This past weekend it was Husband’s turn to tackle all the weekend work so most of our pics were snapped at home while he worked, along with a few outings, of course…
Saturday, 6 July 2019: Rocomama’s BlackStar burger
We did our Discovery Health checks at Bayside Mall first thing on Saturday so popped into Mugg & Bean as soon as we’d been given the all-clear. See our cappuccinos and corner table.To eat, Husband went for the full farmhouse option, while I had the choc-chip flapjack stack – one went home with me for afternoon tea.My Saturday afternoon in a picture: Coffee, dogs, blankets and books.Pretty girl looking concerned but actually feeling nice and snug after a weekend afternoon nap.Sweet boy dog with neck extended for full warmth in front of the fire.Husband took a break that afternoon so we all headed off to Rocomama’s together for a few fast favourites. See me and Dad with our shakes, Husband and Mum with their wine and beer, and Mum’s impressive black-bunned BlackStar chicken burger. Very tasty indeed.All the burgers and fries. Yum!
Sunday, 7 July 2019: Breakfast at The Hart, Melkbos
Husband would be working for most of Sunday so we got up early to sort some weekend admin – and to have breakfast, of course. See our table at The Hart Breadhouse and Bakery in Melkbos. I had the single bacon benedict and a cappuccino, Husband opted for a flat white, Coke Zero and the breakfast salad filled with salmon. Delicious.Sweet Bertie boy snuggled up warm in his sister’s clam shell bed.My handsome, tired boys, much later that night. Insert heart-eyes emoji.
Monday, 8 July 2019: Homemade spag-bol to ward off the winter chill
Mum rustled up enormous helpings of ‘spag bol’ for Monday dins as it was a very chilly evening.
Tuesday, 9 July 2019: Conferencing at Kantar’s #GettingMediaRight event
On Tuesday, 9 July I attended Kantar’s #GettingMediaRight info-sharing session. See me with Jupiter Drawing Room MD Michelle Beh, the delicious cappuccino, and speakers for the morning Monique Claassen and Jane Ostler. Click here for my event report-back.I was delighted when I got home from work to a doughnut treat on Tuesday evening.
Wednesday, 10 July 2019: Lunchtime lecture at Red & Yellow School
On Wednesday, I attended author Michael Smorenburg’s lunchtime lecture at Red & Yellow School. Click here for my event report-back.
That’s all, folks! See you next week – same time, same place. 🙂
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 was full of sunshine, good food and sweet doggie moments, as you’ll see from the pics below…
Saturday, 17 November 2018: Afternoon naps and braais
We had mall admin to sort out at Table Bay Mall first thing, so it was a Mugg & Bean breakfast for us. See our samples of blood-orange gingerade (very nice), the bottomless coffee station, table decor and our food, which Husband called ‘un-characteristically underwhelming’.We shared a savoury waffle for Saturday lunch at the Big Bay Waffle Company in Eden on the Bay. Also see my frozen white chocolate latte (frappe) and Husband’s white chocolate shake.Sweet doglets trying to wake their dad from his Saturday afternoon nap.The beautiful, bubbling sea – it looks lovely from a distance but was actually quite murky and foamy up close. So much so that Husband skipped his weekly sea dip!We attended a later-than-usual braai at Husband’s parents that eve, to coincide with the SA vs Scotland rugby match aired on TV after 7pm. See some of the food we ate, and the dessert Bassie wanted to eat.More scenes from the braai – Bassie smelling the flowers and eyeing the braai meat, Bertie licking his dad’s nose and sunset setting in.Bertie loved sitting wedged between his mom and grampa while watching the rugby after the braai.
