Winter weekend beach breakfasts and sea swims

It’s been quite a wet, chilly week so without the pics below, you probably wouldn’t believe that last weekend was one of those rare warm winter weekends in Cape Town. So warm, in fact, that Husband had a dip in the ocean…

Saturday, 7 July: Breakfast at Makro, Winter sea swims, Durban July jollity 

Our Saturday morning activities were all in the vicinity of Makro, so we had breakfast there, too. See my English Toffee milkshake and toasted chicken-mayo, Husband’s Coke Zero and boerewors breakfast, and the large cream-topped cappuccino we shared.

Later that morning, Husband decided the water was just warm enough for a dip in the sea. So off we went to his favourite dunking spot, in he went – and he was out again fairly soon, but feeling refreshed. The mountain looked lovely from there, so I just gazed at the view.

That’s the view I was looking at. Insert heart-eyes emoji! 🙂

Later that afternoon, we stopped in at Husband’s parents’ house for the annual Durban July horse draw and snacks, with a quick braai after. Bassie was particularly sweetly behaved that day.

Aw. See? Such sweet doggies waiting to greet their other set of grandparents.

Sunday, 8 July: On the Rocks breakfast, Driftwood lunch

On Sunday morning we stopped in at Husband’s parents house again to pick up Spec, who had spent the night. Then we set off for On the Rocks, for a wonderful breakfast filled with sea breezes and seagulls. Coffee close-up to follow…

That’s what I call coffee with a view!

Look at the food! That’s Spec’s enormous omelette top left, and Husband’s kippers with poached eggs bottom right. Close up of my berries-and-ice-cream French toast to follow…

As promised. Delicious, as the jammy berry compote is slightly tart and the ice cream melts into the hot sandwich – if you eat it the way I do!

We met my parents for lunch at the Driftwood Cafe on Sunday. See my custard shake, Dad’s lime shake, Mum’s Flying Fish and Husband’s draught beer. Also my nachos and Mum’s cajun chicken caesar salad. Not pictured – Dad’s calamari and chips.

Husband’s mussel pot with chunks of bread and chorizo.

Tuesday, 10 July: An evening visit from an old friend

Our friend Gords was in Cape Town on business on Tuesday, so he popped in at our house for a quick visit that evening. Bertie was pleased to see his old friend, and spent some quality time with his Grampa.

Little Miss Bassie also loved all the attention.

We’ve had some pretty pinky-orange skies at sunset this past week, too.

That’s all, folks! Here’s to a relaxing weekend filled with happy moments 🙂

Table Mountain views and tasty Forries tapas

Last weekend the weather took a turn for the chilly, as you’ll see from our clothing in the pics below. I think it’s fair to say we’re ready for winter though, hopefully with lots of rain!

Thursday, 8 March 2018: Retail marketing trends talk at FCB

Oh how I love the FCB Cape Town offices. All the bright colours and lights and views of the trees outside.

Snacks! Pencils! FCB notebooks! Trees! Click here if you missed my coverage of the session retail marketing session presented by Chicago’s FCB Red.

Couldn’t ignore this eye-catching graffiti on my way from FCB’s office after the talk to the Woodstock MyCiti bus stop that afternoon.

To mark the end of a steady stream of weekend work for both of us, we went out to dins at Doodles that evening. See Husband grinning in the sunshine, his curry-topped pizza, my nachos and latte, and the sunset. Cue heart-eyes emoji!

Friday, 9 March 2018: Columinate research presentation at The Cullinan

I covered Columinate’s ‘measure of tomorrow’ research presentation on Friday, held at The Cullinan Hotel. We were treated to a delicious brunch and there were bicycles galore ahead of last weekend’s Cape Cycle Challenge (formerly known as the Argus}. Click here if you missed the resulting article!

Saturday, 10 March 2018: Forries’ tapas snacks and Black Bull dins

We needed to purchase and price a few products at our local Builders Warehouse so ate in the accompanying Cafe Lacomia. See my chocolate-sprinkled cappuccino with not one, not two, not three but FOUR mini cookies, also my toasted chicken mayo and Husband’s sloppy joe (eggs and mince on toast). Just what we needed!

