Last weekend we lunched at Belthazar at the V&A Waterfront. We also celebrated little Bassie’s 12th birthday on Monday, as you’ll see from the pics below…
Saturday, 30 March 2019: Succulent steak lunch at Belthazar
Mmm. It was a Pulp Kitchen breakfast kind of morning on Saturday as we were in Willowbridge Centre. See our flat whites as well as my coffee-dipped French toast and Husband’s ‘Mexican standoff’ mince on toast, with a poached egg rather than the scrambled standard.Next stop, Belthazar at the V&A Waterfront for lunch. See Husband’s wine with a handy tag explaining exactly what he was imbibing, as this is the largest ‘by-the-glass’ wine bar in the world, offering 250 options. Also see the lovely view across to a cloud-covered Table Mountain.Husband opted for the Belthazar-style avocado Ritz starter. See the bright pops of colour. He said it tasted just as good as it looked.Husband starting on that starter. Also see the lovely ‘bread board’ complete with sausage in Napoletana sauce, Husband’s Madagascan green peppercorn-topped saucy flambeed steak, his side of baked potato and creamed spinach, and my steak roll with hand-cut chips. All lip-smackingly good!See Husband’s glass of red book-ended by my delicious Kahlua dom pedro. Highly recommended as a drink or dessert!A Waterfront view not often seen: Eye-catching staircase up to the castle-like Somerset Hospital.Cupcakes galore! We popped in at my Uncle Al’s house that evening, just up the road in West Beach, to celebrate his retirement. There were yummy cupcakes everywhere we looked!The full family contingent, celebrating Uncle Al’s retirement.Pretty skies when we left Uncle Al’s for our own home that evening.We celebrated little Bassie’s birthday with the cupcakes we took home from uncle Al’s, as well as a new box of baked goods from our local Spar during the week. Also see our pretty ‘housewarming sunflowers’.
Sunday, 31 March 2019: Cup & Cake breakfast and sunny skies
We started our Sunday with breakfast at Cup & Cake in Eden on the Bay. See my three cinnamon-sugar pancakes and butterscotch latte, as well as Husband’s Eggs-purtly done (bread with Marmite, avo spread and poached egg). Yum!View of clouds over the mountains while out and about that afternoon.Mum made pork steaks with various veggies for our Sunday lupper.
Monday, 1 April 2019: Bassie’s 12th birthday
Various stages of Bassie’s birthday celebration – snuggling under duvets and on blankets with her brother, and eyeing the cupcake I ate in her honour.The standard family birthday shot, with the birthday girl trying not to pose under the birthday hat. Happy 12th birthday, Bassie!
That’s all, folks! Click here for my full review of our lunch experience at Belthazar on Bizcommunity and tune in for my next update next week – same time, same place 🙂
*Disclaimer: Our meals and drinks at Belthazar were part of our review package. All else came from our own pockets. All enjoyed equally.
This past weekend was Father’s Day, and this week the 2018 Cannes Lions Festival of Creativity award week in full, so it’s been a super busy time, as you’ll see from the snaps below.
We went car crazy with the dads and took in not just one car museum but two, visiting the Wijnland Auto Museum before our appointment at the Franschhoek Motor Museum, followed by lunch in Franschhoek town itself…
Friday, 15 June 2018: A work farewell
Friday was a dear colleague’s last day working with us so we went for an early team dins. See some of the snacks in office, my latte and shared slice of cheesecake at Derry’s on Carlyle in Vredehoek, and a group shot.
Saturday, 16 June 2018: News Cafe and Moyo eats and treats
It was a ‘News Cafe breakfast special’ kind of Saturday, see my early-bird English and cappuccino, as well as Husband’s flat white and bacon eggs benedict.It was very wintery weather so we decided on the Moyo pulled-lamb linguine for an early dins. I had a vanilla latte, Husband had a Castle draught and we also splurged on a set of the Chief of Greatness ‘communal shooters’ – Skyy infusions vanilla vodka, roasted hazelnut extracts and Cape Velvet chocolate liqueur.
