My happy place

St James beach huts

Kalk Bay has always and always will be my happy place. No matter if it's pouring with rain or the most beautiful December sunshiny day Kalk Bay has the ability to transport you to a little carefree places full of happiness...well that's what I think at least

We hadn't been to Kalk Bay in ages and sometime, like a mermaid calls lost sailors you get this little tugging feeling that it's time for a visit and some Ice Station Ice Cream (Possible the best ice cream you'll ever taste).

Olympia Cafe

Pieter and I don't often get days off together so we always need to make the most of what time we have...and what we had happened to be a really chilly day. One thing to remember about Kalk Bay is what ever the weather is where you are it will be the complete opposite there so as luck would have it we arrived and as we got out of the car it started to pour with rain. 

The nice thing about running in the rain in Kalk Bay is that most of the pavement is covered so we darted across the road and straight into Olympia Cafe, a place I haven't been in years. Olympia is the place to go in Kalk Bay for delicious baked goodies. We had some wonderful cappuccinos, an almond croissant and one of their pasta de natas which is a little piece of heaven with every bite. If you don't feel like sitting down or you just driving through pop around the corner and you will find their bakery which holds just as much freshly baked magic.

The sky started to clear and we took a walk down the main road enjoying all the antique shops and locally made clothes and jewellery. Something about Kalk Bay just makes it so unique that it brings you back time and time again. On the sea side of the road you find a whole line of restaurants with the most incredible view of the harbor. Brass Bell and Cape to Cuba are both ones we've visited more times then we can remember and they never disappoint. 

After exploring some of the shops we decided to drive along to Simon's Town and see what we could find. Simon's Town is where you will find one of the naval bases so there's a lot of history and interesting tourist places - one to stop at is definitely the statue of Just Nusance, the only dog to ever be enlisted into the Royal Navy.

While we were there we stopped for lunch at a place that Pieter recommended, The Salty Sea Dog. Now this little place doesn't look like much from the outside and almost seems a bit like a take-away joint but we sat down inside and had the best calamari I've had in my entire life and the service was great. I would definitely recommend popping in here.

So if you're ever feeling blue or the sun is shining and you need something to do, a little exploring is always the answer.

*A little tip for the busier seasons is to park outside Muizenberg Station and hop on the train - a return ticket is really reasonable and it's a fairly safe line to use. It also gives you the best view of the famous St James beach huts. Plus parking is always hard to find on a busy day in Kalk Bay.

Sweet dreams are made of Cheese

Not so long ago we decided to take a post-Mothers day trip to Fairview and the new buzz about town The Spice Route.

What a treat! My Skoonma and I absolutely love cheese,any cheese and when you combine it with wine you have a winner (and possibly our favorite pass time).

This wasn't our first trip to Fairview but visiting out of season is definitely a more relaxed option - being the tourist hot spot it is November - March is always busy. The tasting fee is very reasonable and offers you 2 options, one includes cheese and wine and the other simple cheese- which makes it a fantastic outing  if you're taking younger people along or people who just aren't big wine drinker. That being said their wines are fantastic and very well prices. They have a number of very unique wines and Spanish cultivar which is something different for the South African palette but absolutely divine. Don't forget to ask your wine assistant which cheese pairs with which wine because then these two worlds come together you have something really special (it also give you a sneaky excuse to make your way around the cheese counter again). We walked away with a basket full of tasty cheeses and a bottle of the Goatfather-the bottle has such a quirky label you almost don't want to drink it. You can also stock up on lovely baked goodies like breads and croissants to go with your cheeses but defiantly get there early because they sell out of the good stuff very quickly.

