A Little Escape

*Warning: Lots of Photos.

This past weekend was the last weekend that we would have to spend with Mike and Jenny before they buzz back up to England. We thought it would be nice for us all to go away together for the weekend and see a new part of South Africa that none of us have witnessed before. After studying the map and trying to decide on a place that wasn't too far of drive for a 2 day stay we decided on Swellendam, a small, very Dutch town embedded in the countryside and at the foot of mountains.

Rolling hills for miles.

Beautiful Blue Cranes

The drive there was amazing, and was very similar to the rest of the drives we would have over the weekend. Fields and fields of nothing but rows of corn and wheat with the occasional vineyard thrown in. Sheep grazing, and every once in a while we'd pass a field of Ostriches (Ostri), or a dusty windmill that looked as if no one had serviced it for ages.

Friday we arrived at our guest house to drop our bags and freshen up with some gin and tonics before heading to fill our bellies. We went to the house next door for dinner, a place called The Powell House, named after someone who used to live there. It was run by a lovely couple. The husband served the meals in the dining room and the wife worked in the kitchen preparing the incredible things that came out. It really was just a house that was converted into a kitchen (something we would find out was quite common in this little town). But the ambiance was lovely, the wine tasty, and the food phenomenal.

Saturday, first on the agenda, was heading to the Bontebok national park to see if we could find any of the protected Bontebok. It turns out they aren't as scarce as we thought (at least not in the park). We also saw some zebras and other gorgeous things.

Loads of Aloe plants everywhere.

A little fishing spot in the park.

I think this Bontebok is pregnant, look at her big belly.

They let us get quite close.

Tortoise.

We even saw zebras!

After the Bontebok park we had a quick bite to eat and then wanted to head to the coast to another nature reserve called De Hoop. There is supposed to be loads of whales, some zebra and the occasional leopard (unfortunately we never saw the leopard). We hiked up the stunning sand dunes down by the beach and watched the whales for a bit. A really spectacular place.

Eliot in the dunes.

Whales! Tons of them hanging out in the surf.

Mike, Jenny and Eliot.

Proof that the Bontebok are recovering their numbers. We saw so many babies.

After De Hoop we'd had a full day of Bonteboks, whale watching and driving. On the way back we rode the "Hand Ferry", a ferry completely operated by hand. It's not too far over the river, but could you imagine doing this everyday? What a great workout. The ferry is R35 and can carry up to 3 cars.

Swing your chain around the wire.


Walk away from where you're headed, and repeat.


Pretty simple concept really.


You can even drink a beer while doing it...


...or talk on the phone to your best mate!




That night we went for another homestyle dinner at a restaurant with no menu. Again, run by a husband and wife, with the husband out in the dining room, and his wife helping in the kitchen. It was definitely the type of place where you feel like you should help clean up afterwards, very warm and very welcoming.

The menu for the evening was:
Starter~ Fresh baked whole wheat bread served with butter and pate.
Soup~ Creamy broccoli soup- love love love broccoli!
Main course~ Beef fillet served with mushroom sauce, Pork fillet with a chili soy sauce, Meatballs wrapped and cooked in spinach leave and roasted potatoes. Not for the vegetarian, but could definitely make a vegetarian consider changing their ways.
Dessert~ Vanilla ice cream with raspberries and drizzled with Port wine.
We were all completely filled to the brim in the best of ways.


The Connection restaurant.


Dessert!


Coffee and wine, what's better than that?

Sunday we explored the small town of Swellendam. There are a lot of historical buildings in the town, so we checked out the museum and the surrounding structures. The first of these building was built in 1747, so a lot of history, and some really interesting stuff to see.


Most of the houses had thatched roofs.


This guy was our tour guide for a lot of the time.



We took the scenic trip home through all the fields and vineyards and stopped along the way for lunch and viewpoints. I'll admit, there's something about a moving vehicle that causes me to crash out and I slept through most of the photo ops. But we had a really great weekend with Eliot's parents, and we experienced parts of South Africa that we didn't even really know were out there.

Let's Give Ourselves a Break

Why are girls so mean to each other? This isn’t a normal topic for this blog, but it’s something that’s been bothering me recently and I feel like I need to put it out there. Why is it that, as a girl, you walk into a room and naturally you’re being judged by the people in that room, but mostly and more harshly you’re being judged by the other ladies. Why are we so threatened by other strong, confident women? We may think this is how girls act in high school, but the reality is, it carries on a lot longer than that.

I hate to compare girls to guys, but this is an issue we differ on so much. Guys, usually, can admit when someone does something better than them, and they can respect that person for it. But girls have a hard time admitting when another girl does something better, and they have an even more difficult time respecting them no matter what. When a group of guys get into a room together, there may be a bit of macho tension to begin with, but normally they bond so easily and are light heartedly making fun of each other. Girls are much more guarded, and spend a lot of time sizing up the other girls to see who’s more beautiful or who’s thinner, usually they judge personality last. I’m not claiming innocence on this, it’s a really easy trap to get caught up in, and it’s even easier if you have other girls on your “side” to confirm your thoughts and feelings. But it’s something that can and should be changed.