Sunday, 18 November 2018: Melkbos morning
Our ‘I Love Melkies’ breakfast on Sunday morning was a win. See our coffees and the setting, as well as my bacon-marscapone-strawberry waffle.Husband’s second flat white and ‘hash and pork’ bowl, so good he declared it delicious.A beautiful lilac double-Adirondack I spotted while we were walking in Melkbos. I must have!We stopped in at Catch 22 on Marine Drive for Sunday afternoon treats. See Husband’s jumbo oysters and Bloody Mary, as well as my Ferrero Rocher shake. Yum!Table Mountain, as seen from the powdery sands of Dolphin Beach. The sea was still too choppy for a dip, alas.Mum made a chocolate peanut-butter cake that had us all asking for more.
Tuesday, 20 November 2018: R59 Tuesday pizza special at Panarotti’s
Husband had to work late on Tuesday evening, when my parents usually come over with dins, so instead we met them at Panarotti’s in Table Bay Mall for the R59 pizza special. All thoroughly enjoyed ourselves, from the pizza to the cherry cola and salted caramel shakes as sampled by me and dad. See Husband pretending to pour his glass of red into mum’s Sprite Zero.
Wednesday, 21 November 2018: Corinium’s Women in Digital and Data conference at The Forum, Embassy Hill
More scenes from in and around the venue.I’d never been to The Forum at Embassy Hill in Constantia, what a beautiful conference setting! The insights were also fantastic and will be featured on Bizcommunity over the coming weeks.
Thursday, 22 November 2018: HeavyChef’s ‘entrepreneurial grit’ masterclass at Workshop 17
One of the best cups of filter coffee I’ve ever had. Delicious and fresh, especially after dipping an arm elbow-deep into an ice bucket for almost 2 minutes for important lessons on mindset. Watch for my coverage of the masterclass on Bizcommunity, if you’re not sure what I mean by that!Some of the sights from inside Workshop 17. What a wonderful co-working space! Easy to see why so many work events are held at Workshop 17.
This past week has been busy as always work-wise, so we did what we could to relax after hours…
Friday, 9 November 2018: Moyo sea-dip evening
Certain cocktails are R39 at Moyo on a Friday before 6pm, like the creamy pina colada.Given the above picture, you can see that we started that weekend feeling earlier than usual by popping out for a quick beach visit once we were done with work. See Husband’s draught (R25 before 6pm on a Friday!), as well as my Pina Colada and our shared pulled-pork linguine at Moyo in Eden on the Bay. Also see Husband’s splash in the sea.The sky was beautiful when we got home that evening.
Saturday, 10 November 2018: CTFM paella and shakes
We had some mall admin to tick off our weekend to-do list so we started the morning with cappuccinos and breakfast at Bayside’s Mugg & Bean. See Husband’s bean and bacon hash benedict, and my rainbow slaw-sweetcorn-avo toast.Lots of birds on the rocks next to Husband’s usual sea-swimming spot.It was so hot that I passed on hot drinks and instead tried the iced coffee slushy at Expresso in Table Bay Mall (delicious). Seen with a chocolate-cinnamon twist and Husband’s tiny con panna.We wanted ‘dinner with a view’ so headed out to CTFM in Seaside Village. See Husband’s seafood paella and my burger with chips and onion rings.See me with my Cookies and Cream shake jar, Husband’s delight at his pan of paella, and how he loved it so much that he licked the pan clean.I spent some quality time with my precious boy dog on the couch that evening.
Sunday, 11 November 2018: Baconville breakfast, Pakalolo cocktails and Dolphin Beach visit
You feel like you’re right in the countryside, travelling from Table View to the Durbanville and Tyger Valley side.We forgot to snap a shot of the attendees, but Baconville was the venue for our Sunday morning breakfast with Husband’s parents. See the heart in my chocolate latte and our various bacon-topped breakfast plates.Nothing says ‘sunny Sunday’ like a beach walk! See our brief visit to Dolphin Beach.View of Table Mountain across the snowy sands of Dolphin Beach.By then, the weather was shouting that it was time for a cocktail. Here is Husband with his Bloody Mary at Pakalolo’s.I went for the colourful Smoky something (seems Pakalolo’s online menus are out of date or else I would tell you the exact name). T’was delicious.Mum set out all the fixings for chicken fajitas for Sunday lupper, and later whipped up a batch of peanut-butter cookies, fresh and delicious with coffee.Bassie thought my cream-topped coffee smelled just as good as the cookies.
