century City that morning and stopped in at Dunkin Donuts for a quick coffee-Rocky Road donut treat, as the previous day had been international donut day in the US. Given the time difference, our celebration was almost bang on target.Later that afternoon: Father-in-law’s homemade boerewors. When asked what was in it he thought a while to remember, then decided it was pork mince, beef mince, coriander and nutmeg.She has a faraway smile on her sweet face here, while squashed onto the couch next to her dad.Bassie looks just as concerned as owlie bag here.We must have looked cosy on the couch as Bertie decided to join us, too.Scenes from the braai – meat cooking, my portion, instant pudding with crumbled Flake on top and little miss Bassie pretending she’s not looking directly at the food on the table.
Sunday, 3 June 2018: Breakfast at Primi, Solo movie outing at GrandWest
On Sunday, we breakfasted at Primi, Marine Circle. Husband had a latte with extra shot of espresso.The Mocha Forte comes in a tiny cup but it’s a delicious blend of ristretto, dark chocolate, coconut oil and micro-textured milk. Just the thing when it’s chilly out and you need a hot caffeine fix!See? It’s tiny but delicious. The lovely open fire pit in the middle of our local Primi, with views of the sea through those windows, is also a winner.I surprised everyone (that’s Husband and myself) by opting for the crispy bacon-avo bowl topped with poached egg for my brekkie.Husband opted for the Primi Power – streaky bacon, sausage patties, sautéed mushrooms and eggs.Later that morning we met brother-in-law Spec at GrandWest Casino to watch the Star Wars Solo movie. (Teehee if you thought I meant I had gone to the movies by myself!) This was the least blurry action shot of the bunch husband took.Mum had whipped up two different soups for lupper – Woolies’ ginger, carrot and coriander and a variation of Checkers’ creamy broccoli-and-potato – which were both just the thing with bacon-flavoured croutons and egg-mayo sandwiches. Yum.And for dessert, an assortment of Dunkin Donuts’ finest, also in honour of International Donut Day on Friday! My favourite is the choc-filled smiley heart and the milk-tart-filled powder-dusted heart. I heart them. ❤
Tuesday, 5 June 2018: Woodstock sunrise and paella dins
Pretty sunrise over Woodstock as I made my way to work from the bus on Tuesday morning.Mum whipped up a delicious ‘dry’ chicken-sausage paella when they came for dins that evening. The left-overs for lunch the next day were amazing!
That’s all, folks! May your weekend be donut-delicious.
Last weekend we celebrated Father-in-Law’s 75th birthday with a family breakfast at McPherson’s, amongst other things…
Friday, 13 April 2018: Cupcakes and braais
My favourite moments from last Friday – office birthday cake, also a small home braai and the doggies coming to fetch me from the bus stop after work. Bless.
Saturday, 14 April 2018: 75th birthday breakfast at McPherson’s
We all met up at McPherson’s for breakfast on Saturday morning to celebrate Father-in-Law’s 75th birthday the day before. See Mother-in-Law with the cutlery top-left, my parents with strong cappuccinos bottom-right as well as the R25 ‘bacon-eggs-toast’ breakfast bottom-left and the French toast with bacon and grilled banana top-right. Delicious and such good value, in a pretty setting.The McPherson’s cat looked much orange-r, fluffier and larger than the last few times we’ve seen it – perhaps a different cat?Full family photo with the birthday boy front and centre. This is best version of the many attempts we took, take my word for it 😉Later that afternoon we soaked up some sunshine in and around the V&A Waterfront. This was taken while looking around the cruise terminal at the harbour.Gourmet milkshakes, yes please! I had to work that evening so we went out for early dins, and decided to finally try the CTFM at Seaside Village – we’d popped in a few times but never ordered anything. See the gourmet shakes – I went for the caramel pop. Yum.To eat, Husband had a salmon handroll and the East Coast mussel potjie, while I went with the lamb croquettes.Lights and driftwood and birdies make up the pretty decor inside the Seaside Village branch of Cape Town Fish Market…Just in case you didn’t know where we were eating, I branded my finger.Precious doglets pretending they just happened to end up asleep on the couch together by the fire while I was working later that night.
Sunday, 15 April 2018: La Rocca breakfast
W.e were meeting Brother-in-Law Spec at the movies in Canal Walk later in the morning so decided on breakfast at La Rocca. See my latte and toasted chicken-mayo with rustic fries, as well as Husband’s Mexican eggs benedict topped with prego sauce.We had pork roast with roast potatoes for lupper at Mum’s that evening.For dessert, slices of berry ice-cream ‘cake’ Mum whipped up.
