A new beginning
Ismael Lô In Concert at Kirstenbosch Botanical Gardens
We spent a lovely afternoon at Kirstenbosch Botanical Gardens on Sunday 19th November, listening to the music of Senegalese singer, multi-instrumentalist and actor, Ismael Lô. The 2017/2018 summer concerts at Kirstenbosch started off on 11th November with Cat Stevens, on his first tour in South Africa. The gates opened at 16:00 and the garden where the concert took place, was soon filled up with people sitting on blankets, unpacking their … Continue reading …
Organ Concert and Dinner in Stellenbosch
It is a privilege to live in Cape Town. It is a joy to live less than thirty minutes from beautiful Stellenbosch, second oldest settlement in the Western Cape. The town is home to Stellenbosch University and it is situated on the banks of the Eerste Rivier. Stellenbosch overflows with students and tourists, bicycles and vehicles, coffee shops, restaurants, theatres, beautiful buildings and huge oak trees. On the first Saturday … Continue reading …
Happy Birthday!
We all love surprises and even better, to be surprised! Lucky brother Stephan’s wife organized a treasure hunt for his birthday. All the way from Port Elizabeth to Rheebok, close to George in the Western Cape, my sister-in-law, Sanet, left clues for Stephan. She was always somewhat ahead of him, leaving clues in balloons, while a friend had the task to drive Stephan. Deon and I decided to join in … Continue reading …
Interview with Nina Timm on RSG
Nina Timm (Kuberkok) invited us for an interview on RSG. Here it is with a couple of pictures that means a lot to us. For us the good life is found in the love for and of our animals (past and present), travel, friends, music, art, photography, a good book … We trust that your search will be an enjoyable and successful one!
Continue reading ...Driving over Lemons
We came across Chris Stewart’s, book Driving Over Lemons: An Optimist in Andalucia (1999, ISBN 0-9535227-0-9) in 2004 when we prepared ourselves for a visit to Spain and what a delight! After this we also read his other books, A Parrot In The Pepper Tree and The Almond Blossom Appreciation Society. Chris was the drummer of the band Genesis for a couple of years. Then, after travelling and working throughout … Continue reading …
Paula’s Birthday
Last week, on 5 June 2015, we celebrated Paula, my sister-in-law’s birthday. They arrived on Friday afternoon. For the birthday feast, we booked dinner at a restaurant in Bloubergstrand, called Ons Huisie, a heritage site. Before we left for dinner, we toasted Paula with a glass of bubbly. Ons Huisie (or Our Little House) was formally a fisherman’s home. We were impressed with the warm atmosphere which met us inside, … Continue reading …
Our Moment of Fame
Last week, I received a message from former colleague Nina Timm, also known as “Kuberkok”. She wanted Deon and me to be her guests on RSG – popular radio talk show. Nina invites bloggers to chat about their blogs every Thursday morning. Deon tried to get out of the talk show, claiming that he was only the “webmaster” – but, as I am not much of a chatter box, I … Continue reading …
Food Photo Workshop
Yesterday, Sunday 24 May 2015, was one of those days that improves quality of life. We attended a Food Photo Workshop in collaboration with well known stylist Isabella Niehaus and photographers Hein van Tonder and Francois Pistorius. Hein and Francois have recently returned from Boussac in France where they photographed a recipe book which will be released later this year. Isabella’s beautiful house in Langebaan was chosen as the … Continue reading …
Mother’s Day 2015
On Friday, after spending a few hours at my favourite hair salon on Dunkley Square, Gardens, we decided that lunch at Maria’s a few metres away from the salon, would be the perfect spot for lunch. This must have been our tenth visit to Maria’s, but if a restaurant is consistently excellent, that is a very good reason to visit again…and again. Deon ordered grilled calamari and I decided on … Continue reading …
Christmas 2014
Our family, that is my brother Johan and Paula from Tergniet in the Western Cape, my mom and Deon’s family spent a wonderful Christmas together, with meze as our Christmas meal. Everybody had to prepare a dish, that made it very easy to prepare the Christmas dinner.