Sunday, 17 June 2018: Father’s Day at the Franschhoek Motor Museum and Tuk-Tuk Microbrewery
Bertie boy waiting for his dad to open his eyes so he could welcome him to Father’s Day with a big lick.Oh, my heart! Little Miss Bass having a Father’s Day snuggle with her dad.For Sunday breakfast, we stopped in at Village Place Cafe. See Husband’s eggy mince-on-toast, my berry-banana banting flapjacks and large caramel cappuccino – also the sweet mini cakes we spied, will have to go with enough belly-room for one next time!The sun shone through the streaky clouds, making for the prettiest Sunday roadtrip sky.Our first stop in convoy was the Wijnland Auto Museum in Paarl, on the way to Franschhoek. We saw it all, from the delightfully old…To the very new! Not sure which road is wide-enough to accommodate this rocket-car, it’s quite something.Ahh, Franschhoek! It’s one of the most beautiful spots in the country, especially in winter when they skies are grey, mountains blue and grass finally green from the much-needed rains.We got to the Franshhoek Motor Museum bang on time, boarded the tram from the parking lot and were ready to take in even more motor vehicles in the greenest surrounds.The Franschhoek Motor Museum’s entry area features this bright, Chapman’s Peak-inspired artwork.Wine and art go well together, clearly. Some of the goods for sale in the Franschhoek Motor Museum’s main hall.We were told at reception to make the ‘Food truck hall’ our first stop, and we’re nothing if not good at following orders. See the queue for Terbodore coffee, a bowl of truffle-mayo fries and more.Next, we paused to watch a few cars go around the track. Some real beauts.Several cars were whizzed around the track at a leisurely pace, but the big halls are the main attraction. Just took at these old beauties!Each vehicle on display at the Franschhoek Motor Museum is worth a second look.A quaint, glass-cased collection of model cars.By then there was more then one rumbling tum, so we high-tailed it to Tuk-tuk Microbrewery in the heart of Franschhoek for some grub.Tucking into Tuk-tuk food. See the bowl of salty chips we shared, two of the ‘dogs’ on special – a Mexican and a chorizo, as well as my chicken chimichangas and the fish tostado.We also strolled along the main street and stopped in at Leeu House right beside Tuk-Tuk for the dads to take photos next to Madiba and Gandhi. Plus, chocolates!Precious doglets under a blanket on their Granny’s couch, much later that evening.
Wednesday, 20 June 2018: Family dins at Bossa with Gords
Cannes Lions is one of the busiest, most stressful work weeks of the year, so I was fortified by headphones, coffee, and Kit-Kats that magically appeared on my desk. 😉How beautiful! The dam at Mellish Welbeloond reflected the sunset sky when we drove past on Wednesday evening for family dinner at Bossa in Burgundy Estate.This is what (some of us) came for – Stone-baked base pizza, burgers, beer and shakes. Yum!Happy snaps of the family in eating mode. Gords was clearly down from Joburg for a visit, too.See my mochaccino, as well as assorted burgers and pizzas. We finished everything between us, not a jot needed to be taken home in a doggy bag.Gords’ view of the table. My happy Cape Town family! ❤
That’s all folks! Hope you have a restful, relaxing weekend ahead 🙂
This past weekend we were in Franschhoek as you’ll see from the snaps below – it was so difficult to trim them down to these favourites!
If you’re heading that way, we definitely recommend stopping in at the Wijnland Auto Museum and Butterfly World, and explore the lovely lemony Franschhoek Country House (FCH) and Monneaux…
Wednesday, 16 May 2018: Sunset dins at Doodles on the beachfront
We had a sneaky mid-week dinner out at Doodles and were in awe at the sunset, as seen from various angles.
Friday, 18 May 2018: Meltwater #BizBreakfast at Park Inn Radisson
I rarely get to attend events with colleagues, so it was a treat to spend part of last Friday morning with one of my favourite coworkers. Once we’d gone up 10 floors by lift at the Park Inn Radisson we stepped onto the balcony to admire the view, and what a view it was!More of the balcony views, also the delicious breakfast snacks and the excellent presentation itself on social storytelling – click here for my full overview if you missed it on Bizcommunity.We had time for a quick post-event catch-up session with industry friends before heading back to the office.