Monday, 16 April 2018: Sunset burger special at CTFM
We’d enjoyed our meal at CTFM so much that we returned for dins on Monday. Glass of red wine and choc-cookie gourmet shake with sunset-over-sea views after a tough day at work? Don’t mind if we do!Pretty pink clouds at sunset, as seen from our table.To eat, this time Husband had the ‘salmon poppers’ starter followed by the fish curry, while I had the choc-cookie gourmet shake and the R55 Monday burger special.
That’s all, folks! It’s definitely Autumn here in the Cape so I’m looking forward to lots of hot drinks and hugs for warmth.
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 weekend we celebrated St Patrick’s Day with my dad, as it’s his name day, and also had a mid-week day off in honour of Human Right’s Day – but still did lots of work in between…
Friday, 16 March 2018: BrandLove potent digital storytelling workshop
I spent my Friday attending the Brand Love ‘Potent digital storytelling’ workshop. It was intense, but I loved it! Coverage to follow on Bizcommunity soon…The Bothas’ BrandLove house/office space is lovely, and they made all the food we ate for lunch – even the bread was baked that morning!
Saturday, 17 March 2018: St Patrick’s Day drinks at Brazen Head, parents braai at ours
We decided on a fast, filling breakfast as we had many tasks to get through on Saturday. so went for the News Cafe early bird. It did the trick.Husband exploring the rocks and tide was very shallow that morning.We met my parents at the Brazen Head in Seaside Village for a St Patrick’s-themed drink when the clock struck noon. See various green/clear/black drinks, here.Dad and Husband. Both in green, both with a Guinness.T’was our turn to host the Andrews’ family braai. Husband went with a lamb roast on the Weber, with smashed potatoes, roast veg and a S’mores type braai pudding. Yum!There were lots of happy ‘dog on couch’ moments.Sometimes our dining room looks like a sushi restaurant, what with the fish tank and shiny black table.
Sunday, 18 March 2018: Melkbos Kitchen breakfast and beach wander
We only set out for breakfast around 10am, and decided on the Melkbos Kitchen (formerly known as Ritzi’s). See my latte, as well as Husband and Brother-in-Law Spec’s cappuccinos.After a fair wait, our food arrived, and it was delicious. Husband went for the salmon benedict, Spec the ham, and me the apple-ginger flapjacks. Yum!We went for a brisk walk along the Melkbos beachfront to work off some off those calories after breakfast.Bassie was happy to sit with mommy and the reheated breakfast with yet another coffee, later that afternoon.We stopped at Saint’s in Eden on the Bay for my favourite Insomniac shake for our Sunday afternoon treat. Husband had one, too.
Monday, 19 March 2018: Taking a break with Kit-kat
Monday. What. A. Day. Yes, note all the full stops. And then suddenly my sweet colleague dropped a Kit-kat on my desk and things looked a little brighter 🙂
Tuesday, 20 March 2018: International Happiness Day
Part of the reason for my manic Monday was that I was completing an online masterclass in ‘happiness‘ through 42Courses, ahead of International Happiness Day on Tuesday. Click here for my overview!
Wednesday, 21 March 2018: Human Rights Day
We slept in late on Wednesday as it was Human Rights Day in SA. See my much-needed cappuccino at On the Rocks, where we breakfasted.The rest of our breakfast – French toast with berry compote, kippers with scrambled eggs, and lots of mirrors and light. We sat inside as it was a tad windy.Later that morning I had some quiet time napping, reading and dunking cinnamon biscuits in coffee with sweet Bassie.Later that afternoon, we headed off to Jamaica Me Crazy for an afternoon treat. I had the Muddy Monkey shake, which is a blended banana and brownie, while Husband had the honey-ginger-whisky ‘penicillin’.Loved the wall art, and we found a corner outside table that was semi-sheltered from the chilly wind.Next stop, Forester’s Arms, AKA Forries. It looked particularly wintery that afternoon!We shared the roast chilli poppers starter, the each had a burger – lamb for Husband, chicken for me.I had to give the sign about females being allowed in pubs a big thumbs up!
Last weekend we took Bassie for an explore around Leadville doggy park in Sunningdale. It has a Reload on site so you can swig some coffee while your doggies trot around the grass, making friends.
See snaps of that and other top moments of the week below….