That afternoon we were on the Claremont side of the world and the weather was quite wintery so we stopped in at the Forester’s Arms for a quick treat. See Husband with his Castle 1895 draught, me with my strawberry shake and delicious foodies in the next photo…

We decided on two types of tapas – the roasted chili poppers wrapped in bacon with a fig glaze (yum) and beef satay – that peanut-chili-coconut dipping sauce is amazing!

We met Husband’s parents for dins at the Black Bull diner, which is roughly ten minutes from both our houses. See my caramel shake top left, the ‘starter portion’ Alabama ranch baked potato (there are two of them topped with cheese and bacon, with a side tub of sour cream) – Mum-in-Law and I each ordered this and each ended up taking a full potato home), the bangers and mash that Husband and his father devoured and the mushroom starter shared by most of the table.

Sunday, 11 March 2018: Afternoon treats at Cup & Cake, Eden on the Bay

Stark Ayres’ Pink Olive breakfast usually means a cappuccino and the made-to-order scones for me, with Husband downing a Coke Zero and the salmon eggs benedict.

Cup & Cake was the venue of our Sunday afternoon treat. You can just see Husband’s cappuccino and my Zoo-biscuit shake, here.

Husband also had some salmon sushi as part of his Sunday afternoon treat at Eden on the Bay.

The view of the mountain from our side of the cape was just gorgeous.

More shots of the lovely mountain that afternoon.

Monday, 12 March 2018: Cat joins Husband and Bassie in the car

Bassie hadn’t been well over the weekend so Husband dropped her off at her usual vet on Monday morning, after an emergency vet visit on Sunday evening. This three-legged black-and-white cat hopped into the car and kept them company while they waited to be admitted.

Wednesday, 14 March 2018: Chilly Cape evening

Healthy, happy doggies waiting for their dins on Wednesday evening. Blanket is another sign of the evening chill that hit.

That’s all, folks! May your weekend feel long and relaxing. 🙂

Leadville for ‘small and shy dogs’; Bossa burgers and boozy shakes

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.

What to do in Franschhoek: Stay at Leeu Estates

This past weekend we had the opportunity to do a little pre-10th anniversary celebrating at Leeu Estates in Franschhoek. I narrowed down the hundreds of photos we took to the following few, and hope they give you the sense that this was one of our most relaxing, fun and luxurious weekends yet…

Saturday, 12 August 2017:  Wine-tasting at Mullineux and Leeu, Tex-Mex dinner at Tuk-Tuk, Leeu House Madiba selfies

Destination: Leeu Estates in Franschhoek, just 80km from Cape Town. Temperature: Cool, drizzly and wintery. Expectation levels: All-time high.

It’s all warm smiles at Leeu Estates, and nothing is too big an ask for the staff. Every single member of the ‘Leeu pride’ was as pleasant and helpful as can be. So much so that I was presented with a cappuccino and we were taken on a quick refresher tour of the property before even reaching our room. We were almost tempted to spend all weekend in the cosy reading room with fully stocked bookshelf, board games, cheerfully blazing fire and inviting chess board.

This pool, perfectly reflecting the cloudy sky, must be just the thing in Summer. Imagine taking a quick dip then relaxing on a lounger while the sun licks away those water droplets.

We also stopped in at the technogym and rivalled the gym bunny sculptures in our activity. Well, not quite…

We barely had time to get acquainted with our amazing suite before it was time to be golf-carted up to the Mullineux and Leeu wine studio on the property for a wine tasting. It’s a warm, bright space with crackling fireplace and wall of glass that make a winter wine tasting all the more pleasurable, with excellent storytellers to explain the origins of each varietal, and when we examined our room a little more closely we noticed two dinky bottles of wine waiting to welcome us – cheers!