Saturday, 19 May 2018: Stop at Wijnland Auto Museum, stay at Franschhoek Country House, dine at Monneaux
A sweet moment with Bertie boy before we started all our weekend activities. Love that dog!First stop – collect parents to drop off at the airport. Once they’d checked in for their flight to Joburg, we had time for a quick breakfast at the Wimpy with views of the runway. See various coffees and the flapjacks with cream and fruit salad.Next, tim for our weekend away, and what’s a road trip without snacks? It was a cold, grey day so hot drinks were in order. This is a mochaccino and British ‘chocky bickies’ from when we dropped off the doglets at their GrannyGrampa for the night.We stopped in at the Wijnland Auto Museum (not the main Franschhoek Motor museum you’re thinking of). It’s filled with rusted relics and shiny new vehicles alike. Bonus: You don’t need to make an appointment ahead of time!The grounded airplane was the main attraction for Husband – he’d seen it from the main road outside and we had to do a capital U-turn to go back and find the entrance. See how he climbed all the way through into the cockpit – you’re allowed to do so.Autumnal scenes on the road into Franschhoek town.You’re bound to see the wine tram when you’re in and around Franschhoek. We saw various versions of it in various locations on our way into town and even waved at the happy travelers from the pool later that evening. It’s still on our Franschhoek bucket list!It was the weekend of the Franschhoek Literary Festival (FLF) so there were book-lovers around every drizzly corner and queues at all the eateries and markets, we felt quite lucky to be staying slightly out of the main hustle and bustle of town. Will tackle the FLF another time!Franschhoek Country House holds all the lemons and French country charm you could ever want. It’s like a painting.It’s hard to miss Franschhoek Country House from the Huguenot Main Road, just look for lemon with touches of turquoise and you’re there! There are lemons everywhere you look, from the trees to bowls in every room – even the restaurant powder room – it’s really a delicious sight.The space we stayed in was just gorgeous. Look at those old-school high ceilings, the plentiful fruit bowl, and even the candlesticks next to the not-to-be-used bath tub.The doorbell chimed and we were presented with the most wonderful welcome plate of food fresh from Monneaux, along with flutes of bubbly to ease into ‘weekend away’ mode. It certainly did the trick!Fountains fountains everywhere. Note Husband examining them far off in the distance.Despite the chill in the air we braved the cold pool, as that makes the slightly heated pool seem a little warmer than it is. Also see the poolside table with the most delicious lemonade, garnished with mint leaves and cucumber slices. So yum!We’d been told it was ‘happy hour’ on selected beverages until 5pm – add in pretzels and salty peanuts, also the Royal Wedding on TV and we were there like bears.Sunset over the mountain from various angles, made even more delicious with a cup of coffee and rusk from our room.M is for Monneaux! The on-site restaurant is definitely worth a visit, whether you’re staying at Franschhoek Country House or further up the road. See here the baked camembert salad, the spicy mussels and the lamb on gnocchi. All the words coming to my full review on Bizcommunity!Cheers to dinner at Monneaux! Our table was strewn with white rose petals – we’d seen them being plucked while enjoying our swim earlier that evening. Also see the smoked octopus in dashi stock from the Petit Assiette menu, and the linefish mains topped with a prawn.Don’t mind if I do take a sip or two… just some of the lovely wines we sampled while dining at Monneaux, all from the Franschhoek valley.Dessert! See the sorbets with meringue discs; chef’s creme caramel with flecks of vanilla; a delicious cappuccino; the apple tart tatin with blue cheese compote; and the end-of-meal dense chocolate truffles.The little nighttime luxuries at Franschhoek Country House are so sweet. These range from the ‘I need some me time’ message on the door hanger to a tiny chocolate left on the pillow with the next day’s weather forecast; and slippers left at the turned-down bed. Of course, we also lit the fire and spent a while in front of its warmth – though there’s also underfloor heating, so you may well find yourself sitting on the floor (out of choice)!This is the selection of ‘gownie shots’ I have to work with. Not easy to come by as gowns are only available by special request from reception, and by the time we took the snaps Husband was done with posing nicely and smiling on demand. Lol!
Sunday, 20 May 2018: FCH breakfast buffet; visit the animals at Butterfly World
Taking in that ‘just been rained on’ view with a quick coffee brewed in the room before heading down for breakfast.What a breakfast spread! See various cold meats and cheeses, freshly cut fruits, yoghurts, and cereals – I couldn’t resist a scoop of the bright pink Strawberry Pops!From the hot breakfast menu, we opted for filter coffee and the waffle with bananas, bacon and berries (me); and glasses of juice with the eggs benedict, topped with both spinach and folded ham (husband). Also, look at the tiny bite-size croissant!Taking a slow stroll back to our room. Note Husband is in long pants and covered shoes during the day here, a rare sighting that tells you it was pretty darn chilly.Once we’d checked out, we couldn’t resist this road that whispered, “Follow me…”We made what we thought would be a quick detour to see the Butterfly World tropical garden, but there’s so much more than that on the grounds that we stayed a good two hours. See Husband enjoying a plate of curry and rice while it drizzled.There’s lots of lush greenery and birdies flitting around along with the butterflies. Also, many interesting take-away trinkets to look at.We braved the rain (there are clear umbrellas to collect before stepping outside) and you can just see the butterflies drying out.While the butterflies were lovely, they flitted around so fast we couldn’t take any pics. There are so many sweet rescued animals all around though that before you realise it, you’ve spent hours wandering around in awe at nature.Look at the little critters! Some were friendly, some were shy, all were precious. We have a video of the birdie scratching it’s way over Husband’s arm and then leaping scarily at my shiny phone.