Continue reading ...Our journey back to the Western Cape
On Saturday evening Deon and I decided to introduce Johan and Paula to Central, the newly revamped hot spot of Port Elizabeth. We walked down Stanley Street in Richmond Hill and were amazed to see lots of people dining in the many new trendy restaurants. There was a wonderful gathering of people and a lively buzz going on all over Richmond Hill. We eventually decided to have supper at Le … Continue reading …
The Wedding
On Saturday morning we woke up early at our guest house. Fortunately the weather was perfect for a wedding. No wind blowing and hot enough for our summer outfits. We had to drop Johan at the bridegroom’s home in order for him to get the car which would take the bride to the venue. At the bridegroom’s home it seemed as if both bridegroom and his best man, Sean, were … Continue reading …
All dressed up for a wedding in the Eastern Cape
Since we relocated to Cape Town in December 2010, Deon and I have been going back to P.E. once a year in December to celebrate a wedding or a birthday. At the end of December 2013 we went to Port Elizabeth for the wedding of a young man who is very dear to both of us, Evan, and his beautiful wife Mariska. This year we were invited to my brother … Continue reading …
In search of a good life (Or: A good life found)
I recently saw a post on Facebook which indicates that Heroes adopt animals from shelters, but I want to change that to Very fortunate people adopt heroes from shelters. We have been so fortunate to be able to adopt Leica, a six year old cat, from Tears. His name was then Webster, but we have decided to give him a new name because of his new life with us. When … Continue reading …
The Seasons of a Wonderful Life
Many years ago we fell in love with the music of Zucchero. We first heard his music on a Pavaroti and Friends DVD. This song is a celebration of the different seasons of life. Does growing older rob us of the wonderfulness of life? I do not think so. There is something new around the corner! Please watch the music video, listen to the words and you will (again) realize … Continue reading …
As It Is In Heaven
We do not go to the cinema often, but like cocooning at home while watching a beautiful movie. We recently discovered DVD Nouveau in Bree Street, Cape Town and wow, what an experience. They have an incredible selection of DVD’s for rent, everything you have ever heard of, all the series and all the classics are there. Best of all, you only have to return the DVD’s after two days. … Continue reading …
Bacteria Alley, Paris, France (or in Cape Town, South Africa)
If you do a Google search on “bacteria alley Paris France” you get some pretty interesting reading. From Tripadvisor to Le Best of Paris they lambast or praise this small area in the old Latin Quarter in Paris. The two streets, Rue de la Huchette and Rue Xavier Privas, are situated right beside the St. Michel fountain and the St. Michel métro station, one block away from the Seine. These … Continue reading …
Our GriefShare Lunch
Yesterday Sandra and I had our friends over that attended my GriefShare sessions. What a privilege to share one’s life with caring people. To celebrate life, Sandra and I prepared lunch. We had chicken (thanks Jamie) and a lasagne. I tried a stuffing for the chicken, but the chef de cuisine will have to decide whether that can be shared! Here are a couple of pictures. Life is like a … Continue reading …
HACKED!!!
Our website/blog was hacked. Does it happen to others as well? I don’t know, but someone out there enjoys it to try to hack the website and this time, they (he?) succeeded. When we logged in one morning, what a surprise it was to find a picture, a very red picture, with masked men and a huge sign that says that the website has been hacked. Why do they do … Continue reading …
S.A. Cheese Festival
We visited the S.A. Cheese Festival at Sandringham outside Stellenbosch today. Boutique cheese makers from all over the country brought their artisan cheeses to this large gathering of cheese lovers. There also were lots more to buy and to feast on – wine, biltong, waffles, ice-cream, pizza, hamburgers and much more. And yes, even those who are banting, were catered for. We had a lovely banting salad for two with … Continue reading …
Kip McGrath training in Amanzimtoti
It was a New Year’s resolution. The decision had been made. After 36 years of teaching, it was time to do something else. On the last Sunday of January 2014, at 21:05, I hit the “send” button on my computer. And that exhilarating moment brought me to the end of my 36 year career as a teacher working for the Department of Education. How scary, but at the same time, … Continue reading …
Music from heaven at Oude Libertas
Last night, on Friday 7 March 2014, we again visited the Oude Libertas Amphitheater in Stellenbosch. The event was Stabat Mater, composed in 2008 by Welsh composer Karl Jenkins. Stabat Mater is a 13th–century Roman Catholic poem, meditating on the suffering of Jesus Christ’s mother, Mary, during his crucifixion. The title is an abbreviation of the first line, Stabat Mater dolorosa, meaning the sorrowful mother was standing. The composer incorporated … Continue reading …
