The good thing about leaving my weekly blog post for later in the week is that seeing all the photos again makes me yearn for weekend… which, by the time I press ‘publish’, is that much closer. And so, without further ado, I present photos of what I’ve been up to since my last update. Key among them? Milkshakes at the Protea Fire & Ice (though not the supersized ones we had at the Melrose Arch Fire & Ice a few years ago, click here for a reminder!)
Thursday, 23 October 2014: SAARF AMPS presentation at the Protea Fire & Ice
Interesting ‘art’ if you veer to the left once passing reception at the Fire & IcePretty chandeliers in the hotel room – empty as I got there earlyHotel breakfast pastries! Ignore the coffee spilled in my saucer…
Saturday, 25 October: Cubana breakfast, winning at the casino, Fire & Ice milkshakes, Mochachos selfies
Wonderful ‘healthy’ breakfast concoction at Cubana in Blouberg (we were so early we were the only ones there… this is becoming a habit)Wonderful ‘not as healthy’ breakfast concoction that Husband opted for – is eggs benedict with a salsa-ey sauce on potato-ey scones for R29. Very good value but go hungry!Then we decided to toss R20 into the slot machines at Grand West Casino. Ons het gewen! Those are excited/happy faces, if you can’t tell.FANCY milkshakes at the Fire & Ice (yes, we went back) to celebrate our casino winnings. This is the Rocky Road, with chunks of cherry, chocolate, and marshmallow – and this is the half size, we’d still be sitting there if I’d ordered the full.Mochachos selfie. Just because.This time I took a Mochachos selfie too… and entered the competition to win a car. Fingers crossed!Sitting on a soft dune at Dolphin Beach. The weather was magical but the wind was vicious, didn’t stay long.If you’re a fan of Magnum ice creams (tick) and a fan of red velvet cupcakes (tick again), you’re definitely going to try the special edition Red Velvet Cupcake flavoured Magnum… especially if your local Pick n Pay has a ‘two for R30’ special.
Sunday, 26 October 2014: Kauai breakfast, sushi, cake and packing
Look at that face, being subjected to a healthy breakfast at Kauai… you’d almost think it wasn’t his idea to go there in the first place. (It was)Look at the blue blue sky! No filters, I promise. This is the warm rock pool you reach when you happen to cross the beach outside the Blue Peter at low tide.All that walking and paddling made us hungry. Husband stemmed his hunger with salmon sushi…… I went for the ‘R28 cappuccino and cake slice’ special at our local Foodlover’s Market. That’s white chocolate cheesecake, so yummyBoxes! Essential if you’re moving house in a few weeks, as we are…
Doesn’t scrolling through all that make you long for the weekend? Good news, it’s just around the corner! 🙂 See, told you I was onto something by leaving my blog posts so late in the week. You can thank me later.
When I looked at the photos I’d taken last weekend (there were over 100 in total, but I cut it down to my favourite 20 or so so as not to bore you, dear reader) I noticed a few common themes in them – lots of sunshine, and lots of doggy tongues. See below…
Saturday, 18 October 2014: milkshakes, pretty sights and Cape Town at sunset
Such a beautiful way of grouping flowers by colour, at the new FNB Portside building where I attended the Cape Town World Design Capital 2014 convocation ceremony on my lonesome after popping in at a friend’s bachelorette at the Waterfront on Saturday afternoonMagical sounds came from this beautiful ‘muso in a bubble’ concept while guests snacked and mingled before the eventMy phone does not take great photos at night, so I apologise for the poor quality but couldn’t resist snapping Lion’s Head lit up at sunset from the 28th floor of the FNB Portside buildingAnd this was the view over Signal Hill as the sun went downHusband sent me this interesting photo while he was out bachelor’s party-ing. If you can’t place it, that’s his beer on the ledge on top of a club, looking down on Long Street below
Sunday, 19 October 2014: Bluest blue beaches and stunning sunsets
Yes, that’s a Samsung’s blue filter at work on a Sunday morning…That tiny speck under Table Mountain is Husband gallivanting on the rocks, as he doesMuscadel-drenched strawberries with scoops of tin roof ice cream at Mum’sSunset at Woodbridge Island – gorgeous, even with bits of the car dashboard in the shot
Monday, 20 October 2014: Post-work doggie beach walk and Spur half-price burgers
Bertie unfurls his tongue in the car on the way to the beach – look how long it is!Doggies running on the beach with their dad – loved the clouds splattered across the skyBright white sunsetBassie baby licking sand off her nose – her brother had run off to bark at birds so she turned back to keep me company while we waited for her dad to return with Barky McBarkersonDoesn’t it look like she’s gazing off contentedly in this shot?Happy smiley Bassie with a sandy nose, you can just see Bertie’s neck, back and tail in back leftLicking her lips in contentmentBlue filter in action again at our local Spur – love how it enhanced the jersey of girl in booth behind me! Yes, that’s an Amarula hot chocolate – cheaper than a Spur milkshake, can you believe?!I cartoonified Husband. He looks lovely. As does his bright orange Fanta.