Wednesday, 13 to Thursday, 15 November 2018: AfricaCom at the CTICC
I covered sessions of AfricaCom from Tuesday to Thursday, with so much going on at the same time – 9 different conference tracks – that it was held across both the CTICC and new CTICC 2 venue, so you get to cross the ‘skybridge’ multiple times.View from the top floor of the CTICC 2. So much business conferencing going on!More scenes from AfricaCom. The Speculaas ice-cream in the Expo centre was yum, and it was fun to watch the live graffiti installation.Pretty colours in our dining room when Mum created a quick pasta bake for our Tuesday visit.On Wednesday, I quickly dashed out between AfricaCom sessions to catch a ‘bring your own lunch’ lunchtime lecture at Red & Yellow School, before dashing back to the CTICC.I’d brought the popcorn snack with me from the AfricaCom expo – also popped in a few chocolatey treats to munch on while taking notes!It was a beautiful evening and we both got home later than usual on Wednesday so decided on Jerry’s for dinner, as a mid-week treat. See Husband with his glass of red, me with my Pina Colada shake, our burgers and the sunset.
Get your scrolling finger ready to see how we celebrated our 11th wedding anniversary last weekend, amongst other things…
Wednesday, 22 August 2018: Future Females at Workshop 17
Last Wednesday was the Future Females monthly evening event, which coincided with their first birthday celebration. Click here if you missed my overview.Some networking snaps and oh my goodness, look at that cake!
Thursday, 23 August 2018: SheSays ‘side-hustle’ event
Last Thursday, I attended the second ever Cape Town SheSays event, held at GetSmarter’s offices. Watch for my overview of the event on Bizcommunity early next week!Unicorns, barista-brewed coffees and local bestselling books make good waiting companions.Group shot! We snacked, laughed and chatted away before the main panel discussion began.
Saturday, 25 August 2018: 11th anniversary dins at El Barrio
We had some mall admin to kick off our weekend so it was another Mugg & Bean breakfast for us. See our flat whites, my choc-chip flapjack stack and Husband’s basic fried breakfast.The sea that afternoon was the picture of ‘winter in Cape Town’ – grey sky, green water. Husband did not venture in.We stopped in at The Daily for a mid-afternoon treat of ‘tin cups’ (cappuccino with condensed milk, served in a tin cup). We dunked our heart-shaped shortbread biscuits in them. Yum! ❤We had our anniversary celebration meal at El Barrio in Eden on the Bay. See a selection of the tacos we ate. All delicious!See Husband with his glass of red and me with my ‘Drunken Mexican’ cocktail, complete with roasted marshmallows and cinnamon stick.If you sit inside at El Barrio, you’ll see some of these things, including a super-cute bulldoggy.I finally got to try a ‘pastel caramel-custard rainbow cake slice’ from Velvet Cake Co in Canal Walk that evening. It tastes even better than it looks, and that’s saying something!
Sunday, 26 August 2018: Breakfast at The Hart, cappuccinos at Bread & Butter
We breakfasted at The Hart Bakery in Melkbos on Sunday. See my single eggs benedict, Husband’s chorizo rosti and our flat whites.Handsome Husband! My coffee date at Bread and Butter on Sunday afternoon.Mmm! We had veggie soup with bacon-flavoured croutons for lupper at Mum’s on Sunday. Just the thing on a cold afternoon.
Monday, 27 August 2018: Growing Greatness book launch at Ruth Prowse School of Art
Monday was cold and rainy, and also the evening of the launch of Joe Public United chief creative officer Pepe Marais’ book launch, at the Ruth Prowse School of Art. Click here for my interview with Marais, if you missed it.
