Allee Bleue’s #MayDayMeander preview, Dinner on the Crystal Serenity and family housewarming

This past week has been jam-packed on the work and home front, as you’ll see from the pics below…

Thursday, 7 March: #MayDayMeander at Allee Bleue

After a brief stint in the office before the sun had fully risen, I met a friend at Tasha’s at the V&A Waterfront for a quick work-related chat, over Nutella-marshmallow hot chocolate. Yum!

Next stop, a media tour for the day in Franschhoek. Welcome to Allee Bleue! This translates to ‘blue avenue’ and makes sense when you take in all the blue Eucalyptus trees and touches of blue dotted throughout the grounds.

Taking in some of the scenery at Allee Bleue.

The drizzle was on and off, which made for lovely Franschhoek landscape photos.

Freshly plucked herbs feature strongly in Allee Bleue’s tasting options.

More of the herby bites and sights along the way as we continued our May Day Meander preview around the grounds of Allee Bleue.

Mmm. Even more of the stops along the way – keep in mind the whole ‘meander’ only takes an hour or so, meaning we were taking in lots of food, drink and information in that time.

Finally all meandered out, it was time for lunch. See the blue hydrangeas on the table and some of the lovely eats we were treated to. Not seen in these pics – the sweet grey squirrels that roam the property.

Friday, 8 March 2019: Table View sunsets

You can just see Table Mountain popping out a very blue shoulder behind our yellow house here – view on my walk home from the bus…

Husband happily putting the gas stove to the test.

Such pretty sunsets, as seen from home on Friday evening.

Saturday, 9 March 2019: Family housewarming braai

It was a ‘breakfast at Reload’ type of Saturday, as we’re now walking distance from the Flamingo Vlei branch. See my peppermint-choc latte and smashed-avo bagel, as well as Husband’s cooked breakfast with triple-shot espresso. Love the kudu-painted wall.

The boxes are all unpacked so we held a housewarming braai at our house that afternoon.

Various snaps as the sun went down on our housewarming braai.

Braai food! See the cheese and crackers, strawberry mousse and Don’s famous lemony chicken wings.

Bassie prefers to sit on a lap when there are many other folk around. Her uncle Spec slept over but the rest all made their way back to their own homes as all live nearby.

Sunday, 10 March 2019: Carlucci’s breakfast

We set off for Carlucci’s, just down the road from home, for Sunday breakfast. See my dirty chai latte and Husband peppering his plate.

Our full table of food. See my dirty chai latte and chocolate croissant, the brothers’ flat whites, Husband’s Coke Zero and egg-topped mince on toast, as well as well as Spec’s classic breakfast plate.

We sampled some of our housewarming gifts on Sunday afternoon – see the dry Prosecco and assorted De Villiers chocolate slabs.

Little Bassie hasn’t quite figured out all the ins and outs of the new house yet so will often wait outside until we see her and let her in.

Tuesday, 12 March 2019: Six-star dining aboard Crystal Serenity’s Waterside Restaurant

Cheers! We got to the V&A Waterfront’s Cruises Terminal a little earlier than necessary for our six-star dining experience after work on Tuesday evening, so had a quick drink at Panama Jacks first, as we could see the Crystal Serenity clearly from our table outside. See Husband’s carafe of red blend and my blueberry shake.

We got to explore most of the nooks and crannies of the Crystal Serenity. There’s so much to see! Note the local bagpipers behind Husband in the bottom-left pic. They were boarding for the night’s performance.

Some of the lovely sights we saw onboard the Crystal Serenity.

Even more things aboard the Crystal Serenity.

As seen on the wall of the kiddies’ room of the Crystal Serenity.

We were also treated to dinner at Crystal Serenity’s Waterside restaurant. See my parma ham-topped gnocchetti, Husband sipping away at the endless supply of wine, food being professionally snapped, as well as Husband’s starter of ‘Ahi tuna tartare and scallop crudo, and main of broiled corvina on a tomato rice pilaf.

Six-star dins? Don’t mind if I do! See my roast duckling, Husband’s vanilla creme brulee, and my coconut-chocolate trifle and cappuccino.

