The skies were clear so we took a drive to the water with the top off the car. We had to make the best of the convertible when we could. 

We walked along the estuary where people were walking their dogs. One lady was walking with three big dogs and one ran up to Teresa and jumped up and mouthed her arm. It was a bit frightening but the lady kept walking and said ‘sorry, sorry’ and thankfully the dogs followed her. The water was lovely and clear and a nice temperature and the sun was quite hot.

After soaking up some sunshine, it was time to explore some wineries.

The Newstead winery was about 20 minutes drive away. We secured a spot in the shade and our waiter was Happy …. Yes….that was his name! We ordered the Salmon Pate with shards, Charcuterie box and sipped on glasses of Rosé. Scott found a new friend and had his canine fix. 

We then drove back towards Plett and stopped at the Bitou winery.

Teresa chose the option 1 wine tasting and Scott chose a bubbly and then a Strawberry Daquiri. The vista was spectacular and we relaxed as we soaked up the atmosphere…..and wine.

A stop was then made at the Woolworths to stock up for our next leg of the journey to the mountains. Groceries cost about the same here but spirits are not over taxed like in Australia and so much cheaper! 

While heading back we noticed a large building down on the beach and decided to drive down to explore.

Beacon Island was on a lovely beach with people swimming and sun baking on the fine sand.

Car attendants assisted with parking and there were some market stalls selling local wares. Wading through the water was refreshing and it was nice to finish the day with a walk.

Clouds were building up all afternoon and the forecast was for rain the next day.

Goeie Nag

The mist returned and the ocean was grey again while rolling its waves onto the rocks and sandy beach at dawn. It dissipated at around 8:30am and we could feel the sting of the bright sun.

I spotted seals and also some jumping sharks again. It was hard to leave our beach hut but our next residence was in Plettenberg Bay. 

Scott wanted to drive up to the high streets as we were leaving because it was so much fun in this car.

Once out of town we drove through changing landscapes with mountains, palm trees and then hills with conifers growing abundantly. Occasionally there was a whiff of Marijuana like we experienced in Canada. Once past George we encountered plenty of roadworks.

We travelled through the Wilderness and onward to Knysna.

The land around us was very green and we arrived in Knysna to marvel at the beautiful lake and Waterfront docks.

The Drydock restaurant was chosen for lunch on the harbour. Scott ordered Karan steak Argentinian style and I had Rockefeller oysters – garlic and Gruyère cheese plus the red pepper soup of the day! Very tasty, great service and lovely location. 

The landscape once we were back on the road was more Canadian with the green pine trees and green foliage. We drove past some shanty towns and wondered how they would cope in the heat.

Plettenberg Bay is a resort town. We found our gated apartments and settled in.

The Palms Roof top bar was down the road and we marvelled at the view while sipping Daiquiris and margaritas accompanied by corn ribs.

We then explored the shopping strip and bought some supplies. I bought two Wyborowa vodka bottles with 43% alcohol content for $37AUD. Bargain!

In one of the shops, Scott noticed a tiny puppy which was only 8 weeks old. I was allowed a cuddle but Basil is still the cutest! 

The apartment balcony has amazing views and even better from my bedroom balcony upstairs.

Africa is the most amazing place and I’m so glad that Scott encouraged me to come. We are having the best experience so far.

Every Airbnb that Scott has booked outdoes the one before.

The bed and pillows were so comfortable and inviting so we retired to our rooms for the night.

Goeie Nag

Seals were still swimming past constantly in the morning mist as the waves continually crashed onto the shore. It was easy to sit and admire the view. I then noticed creatures flinging themselves out of the sea and crashing back in. I thought they may have been baby whales but there was no sign of their adult parents. After more observation and some googling I learnt that Great White Sharks jump when they are hunting and feeding on seals. Sharks jumping are apparently an uncommon event so we were very lucky to see this phenomenon. Their white underbellies and dark fins flashed as they looked strangely playful like they were having fun. The jumping continued all day but try as I might I could not catch footage of the sharks…they were a bit too far away.

The first plan for today was to drive to the Point of Human Origin.