The art-loving Leeu Collection’s Mr Singh’s presence is strong in the wine studio too, with this impressive giraffe at the entry as recently added as a week before our visit. I dare you not to take a height-comparison photo next to it, like we did.

Husband in his wine-tasting element.

Winter is a wonderful year to visit the Cape winelands. Just look at the way the grey sky brings out the rich greens of those very well trimmed hedges on the walk back to Leeu Estates through the Bokkie Garden.

Sentried rows of lovely greenery in the bokkie garden between the main Manor House and the Mullineux and Leeu Wine Studio.

This sculpture is titled ‘Reflective Resonance’. Husband couldn’t resist kicking off his shoes and mimicking the pose.

Clouds. Mountains. Lavender. Breath-taking.

We made the most of our stay by changing into swim gear and then braving the icy temperature to leap into the steam room, and once suitably heated up made a swift dash into the very slightly heated pool with view out towards the Franschhoek Mountains. Refreshing, to say the least!

It’s only when I took the plunge (literally) and fully immersed myself in the pool that I noticed the rainbow right outside.

I love a room with a view, but a bath with a view? That’s the ultimate. We’ll have to return once the water restrictions have lifted to actually have a soak in that tub and sigh over the view.

Husband did try out the shower though, and had a wonderful gown-whisky-balcony moment in the break between swimming and dins.

One of the best balconies we’ve had the pleasure of relaxing from. Just look at that view!

We enjoyed that outside view so much that we barely snapped any pics of the inside of our suite, alas. See the bed and lounge on top, and the main lounge below where we spent a few minutes before dinner time.

Before we knew it, the complimentary Leeu Collection shuttle was ready to take us 2km into Franschhoek town for dinner at Tuk Tuk Microbrewery. It was well-lit, warm and completely buzzing when we got there at 7pm, so we were pleasantly surprised that service was super speedy.

Instead of the standard wine tasting you can do a beer tasting at the Microbrewery, either of CBC’s brews (my bru) or of Tuk Tuk’s own brand of ales. Food-wise, everything is tasty Tex-Mex – note my impressively plated cheesy nachos with side of pulled beef, Husband’s manageable burger and fries and see how the photo of all the liquid on our table was photographed.

For dessert, the churros with rich, warmly dripping dipping sauce are a must.

We had time for a quick after-dark stroll down the street to pose at the Madiba statue at Leeu House and greet the scary rabbit we remembered from our previous stay at Le Quartier Francais before the shuttle arrived to ferry us back to Leeu Estates for the night

Back in our room, Husband took full advantage of the underfloor heating, was impressed by the remote-controlled fireplace, and took in the pretty lights from the balcony before I noticed the cleaning fairies had left us a pre-anniversary surprise of tasty bedtime treats that we savoured right away and a bottle of MCC (which we brought home to crack open on our real anniversary).

Sunday, 13 August 2017: Breakfast at Leeu Estates

We were dressed and down in the restaurant for breakfast by 8am, in time to watch the sun rise through the adjacent glassed-in Conservatory.

Breakfast the next morning was another delicious experience. Just look at the buffet spread, Husband’s masala omelette and my blueberry flapjacks, all lit by the morning sun once it popped its sleepy head over the mountains.

Other sculptures to look out for if you visit Leeu Estates. They add a delightfully quirky touch to the stay.

That’s all, folks! It was over in a flash, but the memories are something we will savour for a very long time. Keep your eyes peeled for my official review on Biz.

*Disclaimer: Our meals and accommodation at Leeu Estates and Tuk-Tuk Microbrewery were part of our review package. Click through for a reminder of our previous stays at Leeu Collection’s Le Quartier Francais and Leeu House.

Autumn 2017 and Husband’s parents arrive in Cape Town

It’s been another longgg week with Husband playing the role of Marvin (click here if you’re not sure what that means).