In a world where women are (still!) being constantly underestimated, and have to prove themselves before we get any respect from anyone, the people we should be able to lean on the most, are the ones making it the hardest for us to gain the confidence to succeed. We should be cheering each other on at every turn, and recognizing in one another the similarities we all possess as well as celebrating our differences, and what makes us unique.

It’s also incredible how you can completely change what someone wants to think about you just by engaging them in a casual conversation. Suddenly, the girl that wanted to hate you a minute ago for having straight silky hair wants to be your friend because she doesn’t feel like you’re judging her anymore. Sometimes it’s hard to be the bigger person when you’re confronted with so much resistance, but we should at least try to help one another out, and just give each other a break.

On that note, I would like to say that I have really wonderful girlfriends that I am so thankful for, and know I would be completely lost without them. I depend on these girls so much, and I miss them so deeply when they’re not around. I really am so lucky to have this, and I appreciate it so much.

A Weekend of Tastings

This was definitely a weekend where you still feel full into Wednesday. With Eliot's parents in town we have been doing A LOT of tasting. Needless to say, I'm feeling quite motivated to get my butt up at 4:30am this week to help balance everything out a bit.

Saturday I had my first taste of kite boarding! It was a lot of fun. I have to admit, I was a bit nervous. I have this paralyzing fear of sharks, (yeah, even after spending most of my life in the ocean) and South Africa isn't short of them in any way. Saturday wasn't about trying to get up on the board, but was mainly just working on kite control and doing body dragging exercises with the kite. The boat dropped me off in the middle of the lagoon (by myself) and the instructor told me to go for it and practice body dragging to the left. It was all fine and good when the kite was up in the air, but when it crashed into the water (which happened often) and I had to work on re-launching it, I started getting the sharkies*. I couldn't help but think I was the perfect bait in the middle of this lagoon. Despite all that, flying the kite and launching my whole body out of the water, even without a board, was really fun. I have the second half of my lesson today where I'm going to try and get up on the board. Stay tuned to hear if I survive another day in Cape Town waters without being gobbled by something.

While I was at my lesson, Eliot and his parents headed to our favorite Saturday farmer's market in the city. It's mostly vendors who are cooking up delicious mouth watering meals dishes. But there's also lots of breads (which we can't seem to get enough of these days) and sweets. The three of them tasted lots of great food and, proof that he loves me, Eliot brought me home two beautiful little cupcakes since I missed out on those activities. The first one I tasted too quickly to snap a photo, but this one hung around just long enough, before it was tasted and gone.

~Vanilla Sponge Cake with a Marshmellow Frosting (the other was chocolate; you uderstand why it didn't last)~

Sunday, the weather wasn't great with little spits of rain everywhere. But we decided to venture out into Stellenbosch to do some wine tasting, which is always a fun thing to do no matter what the weather is like (and a must-do when we have visitors in town). There are so many wineries around, and within them there is a lot of rich history. I love the buildings that hold these estates, very rustic and warm with the casual sense of being at home when you walk through the old farmhouse doors. Also knowing that some of them have been here since the first Dutch settlers arrived and planted their first vines back in the 17th century, a lovely taste of history they are.

~Vines waking up after the winter and getting ready for summer~

After our first tasting we headed to another winery that I've been wanting to taste since we arrived here. We've tried to go there before, but it's always packed with people for lunch. The place is called Fairview and they're known not only for their great wines, but they also have goats! And they magic up a wide range of cheeses and other deliciousness from goat's milk. For lunch we all had paninis, mine was made with salami, a creamy brie, tomato and pesto. And we ordered a large platter of different cheeses to taste and share. The overall favorite at the table was the cream cheese with Chakalaka (malaysian curry spices). All the cheese was tasted up in no time, so afterwards we had to venture into their little market and stock up on some of the gems that Fairview offered.

~This guy posed so nicely for me, doesn't he look proud?~

~Our tasted cheeses~



~Eliot~

A really wonderful weekend, with lots of new foods, wines and experiences to savor. Now just to get through the week, and hope for another great weekend to arrive on our doorstep.

*sharkies- thinking too much about what may or may not be moving around beneath you when you're in the ocean.

Proteas And Other Nice Things

A lovely week full of laughter, family, sailing, dining and now we have a beautiful weekend to look forward to. I'll be spending most of my weekend learning to kite board (really really excited/nervous/scared of sharks). I've gotten a bit fed up with sitting on windy beaches, getting sand blasted while Eliot goes out and has a good time in the water. So I think I'll join him. Wish me luck and please keep me in your thoughts so I don't get chomped by Air Jaws.