Wednesday, 13 March 2019: Heavy Chef’s ‘Instagram for Business’ masterclass at Workshop 17

Wednesday was gloomy and wet, which made some of the sights around Workshop 17 all the more eye-catching. See the turquoise-and-gold striped rhino, as well as snacks and treats in the Heavy Chef masterclass. Click here for my overview of the event!

That’s all, folks. Click here for more on the #MayDayMeander, here for more on our Crystal Serenity experience and here for more on Workshop 17’s ‘Instagram for Business’ masterclass. Over and out! 🙂

*Disclaimer: Our meals at Allee Bleue and at Crystal Serenity’s Waterside restaurant were part of our review package. All else came from our own pockets. All enjoyed equally.

August 2018 celebrations at All in the Kitchen, El Barrio and Rocomamas

Apologies for the slightly delayed post, loyal readers. As you probably know, I’m in Durban this week covering the Loeries so making do when I have a spot of free time.

And you’ll see the past week and a bit has also been busier than usual as we had the the Women’s Day public holiday, as well as both my parents’ birthdays.

See how we celebrated this and more below…

Monday, 6 August 2018: Media networking at Expresso Studios

It was an odd feeling to see all the settings that are synonymous with the Expresso morning show. We also met the six new SABC3 presenters, so click here if you missed my interviews with them.

Husband and I enjoying a flute of bubbly in front of the tropical wall at Expresso Studios.

Tuesday, 7 August 2018: Future Females’ women in leadership breakfast

I attended my first Future Females women in leadership breakfast session on Spin Street, all about better communication in the workplace. Click here for my coverage on Biz, if you missed it.

Thursday, 9 August 2018: Women’s Day breakfast at All in the Kitchen, Mexican dins at El Barrio

We started our Women’s Day on a delicious note, with breakfast at All in the Kitchen. See my bacon-egg croissant, the salmon-poached eggs-avo ‘omega breakfast; the others went for, and our flat whites. Also pretty roses, cakes and shots of Amaretto.

We tried El Barrio in Eden on the Bay for dinner that night. See the lovely decor and Husband’s ‘Mexican Flag’ tequila shooter.

The menu design is just gorgeous, and everything we ate and drank was delicious. See my Mexican chilli hot chocolate (you melt the chocolate into the hot, spiced milk); also our taco bowls – mine was pork, Husband had beef) – and also sunset.

Friday, 10 August 2018: Dad’s 68th birthday treats

Last Friday was my dad’s 68th birthday, so we popped in to wish him in person once we were done with work for the day. See some of the sweet treats Mum created, and the doggies loving all the attention.

Such a bright, pretty sunset in the suburbs.

Saturday, 11 August 2018: Daily Cafe breakfast, Panama Jacks lunch

We breakfasted at the Daily Cafe in Seaside Village on Saturday. See Husband’s coffee tasting tray and breakfast wrap, as well as my condensed-milky tin cup and ‘waffle pop’, topped with caramel and bananas.

The doggies had a heckin explore later that morning when we took them for a wander close to home. See Bertie in the water, curious Bassie and the mountain behind us.

We stopped in at Panama Jacks near the harbour for lunch after Husband popped in at work for a quick half-hour. See some of the sights we saw.

Lunch! Husband had the Thai fish curry with a glass of red, I had the duck starter and a ‘cookie’ shake. Yum.

Sleepy sweeties on the couch.

Sunday, 12 August 2018: Rocomama’s burgers, dogs and shakes

I went for three cinnamon-sugar pancakes for R20 and a butterscotch latte for breakfast at Cup & Cake in Eden on the Bay last Sunday, while Husband had a flat white, Coke Zero and the salmon eggs benedict.

We headed out to Rocomama’s Durbanville for a between-parents-birthdays treat. Their burgers and dogs are always a treat!

See the beer- and cider-drinkers at one end of the table, the milkshakers on the other, and the ‘ plain half waffle’ we shared for dessert.

Speaking of milkshake… I made my way through this fantastic freak shake – the ‘Surprise Me’ on the day was an Oreo cookies/peanut buttery-caramel concoction, dripping with dark and white chocolate. Delicious!

My precious doglets. Probably wanting some of my coffee that evening. Or rather, the biscuit.