Tuesday, 28 August 2018: Networking Vietnamese coffee bowl at Hemelhuijs
I started my Tuesday with a quick coffee catch-up at Hemelhuijs, and finally tried the Vietnamese coffee bowl. It costs R50 and tastes like heaven – with vanilla and condensed milk added to the bowl.A networking selfie together with the founders of the Voyc.AI transcriber, in front of some of the pretty things on display at Hemelhuijs.
Wednesday, 29 August 2018: UCT Unilever Youth Report launch
The weather on Wednesday was crisp and fresh, with blue skies and light clouds everywhere. I snapped this at the Sports Science Institute in Newlands, where I was attending the launch of the UCT Unilever Institute of Strategic Marketing’s Youth Report 2018.Key moments from the morning.Sweet doggies snuggling on the couch that evening – both with me and without. Also see before and after snaps of the Checkers’ ready-to-cook master chef meal that Husband whipped up for dins. This was the sweet-and-sour pork.
Thursday, 30 August 2018: Love Milo’s Spring design Magnolia launch
On Thursday afternoon, I popped into Love Milo on Hope Street in Gardens for their Spring design trends Magnolia launch. It was just lovely.The snacks and treats were all pinky purple to match the Magnolia trend, with pomegranates in the flutes of pink bubbly and mint leaves and raspberries to garnish the ice tea.This table setting is just so pretty with the ombre napkins, touches of gold, wood and floral.
That’s all, folks! Here’s to a relaxing weekend. 🙂
Can you believe we’re already in August! This past week has been busy on all fronts as usual, as you’ll see from the pics below…
Friday, 27 July 2018: Birthday cakes at work and Petiscos dins
Almost as soon as I’d sat down at my desk on Friday, it was time to leave for the monthly Creative Mornings Cape Town talk, held at Friends of Design on Bree Street. The talk was on the theme of ‘intention’ – watch for my coverage on Biz this coming Monday.When I got back to the office there was a selelction of cakes and sweet treats to celebrate my colleague Gail’s birthday. T’was lovely!It had been a long, hard work week so we treated ourselves to dins at Petiscos last Friday night, as we had so enjoyed the chicken fillet xai xai the previous weekend. It was delicious and came fast! Husband had his with a glass of red again, I went for the wild berry shake.
Saturday, 28 July 2018: Small dogs and Sea Point curries
We had weekend admin to tick off our lists at Table Bay Mall on Saturday, so we started off with a quick breakfast at Mugg & Bean. See Husband’s bacon-egg-tomato toast and my triple-choc muffin, That’s a flat white for me and a serious cappuccino for him.My sweet girl enjoying the sunshine outside on Saturday morning.Sometimes Bertie sits in a way that makes him look tiny (he’s a hefty 10kg ‘medium’ according to doggie food charts). Bless.The doglets on the couch together that afternoon. Little Miss Bassie looks concerned, Bertie not so much.On Saturday evening we made the long trek past town, to combine a colleague of mine’s farewell dinner with my brother-in-law Spec’s birthday. We went to Ninety One in Sea Point and had the most delicious curries – the butter chicken with peshwari (desiccated coconut and raisin) naan bread as amazing!The girls! Some have since left the team, but we’re always good for a curry dinner catch-up.
Sunday, 29 July 2018: Baconville breakfast, Moyo sunset dins
We treated Spec to breakfast at Baconville on Sunday morning. See my large Flake-topped chocolate latte catching some sun.It was sunny and there was coffee and bacon, so we were happy.Choc-chip birthday queen cakes Mum whipped up for Spec, eaten at my in-laws’ house on Sunday afternoon.Bertie was a sleepy sweetheart that afternoon and slept on his dad’s lap, almost on top of his sister and spreadeagled on the sun-warmed carpet.We decided on a shared bowl of the lamb-shank linguine at Moyo in Eden on the Bay for our early Sunday dins. Also see my hazelnut latte and lots of heaters and interesting pink lights.We had the full Moyo experience with gas heaters and drumming music and my face-painted, and were lucky enough to catch the sun setting over the sea just as we were leaving.
