ShiriBabble

After we left the winelands two days ago we spent the day on a long drive and ended up in Mossel Bay. A bit industrial but the bay was pretty and the guesthouse lovely. We had an unusually bad meal of Sushi but after the over indulgence of the previous two days it was not a bad thing that we didn't finish our meal. The next day we set off early and drove to Oudtshoon. We didn't have a lot of time - just enough to visit an Ostrich farm and take lots of pictures. We carried out to George where we visited the transport museum which was good fun actually. We then went to Knysna which is really pretty where we stopped for lunch. We should have stayed here rather than Mossel Bay... We finally ... read more

Today in the UK may well be Christmas Day, but here in South Africa for the Engel clan December 25th 2011 is Food Glorious Food day! We didn't bother with breakfast today as we knew what was to come! A glass of orange juice and and apple got us through the morning before we headed to La Petite Ferme - set deep in the valleys of Franschhoek with views that have to be seen to be believed. A jazz musician walked around the gardens playing the saxophone while we sat on the veranda tucking into our 5 course meal. You can see from the photos that great fun was had by all. Although this time we didn't pick the wine pairing we were greeted with a glass of Cap Classique and tried some of the restaurants ... read more

We got up early today in the hope of climbing up table moutain as yesterday was too windy so the cable car was closed. Unfortunately the moutain was covered in clouds despite the rest of Cape Town basking in sunshine. The locals have nicked name this phenomena where the clouds hog the top of the mountain as the 'table cloth'. Instead we decided to follow the recommendations of some friends and visit some local hidden treasures. We drove down the coast towards Muizenberg. This was once the place for the rich and famous and now a town full of victorian buildings and golden beaches which attracts surfers. We continued on to Fish Hoek - another village further down the coast. It was quaint, with similarly sandy beaches. It reminded me of Swanage on the South Coast ... read more

With just a few restless hours sleep we arrived in Cape Town but quickly forgot about the long flight when greeted by the breathtaking sight of Table Mountain which we soon realised dominates the view from every angle for miles and miles around. We were driven to our hotel by a typical South African (who looked and sounded just like our builder Derek - and no I don't mean all South African's sound and look alike - he really did look just like him!!). The Ocean View House is a beautiful guest house with the most stunning views (see pictures attached). After settling in we headed to Mount Nelson Hotel for afternoon tea (Thanks for the recommendation Auntie B). With fine aromas and a buffett of savoury and sweet food fit for a bear who has ... read more

There is something rather odd (yet very comforting) about taking out a summer dress and a bikini from the wardrobe while dressed up in extra layers and the house radiators barely taking the chill out of the air (I have stopped short of wearing gloves...). But it can only mean one thing... oh ok maybe two... I might be having yet another clear out of my wardrobe or... (and this is the case in this instance) i'm getting ready to go on holday!! For those synics amongst you - no, this time I am not tagging along on one of Mark's work voyages, wandering the streets of yet another far away city alone with nothing but a guide book and my ipod for company - this is a real holiday. Ok so if you are looking ... read more