Saturday, 18 November 2017: Ilha breakfast, windy braai
We’d not been to Woodbridge Island in a while so headed that way for Saturday breakfast. Without planning it, we were both in matchy-matchy grey in front of their grey-blue wall.See Husband’s full English breakfast with mushroom and pork sausage, and my well-sauced scrambled eggs on toast.Bertie spends about 30% of his time perched atop the couch back like this.Cold, rainy days are all about relaxing with the doggies indoors.Scenes from the braai at Husband’s parents house, later that afternoon.Last week you saw Bassie with the pudding cups. This week, Bertie allowed a few pics before he ran off to chew his in peace.Bassie and I braved the chilly wind to sit in the sun by the braai fire for a while.
Sunday, 19 November 2017: Leadville doggie park, Saints treats
We’d heard that our local News Cafe offers a few more breakfast specials for the early birds, so tried them out on Sunday morning. I went for the standard English early bird top left, Husband sampled the ‘spinach and feta’ eggs benedict for R45. Very good value.An ‘action shot’ of Husband peppering up his plate.This is Leadville. Bassie had a fun time trotting around in the fenced off area for ‘small dogs shy dogs’.Later that day, beach walkies! Bertie splashed about in the sea and had a lovely time.We went to Saints at Eden on the Bay for our Sunday afternoon treat, and ended up with two drinks each. See my Snickers shake (with chunks of actual chocolate bar swirled throughout) and Cafe Capri (coconut chocolate latte, very yummy); then there’s Husband’s Smooth Criminal shooter – caramel vodka with creme de banana top, and his Kiss and Say Goodbye shake, with Scotch whisky, Kahlua and Oreo cookie bits. Yum.Mum outdid herself with a summery feast for Sunday lupper. I think we ate everything between the four of us (six, with the dogs).Mum made these gorgeous individual trifles for dessert.
Monday, 20 November 2017: Evening doggy snuggles
I worked from home on Monday as had lots of transcribing to tick off my to-do list. T’was still chilly that evening so Bertie curled up beside me on the couch.
Wednesday, 22 November 2017: Meltwater interview in Green Point, burgers and shakes at Bossa
I interviewed the global CEO of Meltwater at their Cape Town offices in Green Point on Wednesday afternoon. This was the view from the ‘interview room’. Click here for the interview.That evening we headed out to Bossa in Burgundy Estate – where we used to go for paella at Espana. We sat outside and I was delighted that their boozy shakes are included in the R40 happy hour. See my ‘mud pie’ shake with vodka, Nachtmusik and Amarula. Husband looks zen.Here is Husband’s cheese bomb burger – mozzarella, aged cheddar, bacon and jalapenos – with large onion rings and chips.All the foooood. Husband had a burger, I went for the nachos with mince. That’s a half portion you can see, which I only finished the next day.
Thursday, 23 November 2017: Red cup, yellow chair at Red & Yellow
My brownie bite and colour-coordinated red cup of strong coffee in front of a yellow chair at Red & Yellow for the third week of ‘digital marketing live’.
That’s all, folks! I’m having a mini-staycation at the start of next week so looking forward to relaxing and having happy moments with the doggies.
Yes, we really did slurp oysters and swig champers in the Hillcrest Quarry last weekend. See for yourself…
Friday, 13 October 2017: Work meeting with Design Indaba team
There’s always something different to see when visiting the Design Indaba/Interactive Africa offices. We loved their wall art when we popped in for a brief catch-up meet last Friday.