Oddly, you need to access the road  through a private golf club and resort so we decided to go back to town and drive up to the Cape St. Blaize lighthouse which we could only see close up because of the mist. 

The red rocket MX5 was expertly driven up the driveway to a small car park next to the lighthouse. This was where we first saw the Rock Hyrax creatures feeding on the grass. Apparently they are all over this headland. 

We made our way up the steps into the restaurant and onto the viewing platform. It was very high!

The owner was a Val Kilmer look alike and he was very welcoming and chatty. He had lived there for years and to avoid loneliness he developed the restaurant, bar and viewing platform plus he rents out a room in the lighthouse or the house next door. The view from there was spectacular while we grabbed a bite to eat of toasted Chicken Pita and coffee for Scott and Jäegermeister shots for Teresa’s queasiness.

Scott then wanted to take the car around the upper heights of the Cape St. Blaize headland where there were luxury homes and accommodation accessed by some pretty steep streets. Scott was having the time of his life driving up these inclines in the little red Mazda convertible with top off.

Teresa had made an appointment earlier for a hair wash and blow dry, so Scott went shopping at the local Woolworths while the staff at Ruan’s Hair pampered Teresa with outstanding service for only $26AUD. They were also very helpful with suggestions of places to see in the area.

We came back to our wonderful beach hut and watched someone fly a drone over the jumping sharks while we were relaxing on the outdoor porch.

The mist finally cleared after 3pm to reveal the awesome landscape of the mountains, George and beyond.

The ocean returned to its lovely blue colour and families were taking advantage of the good weather by walking on the beach, kicking a ball or playing in the sand. The grassed area was very well maintained.

We took a walk along the esplanade past people fishing with very long rods and we could finally see  the lighthouse and upper parts of the town better with the clear sky. 

The sharks stopped jumping once it was dusk… the party was over! 

We admired the night sky after dark as the mist had disappeared.

Goeie Nag

I awoke to hearing the cows and went outside to see the herd close to the back of the cottage with calves feeding from their mums and bulls supervising the group.

We were only booked for one night in this cottage with Airbnb so we packed the red rocket and headed to Hermanus for a coffee and for Scott to do some work! This area is referred to as the ‘whale coast’ but all we saw was an enormous pod of dolphins making their way out to sea.

Mossel Bay was a three hour drive away so we looked for somewhere to break up the trip and the Van Loveren winery in Robertson was chosen. So we entered our navigation directions and took to the road. As we were leaving the suburbia of Hermanus, I spotted a random monkey on the roof of a house…later we drove past ‘monkey crossing’ and ‘baboon crossing’ signs – we are in Africa! As we drove past mountains, the terrain reminded us of the highlands in Scotland, then we would round a corner to see vast fields of harvested grains, corn fields and expansive vistas with the ribbon of road stretching out as far as the eye could see. Scott was in his element revelling in the joy of driving the Mazda through curves and the open roads. There is a driving etiquette here where slower cars or trucks will veer to the shoulder so others can pass, once passed, the driver flashes their hazard lights in appreciation and the slower car or truck flashes their high beam in response. There are very few multi lane roads here so this system works well.

We arrived at the Van Loveren estate which contained pristine white buildings amongst the most impressive gardens. We skipped the wine tasting and ordered lunch at Christina’s Bistro located in the garden on the estate.  Scott chose the carrot and coriander soup of the day and I had the grilled chicken Caesar salad with a glass of Daydream Chardonnay/Pinot Noir. Instead of the wine tasting I chose a couple of bottles of wine and bought their lovely wine cooler bag to keep them cold for the trip.

Mossel Bay was still nearly 3 hours away. We stopped for petrol at a place called Riversdale where people pump the gas for you and clean your windscreen without you having to get out of the car. Payment is cashless too but Scott had some Rand that he gave to the friendly male attendant as a tip. As we got on our way again, police were guiding cars aside for what we thought was a breath test but it was just a security and licence check. They were happy, friendly individuals who were humoured by Scott’s height and the compact car, joking that one of the officers was better suited for this model! Again, everyone has been so positive and friendly in this country. 