A visit to Oude Libertas Amphitheatre
Last night, on 1 March 2014, we went to the Oude Libertas Amphitheatre, situated on the slopes of the Papegaaiberg in Stellenbosch. We visited the open-air theatre with friends for the ATKV Proudly South African Muziqanto show. The recent winners of some of S.A.’s most important classical music competitions, ATKV-Muziq (instrumentalists) and ATKV-Muziqanto (vocalists) combined specially for this concert. The artists were the mezzo soprano Minette du Toit-Pearce; Abraham Mennen … Continue reading …
The Old Biscuit Mill
Long ago it was a biscuit factory, but today The Old Biscuit Mill in the industrial area of Woodstock is a vibrant hub, with the highlight on Saturday mornings at the Neighbourgoods Market with its gourmet food, organic produce, fresh flowers, clothing and much more. We visited the market one Saturday morning and were stunned by the collection of arts and crafts; the designer cakes and artisan breads. I saw … Continue reading …
New Year’s Eve 2013/2014
New Year’s Eve Concert at Nederburg Wine Estate Last night, we ushered in 2014 on a spectacular note with beautiful music beneath the starry sky at Nederburg Wine Estate in Paarl. The South-African singer Lira and the Cape Philharmonic Orchestra entertained hundreds of people gathered together on the lawn in front of the manor house with picnic baskets for this festive event. Tenor Makudupanyane Senaoana and soprano Janelle Visagie also … Continue reading …
A short visit to Port Elizabeth
During our December holidays we had the opportunity to revisit our “hometown”, Port Elizabeth. We were invited to the wedding of two young people, Evan and Mariska. We have known the groom since he was a little boy and he has always been close to our hearts. We had met Mariska earlier and we were very impressed with this friendly young woman. We looked forward to return to P.E. and … Continue reading …
How to make sushi…
Sushi (すし, 寿司, 鮨, 鮓, 寿斗, 寿し, 壽司), according to Wikipedia, is a Japanese food consisting of cooked flavoured rice combined with other ingredients (ネタ neta), usually raw fish or other seafood. Raw meat (usually but not necessarily seafood) sliced and served by itself is sashimi. Yes, our next cooking class was all about preparing Japanese miniature works of art, called sushi. But, my attempts to create these little works of … Continue reading …
Our famous cat
It is official! The Tears Animal Rescue calendar 2014 is on sale. And the July picture is that of …. Leica Binneman! I must say, the pictures are really beautiful. These are all previously abandoned animals who have been offered a new life – of which all accepted the new life with grace. Look at their eyes, and you will see pure joy and happiness. These beautiful animals are … Continue reading …
Deon’s birthday
Because it had been Deon’s 60th birthday in September, we did a little bit more than usual. We celebrated on our own at Cassia at the Nitida estate one night; we celebrated with an afternoon tea; we celebrated with the family at Orca restaurant in Melkbosstrand a week before the birthday and we celebrated at home with friends two weeks later. We really celebrated this one! For the celebration dinner at … Continue reading …
Off to cooking class
We read about Perfect Paella, owned by José and Lisa Gómez, in Cape Town. It seemed like a good idea to attend and to learn more about Spanish cooking and paella in particular. When we mentioned it to Deborah, she was enthusiastic as well. She and her son, Krige, have just completed a Spanish language course and she thought this could be a good thing for her and Krige to … Continue reading …
Don’t mess with a chef (with or without a knife)
I have the ability to annoy chefs. The first time was on a boat trip between Cape Town and Durban. It was our first cruise and most enjoyable, but when I was younger, I enjoyed cooking more than eating. My husband and the friends we shared the cruise with, thought that they were in heaven because there were breakfast; morning tea; lunch; afternoon tea; dinner; more tea and snacks later … Continue reading …
Luca and Leica
A year after relocating from Port Elizabeth to Cape Town, our best friend and companion, Luca, suddenly passed away. It was so sad to say farewell to our beautiful Spaniel. Luca loved visiting restaurants with us. In the photograph we are at Café Paradiso in Kloof Street, Cape Town. How wonderful to have dog friendly restaurants. Luca was the best behaved dog ever and knew that he had to put … Continue reading …
Robinson Crusoe, Susan Loomis and a couple of others
I still remember reading Dafoe’s Robinson Crusoe when I was young – for those who forgot, the story is about a man who is stranded on a desert island for many years. With the supplies he salvaged from the wrecked ship, Robinson Crusoe builds a fort and then creates a world for himself by taming animals, gathering fruit, growing crops, and hunting. The story is filled with difficulties like pirates, … Continue reading …