That’s all, folks! Watch for my Durban Loeries highlights in next week’s blog post. Wish me luck…

Perfect beach ice creams and see the new Panama Jack’s

Last week Tuesday was a public holiday – May Day is Worker’s Day in SA so we had a day off work to do as our hearts desired, as you’ll see below…

Tuesday, 1 May 2018: Worker’s Day dins at Italian Club

When we finally got up, we went for a Cup & Cake breakfast in Seaside Village. See Husband’s eggs benedict and my ‘Eggs-purtly done’ – health bread smeared with cream cheese, Marmite and avo paste, topped with eggs any way you like – I went for hard boiled. Also see Husband’s ‘Quortado’ (variation on cortado, espresso with milk.)

We bumped into my parents when we stopped for a few chores at The Daily Cafe in Eden on the Bay, so the menfolk each had an espresso con panna.

We stopped for a snap at the ‘Lekker by die see’ mosaic on our way out of Eden on the Bay.

The palm trees and blue skies outside GrandWest Casino – we stopped in to watch the Avengers: Infinity War movie. Brother-in-law Spec joined us.

We were starving by the time the movie ended so decided on the Italian Club for dins, as t’was a chilly Winter’s eve. We both went for the gnocchi bolognese, mmm!

Ahh. Gorgeous sunset over Table Mountain on our way home.

My precious model children. They didn’t mind being huddled up close for once, as it was a chilly night.

Friday, 4 May 2018: Sunrise from the office window

Early morning sunrise over Lion’s Head, as seen from our offices in Woodstock.

Saturday, 5 May 2018: Bread & Butter breakfast, Woodbridge Island walk, Panama Jacks lunch

We had a Bread & Butter breakfast – the setting is just so quaint and cosy, with lots of cakes to drool over while telling yourself to order something healthier.

Husband succeeded in going for something healthier, with the salmon scrambled eggs, while I didn’t go so far as to have cake but had a chocolate-peanut butter smoothie bowl instead. Basically ice cream with nuts and bananas but hey, it was on the breakfast menu. Also see my cappuccino and Husband’s double flat-white.

We hadn’t done our ‘Woodbridge Island to Lagoon Beach and back’ walk in a while, so when we realised we had enough time, we were wearing caps and the weather was on our side, so do the walk we did. Once complete, we stopped at Ilha at Woodbridge Island for a liquid treat – draught beer for Husband and coffee shake for me.

We were meeting Husband’s parents for lunch at Panama Jack’s new location, inside the cruise passenger terminal at the harbour. It’s lovely.

We recommend sitting at the outside tables as you get a clear view over the harbour if there aren’t any ships waiting to dock. The inside roof is still pinned with flags, as in Panama Jack’s former location.

The food was fantastic. See the large house salad we shared top left, Husband’s angelfish Thai curry top right, Mother-in-Law’s fettuccini marinara bottom left and the duck with hoisin sauce bottom right – Father-in-Law and I both ordered this. We left not a speck of rice between us.

Sunday, 6 May 2018: Ice cream on the beach

For Sunday breakfast, we stopped in at Cafe Lacomia at our Builder’s Warehouse. See my tall cafe mocha, Husband’s cafe latte, his mince on toast and my toasted chicken mayo with chips. Hit the spot.

Book + coffee + dog = happy despite the winter chill.

The waves and clouds came together as the perfect ‘photo corner curliques’.

Sunday afternoon. should be all about strawberry swirled flake-tipped ice cream on the beach, Table Mountain in the background and clouds perfectly fluffed to cotton wool. proportions.

That’s all, folks! Winter is definitely in the air so keep warm 🙂

Burgers and monster shakes at FUE and family lunch at Panama Jacks

Woohoo, we have made it to the weekend! It’s been another tough work week all round, but we always find bright moments to make us smile. See the latest below…

Friday, 3 November 2017: Burgers and monster shakes at FUE

The Festive Underground Eatery or FUE is now open until 7pm and still offering their R199 special for two burgers with fries and a monster shake to share. That’s where we went after work last Friday, to get into the weekend feeling a little early.

These sure are monster shakes, at over 1l per jar! That’s Dad with the berry and me with the peanut butter-banana version.

Look at those shakes in their entirety – topped with a full waffle, donuts, marshmallows, popcorn and more, this definitely counts as dessert!

All were present and accounted for and full to the brim!