That’s all, folks! Hope you have a relaxing weekend. Cheers!
*Disclaimer: Our meals and accommodation at Franschhoek Country House and Monneaux were part of our review package. All else came from our own pockets. All enjoyed equally.
Last weekend we celebrated Father-in-Law’s 75th birthday with a family breakfast at McPherson’s, amongst other things…
Friday, 13 April 2018: Cupcakes and braais
My favourite moments from last Friday – office birthday cake, also a small home braai and the doggies coming to fetch me from the bus stop after work. Bless.
Saturday, 14 April 2018: 75th birthday breakfast at McPherson’s
We all met up at McPherson’s for breakfast on Saturday morning to celebrate Father-in-Law’s 75th birthday the day before. See Mother-in-Law with the cutlery top-left, my parents with strong cappuccinos bottom-right as well as the R25 ‘bacon-eggs-toast’ breakfast bottom-left and the French toast with bacon and grilled banana top-right. Delicious and such good value, in a pretty setting.The McPherson’s cat looked much orange-r, fluffier and larger than the last few times we’ve seen it – perhaps a different cat?Full family photo with the birthday boy front and centre. This is best version of the many attempts we took, take my word for it 😉Later that afternoon we soaked up some sunshine in and around the V&A Waterfront. This was taken while looking around the cruise terminal at the harbour.Gourmet milkshakes, yes please! I had to work that evening so we went out for early dins, and decided to finally try the CTFM at Seaside Village – we’d popped in a few times but never ordered anything. See the gourmet shakes – I went for the caramel pop. Yum.To eat, Husband had a salmon handroll and the East Coast mussel potjie, while I went with the lamb croquettes.Lights and driftwood and birdies make up the pretty decor inside the Seaside Village branch of Cape Town Fish Market…Just in case you didn’t know where we were eating, I branded my finger.Precious doglets pretending they just happened to end up asleep on the couch together by the fire while I was working later that night.
Sunday, 15 April 2018: La Rocca breakfast
W.e were meeting Brother-in-Law Spec at the movies in Canal Walk later in the morning so decided on breakfast at La Rocca. See my latte and toasted chicken-mayo with rustic fries, as well as Husband’s Mexican eggs benedict topped with prego sauce.We had pork roast with roast potatoes for lupper at Mum’s that evening.For dessert, slices of berry ice-cream ‘cake’ Mum whipped up.
Monday, 16 April 2018: Sunset burger special at CTFM
We’d enjoyed our meal at CTFM so much that we returned for dins on Monday. Glass of red wine and choc-cookie gourmet shake with sunset-over-sea views after a tough day at work? Don’t mind if we do!Pretty pink clouds at sunset, as seen from our table.To eat, this time Husband had the ‘salmon poppers’ starter followed by the fish curry, while I had the choc-cookie gourmet shake and the R55 Monday burger special.
That’s all, folks! It’s definitely Autumn here in the Cape so I’m looking forward to lots of hot drinks and hugs for warmth.
This past week took an age to get through. Perhaps because we’re finally in February and January’s always the longest month, what with transitioning back into ‘work mode’ after the end-of-year break.
Here’s what we’ve been up to since my last update…
Friday, 26 January 2018: Meltwater webinar presentation
Look at me, looking nervous/excited/relieved with Philippa Dods, Meltwater’s amazing marketing coordinator for India, Middle East & Africa last Friday, after a successful PR webinar presentation. No need for FOMO if you missed it, just click on this link to the recording so you can catch-up!
Saturday, 27 January 2018: Sweet treats at Sweet Loaf, brotherly dins at Catch22
We started our weekend at Wimpy in Bayside as we had a few weekend admin chores to do while there. And surprise, soon after we ordered my parents also ended up there for breakfast! I enjoyed my regular Wimpy coffee and toasted cheese on a stick. Husband had the streaky bacon breakfast with extra cheesegriller (as did Dad), while Mum went for the avo-toast. A good start to the day!We also did some motorbike-gear pricing at Sable Square and stopped at Sweet Loaf for a quick treat – everything sells for R11, whether you want a cappuccino, can of Cola, mini-cake load or palm-size pie.Aww! Little Miss Bassie was such a happy girl when we popped in at her grandparents’ house that evening for some tech assistance.Bertie was also eager to share his affection with his dad. Big licks!Spec was spending the night with us so after a quick unpack at our house we headed off to Catch22 for dins. See Husband enjoying his glass of red top-left, my gingerbread latte top-right, Spec with his Amstel bottom-left, and Husband and me in front of the tropical paradise painting outside bottom-right. T’was so bright, we needed to wear sunnies.And the food? Oh boy was it good! See group photo top-left, full table of food bottom-left, that day’s specials in the middle my buccaneer beef burger topped with bacon and cheese top-right and Husband’s baby kingklip with veg bottom-right. Spec went for the linefish with calamari special. All delicious!Later that evening we walked down the beach to see the kite-surfing competition in action – it was suitably windy!