Saturday, 14 October 2017: Family breakfast at Cafeen, Oyster and Champagne Festival in Hillcrest Quarry
The bike was ready for collection first thing on Saturday so Husband’s parents transported us there. This was so we could all breakfast together on the way as we had a busy afternoon planned, so a braai was out of the question. We decided on Cafeen in Claremont for breakfast as it was fairly close for Spec to reach from his end of the Cape, too. The decor is lovely.I remembered my envy over the creme brulee latte Husband had sipped on our last visit to Cafeen – Valentine’s Day of 2016, click here for proof – so that’s what I ordered. Also see a happy Spec, Husband peppering his breakfast and the parents in conversation.And the food? Looked, smelled, and tasted delicious. See various eggy options and my amazing French toast – cinnamon-sugared, syruped, baconed and lemon curded. Yes please.Next stop once the bike mission was complete was the Oyster and Champagne Festival at Hillcrest Quarry. Parking was full – so much so that we were directed onto an adjacent field. There was then quite a queue for shuttles to the quarry on Hillcrest Estate but it’s a short walk up hill – roughly 1km – so we hoofed it, rather.Once we had huffed and puffed mildly up the hill, we joined the queue of folk waiting to enter. Once in, we bumped into Terence, a former camping buddy back when we all still lived in Joburg ages ago. See the complimentary branded champers flutes with five tasting coupons each, and some of the white-and-gold dressed attendees.The oyster section is separate to the champagne section – housed in a different tent and at a price of R12 per oyster (over and above the R160 entry fee) We did not pay this as had media passes, but coughed up for all the oysters Husband guzzled.One could choose from all manner of MCCs, sparkling wines and even authentic Champagne from France to sample – some cash bar only, though – as well as live music and even a coal-heated ‘jacuzzi’.The silvery candyfloss was a hit. Photo with Husband for size, he didn’t have any.Cheers to pink bubbly! Full description of all we sampled in my official review.If you’ve not seen the quarry at Hillcrest Estate, it’s a gorgeous surprise. We were admiring the view when we bumped into another friend from our Joburg days – Michael Rorke, a former colleague from Caxton!We decided to shuttle back to the car once we were done. Just to say we’d experienced the Festival in full. Not because we didn’t have the energy or anything (ahem).The doglets were on their sweetest behaviour that afternoon. Excuse the colour-contrasting blankets.We had dinner at Catch 22 on the beachfront that evening. It was too chilly to sit on the outside balcony for a view of the sea and Table Mountain but we still had a good time. See my blueberry cheesecake shake and Buccaneer beef burger topped with bacon and cheese, along with Husband’s Castle Lite draught and seafood curry.
Sunday, 15 October 2017: Cafe Lacomia brekkie and strawberry lupper
It was time for breakfast at Cafe Lacomia in our nearest Builder’s Warehouse on Sunday. I went for a toasted chicken mayo and latte, while Husband had the bullseye washed down with a Cola, as he does.Later that afternoon, lupper at Mum’s was all about strwaberries – look at them in the salad on the left and adorning the chocolate cake she whipped up. We got to take some home with us and Bertie was hopeful he would get to claim a slice when I had some as a treat. He didn’t, as chocolate isn’t good for dogs.
Monday, 16 October 2017: Office birthday cake
I really lucked out on the chocolate cake front this week, as my colleague Arlene brought in her sister’s famous Whispers-topped chocolate cake on Monday morning to celebrate her birthday. It was delicious, with the topping a mix of melted chocolate mixed with cream.
Wednesday, 18 October 2017: Kantar Millward Brown Re-imagining Marketing talk at 15 on Orange, cloud-flocked sky
I attended a breakfast presentation at the African Pride 15 on Orange hotel first thing on Wednesday. Excellent breakfast, excellent presentation, coverage coming up soon!Stripe of scattered clouds in the suburbs.Sunset that evening – about half-an-hour later – was another example of pretty cloud play.
Last week went by in a blur as I’ve been a bit under the weather and Husband was on night shift again. Luckily we’re both on leave for a bit next week, to recharge our batteries a little.
See a selection of my favourite moment since my last blog update below, I lived up to my promise of posting quite a few ‘family pics’ of Husband with his brother…
Friday, 19 May 2017: Fish Hoek funeral and evening fires
Aunty Sybil’s funeral flowers were beautiful – fitting as she was on the flower decorating committee at the church where her memorial service was held.Post-Home Affairs visit and funeral we stopped off at Muizenberg beach with Spec, who would be staying with us for the weekend. We weren’t really dressed for a dip in the sea but still soaked up some sunshine.T’was chilly that evening so Husband lit a fire. Bassie and I spent hours warming ourselves in front of it.
Saturday, 20 May 2017: Melkbos morning with mum-in-law
As Husband worked the previous weekend, we didn’t get to see my mum-in-law for Mother’s Day. We therefore had a belated Mother’s Day breakfast at Damhuis in Melkbos on Saturday. This was my coffee shake.Family in breakfast/brunch mode. Was delicious!Look at the lovely decor and some of the food on offer.We went on a long walk along the coastline to work off some of that food. See the full Andrews family trotting barefoot here.Later that afternoon we took Spec to see the Hillside Quarry in Durbanville.See? Proof we were there.We stopped in at Saint’s, Eden on the Bay for dins a little later.This is what we ended up with – two draught beers top left, a single latte bottom right, my ‘Irish nacho’ potato skins and the boys’ fancy burgers.
Sunday, 21 May 2017: Peanut-butter hot chocolate at News Cafe
Drinks at News Cafe were our Sunday afternoon highlight. See my peanut butter hot chocolate, Husband’s Long Island Ice Tea and another shot of the three of us together.Mum made individual bobotie pots for dins. Delicious!For dessert, milk tart. 10/10!