Saturday, 4 November 2017: Panama Jacks family lunch

On Saturday morning we breakfasted at McPherson’s. Husband went for an omelette while I had the club sandwich – both washed down with cappuccinos.

T’was time for another family meal that afternoon. Husband’s dad was in hospital recovering from a knee op so his mom joined us at Panama Jacks in the harbour with my parents. The restaurant is moving across to the other end of the Waterfront in a few weeks so it was nice to sit and reminisce over the meals we’ve enjoyed there over the years. Note the standard pose outside post-meal bottom right.

Some of the food we ate at Panama Jacks. That’s the lamb-black bean soup, the avo seafood, calamari with tartare sauce and Thai fish curry.

I went for the Milky Lane Choca Mocha Whizzer for my Saturday afternoon treat following quite a bit of weekend admin. In case the name isn’t obvious enough, that means the ice cream is swirled with coffee and chocolate mousse.

Sunday, 5 November 2017:  Pink Olive breakfast and GrandWest movies

We sat down to breakfast at the Pink Olive at Starke Ayres and not five minutes later Mother and Spec were there too, per chance! Spec stayed over at Mother’s for the weekend.

Later that day we met Spec at GrandWest Casino on his way home to Fish Hoek, to watch the latest Thor movie. It was a bright, sunny day but the wind was cold and blustery.

Ha. This is what we do when we see a ‘push button’ photo booth at GrandWest Casino. I think we take this same photo every time we pass it!

Wednesday, 8 November 2017: Loveables pop-up store launch in Salt River

I attended the launch of the Loveables pop-up store in Salt River on Wednesday morning. This is what I saw outside…

And just some of the lovely things inside. Bunnies everywhere, and doesn’t little miss Eva look like a relation of Bassie? Full coverage on Bizcommunity soon!

Oh yes! I mentioned last week that I’d reveal the end result of the DIY project I’d worked on during my staycation. See below…

The chest of drawers I had painted in shades of grey a few years ago was in need of a revamp. So we sanded down the whole thing, then I painted the outer shell black with each drawer a darker shade of grey for an overall ‘ombre’ effect, then varnished it all to seal the deal.

The end product. As you can see, we went all out and added new crystal knobs to each drawer so it feels fully fancy.

That’s all, folks! May your weekend be filled with all that makes you happy. 🙂

Rambling Litchi’s best of 2016

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

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

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

Gibson’s peppermint caramel Freek shake.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

The lamb shank at Homespun.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

KWV’s ‘brandy and Huguenot chocolate’ pairing.

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

View of the vineyards from Glenelly Estate.

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

The seafood platter special at Panama Jacks.

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

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

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

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

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

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

Speaking of…

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

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

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

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

Hiking Table Mountain’s Skeleton Gorge, touristy fun at the Waterfront and Christmas 2016

As we’ve been on leave for exactly a week, you can expect a double dose of the usual amount of pics below…

Friday, 23 December 2016: Brother airport collection, Spur breakfast and my first Dunkin Donut

First thing on Friday, our first day of leave,  we headed off to the airport. Next step, the brothers reunited! This scene was all the more touching as we’d just watched the ultimate ‘Christmas airport reunion’ movie the night before, Love Actually. I also liked the pretty tree of light on the right.

First stop, breakfast! We went for the Unreal breakfast at Canal Walk’s Spur.

We ran a few errands at Canal Walk that morning, and I finally got to try a Dunkin Donuts’ pastry. All cost R14, so you pay for quantity then select the one you want. They didn’t have yellow smiley faces so tried a ‘snowman’ – and was pleasantly surprised when I bit into a rich chocolatey centre.

It was a rainy afternoon but we were happy to spend it at home, catching up by playing Star Wars Trivial Pursuit, blogging and braai-ing.

Saturday, 24 December 2016: Big Bay morning, Woodbridge afternoon

Saturday was sunny and we had lots and lots to do, so we started our day with breakfast at The Daily Cafe in Seaside Village – that’s my cappuccino and Nutella flapjacks on the left, with Husband’s bruschetta and brother-in-law’s breakfast wrap on the right.

I couldn’t say ‘no’ to trying a Slo-Jo ‘Coffee in a cone’ when we passed Village Place Cafe in West Coast Village while running a few errands on Saturday. You down the coffee before it can melt through the chocolate and cone, then munch through the shell. I’ll be back! 🙂

View of Table Mountain from Big Bay, where brother-in-law dunked his feet in the sea for the first time during this visit as it had been raining the day before.

