Belvedere

It's a wonderful spot we always enjoy. In this busy and crowded world,having so much wilderness and natural beauty all to ourselves is a such a treat. Spending time with dear friends is a treat too.

Biking Again

Neil and the Achar Boys spent another weekend on the bikes.

January at the Perdeput

We enjoy spending January at the cottage in Vermont, near Hermanus. The December holiday crowds have left and the weather is better; with very little rain and much less wind. We also enjoyed entertaining our house guests; sharing wonderful days and times with friends and family; what else is life for? We enjoyed the walks along the beach and discovered a great, unspoiled stretch of beach at the Walker Bay Nature Reserve.We took a little side trip to the De Hoop Nature Reserve and the Bontebok National Park. We are sorry that Peggy and Gary got caught in Egypt and couldn't make it to the Cape, but we hope they will visit us again!

Eating and Drinking in the Fair Cape

You cannot blog about the Cape without going on and on about the food and wine. We did have a very gastronomic month. We enjoyed the newer wine estates up the Hemel and Aarde Valley like Ataraxia and Creation, a fabulous swiss owned wine farm with a great modern cellar and restaurant. We loved the food and wine pairing tapas platters; and the excellent wines of course. Jo-anne and Erica's knowledge and enthusiasm add the final touch to an excellent afternoon in the vineyards. We visited at least 4 times with different people. The Elim wine area is also great, with delicious Sav Blancs; we recommend The Berrio and Strandveld. Of course we re-visited the old haunts in Hermanus like Bientangs Cave for the view and Savannah Cafe for the lemon merangue pie.
In Somerset West, we had the best lunch of all at 96 Winery Road; thanks Carol and Jane, and in Cape Town we discovered Il Leone with Hugh and Jessica. Of course, if you are in Cape Town any time soon, you have to go to the trendy Grand Beach and Cafe, an opulently decorated old warehouse on the shore near the Capetown Waterfront. You can enjoy the sunset with a cocktail in your hand and your feet in the sand and then go inside for designer pizza and wonderful food, with cool chill out music as a backdrop.
Never forget the braais at home - beef fillet, lamb roast,turkey, snoek and kabelou and the now famous Kwaai Braai Pie, which is a boere, bbq version of a calzone.
No wonder the clothes are all tight!!