Cheese, Wine and all things nice at Fairview

Once we had finished enjoy everything Fairview has to offer we hopped in the car with our massive Cheese-hangovers and headed towards The Spice Route. It's not a far drive and in fact they are neighbors. You can't miss the beautiful estate that has managed to capture one of the most magical views Paarl has to offer.
The Spice Route is made up of a number of different restaurants, tasting rooms as well as an art gallery. The Beer and Biltong tasting at Barley and Beer offers a 100% South African experience and afterwards you can actually visit the brewery and see the entire process. Not being the biggest beer drinker and still suffering from the cheese endued stomach coma we opted for biltong platters which although it was well price they were pretty stingy with the pieces.
We didn't have much time left that day so instead of having another wine tasting (we will definitely be back some time) we decided to try the chocolatier which offered a delicious MoocaHotChocolate. We also ordered a gorgeous piece of cake but once we'd had our first bite released the filling was actually mouldy-not very impressive and the staff did very little to try and fix the situation which put a bit of a damper on the experience, it was fairly over priced compared to other artisan chocolate that in my opinion are far better and I wouldn't rush back.  They also have a very interesting chocolate tasting and tour but unfortunately they close promptly at 16:30. 

The Spice Route has so much to offer you could spend a whole day enjoying it. 

DV Artisan Chocolate

CBC Brewery

Little Oasis in the big city

Company Gardens (Cape Town)

Not even there 5 min and the pigeons
are happy to see us

We went to Cape Town to have a look at the Company Gardens in the center of town. A garden in the center of town that has a relaxed atmosphere? Who would have thought that if they haven't been there before. Parking was a little bit of a problem but it is a popular part of town so we were mentally prepared for it....woosa! The effort is well worth it. 

The gardens are beautiful and full of life......families having a picnic on the lawn while surrounded by doves that gets the attention of the little ones.Romance is in the air as couples relax on the grass, holding each other in their arms while the time slows down and they notice how lucky they are. Groups of friends relaxing and listening to music. The professional photographer making the sky twinkle like stars in the day light. The air is filled with laughter, smiles and appreciation for the atmosphere/beauty that mother nature provides.

The Company Gardens has a little restaurant that provides delicious meals for reasonable prices, it is not fine dinning but it is nice comfort food. The Company Gardens is surrounded by 5 museums, the South African Museum, SA Museum Planiterium, SA National Gallery, Slave Museum and the Jewish Museum. Unfortunately all the museums were closed when we were in the area because it was a public holiday.

Muratie - Warming up Winter

It feels like just over night we went from sweltering hot Summer days to icy winter evenings where even the sun disappears before 7pm.
On the up side this means cozy blankets,comfy jerseys and PORT. We love port and can pretty much drink it any time of the year but we need even less of an excuse when winter comes because lets be honest - It can warm up even the coldest winter nights.

Not so long ago we decided we'd take my dad on a little adventure and where better to go then Muratie. We'd had their port many times but it's always so much nicer when you visit the place where something you love is made. Muratie is laced in wonderful history...and cobwebs. The tasting takes place in the old wine cellar and the walls have just as much character as the wine.
The rich history of this estate is amazing with stories fit for a BBC drama series and on top of that they make really good wines...needless to say we walked away with 2 cases.
The staff there are so friendly and informative. Even though the day we visited the tasting room was swarming with people we still enjoyed ourselves. We were able to taste about 8 of their wines including their sweet wine Amber Forever (they wines are all named after people who lived on the estate and played some role in its history) which was simply delicious.


Muratie is just off the Knorhoek Road along the R44, also along this road your able to find Delheim, another really lovely estate with fascinating history that goes back as far as 1699. They make a very famous wine called Spatzendreck, which also has a very interesting story attached to it. Delheim does a very informative cellar tour and has a German influenced restaurant which does cheese fondues around the fire places during winter.

So finally winter is on it's way and we've stocked up on winter warmers! Muraties Cape Ruby is definitely one you shouldn't miss out on and if you lucky enough to visit on a day they have their older vintage ports you're in for an absolute treat. 

Entrance of Muratie

lovely music setting a festive mood at Delheim

Muraties tasting hours:
Monday to Friday: 10h00 to 17h00
Saturday: 10h00 to 17h00
Sunday: 10h00 to 17h00
021 865-2330/6


Delhuim tasting hours:
MON– SUN: 09h00 – 17h00
PUBLIC HOLIDAYS: 09h00 – 17h00
CLOSED: New Years Day; Good Friday; Easter Sunday; Xmas Day
TOURS:Mon – Sun: 10h30 & 14h30
021 888 4600

Bucket lists

Sunday lunch at Tokara

This is just a quick post because we thought we needed to share this Sunday Lunch gem.