This past week has been filled with time-taking-up things, but you know what they say – you always make time for the things you love. And so, here’s my weekly blog post! Last Saturday we decided to get back into our hiking ways (click here if you don’t remember we have actually been bitten by the ‘get active outdoors’ bug before). And the best way to do it? Well, we could have joined my lovely new colleagues, who were doing a 6am sunrise scramble up Lion’s Head… but we’ve ticked Lion’s Head off our list and the thought of sleeping in held too much appeal. So instead we started the day with a long breakfast, then drove to Constantia for an adventure – we walked from Cecelia Forest into Kirstenbosch Gardens, to see if we could sneak on to the Boomslang ‘tree canopy’ walkway my former minion blogged about a few months ago. And sneak in we did! Once you’re in Kirstenbosch, no-one checks your ticket (shhh!) The hike was about 4km in total and just enough to get the blood pumping.
But it seems despite feeling like we were glowing with good health we actually overdid it all on Saturday, with just too much weekend packed in to one day… so of course my immune system fought back and on Sunday I woke with (another) awful head cold. Instead of feeling sorry for myself we decided on an easy day, the highlight of which was getting Husband to demonstrate how to eat a Mochachos burger (again – click here for a reminder of his first demonstration). But enough of my rambling and on with what you’re actually here for – the photos!
Saturday, 11 October 2014: Hike into Kirstenbosch, Boomslang tree canopy, celebratory drinks
Hike snacks – Energade and chocolate-almond-sesame bars. YumYou don’t get a sense of the danger this photo should invoke – Husband’s standing on a log that could give out at any point and send him tumbling to the depths belowVictorious! This was about halfway through the hike, we’d reached one of the highest points. The half-empty bottle of cold drink bottom left is not ours. We didn’t even finish the Energades we brought along for the hikeBeautiful sub-dappled flowers, with Devil’s Peak in the distance, on our way in to KirstenboschStanding on the Boomslang – it shudders and drifts in the breeze so you have to make sure you have a firm footingThe man in the middle of the walkway is HusbandCelebrating our successful hike with a ‘naughty XXX’ chocolatey shake of sorts at a spot in Sea Point – delicious. My ideally shaped milkshake glassThat’s not just Coke, it’s a Long Island Iced Tea at our local Cubana in Blouberg, where we supped that night. The chicken burgers (not pictured) were little marvels.
Sunday, 12 October 2014: How to eat a Mochachos burger, Strand Street
How to eat a Mochachos burger, step 1: Pick it up in both hands and make a Very Excited FaceHow to eat a Mochachos burger, step 2: Take a bite. Don’t be shy, get the whole face involved!How to eat a Mochachos burger, step 3: Chew thoroughly and enjoy those utterly delicious spicy flavoursHow to eat a Mochachos burger, step 4: Pause to flap your wings before repeating step 1
Bonus – the fun didn’t end there! Here are a few snaps from events I attended during the week:
Wednesday, 15 and Thursday, 16 October 2014: World Design Capital 2014 Design House Exhibition, Movember launch event and sunset luxury apartment cocktail party
My favourite piece from the World Design Capital 2014 Design House Exhibition, on at the Sea Point Stadium last weekMe, looking a little like Alice in Wonderland at the Design House Exhibition, according to my colleague who snapped this shot – see, birdies againHaaa! He’s not sneezing – Husband refused to make a pretend moustache himself at the Movember event we attended this week, so I improvisedA delicious glass of Pierre Jourdan Rose with scrummy little canapes at a sunset event I attended this week (different to the Movember event, obvs)
That’s all, folks! Still a bit sneezy so not joining my Impi challenge-participating colleagues on Sunday. Instead planning a relaxed, no-stress weekend. Enjoy yours! 🙂
You kids already know I love ribs. You just can’t do better than short pork ribs, with a sticky, tasty basting… see me eating ribs in Joburg with my bestie here, and at Lefty’s in CT here. And now, we have a strong contender set to snatch the title of ‘best ribs’. Drum roll please, it’s… Fat Cactus, Woodstock! We’d been to Fat Cactus in Mowbray a few times before (even when my Joburg bestie was down for a whirlwind visit, remember? I even went on about how amazing the chipotle sauce was. But golly goodness is having a whole rib basket to yourself a treat! That’s what I did on Saturday, and I’d say that was my weekend highlight. But of course, that’s not all we did… (and of course I didn’t get photos of everything, either) 😉
Saturday, 4 October 2014: Dip in the Blouberg sea, Fat Cactus lunch, exploring the yacht club