As we approached Mossel Bay which is purported to be the point of human origins, the weather turned into drizzle and fog which made navigating a little challenging. Our beach hut was located in a gated area and when we finally found the entrance we parked outside the white picket fence and entered an amazing place with uninterrupted views of the ocean.

We watched seals frolic past constantly before the day’s light faded into darkness. 

Goeie Nag

On Friday, Scott was unwell so I took myself to Main Street on my own to get some supplies and have brunch at Coco Safar cafe again. I had chosen a sleeveless top to wear but as soon as I was out of the unit it felt much cooler than expected. When I got to the Woolworths store, I found a nice knitted top which was better for the weather. Everyone was so nice and accommodating, I had the tag removed with scissors, at the counter, so I could keep the new top on. Just before this happened, the lady behind me told me that my tag was hanging out … which I explained.  Again, everyone is so willing to help others! They are so polite and so far it has been an absolutely positive experience. 

It was a quiet Friday while Scott rested. I watched local TV.  Then I realised that I had the same bug as Scott so I was forced to take it easy as well. 

On Saturday morning we spoke with family in Australia and did our usual quiz questions from local newspapers. 

A cleaner had been organised for 10am so we left Pinki to do her job and wandered down to the beach.  We stopped into a local art gallery and Scott was shown a piece that he was very interested in purchasing.

Catching an Uber to the Waterfront we strolled around amongst the Saturday tourists and were entertained by African bands and groups. 

We watched the seals frolic in the harbour while deciding to stop for a bite to eat and drink at Den Anker. The service, location and the food were top quality but not so successful for us as we were still affected by the bug. 

Sunday was MX5 day! The little red rocket was delivered to our premises at 10am and Scott was briefed and taken for a test drive. Needless to say he was excited to experience what Jeremy (Clarkson) said was the funnest car. So we crammed our belongings into the  compact boot, folded ourselves into the seats and off we went! Nothing screams Bougie as a red convertible!

As we drove out of Cape Town we observed the spectacular architecture of the houses on the waterfront.

We drove to Hout Bay with the top on and found a beautiful restaurant on the waters edge. The oysters here were so big that half a dozen were more like a dozen in flesh. The Clam Chowder was delicious…. my appetite had returned!

The bay was spectacular with pristine turquoise waters in a backdrop of craggy mountains. Many people were walking along the lovely strip of sand and it was rare to see anyone in the water because it was so cold … and also full of Moon Jellyfish. 

On the road again we drove past awesome landscapes for over 2 hours to arrive at our next destination of Hermanus.

We thought that we would have to drive to the town centre to eat dinner at a restaurant but there was a quaint establishment right next to our farmhouse. After settling in, we walked to the place next door and marveled at the local produce before ordering our meal. We had a lovely outdoor space to enjoy our meals of Oxtail Stew for me and Chicken Pie for Scott. The pastry here was homemade using  real butter… and the quality reflected this!!!

The farm cottage was sweet but I had a few concerns… the main light in my room did not work and when I went to put my head on a pillow, it was torn….. made me wonder how the cleaner could miss this when they were putting ‘fresh’ cases on the pillows??? But this was a minor issue as everything else was part of an awesome experience. 

It was a great day!

Goeie Nag

FRS CLIPPER is the ferry company who take you on the 3 hour trip from Seattle to Victoria.

I had booked a front row comfort seat for the ride with uninterrupted views(except for the rain) 

Complimentary coffee and Prosecco (I heard many a passenger say that they have never heard of Prosecco) and Dramamine – sea sickness tablets, were on offer as we settled. I couldn’t open the blister pack so drug free it was!!!

The skies were clearing as we left Seattle but the clouds appeared about 30 minutes into our journey. It was smooth sailing through Puget Sound. Visibility was poor but I kept an eye out for whales and seals. No sightings were made. 

The skies cleared as we approached Victoria and the Salish Sea was generally smooth with a few choppy waves, no need for the sea sickness fears we were warned about. 

Off loading was easy, grabbed my checked bag, went through Border Patrol and then walked the 2 blocks to the Doubletree by Hilton and suites. Victoria is a good walking city, generally flat and easy to negotiate.