Sunday, 28 January 2018: Husband’s family birthday lunch at Bossa
The little ones were happy to pose with me on the couch as my coffee was in a doggy-patterned mug so they felt right at home. As they should, as they were at home. Teehee.For the first time in many years, we all live in the same city so could do a combined birthday lunch for Husband. See the eisbein with roast veg with parents shared top-left, the pizza me and father-in-law ate top-right, dad’s strong flat white bottom-left (and he had a Black Label draught before that, so his placemat was accurate), with a full family shot bottom right.Once we’d had time to digest lunch, we stopped off at Husband’s favourite sea-swimming hole for his weekly dunk.We stopped in at Table Bay Mall for a spot of birthday shopping and a treat in the form of Milky Lane ice creams, mmm! Husband’s is plain vanilla with caramel topping and assorted syrups, mine is the berry-meringue whizzer.
Monday, 29 January 2018: Husband’s 38th birthday
Here’s the first batch of ‘kisses with the birthday hat’ photos. The doggies were keen to join in but seemed shy once we started taking the pics.These are our attempts while sitting on the couch. If i was licking Bertie’s head in the bottom-left pic (I’m not, I’m blowing Husband a kiss but Bertie angled himself in such a way that it looks like Bass is licking my hand, I’m licking Bertie’s head and he’s licking his dad’s chin.) Crying with laughter!
Tuesday, 30 January 2018: Office donuts and owlie mugs
When clients cancel Tuesday meetings and send through apology donuts (from Dunking Donuts, else they’d be ‘doughnuts’), we share. Also, meet my new hipster owl office mug – disinterested deer has bitten the dust.T’was also the day I did a video interview in the Barclays Rise space in the Woodstock Exchange. I’ll share the link to that interview next week. For now, see the interesting surrounds.
Wednesday, 31 January 2018: Waffles on a stick at the Big Bay Summer Market
It’s been a while since the last ‘I love Big Bay’ food and craft market, usually held at the Big Bay Lifesaving Club at Eden on the Bay on the last Wednesday of every month. It was a very windy day so we didn’t stay very long.Various shots of me with my waffle on a stick, also see my potato wedges topped with paprika and parmesan top-left. Yum!Look at the choices! All were fresh and chocolate-y but I went for the ‘Astronaut’, as it was covered in mini-Astros and looked like an edible Christmas tree. Yum.
Thursday, 1 February 2018: #NespressoOnIce pop-up shop at work
The NespressoOnIce truck is conducting a road trip across the country and stopped in at our office on Thursday afternoon. We were thrilled to try a few of the iced coffee options as it was a very hot day.
Last weekend was so sunny that even though we’re desperate for a bit of rain in the Cape, we filled it with delicious outdoors-y moments…
Saturday, 13 January 2018: Breakfast at On the Rocks, lupper at Moyo
We’d tried to breakfast at On the Rocks twice over the December holidays – the first time it was completely closed, the second time it was hosting a private function – so we were pleased to find a table outside when we popped in last Saturday morning.Various snaps of the front and back of On the Rocks.Aaah. Cappuccino, fresh sea breeze and sunshine? Yes please! Best way to start the weekend.Husband soaking up some of that sunshine.Husband chose the breakfast pan, I had the French toast with berry compote. Lip-smackingly good!We did a brief walk to work off some of that food. Sunny selfie on the sea shore.After some weekend admin it was time to venture out into the sunshine again. T’was quite windy so we sat in the sheltered section at Moyo in Big Bay. See Husband enjoying his wine and me having my face painted before starting on my coffee-cashew smoothie.See my dukka-spiced burger (with cheese and bacon) and side of thick fries, as well as Husband’s lamb-shank linguine, and Husband with a chip on his shoulder. Literally. 🙂Second beach selfie of the day, but you can’t quite see my face-painting in the bright light…So Husband took a quick snap before I wiped it off, while resting on the couch with Bertie.Little Bassie proved she’s also always a pretty girl, even without face-paintings.