Tokara is well known for their wines and olive oil and as we found out their breath taking view. With my line of work I was eager to taste their olive oil (which really is quite good - despite me being very bias) and was surprised to see how many delicious variations they produce.

Tokara is along the Helshoogte pass heading towards Francshhoek so one rainy Sunday afternoon we set off with our friend Nick to explore a little bit. We decided when we got there, that looking around wouldn't be enough for us and we needed to try some of the delicious goodies at their Delicatessen. They have the most wonderful lunch buffet which worked out pretty nicely because there is no set fee, you simply weigh your plate at the end of the line of the Sunday lunch delights. Roast chicken ,lamb in gravy, veggies, exotic salads, all sorts of goodies. The Deli has a wide variety of specialty items and could make any cooking enthusiast drool. 
It's also a very child friendly place and we'd definitely recommend it if you have kids of any age - their jungle gyms are so cool, we even had to try them out (if it wasn't for the rain we'd probably have stayed even longer). 
The view of the valley is absolutely stunning and it goes on forever. Since it being a Sunday, their wine tasting closed at 3pm so sadly we missed out - we were lucky enough to taste their 5 year old potstill brandy at WineX in November and it is as beautiful as the bottle they pour it from.

We decided it was far to early to go home and seeing as Hillcrest Berry Farm is just around the corner from Tokara we made it our next stop. The chilli hot chocolate is definitely something worth writing home about and I have loved it ever since I tried it about 6 years ago. This accompanied by the cutest ginger lady really hit the spot.

 

A night with Madam Zingara

Madam Zingara has been on my Bucket list for as long as I can remember and we've finally ticked it off.

For those of you who don't know Madam Zingara's Theater of Dreams is a travelling dinner circus, not the kind with elephants and poodles. The kind where beautiful girls with glitter and feathers do amazing acrobatics from the top of the circus tent while you enjoy your delicious 4 course meal. It takes place in the only Spiegel tent in Africa and is propped up by 1000 beveled mirrors.

We arrived a little earlier to enjoy the atmosphere and take in as much as we possible could. The entrance itself is a feast for your eyes with so many different things happening around you, from the Geisha on a podium to the floating top hats at the bar.

Once you enter through the door you find a fancy dress shop so you can make yourself feel at home as well as face painters do the most exquisite art works.

Fancy dress shop

Face painting

                                     

Welcome drinks are passed around and you're ushered to your seat (we were lucky enough to get an upgrade so we were even closer to the action). Before the show started we were served a wonderful mezze platter with a wonderful spinach and pear soup as well as cheeses,roasted nuts, bread sticks and a variety of dips.

Delicious Mezze plater to start the evening

The lights dim and the magic starts. A giant chandelier is lowered from the top of the tent and two women climb on and are lifted to the ceiling where they start the most spectacular acrobatics - no safety nets or strings attached. It's hard to take your eyes off them as they dangle above the audience.

The show is stolen by Cathy Specific, Queen of the Skies. She has a body to die for and quick wit to match, she had us laughing every time she was on stage. Cathy Specific is originally part of the musical comedy Mile High with Cathy Specific. What an awesome performer...she's have you eating out of the palms of her very large hands.

After the first half of the show dinner is served. What a menu, they've really made a huge job out of choosing what you want as a main. After our waiter Sheroo had gone through the list it was a no brainer to choose the Madam Zingara specialty of Chocolate Chilli Fillet with a magnificent tower of vermicelli which was equally spectacular on the taste buds as the show was on the eyes. (This awesome dish can also be found at the Bombay Bicycle Club if you can't get tickets for the show)

The rest of the show was one jaw dropping performance after the next with Russian balancing acts and contortionists to mention a few. Madam Zingara definitely brings a slice of magic to Cape Town and the Theater of Dreams will be at the V & A Waterfront until June. Tickets range from R385 - R475/R495 depending on where you are seated but seating is staggered so you are able to see from anywhere. Booking online seems to be the simplest way to book.