Stellanbosch, Cape Town and Quading.

Our house was also surrounded by these amazing an very ancient milkwood trees

Jessie: a reflective moment on Walkers beach

On Friday morning Jessie and I departed for Cape Town to collect Little for the weekend. He finished at 1.15 on a Friday.

We wanted to stop in Stellenbosch, reputedly a lovely town. By 11.30 we were approaching Stellenbosh, but through its business park areas, not very attractive and we were both beginning to get pretty disappointed until we spotted some galleries on the map.

Jessie directed me in to the centre of town, indeed it was beautiful, a University town with a great deal of history. Sadly we didn’t have enough time to really explore it, but did manage to find a spectacular coffee shop, next to which a great old fashioned junk shop.

We couldn’t NOT go in, and came back to the car armed with a selection of lovely glass medical bottles for Jell, I found a beautiful small enamelled blue jug and three locomotive blue enamelled signs.[ small]. Also three old silver plated cups, which were so tarnished and world worn and ridiculously inexpensive, that I thought they would make great flower containers with their bluish black tarnish. Sadly Regina got to them, while I was oversleeping on Wednesday and polished them to within an inch of their lives!!!! Hey ho!

Definitely a place to explore more of when I have time.

WE managed to get to Little’s school in Rondebosch by 1.15 and decided to hurtle back in the direction of Hermanus [the next biggish town near Stanford] for a late lunch and to get fresh fish for a braai in the chalet

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Uggg..It seems that in view of the fantastic weather, the entire population of Cape Town were heading for the south coast. We became stuck in awful traffic and only made Hermanus for 4.00. Just time to grab a large pack of FROZEN tiger prawns, and a piece of fresh Kingklip. Hermanus is very touristy indeed. They even have their own whale watcher, [much like a town cryer] he alerts the town to whale sightings by blowing on a large vuvuzela

While walking around we did see, many more whales breaching and leaping in the bay.

Home for a fish BBQ/braai and all three of us squeezed in the King sized bed to watch a movie on my computer.

Little trying to scare Jessie and I, he has sneaked onto the mezzanine balcony in the dark and was looking down into the lounge at us..I actually like the picture very much..arty!

Once again an early rise as we had an appointment with Craig to go on a quad bike tour through the thousand acres of Fynbos, that makes up the Mosaic Farm estate. It was fantastic, sunny yet not too hot, hurtling around of the pale sandy tracks and stopping occasionally to see the many different varieties of protea, we quaded up as close as we could get to the highest point on the estate and dismounted, marching up on foot. to see a 360 degree view that was stunning.

The biggest fear of the estate owners on the coast is fire, which would rip through the area in no time, they have a very strict policy of cutting breaks into the heath like flora, which we could see very clearly from this height.

Craig took us back to our temporary home, via the lagoon and certainly Jell and I were amazed to see the amount of birds in the wetlands. Little was vie ing for top spot on the leadership staked with Craig,

A quick ride into De Cellders near Gaains Baii, as we had the tip off from the lovely lady in the antique shop that all “Stanfordians” go for lunch at a place called Coffee on the rocks. WE sat on the balcony here, overlooking and azure blue bay watching the whales leaping and eating the most delicious lunch. Both Jell and I felt that Little may get an opportunity to see a few whales and he did.

I rather stupidly agreed that I would join Jell and Little kayaking on the lake later in the afternoon.

Strangely I seemed to be the only one who was drenched during the experience, but much fun and high jinks had by all.

We decided to take little on a sun downer, amazing pictures, I know that they are a little clichéd but neither Jell nor I could resist trying to capture the moment.

Little..a reflective moment on the dunes

 

 

Last supper at the Lodge and the three of us up and early away to get into Cape Town in time to visit a shopping centre that Little said we would both love..WE DID! Its called the Cape Quarters and full of lots of quirky/trendy shops. Little wanted us to go to a gallery where he has seen an amazing car painting...Only 900 pound sterling...Ouch. WE enjoyed viewing it but walked out empty handed! On the way into the underground parking, Little directed us to “The best car wash” in Western Cape. I left them with a FILTHY car, packed full of our luggage and the key, and pottered off with Jell and Little. When we returned a new car was waiting for us..Amazing, so Little has renamed it “The shiny One” which he insists we say in a Gollum like accent..he was so proud of it and even took a picture and sent it to his father...Bigs texted response  “ I see your mother is spending the family fortune!”  [what family fortune????]

A trip to Cape Town International and sad farewells to Jelly, who looked very sun kissed and a million more times relaxed and rested than when she had arrived. After a tearful farewell, I dropped Little off at school and headed to the Winchester Mansions for an early night and early departure the next morning for the farm.

I have to say; as I was on my own I pushed “the shiny one” to its limits and did a record time from Winchester Mansions to the farm in six and half hours. The dogs were very happy to see me, as was Rocket and Mama geese and her 6 babies..Sadly we are one down as Bongo stood on one in my absence!