Bertie didn’t realise he had a bit of leaf stuck to his nose. TeeheeBlouberg beach was deserted on Saturday morning, despite beautiful weather conditions. We soon found out why…Reason number one for Blouberg beach being deserted: It was WINDY! Look how my hair was blowing in the breeze! (Note I am bravely standing ankle-deep in the cold cold sea)Reason number two for Blouberg beach being deserted… the water was FREEZING cold! Look at Husband’s face!Teehee, is all I have to say. Best photo ever.To warm up we went for lunch. Here are the Pantlands! Note Frank’s glass of yummy pomegranate cidery drink. Most unusualHusband showing me/you/us his basket of crispy tacos with pulled pork fillingThe rib basket ‘snactus’. Crunchy celery sticks add a nice (healthy) crunch. Washed it down with a Milky Bar milkshake, as you doYou can’t really see me as I blend in so well with the grey walls and green cacti out front. Lol. This is me eating my fizzer-y post-meal sweetWe popped into the Royal Cape Yacht Club in Cape Town’s harbour on our way home. Not quite on my father’s yacht, but this is where it’d be, if he had one.Admiring all the yachts. We walked over all the unstable wooden bridge efforts to do soIt’s been a while since I posted a sunset pic. This one was taken after the sun had gone down – sea is just on the horizon, under the street lights on Marine Drive
Sunday, 5 October 2014: Breakfast at Craft House Eatery, Woodbridge Island
You either get a bowl of flowers or a bowl of toy soldiers on your table at Craft House Eatery. Ours surrounded Husband’s pastrami Benedict. Luckily they didn’t attempt to eat any. That would have been messy.I was being healthy on Sunday, so had the ‘Bananas and Berries’ breakfast. Gee whizz it was delicious, and what a lot I got! Best of all, I was full until lupper
Sadly that’s where I stopped taking photos as I went into ‘relax’ mode when we boogie boarded at Muizenberg (water was still as numbingly cold as it was on Saturday), and later lazed in the sun at Llandudno.
Eep. Count yourself lucky to be reading/viewing this: Almost didn’t get this week’s blog update done for a number of reasons – end-of-last-month-at-old-job-exhaustion, end-of-first-week-at-new-job-excitement, couldn’t find connecty cable to get photos off phones, lost whole wad of photos that had been taken on old work phone (Sob!)
But as Brandy sang, “almost doesn’t count”. So I persevered! And in the end, I got it done! Yay, loyal blog readers, aren’t you lucky? Here’s what we’ve been up to lately – had my hair did (shorter for summer, still purple), and I even baked, for the first time in Cape Town!…
Wednesday, 24 September 2014: Heritage Day baking and braai-ing
Baking! I whipped up some cookies and diabetic-friendly cake for parents’ 36th wedding anniversary last week. Used Marian Keyes’ ‘Luxury Blueberry, Pine Nut and Chocolate Cookies’ recipe from her book, ‘Saved by Cake’. This picture is to demonstrate her instruction to ‘scoop up rounds of the dough and use your hands to flatten ball shape – your hands will get good and sticky but what harm’. What harm indeed. LOOK at how sticky and chocolatey they were!Husband braaied for the first time this year so we could end Heritage Day on an authentic note
Saturday, 27 September 2014: Froyo at Tygervalley, thickest milkshake at Driftwood Cafe
Smooch in Tygervalley has my favourite froyo flavours, plus in their current special you can fill a little tub with as many flavours as you want (no matter the weight) for R20! Happy days. Also, apologies to random man behind me whose jeans are in the shot. You were in the way of the pretty wallReal live duckies going for a waddle at Driftwood CafeLook at those frown lines! From age, yes, but also from effort of slurping super thick Mikki’s Special milkshake – mix of peanut butter, custard, honey etc. Yum!
Sunday, 28 September 2014: The big hair chop
Haircut from the front…Haircut from the back
Tuesday, 30 September 2014: Farewell flowers and photos with wonderful colleagues, celebratory drinks and pizza with Husband at Portalia
Beautiful farewell flowers from my lovely team.An actual keepsake Polaroidy photo we had to shake to develop! Excuse funny lighting/colouring, that’s back of Table Mountain behind meHusband having a beer at Portalia to celebrate end of my old, rather stressful jobThis was a Kahlua coffee, just right
What I’ve realised this week? There’s a reason Green Day wanted us to ‘wake them up when September ends’ (click here for a listen), and also why we call Oktobermaand “die mooiste, mooiste maand”. That’s all, folks… looks like Summer is FINALLY here! 🙂
Ramblings, rumblings and random ruminations. Also reviews, recommendations and alliteration. Based on living the good life in the fairest Cape. This is not a food blog.
Rambling Litchi 