Husband and his brother in the yellow Nat Geo picture frame of Table Mountain from Big Bay.

That afternoon we did a very mild hike from Woodbridge Island, across Lagoon Beach and back. We rewarded ourselves with chilli poppers at Woodbridge Island’s Ilha.

We gave the Star Wars Trivial Pursuit another bash later that afternoon. I came last, even with Bassie’s help.

Sunday, 25 December 2016: Christmas lunch at our house

Cheers, Merry Christmas! Pose of all attendees at this year’s lunch, doggies are at our feet so sadly not in this shot.

But the doggies had lots of fun moments. Bertie tugged his new stuffed toy and his Mickey Mouse Christmas stocking, while Bassie sat on my lap and admired the view from her granny’s shoulder. Most of all they looked at the Christmas lunch spread.

Christmas lunch! Look at all the lovely baked potatoes, turducken, corned beef, gammon, ‘salad wreath’, trifle and mojitos.

Hills also treated Bassie and Bertie to these personalised Christmas stockings, each filled with a can of tasty age-appropriate stew for their Christmas dins.

After all that attention and all that food, the doggies nodded off happily.

Monday, 26 December 2016: Road trip to Langebaan

We had a busy day ahead so decided to fill up on the buffet breakfast at Doodles on the Blouberg beachfront as it was a public holiday. There are my three courses, and note the couple photobombing me and brother-in-law in the bottom left.

Duckies and geese all on patrol at the Vyge Valley farm stall on our road trip to Langebaan.

Finally there, we popped into Husky’s to wet our whistles and for a bite to eat. See my very pink strawberry shake and the samo basket once we’d eaten all the ‘samos’, chipolata sausages and tiny chicken wings (see how small in Husband’s wrist).

Brothers examining the sea at Shark Bay just outside Langebaan.

Some of our Langebaan seaside activities. See if you can spot Husband and brother-in-law, the tiny dots in the sea on the top and bottom left!

Tuesday, 27 December 2016: Skeleton Gorge hike up Table Mountain

Tuesday was hiking day. We’d dithered over tackling Lion’s Head or Table Mountain, eventually opting for Table Mountain through Skeleton Gorge – we parked the car at Cecelia Forest, then hiked into the Kirstenbosch botanical gardens and started the trail. It looks very sunny in these pics but quickly became overcast.

Once in Kirstenbosch we ambled across the slightly swaying Boomslang canopy walkway before the heavy hike began. Quite the view.

We were completely exhausted by the time we reached the top of Skeleton Gorge. Some of us literally lay down to nap among the flowers, some gazed at the view.

Success! We reached the rock cairn of Maclear’s Beacon, the highest point of the Table Mountain park, after a good six hours of hiking.

After trekking across the top of the mountain we finally reached the upper cable station – there’s no way we were hiking back down! See some of the cloud and sights from the top, and how unimpressed Husband looked after 9km of hiking.

Wednesday, 28 December 2016: Touristy things at V&A Waterfront, dog walkies in the suburbs

We had an Entertainer voucher to use on Yacoob Yachts’ Ameera before the end of the year, but got to use it on the slightly larger Tigresse as Ameera wasn’t running that day. No seasickness in sight, but we got a little sunburnt. Spotted a few dolphins and other sea life and felt a little more like we were on holiday after.

We decided to use another of our 2016 Entertainer vouchers while at the Waterfront, for a two-for-one trip around the Cape Wheel. Another touristy thing to tick off the to-do list.

We stuck with our nautical theme for the day by lunching at Panama Jacks in the harbour. I felt like a plate of chips while the boys went for the fettuccine marinara. We had to hold onto our hats as it was really windy.

It was too windy for beach walkies that afternoon but the doggies were keen to stretch their legs so we went a few blocks around the house. They loved it.

Thursday, 29 December 2016: Mussel morning, Cape Point afternoon

Thursday morning was for mussel collecting as it was the best tide for it. I read under a beach umbrella while Husband bravely ventured into the sea to collect a bag-full.