Tuesday, 31 July 2018: Farewell cakes at work
Such beautiful cakes! These were in honour of Ilse’s formal farewell lunch at work on Tuesday.
Wednesday, 1 August 2018: CEM Africa conference day one
Wednesday was the first day of the annual customer experience management or CEM Africa Summit. I’d not been to the CTICC for a while so enjoyed taking in the scenery before the conference sessions kicked off.The food during tea breaks and lunch was as good as always at the CTICC, with fresh pastries and mini muffins, as well as sticky doughnuts, assorted desserts, and lots of small round foods easy to eat with the hands. I approve!
Thursday, 2 August 2018: CEM Africa conference day two
The food choices on day two did not disappoint!Some of my favourite keynote presentations included these slides. You can read more about them here, here and here.Of course I stopped for a photo at the BrandLove booth, they’re my favourite CX team!
That’s all, folks! Here’s to a relaxing weekend all round. 🙂
Last weekend was another sunny one, as you’ll see from the short sleeves in the pics below…
Wednesday, 18 July 2018: Unboxing diversity with Kantar Millward Brown
I attended an interesting morning presentation on ‘Unboxing stereotypes in advertising’ at Kantar Millward Brown’s offices on the Foreshore on Mandela Day. Make sure you read my overview if you missed it.
Friday, 20 July 2018: Joining the Tribe Coffee early birds, Wikimania Cape Sun conferencing
Last Friday I walked across the road to Tribe Coffee Roasters the moment I had put my bag at my desk, as a colleague told me about their earlybird special – any coffee ordered before 9am is R15. My large flat white was delicious and worked a charm!Later that morning I attended the Wikimania conference press briefing, on the 32nd floor of the Cape Sun Hotel, only to bump into my cousin Luke, who is a reporter for the Weekend Argus. Read my coverage of the event if you missed it.Almost birds-eye view of the Cape Town CBD hugged by Table Mountain on our way down the lift, once the event was over.
Saturday, 21 July 2018: Flapjacks and doughnuts at Table Bay Mall, Portuguese chicken Petiscos dins
Husband had to work on Saturday so we grabbed a quick breakfast together at Table Bay Mall’s Mugg & Bean before parting ways for the day. See my cappuccino with chocolate biscuit and stack of choc-chip flapjacks. Husband had a ‘serious cappuccino’ and the bacon and egg on toast.Soon after Husband left for the office, my parents arrived at the Mall – just in time for a teatime treat! See Mum and me mid-laugh with our chai lattes at Dunkin Donuts.Dad’s treat of cappuccino and doughnut topped with white frosting and sprinkles.The doglets were most curious about my leftover flapjack later that afternoon.We decided on Petiscos for dins that evening as we both adore their chicken fillet xai xai. I also had a Lindt choc flake shake, while Husband had a glass of the house red.
Sunday, 22 July 2018: Jason Bakery brekkie and spotting the Red Devil steam train
We woke to ‘road trip weather’ on Sunday, so off to Jason Bakery Bardough in Green Point we went. See the skull made of corks; dark charcoal-looking rolls; white chocolate, raspberry and almond croissants; and my flat white.See the interesting decor, pigs-ear type biscuit that accompanies the coffee and Husband’s rocket, mushroom, bacon, egg and cheese-filled ‘breakfast toastie’.Beautiful coastline on the winding route home!We stopped along the way to peer over the edge at the crashing waves below.We were in the Kloof Nek side of Cape Town that afternoon so stopped in for a very brief walk around one of the walking trails. It’s so green and gorgeous.Husband exploring Roundhouse, at the bottom edge of the walk we were on. Lovely hint of the sea in the distance.Eagle-eyed Husband noticed the Red Devil was on the train tracks in the Cape Town harbour when we passed, so of course we took a detour to have a closer look.Proof that it really is the Red Devil and not just any random red steam train.Husband had a dunk in the sea slightly further up the coast from his usual spot that afternoon.