Sunday, 14 January 2017: Sea swims and coffee in a cone
We breakfasted at W Cafe in Table Bay Mall’s Woolworths. See Husband’s super-tall cappuccino and eggs benedict on mushroom, with my vanilla-cinnamon latte and coconut loaf topped with pineapple cream cheese and coconut shavings. Yummy!Husband contemplating his weekly dip in the sea.I really felt for coffee in a cone as my Sunday afternoon treat, but most places where I’ve had it before were now out of stock. Luckily we found it at Cup & Cake in Eden on the Bay. If you drink out the coffee, you’re left with warm, melty-chocolate in the sugar cone.Mum had made weather-appropriate food for lupper that afternoon – chicken curry that we scooped into French loaf to make mini bunny chows, with dessert of ice cream, watermelon and mixed berries.
Monday, 15 January 2018: Office birthday cake
It had been Biz managing editor Sindy’s birthday over the weekend, so she treated us to an assortment of crisps, sweeties, fruit, cupcakes, marshmallows and amazing chocolate-caramel-coconut swiss roll when we got to work on Monday. Best way to start the week!The selection of sweets and treats I munched on throughout the day.
Thursday, 18 January 2018: Seventh #digitalmarketingLIVE lesson at Red & Yellow
Thursday was the first #digitalmarketingLIVE session of the year – there’s only one to go before I’ve completed all eight! ‘Seth Rotherham’ of 2OceansVibe Radio shared his first-hand experiences with running a business on digital and social media.I sat with Su Little and we took a few versions of this snap to properly include Wesley, the Red & Yellow staffer photobombing us, here. #digitalmarketinggeeks
That’s all, folks! It’s set to be another scorcher of a weekend, stay cool.
We’re finally on leave, woohoo! 🙂 It’s been a week of feasting, family and fun…
Friday, 22 December 2017: Annual Love Actually viewing
We kicked off the holidays once we were both officially on leave last Friday evening with this year’s viewing of the ultimate Christmas movie, Love Actually. complete with poinsettia, hot chocolate and popcorn.
Saturday, 23 December 2017: Rocomamas burgers and shakes
We sat outdoors at the Pink Olive for Saturday morning breakfast. It’s open before the Stark Ayres nursery officially opens its doors (if you know which door to enter through). See Husband’s bacon basket and my fresh scones with jam and cream.Clouds were scattered prettily across the sky that afternoon.We stopped in at the Rocomama’s at Willowbridge for treats after a day of Christmas shopping. See Husband’s chilli cheesebomb burger and creme brulee shake, as well as my Candyliscious freak shake, complete with bits of fizzer, white chocolate sauce and berry swirls.
Sunday, 24 December 2017: Christmas Eve dins at ours
We had our Christmas Eve breakfast at Bread and Butter.My breakfast smoothie bowl was amazing. Filled with nuts, peanut butter, chocolate, ice cream and bananas, it was healthy AND delicious!The beach was calling my name so we stopped in at Dolphin Beach for a few minutes, to dip our toes in the sand and sea, respectively.Proof that we enjoyed our time at the beach.We usually have Christmas lunch at our house (see here for a reminder of last year) but as Husband’s family is finally firmly located in the Cape too, we had a few extra festivities to factor in. So, everyone came to us on Christmas Eve…A few happy moments from the night.Bassie and Bertie got all dressed up for the occasion and had fun ripping open the wrapping on their presents, with help from their dad.Aww. The doggies loved all the gifts and Christmas affection.See the lovely tablecloth mum made for me, complete with my fluffy reindeer centrepiece. Also Christmas lights and various clever presents – adult colouring books, gingerbread and Christmas pudding-flavoured coffee, and slabs of caramel chocolate and biltong fudge.Husband Webered the turkey (much like he did in 2013), father-in-law brought cold gammon and mum made a selection of desserts, savoury and sweet. Was tricky not going back for more and more!
Monday, 25 December 2017: Christmas Day lunch at Mum’s
We had Christmas Day breakfast at W Cafe in the Woolworths at Table Bay Mall. See my vanilla-cinnamon latte and slice of banana bread topped with espresso cream-cheese and nuts on the left, with Husband’s poached egg on mushroom on the right.Happy faces at Mum’s house for lunch on Christmas Day.Chilled pink bubbly from Steenberg was lovely to kick things off.Our Christmas Day feasting included warm gammon, roast potatoes, colourful salad and roast veggies, with homemade Snickers-ginger biscuit ice cream.
Tuesday, 26 December 2017: Boxing Day leftovers at Mum-in-law’s
It had been a while since we last ate at Wimpy, so I had a regular Wimpy coffee and a sweet-treat waffle while Husband had the streaky bacon breakfast with an extra cheese griller.All at Mum-in-law’s house with Janet and Phil for leftovers on Boxing Day.Despite it being a ‘leftovers’ lunch there were many fresh new items, too.