We’ve finally had a fair sprinkling of rain though, and the weather’s definitely nippier than usual so I think it’s fair to say that Autumn 2017 has arrived in Cape Town. If you click through to my blog post from this week last year I said the exact same thing, so at least I’m consistent)…

Friday, 17 March 2017: Work farewell at Fat Cactus

We tend to hold any work farewells or special functions at the Fat Cactus as it’s walking distance from our office, so that’s just where we went last Friday for our editorial assistant’s farewell. I had the espresso milkshake you see here.

Saturday, 18 March 2017: Autumnal Chocolat breakfast, doggy beach walk and local rugby supporting

This is what the weather was like when we set off for breakfast on Saturday morning. Cloudy, cold and in need of coffee.

Luckily that’s just what we had at Chocolat in Durbanville – we were headed somewhere else when we saw it’s facade and decided to pop in. I’m so glad we did.

Look at the pretty gold-framed bunny art inside, the proteas in silver teapots, Husband’s Tabasco sauce-drenched eggs benedict and my strawberry-topped Nutella-peanut butter French toast. Delicious!

Later that morning it was time for walkies at the beach, which was surprisingly empty. Note Husband, happy doggies and sea birds.

Lots of happy moments during the walkies, including Bassie being off leash and Bertie swimming in the sea. Both were tired and happy to get back home.

Much later than evening, after a few weekend adminny chores, we went to Theo Marais Park to support Union Milnerton Rugby Club (Millies) against Brackenfell (Brakkies). It was cold enough for coffee and Husband had to go retrieve the ball when it veered towards the cricket side of the field.

Sunday, 19 March 2017: Pineapple-y Sunday

We wanted to break our fast at the Woollies Cafe in Canal Walk first thing on Sunday but got there before they open at 9am, so had a quick pre-coffee at Limnos while ogling their droolworthy cakes. Also seen here: The fritaffle Husband ate, my frosted caramel latte and the healthy orange, carrot and pineapple-y juice Husband braved. That wasn’t the last pineapple of the day…

We decided on a shared pina colada for our Sunday afternoon treat, at Moyo as you can tell from my face-paintings here.

You can see my face-painting better in this shot out of the light (and the icy water our feet were dangling in as we bravely sat at the surfboard tables outside.)

What a coincidence, Mum had made a pineapple pudding for after lupper that evening.

Monday, 20 and Tuesday, 21 March 2017: Husband’s parents arrive

Husband’s parents arrived at our house on Monday evening, and the truck with all their worldly goods arrived at their new house first thing on Tuesday morning – luckily it was a public holiday so we could go along to help out, though Husband was being Marvin this week so only had two hours of sleep from Monday night’s shift.

Unfortunately Husband’s dad had a bad kidney stone attack during the night so was booked into hospital. The rest of us did a bit of unpacking then decamped to Eden Cafe for a much needed foot-dip in the ocean and tummy top-up. I had a passion-fruit shake, Husband a draught, mother-in-law a glass of wine. She ate the chicken mayo on pumpkin-seed roll while we shared a chicken prego roll that really hit the spot!

Thursday, 23 March 2017: Sea Point event, annual staff meet and Fat Cactus lunch

First thing on Thursday I hopped on the bus to Sea Point to cover the Mediamark In the Know Now media event at the La Vendome Radisson Blue hotel. It was sunny when I arrived but the weather quickly changed and became cloudy cool.

After catching up on emails in the office it was time to walk a block down to the Woodstock Exchange as we’d booked to hold our end of year staff meeting there. I opted for a hot cross bun latte – or a ‘cross burn’, as you can see here.

Then it was time to eat – at the Fat Cactus again, lol. The nachos grande with side of chilli con carne on the right was all mine, a truly huge portion that we’re still polishing off this evening!

That’s all, folks. We’ll be helping the parents unpack and also having a few days off work before my next update, so expect happier, more relaxed faces then. 🙂

Veggie garden reveal and food-and-wine flights at Catharina’s

It’s been a successful first week back at work and  part-time studies. That’s probably because we have a few exciting plans over the next few weekends to look forward to, and the thought of them keeps us going.