By then we all had rumbling (and rambling) tums, so stopped off at Village Place Cafe in West Coast Village. I had a delicious cappuccino with a shot of toffee syrup, so yum.

There’s Husband with my cappuccino, my banana-peanut waffle, brother-in-law’s big breakfast on top and Husband’s pesto breakfast below.

Next stop, Cape Point! We saw the most beautiful ocean views and smelled delicious sea air the whole way there.

We didn’t follow all the cars on their way to Cape Point, instead turning off before then to reach the not well-known tidal pool.

Venus Pool is only accessible by short hike, so short hike we took. The pool was pretty empty and just right for my first swim of the summer.

Husband had a wonderful time splashing about and gazing out at the sea from the sea wall.

That’s all for now, folks! Brother Spec is with us for a few more days and we have another week of leave to look forward to, so expect another image-heavy post next week (make that ‘next year’… ) 🙂

Warm choc chip-bacon cookies and windy day pasta at Panama Jacks

Is it just me or is time speeding up as we get closer to the end of the year? I can’t believe it’s just a month to Christmas Day, and that 2017 is just a week after that! But don’t fret about everything you need to do by then – it is Friday evening, after all. So boil the kettle for a nice cuppa and browse through a few of our favourite moments from the past week…

Saturday, 19 November 2016: Pink Olive tea, lunch at Panama Jacks

On Saturday, Husband and our dads went off to play a round of golf so me and our mums trotted to the nearest Stark Ayres nursery for breakfast at the Pink Olive restaurant. That’s me having a sip of Mum’s orange-rooibos tea, top right is our table in the pretty setting and bottom right shows my banana-peanut butter smoothie with Mum’s tea set.

I went for the flapjacks. Made to order, they’re dusted with icing sugar, and best eaten while still hot with a dab of syrup and vanilla-infused cream. The mums shared a portion of scones.

Golfers back, we headed off to Panama Jacks in the harbour. Husband and the parents all had the ‘avo seafood’ starter in the first pic, followed by the fettuccine marinara in the end pic. I just had the fettuccini verde pictured in the middle and struggled to finish!

Husband and his parents outside Panama Jacks with containers of leftovers. Note how Mother’s hair is being blown about by the wind!

Here is Husband, getting into the spirit of things when he met Santa (that’s Mr Claus to you) at our local shopping centre.

The doggies were not being affectionate siblings on Saturday afternoon. Look at the evil eye Bassie gave Bertie when he leaned in for a hug! These two are very funny.

Sunday, 20 November 2016: Breakfast at Baconville, icy beach visits

Three faces of a sleepy Sunday Bertie.

On Sunday morning we decided to try Baconville in Tygervalley’s Willowbridge Centre. It’s been open a few weeks and is the sister restaurant to Bacon on Bree in the CBD. Some of the things we ordered included the shoestring fries with garlicky baconnaise; the ‘Breakfast Club’ – poached egg with haloumi, bacon, mushrooms and avo; and a chocolate latte. I loved the piggy-shaped serving boards.

The best thing on the menu? Though we definitely didn’t try it all, I’d say it’s the chocolate-chip bacon cookie, served with a dollop of coffee ice cream. Texture-wise the biscuit was slightly chewy as it was straight out of the oven, and the bits of salty bacon went so well with those melty chocolate chips it’s making my mouth water right now just thinking of it!

After a few chores we were ready to head out again. Husband braved the icy waters in Big Bay for this photo – I was only in up to my ankles and felt like my feet were freezing off!

Husband had a celebratory draught for his ocean bravery at the Ocean Sizzler along the beachfront. I was cold enough for a cappuccino.

Lupper at Mum’s that evening was this wonderful chicken salad with cashews and thinly-sliced apple.

Wednesday, 23 and Thursday, 24 November 2016: HumanEdge Influencer conference at Protea Hotel North Wharf

Wednesday dawned cold and rainy, so it was a nice distraction to make my way to the Protea Hotel North Wharf to cover HumanEdge’s two-day Influencer training course. See the orange-y orchid at reception and view from the front of the hotel over the two days.

These were the fresh tea-time muffins served on day one.

I had to take a photo of how my jacket blended in with the bathroom flower arrangement!

Teatime treats on day two. That’s not a bigger cup than what I photographed on day one, it’s just the angle. 🙂 Luckily I only spilled a bit of coffee in my saucer and not all over everyone’s pastries.

