Halfpom

Hot as Hades.....

Just when we were starting to think the blindingly hot summer days of old had passed us by this year, along came the weekend.....boy, was it hot...I was in Paarl & it is always a good deal steamier there than in Cape Town...but 47 degrees C....that is just ridiculous....nothing for it but to..

 

But not before we had the most delightful lunch at Cotage Fromage - we had the harissa lamb, warm pitta bread, roasted brinjals, minted yoghurt, tzaziki and chilli oil - yum-yum-yum!! I've been there several times and never had a bad meal EVER. Their latte's are seriously good too. The restaurant is situated on Vrede en Lust wine estate and they also offer a wedding venue....my cousin got married here 2 years ago and even the food at the wedding was spectacular. I'm just sorry that I didn't have my camera with me to take a picture of the food....presentation was beautiful and sadly they don't seem to have much of a food gallery on their website. 

My friend, Colette, has excellent taste and it was a real treat to stay in her beautiful home this weekend - many thanks!

    
 
  

Today, Monday, is no better....this is what weatherman Pete is predicting..OMG...another scorcher.
    
 
 
  
  
 
 

Another couple of chilled days..

I could seriously get used to this...the weather is a bit more temperamental today and we have a few showers but that does give us a beautiful rainbow - so its true what they say...every cloud does have a silver lining...

 

It doesn't last long & everybody goes back to doing the usual...wake boarding...

 
Paddling out to the fishing trawlers that come to the bay to shelter from the wind out at sea..sometimes they are open to a bit of bartering for some fresh fish..

Cleaning boats after a morning at sea...

And sometimes.....we just sits & thinks....

  

02 January 2010

This is the notice board at the slipway at Infanta & you'll notice there is a temperature at the top underneath the date. One could be forgiven for thinking this is the air temperature.....but no, no, no....this is the temperature of the water!! Doesn't it look wonderful..... There's always something going on at the slip - people swimming, boats being launched etc.

Retail therapy.....Infanta style

After our expedition on New Year's morning, an urgent need for after sun lotion was requested due to incorrect application of sun cream earlier in the day. So we all piled into the car for a trip to Ella se Winkel (translation - Ella's shop - for those who do not speak Afrikaans). This is a perfect little shop in a barn on a farm just outside Infanta where Ella sells anything & everything....takes me back to my childhood holidays at Witsand (on the otherside of the river mouth to Infanta) where there were no supermarkets either so Mum had to pack everything she thought we would need for a week including dog food for the hounds....if you ran out of something or needed fresh milk one of the farmers wives had a similar setup to Ella's shop.

 
That evening we enjoyed some delicious ostrich boerewors (transl:sausage) that we had bought at the shop...yummy! 

Start as you mean to continue...

Yes, that means exercise.....so we start the new year with every good intention & a hike to the Point. First we have to pass what must be my favourite (okay... one of) houses in the village at the moment..I just love it. Sorry I couldn't take a pic from the front as the owners were in residence and that would just be plain rude... You can see the Point in the LHS of the pic....

 And we start climbing - it is getting seriously hot now..stop to take a breath and prolong the moment by taking some photo's....here's an arty shot of Infanta..

En route there is some interesting fynbos, ericas and rocks with brilliant orange lichens..whatever the time of year in the Cape floral kingdom there is always something looking for it's 15 minutes of fame..

 
   
Three of us are taking a nice gentle stroll enjoying the smells & sights, whilst for Andy & Abby it is about the end goal rather than the journey so they've raced ahead..

 
You didn't seriously think we were just walking to the Point.....the prize at the end is a beautiful rock pool that is constantly being topped up by the incoming tide...

Pam broke her wrist on Christmas Day which meant that she spent most of it in A&E with the orthopedic surgeon! In practical terms this means that she can't get the cast wet otherwise it will go all horrid & smelly but she can't resist the rock pool so this is P making the best of a bad situation....we do have a good giggle..

 After we had cooled down we headed back to the village with one last view from up top across to the other side of the bay..

2010.....Happy New Year!!

It's the 31st December and I'm driving down to Cape Infanta - starting out from Cape Town you drive along the N2 for about 2 & a half hours, then hang a right at Swellendam and continue on the gravel road for another hour until you reach the sea. At first there's nothing that interesting...just wheatfields that have done their job for the year and are now lying fallow during the dry season waiting for the onset of the winter rains to come alive again...

 
On these gravel roads you have no choice but to drive cautiously and admire the scenery - anything else guarantees you'll become a statistic. The road is ever so gradually snaking lower and lower and the anticipation builds - will we see the river around the next bend...but no...more wheatfields shorn of their locks..