You’ll get to see those in due course, but for now you can scroll through how we marked the end of the festive season break. Key among those, Husband’s veggie garden reveal, as promised:

Tadaa! You can see the phases of progress here – first, beams went up above the veggie boxes he installed a while ago, then shade cloth was carefully stapled along to provide shade and wind protection. So far, so good!

The doggies ‘helped’ by watching the goings-on and offering advice (and suspicious looks).

Now, on with the daily highlights…

Thursday, 5 January 2017: Summery food-and-wine pairing flights

Our last Thursday of leave started with the early bird breakfast special at our local News Cafe.

I’d unknowingly picked just the right day for our review of the new summery food-and-wine pairings at Catharina’s in Steenberg Estate, one of our favourite wine farms. Just look at the sunny brightness! Click here for my official review and here for a reminder of our late-August version of this photo.

Decor at Catharina’s is classy and eye-catching. Note the reindeer that adorn that inside roof, along with the origami birdies I so enjoyed on our last visit; as well as the large ostrich eggs at the port decanters in the hotel lobby; and some of the rose bushes dotting the walkways.

We sat at a table much like this, hoping to spot the family of eagle owls that swoop around the old oak trees. Sadly they didn’t appear, but we still had a wonderful time.

Our pre- and post-pairing drinks – wonderfully chilled still water (bread board in the background), and a strong, flavoursome cappuccino. Colour me contented! (Don’t fret, am not sunburnt. The pinkness you see is from the sun reflecting through red umbrella).

The three ‘flights’ are beautifully explained in this menu – two savoury options and one sweet, each comprising a flute of bubbly, white and red with perfectly paired morsels.

I know the pic was hard to read, so luckily I took some photos. This was the first savoury flight. Everything positively popped with colour and flavour.

The second savoury flight: Same-same but different. And sadly I was so excited by the third flight – the sweet option – that I forgot to snap a pic of it. Luckily, there’s a professional pic of it in my review on Biz, along with detailed descriptions of all the wine and food. Click here to see it.

Friday, 6 January 2017: McPherson’s breakfast and Black Bull lupper

First thing on Friday we headed to McPherson’s for breakfast. I had a cappuccino and the club sandwich with wedges, Husband had a very filling wrap.

Following a day of staycation things we decided on an early dins at the Black Bull on Sandown Road to mark the end of the holiday (yes, there was still a weekend ahead before work kicked in, but you know what I mean). Husband opted for a draught, as he does.

I had a strawberry shake and the starter nachos you see in the middle – the top pic is how they arrived at the table, middle pic is once I’d had added all the side bits and bobs. Husband went for the pork bangers and mash. We’ll be back.

Saturday, 7 January 2017: Baconville breakfast and Bertie’s new chew-friend

If you wake up hungry on a Saturday, chances are you’ll decide on Baconville for breakfast. I went for the flapjacks topped with crispy, syrup-drenched bacon (mmm) while Husband had their Mexican-style ‘Hairy Biker’. Teehee. Both delightfully good.

All of Bertie’s former TV-viewing companions (stuffed toys that he’s unstuffed) were looking a little ratty so we snuck them into the bin and bought him a new monkey and doggie-that-looks-like-a-fox. The monkey is hiding in a cupboard until the doggie is ready to be discarded, too. Bassie remains very uninterested in all toys but gets lots of attention despite her sad face, promise.

Sunday, 8 January 2017: Breakfast, books and beachy ice-creams

For our ‘last breakfast before work’, Husband outdid himself with an exceptional (make that egg-ceptional, harhar) fry-up, included red pepper slices, properly cooked tomato and crispy bacon. Yum.

What better way to relax on a Sunday than by rereading a beloved book, and sipping on a Pina Colada-flavoured Krusher from KFC? No better way.

The beach at Big Bay, much later in the day. Just look at all the merrymakers, making their last bit of merry.

Despite it being so hot the sea was icy, so we contented ourselves with ice-cream cones from Met Eish at Eden on the Bay. Husband’s had caramel ripples and mine was plain chocolate, both with a hidden Flake.