Thursday, 26 July 2018: Sunrise in Woodstock
We left for work a little earlier than usual on Thursday so the sun was just beginning to rise when I reached the Woodstock MyCiti station.
That’s all, folks! Gasp, have just realised that while I glugged down copious cups of coffee, there was a severe lack of milkshakes on the menu. Just one! I will have to make amends 😉 May your weekend be restful and restorative.
Little Bassie is now 11 years old and we had a wonderful time celebrating her special day last weekend, as you’ll see from the pics below…
Thursday, 29 March 2018: First fire of 2018
It was rather chilly last Thursday evening, so we lit our first fire of the year in the fireplace. I warmed my bare feet while the doggies happily huddled nearby – Bassie is on the couch, if you’re trying to spot her.
Friday, 30 March 2018: Cup & Cake breakfast on Good Friday
After a leisurely lie-in we decided on Cup & Cake in Eden on the Bay for breakfast. See my caramel latte to start the day.The food was so good! I had the French Toast sandwich with banana, sweet fried onions and cream cheese while Husband had a classic eggs benedict.It was a cold day, overall, as is usual for Good Friday – note the Winter grey sky and green sea. Note that Husband was just exploring along the coastline, he did not take a dip.We picked up some Good Friday treats, to last throughout the long Easter weekend.Bassie pretended to not be interested in the chocolate hot-cross buns. See her ‘not looking at the foodies’ face on the second shot.
Saturday, 31 March 2018: Musselling in Bloubergstrand
Surprise! We’d just ordered our food and drinks for breakfast at News Cafe with brother-in-law Spec on Saturday morning (he’d slept over at ours) when Mum and Dad walked in! See our various coffees topped with foam hearts and elephants, early bird breakfast specials and the City Slicker eggs benedict Husband ordered for a change.Proof we were all there.Then it was time for musselling with Husband’s family, just down the road at Bloubergstrand. All equipped with permits and a suitably low tide, they were ready to wade in.This lovely golden retriever doggie came bounding over to sit with me after his dip in the sea. His name was Charlie.You can just make out the mussellers near the rocks here.We decided on liquid treats at Saint’s in Eden on the Bay later that afternoon. See Spec’s blueberry mojito, my Insomniac shake and Husband’s ‘Fat Mary’ – a bloody Mary topped with candied bacon. Yum!Husband finally had his proper dip in the sea that afternoon.The mussels had since been cleaned and cooked, and were eaten as a starter by the others at the braai at the parents later that afternoon. There was also a ‘rosbif’ (roast beef) braaied on the Weber-spit with taters, and lots of veg.Of course there were all sorts of Easter goodies for dessert. Also see the doggies sitting sweetly.Bassie was very interested in all the Easter treats but received her own doggy treats as it was the day before her birthday.
Sunday, 1 April 2018: Easter Sunday and Bassie’s 11th birthday
Bassie got lots of special birthday girl attention on Sunday. See Bertie just under Husband’s arm, not willing to move out of the photo.Surprise (again!) We had just ordered our food and drinks at Mugg & Bean in Table Bay Mall on Sunday morning when Mum and Dad appeared! We moved to a bigger table to eat together. See dad’s ‘serious cappuccino’ and blueberry flapjacks on top, my banoffee French toast bottom left, Mum’s avo egg toast in the middle and Husband’s M&M Classic.We stopped in at Eden Cafe for our Sunday afternoon treats. See my passionfruit shake and Husband’s Castle Lite.Various attempts at getting the birthday girl to look happy in her birthday-hat pic this year (her hat is smaller than the one the rest of us wear, but still a little big for her).Mmm. We’d brought along a malva pudding-style sticky-toffee baked pudding for Easter dessert.