Lunches over the two days – Wednesday on the left included a creamy curried chicken with pumpkin and slice of red velvet cake; Thursday on the right was a spicy stew with sweet potato and creamed spinach, followed by three scoops of ice cream and a cappuccino.

It was quite an intense course, with only 20 of us attending and lots of roleplay and reading homework, so I was quite proud to get a certificate of completion and sticker to show my team had won the most tokens. Click here for my overview of the first day’s learnings.

That’s all, folks. The weather is set to finally feel summery in the Cape this weekend, so slather on that sunscreen and watch for the wind! 🙂

New job seafood, mid-week beach walks and cheesecake in a jar

It’s been another busy week but an exciting one as Husband started a new job (yay!) and I ticked off quite a bit of admin that had been piling up. Here are some of the more photo-worthy moments…

Saturday, 15 October 2016: Shared breakfasts at Cubana, new job celebrations at Panama Jacks

We wanted to start the weekend with a shared breakfast as we wanted a special lunch to celebrate Husband’s new job, so we headed to our local Cubana just off the beachfront. That’s me going up/coming down the stairs.

My cappuccino and all the sugar I could possibly want. Funny as I only used one sachet.

The eggs benedict. We each devoured a mound. It has a creamy-spicy twist on the original and comes atop a bed of baked polenta. Yum.

Next stop: Waterfront. I decided to pause and hang out with this guy for a while.

Quite the eye-catching restaurant display.

And then, on to Panama Jacks in the harbour for Husband’s celebratory meal. Here he is just outside the doorway…

Husband went for the ‘avo seafood’ starter.

For mains he had even more seafood in the fettuccini marinara.

I had the lamb-and-bean soup as starter/main…

I finished off with the hazelnut-chocolate mousse dessert. It’s served on a brownie-type base and delightfully fudgey.

Sunday, 16  October 2016: Greens’ breakfasts and Driftwood’s milkshakes

One of my favourite chilly Sunday breakfast places is Greens in Plattekloof. See my hot chocolate top left, waffle with sliced banana and caramel sauce, and Husband’s full plate of cooked brekkie.

We made our way to the Driftwood Cafe for an early afternoon treat. I had the custard milkshake, Husband went with a vanilla (swirled with Bell’s).

I think that expression means Husband enjoyed his, too.

People got lucky snapping amazing pics of Cape Town’s sunsets this week. My two attempts weren’t great – see a pink-tinged cloud on the left and our prettily lit up back yard at night.

Monday, 17 October 2016: Adams & Adams advertising law event

On Monday afternoon I bussed from work to the Inner City Ideas Cartel for a work event. The clouds started rolling in over the mountains as I made my way.

I got there with a few minutes to spare, only to find out that four of the five speakers for the session were stuck in a lift. Wasn’t a problem as there was coffee flowing freely and easily accessible Wi-Fi to keep up with email.

Frantic note-taking over (watch for my coverage on Bizcommunity next week), attendees all trooped upstairs to the rooftop for snacks and drinks. I watched folks amble over the pedestrian bridge and gulped down this Cola with lemon before dashing home to find out about Husband’s first day at the office. All went well.

Wednesday, 19 October 2016: Team lunch at The Taproom, Devil’s Peak Brewery

My colleague Jess who now lives in Joburg was in town for a few days this week so of course we took the opportunity to hold our next team lunch at an old favourite of ours, The Taproom at Devil’s Peak Brewery. Here’s our ever-growing content/support team.

This time I sampled the raspberry smoothie. Thick and yoghurty, it’s a win.

To eat, you can’t go wrong with their cheeseburger and chips served with tomato sauce and a garlicky mayonnaise. Also see one of the Devil’s Wings, with a sesame-seed crust.

For dessert, I went for the ‘orange-chocolate cheesecake’ – that’s what you see in this jar. It has a biscuity base and the cheesecakey filling is piped in and sprinkled with choc chips. Certainly different.

Thursday, 20 October 2016: Post-work curries and beach walks

We dined at Punjab Express in Parklands as an ‘almost done with the work week’ treat on Thursday eve. Love their door sign top left (Keep naan and curry on), and see Husband and me ready to tuck in. We ate every mouthful.