That’s all, folks! I wish you a very happy weekend ahead. 🙂

*Disclaimer: Obviously our pairings at Catharina’s were part of our review package. All else came from our own pockets. All enjoyed equally.

Eggy Galliova meals, not-so-wild horses and slushy pink drinks

We’re in the final stretch to year end and you can feel it. Summer is here, the heat is on and this week really seemed to fly by! Here are our a few of our favourite things since my last update…

Friday, 21 October 2016: Galliova Food Eggcellence Awards at Youngblood Africa

I fell in love with the decor at the Galliova Awards held at Youngblood Africa in the CBD last Friday. Click here for my overview article on Biz.

Another exceptionally (Make that ‘eggceptionally’) well-decorated corner.

I sat myself at the green table (there was also a red and a yellow option). See the sweet little coloured pencil set at each place?

The cappuccino was delicious, and we got to test our artistic skills by colouring in (all egg-themed, of course, as Galliova means ‘chicken and ‘egg’).

The food was equally delicious. This was the Nicoise salad starter (I avoided the tuna but loved the creamy sauce in the phyllo shell).

The main course was a feast for the eyes and tastebuds. You’re looking at ‘trussed black pepper-crusted fillet’ on potato dauphinoise, along with scorched asparagus, perfectly poached egg and salsa verde. The finishing touch was the smoked truffle salt appealingly served in a cracked eggshell, and that bright Nasturtium making you smile.

The delectable egg custard dessert, accompanied by tart grapefruit segments and tangy sticks of rhubarb. My mouth is watering just remembering it!

Saturday, 22 October 2016: Primi breakfast, horse-y visits and Jamaica Me Crazy lunch

It had been a drizzly start to the morning, so we wanted breakfast with a view on Saturday. Husband went for the ‘crispy bacon and chunky salsa’ breakfast tortillas at Primi on Marine Circle.

I went for a plain croissant (they’re baked fresh on the premises at Primi so you don’t really need any fillings or toppings), and also finally tried the Mocha Forte – it’s an espresso drink with dark chocolate, micro-textured milk and coconut oil, very yummy.

Bellies full, we set off for Sea Point side. See the sky clearing behind Husband.

The birdies were also out and about, admiring the view.

Look at those beautiful colours! The waves were crashing wildly over the rocks so we didn’t venture in.

Instead, we visited the police horses’ corral close to the stadium in Sea Point. You can just see the stadium looming large back left here.

Husband greeted the horsies.

He encouraged me to do so, too. This white horsie looked like a unicorn missing his horn, or a pegasus without wings. And note the shy twin horsie behind – looks like his nose is touching mine.

Next on the agenda was lunch at Jamaica Me Crazy. Here is Husband with his Jack Black draught.

This is not a strawberry daquiri, it’s a ‘volcano’, which is half-daquiri half-pina colada. Unfortunately the slush machine wasn’t ready for me and I was too impatient to wait so instead of the swirled drink I was imagining, (click here for a reminder), it all melted into one. Still tasted amazing, though.

Proof of just how strawberry daquiri-like it looked. Yes, I did wear the drink umbrella in my hair later.

To eat, I went for the nachos with beef.

Husband went for the chicken burger with ‘Ziggy’ sauce – refried beans, peppers and a chilli popper. That’s his hand sneaking a Tempura-style onion ring before I had finished snapping away.

This ‘cat’ always catches me off guard when going up the stairs to sit on the outside deck at Jamaica Me Crazy.

Sunday, 23 October 2016: Ons Huisie breakfast and paddle in the sea

On Sunday we didn’t just want breakfast with a view, we wanted to eat outdoors. Eventually we decided on Ons Huisie, and were lucky to get a table as all the locals woke with the same idea.

Husband made his way through the Farmer’s Choice breakfast, complete with wors and rump steak.

I was happy with the waffle, served with maple syrup and ice cream.

Husband couldn’t resist a brief paddle in the shallow waves.