Monday, 2 April 2018: Family Day doggy beach walks
We breakfasted at Cafe Lacomia in our nearest Builder’s Warehouse on Monday. See Husband’s sloppy joe, my toasted chicken mayo and my cafe mocha.The weather was finally right for a doggie beach visit late on Monday morning.Doggies running eagerly towards the sea with Husband.We really kept things local this past long weekend. For our Monday treat we decided on an early-dins at Doodles…See Husband’s linefish of the day (angelfish) with veg and baked potato, as well as my melt burger with pepper sauce and Bar-one shake.The sea was crashing over the rocks with Table Mountain under a light cloudy duvet as we took the scenic route home.I had a belated Easter treat with a cup of coffee in a reindeer mug that evening. Delicious!
That’s all, folks! Keep your eyes peeled for next week’s update, which will feature a visit from special friend, Gords. Have a happy weekend 🙂
December may have only just kicked off but I’ve already had my first full Christmas lunch of the year!
Friday, 1 December 2017: Adele Searll 100 Club Christmas lunch at the Table Bay Hotel
A nut-crackingly good welcome to the Table Bay Hotel.The decorations in and around the Table Bay Hotel got me into Christmas mode, fast. See the bright purply baubles everywhere.Pink bubbly in the sunshine? Don’t mind if I do!Beautiful tables in the Table Bay Hotel ballroom.I was invited as Pam Westaway’s guest and enjoyed the Cathy Specific entertainment – that’s ‘her’ top left. Yes, I’m standing in the picture. On my tippy toes.Proper Christmas lunch – we shared platters of endive salad with walnuts, then each had a plate of turkey with pumpkin and cranberries and carrots, and ended with slices of pumpkin pie with maple-pecan ice cream and mince pies with coffee. Simply scrumptious!
Saturday, 2 December 2017: Ons Huisie breakfast, Wimpy shakes and home braai
We decided on breakfast at Ons Huisie on Saturday morning. See Husband’s curried mince on toast topped with eggs and my berries-and-cream French toast.Breakfast at our table at Ons Huisie.We decided on a Wimpy shake as our Saturday afternoon treat. See my peanut butter-toffee chocolate version up close with Husband’s plain banana shake in the background.Next stop, Saturday afternoon braai at our house, with Spec sleeping over as we had plans for the following morning.Coals cooking away before we added the meat to the braai.Bassie is always photogenic. See a few snaps of her on backs of couches and begging for crisps during the braai. Such a sweetie.Some of the tasty treats we ate at the braai. Yes, that is a chocolate pizza dessert bottom right.
Sunday, 3 December 2017: Mugg & Bean brekkie and Justice League at Bayside, beach visit
We were up early on Sunday for breakfast and to watch Justice League at Bayside. Our Mugg & Bean brekkie included banoffee-chocolate French toast for me and the standard eggs-toast-bacon option for the brothers, with cappuccino all round.Close up of my meal once I’d separated out the layers. Banana slices with caramel sauce on the left, banana slices with chocolate sauce and thick cream blobs on the right.Spec and I are such true geeks who wear our superhero outfits and pose like the characters outside movie posters. Yes, even if other people are around.We did some Christmas shopping at the Table Bay Mall on Sunday afternoon. The decorations are lovely and bright!We stopped at Dolphin Beach later that afternoon for a stroll and jump along the icing-sugar sand and Husband had a quick dunk in the sea.
Tuesday, 5 December 2017: Carrot cake and milk tart in the office
We had cake in the office on Tuesday to celebrate Cari’s birthday over the weekend. Slices were thin so we could sample both, carrot cake and milk tart. They were amazing.
That’s all, folks! I hinted at my latest DIY home project in my last blog post, big reveal below…
Here it is in all its glory. I’d been gifted with wooden numbers to mosaic and add to the front of our house once we moved in three years ago. We waited until the wall was up and freshly painted, then waited for me to decide on a colour scheme I liked, then estimated how much grouting and mosaic and trim I’d need and finally completed the job over my recent staycation. Sparkly!
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 