Wednesday, 24 May 2017: Work lunch at Redemption Burgers
Wednesday was the day of our next department lunch at work – we try have them every two months or so. This time we took a quick walk down the road to Redemption Burgers at the Old Biscuit Mill.The Mexican burger, topped with cheddar, guacamole and salsa. Also, tin mug of chips and my wavy-looking cappuccino mug.
That’s all, folks! Stay well and be sure to check in again next week!
Woohoo, tis a long weekend ahead! Husband worked all of last weekend and I’ve been at it ever since, so we’re looking forward to finally spending a bit of time together, Not that we were like ships in the night, exactly, as you’ll see below. But first…
Forgot to post this last week, from when I had an office visit from Sarah at WE Joburg. We shared enormous cappuccinos downstairs and she took these snaps of the space we work in. Now you know, too 🙂
Saturday, 22 April 2017: Handle-less coffees at Hemelhuijs and Zip Zap Circus sunshine
On Saturday morning, I went to Hemelhuijs in the De Waterkant end of the CBD with Mum and Dad for breakfast. Just look at their painted ceiling mural, handle-less coffee ‘bowls’, flakes of black salt (delicious) and stash of fresh quinces just waiting to be pureed.Such a lovely way to get that essential caffeine down your gullet, guarantees you wrap your hands around the bowl and close your eyes to breathe deeply while doing so. No wonder we were smiling so!See our coffee bowls top left, Mum’s mosbolletjie toast with rocket, avo and bacon; Dad’s salmon version of the same; and my French toast with bruleed banana. A delicious start to the weekend!A forkful of Dad’s breakfast. Such pretty colours!All these baked goods were calling my name too, but my belly was full to bursting by the time I saw them.Next stop, Zip Zap Circus! It’s animal-free and training comes at no cost to the diverse kiddies in the various programmes. I brought Mum and Dad along to review the first of their 25-year special monthly shows. Click here to read it in full!While waiting for the show to start (it was cooler outside than in the tent), Mum and I noticed our outfits matched this feather quite well. Coincidence!Dad didn’t match but was happy to spend three tokens (the princely sum of R15) on this stem-filled glass of red.A tiny selection of acts from the two-hour-or-so show that’s filled with juggling, trapeze, comedy and more. Go see it if you’re near the Artscape, it’s right there!The doggies were the only animals I saw that day. Look how sweetly they snuggled together on the couch, with overlapping ears.
Sunday, 23 April 2017: Work kitties and FroZenYo waffle churros
Husband sent me this pic of his company at the office that morning. Cute kitty.Once Husband was home we stopped in at the new FroZenYo in Marine Circle. Husband had a white chocolate-raspberry yoghurt shake, I had these waffle churros with warm chocolate dipping sauce. So good!
Wednesday, 26 April 2017: Chocolate tartlet
Wednesday was a good day for a mid-afternoon chocolate-y treat from the bakery downstairs. Just look at those jealous mug-owlies, caught in the act again.
Thursday, 27 April 2017: Freedom Day French toast
After a much-needed public holiday lie-in, it was time to fit in some fun. First stop, breakfast! We’d been to Cassia at Nitida a few times but never ventured further down the dirt road to Tables at Nitida. We’re so glad we did. It’s such a quaint setting and the food is lip-smackingly good. I mopped up my excess toffeed bananas with bits of French toast dotted with nuts, and Husband positively devoured his eggs benedict on savoury waffle.My stripey doughnut from Dunkin’ Donuts in Tygervalley was pretty as a picture. Tasted good, too.Once I’d done a bit of work from home we ventured off to our weekend/holiday favourite Eden on the Bay for a treat. We ended up at Saints Burger Joint. I had this single latte and ‘Irish nachos’ (potato skins), while Husband had their Bloody Mary-style tall el Mexicano cocktail and this here ‘comfortably numb’ chicken burger from their jukebox menu, with crispy side of sweet potato fries and green side of Greek salad. We barely made a dent, I’ll be eating those Irish nachos for days to come.Ahh. This golden light before sunset is my favourite time of day to be beside the seaside. Especially with a view of Table Mountain in the distance.
That’s all, folks! Here’s hoping for a happy weekend for each of you. 🙂
*Disclaimer: Obviously our Zip Zap Circus tickets were part of our review package. All else came from our own pockets. All enjoyed equally.
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 