Much later that afternoon, we had Mum’s peach fridge tart – note the peach-scented candle appropriately setting the scene in the background, which Husband bought for the parents on his solo trip to Joburg in August.

That’s all, folks! Here’s to another happy, sunny weekend for all. 😉

Cloudy Malmsbury scenery, OJ for breakfast and new spectacles

Another admin-filled week as we’ve had to present affidavits to replace most of my bank cards, my prescription glasses and even spent the bulk of a day at home affairs applying for a new ID. That said, there were still highlights, as you’ll see below…

Friday, 30 September 2016: #AspirationsReport event and home braai

I spent most of the day at the Sport Science Institute in Newlands, right by the sweet smelling South African Breweries, taking in the findings of the UCT Unilever Institute of Strategic Marketing’s #AspirationsReport 2016 – click here to find out more.

The weather was delightful that evening, so Husband braaied some cheese wors for our dins.

Saturday, 1 October 2016: Malmsbury scenery

Our first stop on Saturday was home affairs in town… only to find they’d already taken their 100 ID applications for the day. We decided to also try the department in Malmsbury, +-120km away as it was also a bucket list location for us to tick off. You can just see the mountains and roads in this photo dominated by clouds.

Lots of pretty lavender, rosemary and other assorted plants add a splash of colour to the countryside.

This window frames the natural beauty of this scenery perfectly. This was on our way back home on finding the Malmsbury office just as crowded. We ticked off Malmsbury and decided to try again in town during the week.

By then quite tired and hungry, we stopped in at the Village Place Cafe and noticed they had a new menu with intriguing items like enchiladas. Husband tried them, with a filling side salad.

For me… well I couldn’t pass up the S’mores Belgian waffle, could I? Delicious. Look at all that ice cream and gooey marshmallow. Yum.

After even more admin of replacing loyalty cards and buying a new handbag we treated ourselves to large milkshakes at the Wimpy in Canal Walk. Husband had the banana, I had the coffee.

Much later that evening, I noticed a pair of eyes watching me munch some crisps.

Sunday, 2 October 2016: Beachy mornings and cocktail afternoons

For breakfast on Sunday we found ourselves at Bread & Butter again. This flapjack stack with bacon, cinnamon-fried banana and syrup was truly delicious. Note my cheapie non-prescription sunnies.

Husband, being healthy, opted for an orange juice instead of his usual breakfast Cola. Lol at his face after 🙂 That’s my cappuccino you can see, Husband had the same Banting breakfast as last week (click here for a reminder).

It was beach weather, so we went to the beach. That’s Husband running ahead of me, desperate to dip his feet in the water.

I was happy to soak up some sun, doze off and read a bit while Husband splashed about.

Here is Husband exploring the rocks after his dip.

We stopped in at Eden Cafe in Big Bay a little later in the day. I finally got to have the pina colada I’d been waiting for all week.

Husband went for his standard Long Island Ice Tea.

Such a pretty floral centre piece at mum’s that evening.

Wednesday, 5 October 2016: Burger King ad premier

On Wednesday evening, Husband and I were invited to the premier of Burger King’s first ad, fittingly at the newly opened Burger King at Canal Walk (where Joe’s Easy Diner used to be). We were treated to a Whopper meal each. I’ll be writing about the ad for Bizcommunity next week!

We had a bit of time to spare between eating and watching the ad (as well as the new Masterminds movie), so wandered around the mall and its perimeter.

Thursday, 6 October 2016: Home Affairs morning, Doodles evening

We had  a very early start to queue at Home Affairs again, and despite a few system crashes – I had to have my photo digitally taken three separate times – all was sorted and we had confirmation that the new IDs will be ready in a few weeks. To celebrate we decided to eat at On the Corner in Paarden Island. Here’s my peri peri sauce-drenched double-toasted chicken mayo and handcut chips, with cappuccino is handle-less glass cup.

Husband went for the ‘Full on’ breakfast – all this and the cappuccino in the above photo for R45!