Wednesday, 27 December 2017: Being touristy at the V&A Waterfront
We had intended to walk around the new Zeits Mocaa (Museum of Contemporary African Art) as it’s free entry on a Wednesday morning, but clearly the whole of Cape Town heard this, too. See the queues! We’ll come back another day…Being tourists. Sun, sea and happy faces.Various delicious eats and treats from the Waterfront – my Amarula Colada from Gibson’s far left and right, along with Husband’s very minty mojito, also his two extra-large oysters and my Woody’s burger from the food court. Yum!Teehee, we couldn’t resist posing in the fat suit outside Ripley’s Believe it or not – that’s how we feel after all the Christmas feasting!We couldn’t resist lunch with a view upstairs at MareSol – see various shots of the harbour, my pink shake with Husband’s carafe of white wine, and his fresh fishy platter.
Thursday, 28 December 2017: Star Wars movie at GrandWest Casino
On Thursday, we breakfasted at the Village Cafe in West Coast Village. See my latte and Husband’s large cappuccino, also my banting flapjacks topped with yoghurt and berries, Husband’s toastless brekkie and the sweet Christmassy reindeer at the door.T’was time for our second viewing of The Last Jedi, and the parents’ first (they’d caught up on all the previous movies in the past few weeks). Enjoyed it even more second time around!We took the customary ‘strike a pose’ snap at The District section of the casino.
Thankfully we still have a full week of rest ahead of us before we start the 2018 work year. Hope your Christmas was all you hoped for! 🙂
It was another working weekend for Husband but the good news is, we’re about to see the last of them (and his stint as Marvin) as he’s back on normal shifts! Celebrate with us! But first, scroll through our latest favourite moments of the week below…
Friday, 14 July 2017: Christmas in July and the Quarterdeck buffet
Our Entertainment committee rustled up a very festive ‘Christmas in July’ table to enjoy after our monthly staff meeting on Friday. Look at all the food and drink, you’d swear it was snowing outside with jingle bells a-ringing.We even dressed to theme!How very ‘Western Christmassy’ – a mug of hot chocolate and choc-chip cookie.Remember I attended the IMC a few weeks ago? Well, I won a dinner for two at the Quarterdeck Restaurant in GrandWest Casino for my tweeting during the event (yay). That’s where we dined last Friday evening. It’s just like a buffet on a sea-going ship, so go prepared with an empty belly! The doors only open at 7pm but we were early eager beavers, clearly.Behold the colourful mini salad bowls. You could also create your own, but I went with one of these as a pre-starter.Many plates later, it was time for dessert! The choices take up a whole side of the ‘ship’ restaurant (that’s the one inside GrandWest Casino, not the pirate ship in the parking lot) – boy, was it hard to choose what to add to our plates. See the waffle station, the mini desserts, the ice cream counter with all sorts of toppings and Husband’s caramelly ice cream bowl.My first dessert plate – a red velvet waffle topped with toffee and chocolate sauce, mini Astros and tiny marshmallows; a fudgey chocolate cake slice; a profiterole; a soft pink coconut marshmallow; and mini tiramisu.
Saturday, 15 July 2017: Italian Club gnocchi
T’was a cold day. I spent much of it reading and sorting our taxes while Husband was at work. Note to self: A creamy coffee and salted caramel nuts make such a good snack while reading!As it was such a cold Saturday, the moment Husband was done with work we headed off to the Italian Club for bowls of gnocchi bolognese. Perfect winter comfort food, especially with a coffee shake or glass or red, depending on your preferences.
Sunday, 16 July 2017: More local Italian treats
I went for a quick treat with Mum and Dad at the newly opened Trescatelli on Blouberg beach front Sunday morning. It was packed! And no wonder, with the cannoli so fresh and crisp, the coffees strong and the cafe crema, a lovely coffee ice cream blend. Yum!Mum had also whipped up a batch of these chocolate-rose water delights when we went over for lupper. They had a lovely Turkish Delight taste.The doggies snuggled up under a blanket on the couch for most of the evening.
Tuesday, 18 July 2017: Mandela Day posing
Tuesday was Mandela Day, so a few of us dressed in Madiba-themed clothes at work and posed for a ‘Madiba shuffle’ Boomerang and pic. We also encouraged donations to the Nelson Mandela Children’s Fund.