That’s one portion of chicken tikka masala and one portion of Bombay potatoes. They go very well together!

Then it was time for an evening beach walk with the doggies. We scampered across the rough shell-type sand at Kreeftebaai.

Husband and Bertie made a beeline for the waves, as they do.

Bassie and me stayed on dry ground, as we do.

Husband and the doggies trotted far ahead. All had a fun time.

Bassie’s standard ‘happy sandy face ignoring the camera’ post-walkies.

That’s all, folks! Stay tuned for my next update…

Selfies with dogs and seafood platters at Panama Jacks

It has been an exciting week all round, with Mother-in-law, AKA Mother, jetting in from JHB to stay with us, so we have all sorts of fun activities planned with her for the next few days. See a few of our most recent highlights below…

Friday, 15 July 2016: Doggy daddy play

After work last Friday, the doggies decided it was time to ‘attack daddy’. If this was a video instead of photo, you’d see them frantically dashing from side to side, nipping at fingers and growling at anything that got in the way. They had a jolly time!

Saturday, 16 July 2016: Lacomia breakfast, Doodles dins

If you head down to your nearest Builder’s Warehouse, chances are there’s a Cafe Lacomia tucked inside. We ventured into ours last Saturday morning as had all sorts of DIY tasks to tick off our to do list for the day… but also had rumbling tums to satiate. This cappuccino dusted with chocolate did the trick for me…

Especially when washing down this delightful French Toast that looks just like a waffle. T’was dusted in cinnamon sugar and a spattering of syrup, mmm. Kept our bellies purring all day as we completed those assorted tasks I mentioned, all the way through to dins, in fact.

Husband went for the Bullseye – two poached eggs, mushrooms, grated cheese and a frank. They seem to have updated their menu fairly recently as Zomato lists all sorts of other things and not what we remember.

We returned to Doodles that evening to try out a few more of their specials. I went with the soup and pita option (R35) and Husband had his favourite – bangers and mash (R59).

Sunday, 17 July 2016: Morning at the Driftwood

On Sunday we decided on a stroll across to the Driftwood Cafe while our car was being washed. We were the only humans there, and enjoyed watching all the ducks get their breakfast. See them on the grass behind me.

We weren’t the only humans for long though as the sunshine got everyone out and about – even Mum (that’s mine, not to be confused with Husband’s Scottish Mother) and Dad popped in and joined us!

The warm weather continued to such an extent that we had fancy cocktails at Mum’s that eve – grapefruity gin drinks and Nachtmusik with ice cream.

Monday, 18 July 2016: Col Cacchio lunch with parents and doggy selfies

I had the day off on Monday, so Mum and Dad took me to Col Cacchio in Big Bay to try their new Winter lunch menu. For liquid beginnings I had a coffee shake. You can just see Mum’s Sprite Zero and Dad’s Smirnoff Storm in the background.

What a lovely lunch we had! See our starter salami pizza bottom right and Mum with her bowl of pasta. Scrumdiddlyumptious, as the BFG would say (no, have not yet seen the movie) and all at less than R60 per bowl.

After lunch I decided to read on the couch. Bertie slowly sidled closer and closer. Eventually I decided to document the doggy sense of adventure. These are some of my favourites.

My attempts with Bassie were much more cautious as she is just so very suspicious of the camera. Also included Bertie’s most serious selfie so you can see the family resemblance.

Tuesday, 19 July 2016: Airport pick-up and seafood platter at Panama Jacks

Tuesday dawned gloomy and grey. We got up late and headed towards the airport to collect our precious cargo for the week.

We met Mum and Dad at Panama Jacks for lunch as it’s a family favourite. Here’s a family shot (taken by Mother, that’s why she’s missing from the pic), so you can see the inside decor of Panama Jacks – I think every other time we’ve dined there, we sat facing the other wall.

How lovely! Mother and son sharing the seafood platter special at Panama Jacks.

Wednesday, 20 July 2016: Haggis for dins

We clearly don’t see Scottish Mother very often as she lives in JHB at the moment, so when we do see her there’s a strong chance that haggis is involved. That’s just what happened on Wednesday night, and we ate it all.

That’s all for now, folks. Tune in again next week for more of our adventures with Mother, before she returns to the big smoke! 🙂