Following a nap and collection of my last few replacement cards we went to Doodles for a late-afternoon treat. Look at my Bar-One milkshake, almost bigger than Husband! Lol.

We shared the nachos. Just right for both of us and one of the most popular orders.

Friday, 7 October 2016: Fat Cactus family and new spectacles

Husband met my parents at the Fat Cactus just up the road from work so he could save me some travel time home. Mum is holding up a rib, dad a margarita, Husband a beer.

We stopped off at Specsavers in Bayside on the way home to collect my new glasses. Prescription sunnies, too. Silly poser, me 😉

That’s all, folks! Looking forward to a relaxing weekend, hope you are, too.

Late April 2016: Sitting in front of coal fires with dogs

Oh long weekend, how we’ve missed you! We’re in for three full days of relaxing and recharging our batteries, perfect for the suddenly chilly wave of weather we’re facing. But first, a recap of last week’s highlights…

Sitting by the fire with the dogs late last week

Forgot to post these last week – the one on the left is Bassie sitting with me in front of the fire on Thursday, the one on the right is Bertie warming me up after I got drenched in Friday afternoon’s storm.

Saturday, 23 April 2016: Breakfast at Primi Blouberg, lupper at Black Bull

The need for coffee was strong in this one last Saturday, so I opted for the large latte at Primi. It was just right. You can’t see the lovely view of Table Mountain behind me, alas…

Husband opted for the eggs florentine, enjoyed every mouthful.

My ‘croissant’ turned out to be two little ones, both as fresh as fresh can be and still piping hot. Perfect with the latte.

Much, much later that day – after a fair deal of chores, Saturday tasks and studying  (Husband got 100% for his weekly graphic design quiz, so smart!) – we headed down the road to the Black Bull diner. Husband tried this craft beer.

For me? A strawberry milkshake, of course. Was very pink and creamy.

Husband was very hungry. so started off with a spicy salmon handroll. Ate all the wasabi and ginger, too.

For mains, he went for the pork sausages with mash and gravy. Seems the ‘bangers-and-mash-capades‘ of 2016 have begun!

I went for the starter nachos – truly enough for a main meal, especially if you load them with all these sides.

Sunday, 24 April 2016: Breakfast at Company’s Garden

Our beautiful brunch spot – Madame Zingara’s in Company’s Garden.

We wanted a breakfast to remember on Sunday, as we woke up late and were feeling lazy. Here is Husband sipping on his breakfast Cola at Madame Zingara’s in Company’s Garden. We snapped up the last table and got our orders in just before ‘breakfast ended’.

Mmm. Flat white with biscotti on the side. Tiny cup so it went down far too fast.

Husband had been dreaming of this eggs benedict, complete with spinach, rocket and salmon to dress up as you like.

The French Toast is just delightful at Company’s Garden as it’s made from banana bread and topped with rashers of crispy bacon, a lump of creme fraiche and lots of sliced strawberries. Loved sitting in the sun!

Bellies full, we went for a little explore as you can’t visit Company’s Garden and leave before you’ve seen a squirrel or three. There are lots of majestic trees to gaze at.

And suddenly they were everywhere! If you simply kneel down and open your hand to them they hop right up to see what you have to offer. Even the pigeons are curious as they know the squirrels get lots of treats.

Tuesday, 26 April 2016: Fireside doggies (again)

Husband lit the fire the minute he got home on Tuesday evening, to celebrate it being a public holiday the next day. The doggies were very interested in the crackling coals we added, collected from the beach.

Fire lit, I sat in front of it with a book and before long Bertie was trying to share my space.

Wednesday, 27 April 2016: Freedom Day breakfast at News Cafe

We knew mum and dad would be at News Cafe for breakfast on Wednesday, so got up earlier than expected and surprised them at their table. We enjoyed the double-shot cappuccinos.

Husband went for the pulled pork benedict, the rest of us had the early bird special.

It’s real ‘stay warm and dry if you can’ weather so expect another lazy update next week. Until then, enjoy yourselves! 🙂