Suddenly it appears...a ribbon of silver surrounded by lush greenery..our first milestone.

 
And then some more wheatfields until the next highlight...Cape Infanta...at last...60kms on a gravel road is no fun for anyone...it's a real 'eat my dust' kind of road but it does lead to paradise....

As you enter the village you have to slow right down to 20kms an hour as there are children & dogs everywhere - playing cricket on the common, riding their bicycles and running between all the houses checking to see who has arrived...then you drive once around the common as it is a tradition, park on the lawn & gently unfold yourself from your cramped position in the drivers seat hoping desperately that the welcoming committee is holding an ice cold beverage....hopefully a Vawter...my new favourite drink...vodka with a dash of lime finished with sparkling water...

 
 
 After the kids have worn themselves out it is the turn of the grown ups...boules on the common anyone?..notice that there are two distinct teams...one wearing berets and one wearing silver party hats that match the boules - nice designer touch, guys..let the festivities begin...

As the sun sinks ever lower in the sky, the smell of burning wood begins to perfume the air....not just any wood - rooikrantz wood....we'll have none of that charcoal and gas BBQ rubbish here, thank you very much!!

Oh, the tummy is seriously staring to rumble now...doesn't that spatchcock Moroccan chicken look delicious?

And to make it extra special - tonight is a full moon as well as being the start of a brand new year & decade.....HAPPY NEW YEAR...May 2010 bring blessings in abundance to ALL... 

  

Lunch at Rhodes Memorial..

We have visitors from England for Christmas and the poor things have had a bit of a torrid time - Ian managed to catch a horrible tummy bug just in time for Christmas....it's just as well South African doctors still make house calls as the poor man was so ill he couldn't even walk. The doctor was on the doorstep at 08h15 and Ian got two jabs for his trouble....guess who had no Christmas lunch. Then Sam went down with it too..... When they both felt a bit better we took them to Rhodes Memorial where the open air restaurant there does (according to Pippa) the best spaghetti bolognaise ever...

Nice views from up here..

And just for the record, only Pippa & I managed to escape the dreaded bug..all the others in the household came down with it...the poor doctor was called once more to adminster to yet another patient...

Tinsel Dog....

It's the 25th of December - that's right it's CHRISTMAS & before I could get away they tied a piece of tinsel to my collar....& now everybody is laughing at me.... including the neighbourhood dogs who are all out walking their owners. How am I supposed to pretend that I'm really a Rottweiler when I look like this......I've a good mind to call the SPCA right now!!

 
 Yumm, yumm, yummy.....boy that Christmas lunch was SO good!

  
Hmmm - didn't think I had a sparkly side but now I think it quite suits me...

Festive spirit....

In a bid to get into the festive spirit, I accepted an invitation to join some old friends at the Carols by Candlelight at Kirstenbosch Botanical Gardens. I'd never been before but clearly many of the 5000 odd people attending had.....and so will I next year!!

 
 What a gorgeous setting & we couldn't have asked for a more perfect evening....everyone brings a picnic, their kids & blankets to spend an evening singing good old fashioned carols. The gates open at five o'clock and the crowd was entertained by an all girl classical band featuring electric instruments...name to follow when I've found out who they are..

 
When darkness falls the candles are lit creating a magical atmosphere.....

  
Remember - Once in Royal David's City, Away in a Manger, We Three Kings of Orient Are, Hark! The Herald Angels Sing & finally Silent Night.....if this doesn't get you in the mood for Christmas then nothing will...  

 
A very good night was had by all - finishing with a rousing rendition of Silent Night...

a fresh start...

Apologies that I've been offline for so long....well I'm in South Africa again & just finding my feet. Among old haunts revisited yesterday were Starke Ayres garden centre  where I bought some lettuce seedlings. It tastes so much better if you've grown it yourself... I stole some flower bed space and here they are all neatly planted..

A nice selection of cut & come again leaves that will hopefully provide us with salad for many weeks to come. The blue petals on the ground are the remains of the gorgeous jacaranda flowers which are in full bloom at the moment - everything is a carpet of blue..

I was ably assisted in my gardening endeavours by my new best friend...the aptly named Buddy...who came to us via DARG, an animal rescue centre in Hout Bay. He's very cute - part papillon & part corgi (the corgi part is our guess based purely on his body shape)..and a lovely personality.

His favourite activities (after gardening) include chasing sticks & squirrels (v exciting) and going for a ....W....A....L...K. (shhhh...can't say the W word to loudly).

 Just to put him into context & give you an idea of how big he is (ie not very)..

Something else that catches your eye in the garden athis time of year are the alstromerias (inca lilies)- which grow like weeds & are a great source of cut flowers for the house..