It is so strange to have the weather warming up during this time of year, and to think that by Christmas it's going to be the hottest time of year, and kids are going to be breaking from school for summer holiday. I am really looking forward to the warm weather, and this weekend gave us a taste of it. I think my body is happier in warmer climates, I really don't mind being hot, but I get cold really easily (Maine was a true test living up there). But there is something I miss about Autumn and seeing the leaves turn from emerald green to copper orange, and getting bundled up on clear crisp days to go for a walk outside. Ahhhh....grass is always greener, but believe me, I wouldn't change where we are right now for anything. This past year has seemed like we're chasing winter around, and I'm glad to be in a place where we'll be able to enjoy a summertime for a little while.

Eliot's parents arrived on Friday night after a very long trip, and I think they were happy to have a glass of wine and hot meal waiting for them. Friday we had warm weather, which was a prequal to what we were to expect over the weekend.

Saturday morning we woke up to clear skies and a promise of 25 degrees (77F). Saturday was also the day of the women's regatta that I was participating in, so I kept checking the water to see if the breath of wind we had was going to stick around. The race didn't start until 2 so I wasn't very optimisitic. I headed down to the club around 11 to meet up with the rest of my crew and to see how many other ladies I was actually going to have on the boat. There was me and there was supposed to be 3 more. Unfortunately one called and cancelled the day before, and one didn't show up. So I was convinced it was going to be me and one other girl, Alli. I wasn't too worried because the wind was so light, and I knew that we probably could manage, but Alli seemed a bit nervous since she hadn't done much racing. At the last minute they did managed to find us one more lady to join our crew, which brought our numbers to a nice round 3.


~The Crew~

We had a fabulous day. The wind stayed steady right around 8-10knts, the breeze was warm and it was a lot of fun. We didn't do that great in the actual race, but we didn't come last and I think we probably had the best time (being 3 ladies who didn't even know eachother). I was trying to drive and teach at the same time, which isn't always easy, but by the end of the day those girls had their tacks down, with the headsail in and trimmed.








~The Girls~


~Gorgeous, er... woMEN~

*Photos courtesy of the Royal Cape Yacht Club

I met a lot of really nice people and I'm feeling more motivated than ever to get out on the water again.


On Sunday we decided to take a boat and go out on a tour of Robben Island. It's about a 40 minute boat ride from the water front area of town, and it's probably most famous for having a large prison that used to house political prisoners. The most well known prisoner being Nelson Mandela who served 18 years on Robben Island, and went on to become the president of South Africa in a fully democratic election.

The tour was incredible, and was made that way by our tour guides. The first guide was a man who was also a political prisoner himself on Robben island for 5 years. He showed us around the prison, and it was really incredible to get his take, first hand. It also reminds you, how it's not that long ago that South Africa wanted to segregate their population into racial groups. The last political prisoners were only released from Robben Island in 1991.


~Ex Political Prisoner- imprisoned for high treason~

The second tour guide, showed us around the rest of the island, and knew almost everything about South African history. He kept asking people on the bus where they were from, and for every country he could tell you how they had contributed to South African history. A very dynamic and interesting speaker who is the favorite guide when it comes to giving tours to political dignitaries including president Obama.






~High prison walls~


~Mendela's garden where he buried his manuscripts for his book, The Long Walk to Freedom~




~Mendela's prison cell~

So a near perfect weekend in South Africa with family visiting, sailing and also a bit of South African history thrown in. Quite Lekker.

*after note- After posting this I received an email from a woman who works for a non profit organization called The Robben Island Singers. They send a group of ex-political prisoners to tour America and share their stories of struggle as well as perform concerts. The whole project sounds really interesting, and you can check it out by clicking HERE.

I've always wanted to be a rock star

Wow, another week has gone by and we have arrived at the weekend once again. Thank goodness for weekends, they're always the shiniest part of the week. Most of all, I just love sleeping in on Saturday morning. Knowing that I get to sleep in on Saturday morning, makes waking up at 5:30am during the week bearable (but of course when you wake up at 5:30am almost everyday, it makes it impossible to sleep in past 8:00am on Saturday).

Also, recently, I've been testing out going to the gym in the morning before work which means I try to be at the gym by 5 so I can be home by 6 and ready to walk out the door by 6:30. It may sound crazy, but it has been the only time that I can get motivated to go. After work, all I want to do is unwind with a cup of tea and relax a bit before dinner. So far it's been working out, but we'll see how long it lasts.

Another bright spot in our weekend, Eliot's parents are flying in today from England. We're looking forward to having them here for a few weeks, and I'd love to say "showing them around" but the reality is they've been here a lot more times than we have and they'll probably be showing us around.

Also this weekend, I'm racing in a women's regatta out of the Royal Cape Yacht Club, and I've even been asked to skipper the boat! (and no, it's not an opti as Eliot asked when I told him.) It is a bit strange to me, that I don't know any of these people, apart from corresponding via email, and they want me to drive. But I like to just push those thoughts out and pretend I'm a rock star for a day.

Have a great weekend!