Thursday, 20 July 2017: Yo Yoga Cape Town’s 21-day yoga challenge
My colleague Ilse joined me for Yo Yoga’s 21-day yoga challenge on Thursday morning, where I bumped into another conference friend, Jenna – read all about the challenge here. We survived 40 minutes of bikram yoga in 45’C heat!A few pics of our time in the studio. That’s me tweeting away before we got down to business.Post-yoga treats – Vita Coco coconut water and all sorts of Superfood snacks – even dark chocolate! Mmm.Weather on the way back to the office after the yoga session – cloudy and cold!
Woohoo, tis a long weekend ahead! Husband worked all of last weekend and I’ve been at it ever since, so we’re looking forward to finally spending a bit of time together, Not that we were like ships in the night, exactly, as you’ll see below. But first…
Forgot to post this last week, from when I had an office visit from Sarah at WE Joburg. We shared enormous cappuccinos downstairs and she took these snaps of the space we work in. Now you know, too 🙂
Saturday, 22 April 2017: Handle-less coffees at Hemelhuijs and Zip Zap Circus sunshine
On Saturday morning, I went to Hemelhuijs in the De Waterkant end of the CBD with Mum and Dad for breakfast. Just look at their painted ceiling mural, handle-less coffee ‘bowls’, flakes of black salt (delicious) and stash of fresh quinces just waiting to be pureed.Such a lovely way to get that essential caffeine down your gullet, guarantees you wrap your hands around the bowl and close your eyes to breathe deeply while doing so. No wonder we were smiling so!See our coffee bowls top left, Mum’s mosbolletjie toast with rocket, avo and bacon; Dad’s salmon version of the same; and my French toast with bruleed banana. A delicious start to the weekend!A forkful of Dad’s breakfast. Such pretty colours!All these baked goods were calling my name too, but my belly was full to bursting by the time I saw them.Next stop, Zip Zap Circus! It’s animal-free and training comes at no cost to the diverse kiddies in the various programmes. I brought Mum and Dad along to review the first of their 25-year special monthly shows. Click here to read it in full!While waiting for the show to start (it was cooler outside than in the tent), Mum and I noticed our outfits matched this feather quite well. Coincidence!Dad didn’t match but was happy to spend three tokens (the princely sum of R15) on this stem-filled glass of red.A tiny selection of acts from the two-hour-or-so show that’s filled with juggling, trapeze, comedy and more. Go see it if you’re near the Artscape, it’s right there!The doggies were the only animals I saw that day. Look how sweetly they snuggled together on the couch, with overlapping ears.
Sunday, 23 April 2017: Work kitties and FroZenYo waffle churros
Husband sent me this pic of his company at the office that morning. Cute kitty.Once Husband was home we stopped in at the new FroZenYo in Marine Circle. Husband had a white chocolate-raspberry yoghurt shake, I had these waffle churros with warm chocolate dipping sauce. So good!
Wednesday, 26 April 2017: Chocolate tartlet
Wednesday was a good day for a mid-afternoon chocolate-y treat from the bakery downstairs. Just look at those jealous mug-owlies, caught in the act again.
Thursday, 27 April 2017: Freedom Day French toast
After a much-needed public holiday lie-in, it was time to fit in some fun. First stop, breakfast! We’d been to Cassia at Nitida a few times but never ventured further down the dirt road to Tables at Nitida. We’re so glad we did. It’s such a quaint setting and the food is lip-smackingly good. I mopped up my excess toffeed bananas with bits of French toast dotted with nuts, and Husband positively devoured his eggs benedict on savoury waffle.My stripey doughnut from Dunkin’ Donuts in Tygervalley was pretty as a picture. Tasted good, too.Once I’d done a bit of work from home we ventured off to our weekend/holiday favourite Eden on the Bay for a treat. We ended up at Saints Burger Joint. I had this single latte and ‘Irish nachos’ (potato skins), while Husband had their Bloody Mary-style tall el Mexicano cocktail and this here ‘comfortably numb’ chicken burger from their jukebox menu, with crispy side of sweet potato fries and green side of Greek salad. We barely made a dent, I’ll be eating those Irish nachos for days to come.Ahh. This golden light before sunset is my favourite time of day to be beside the seaside. Especially with a view of Table Mountain in the distance.
That’s all, folks! Here’s hoping for a happy weekend for each of you. 🙂
*Disclaimer: Obviously our Zip Zap Circus tickets were part of our review package. All else came from our own pockets. All enjoyed equally.
Ramblings, rumblings and random ruminations, version ii. Also reviews, recommendations and alliteration. Based on living the good life in the fairest Cape. Eating is my favourite pastime. Updated weekly
Rambling Litchii 