It was too early to check in, so I stored my luggage and went for a walk around the area, did some shopping and then realised I still had an hour before early check-in. So I went down to the restaurant and ordered some deep fried pickles. 

I then had a surprise visitor…. Betty came down to greet me and tell me that my room was ready.

And what a room! I had chocolates and a bottle of white wine as a welcome gift! The room was a suite … nearly as big as my villa thank you for the upgrade Betty! 

I found a quaint little place for a Pedicure and then shopped for some Canadian treats to take home.

The weather was not pleasant for walking around as a cold wind was blowing quite strong.

So back to the room to prepare for the next day and catch up on missed sleep from my travels. 

Good night.

Another sunny but cold day in Berlin.

Scott needed to remove some rubbish from hls storage area so a trip to the garbage tip was planned. Germany takes recycling very seriously and you need to sort everything carefully, and then unload it into clearly marked containers at the BSR (Berliner Stadtreinigungsbetriebe), the city’s official waste management and street-cleaning company. Scott collected a car, we packed it as best we could and then unloaded the rubbish as directed at the BSR. 

KaDeWe is an upmarket department store, an icon of Berlin’s luxury shopping and culinary culture. It has a wide range of departments, including fashion, cosmetics, home goods, electronics, and gourmet food. We wandered around, taking in the luxury goods and Scott purchased some new items of clothing.

The food court, up on the gourmet floors, has lots of different food options from classic German dishes to seafood, sweets, and drinks like champagne and wine. We found a table in the corner overlooking the west end of Berlin. I chose a goulash soup and a lobster tail for my dinner and Scott chose a roulade with red cabbage and potatoes plus a lobster tail.

We admired the view as the sun set. We then wandered some more through the gourmet food section.

The U-barn train was the chosen method of transport to get back to the apartment in Neukölln. 

It is getting colder each day so we are hoping it may snow again before I leave Berlin.

Guten Nacht

Sleep in a warm comfy bed refreshed the soul ready to enjoy my first day in Berlin. 

The day promised to be cold and clear and it was lovely to see snow covered streets.

We rugged up with our gloves, coats and headwear and headed out for the day. Scott planned to take me to a rooftop restaurant on the East side.

We walked there so we could see the Spree River iced over as well as the canals we followed to get there.  We walked past the Eastside gallery with its ever changing artworks. Once we reached the intended venue, we were informed that the restaurant is closed on Sundays and Mondays. A frustrating and puzzling concept in Berlin and Germany is that all shopping stores are shut on Sundays. 

So we carried on, avoided the cold gusts of wind and caught the U-Bahn from Warschauer Strasse to Alexanderplatz as we knew the Hofbräu restaurant would be open for some Bavarian fare.

We chose a Beef Goulash each with beers and then an Apple Strudel for a sweet treat.

Scott reserved a Free2move share car and after walking the 800 metres to get the car we sat back and enjoyed the warmth on the drive back to Bouchestrasse. 

We have seen a lot of people with little wooden sleds for their children. 

The Kramer Restaurant was booked for dinner which had good reviews and was not far from the apartment. We braved the cold and walked to the trendy and warm restaurant.

The wait staff were attentive and friendly, a young French woman, a Kiwi woman and an Aussie young man.

It was very cold on the walk back to the apartment. The warmth of the apartment was very well appreciated.

Guten Nacht

Singapore Airlines made the trip fairly comfortable, my seat was in Premium Economy and I was given a pouch containing an eye mask, slippers, lip balm and wet wipe.  The Sydney to Singapore flight takes around 8 hours and I did manage to snooze for a bit. 

My layover of 11 hours was too long for staying in the transit area of Changj Airport. About 6-8 hours would be sufficient if you wanted a sleep, refresh and rest. I had my hair washed and blow dried and then had a nice sleep and shower in the transit hotel. I paid $217AUD for a 6 hour respite … worth it for the privacy, shower and the bed. I enjoyed my meals and beverages in the KrisFlyer Gold lounges for free.

After wandering around the enormous airport, I purchased some items in duty free when I was told that I had to get to terminal 3…. I didn’t realise that I was in terminal 2 … so I had to catch the skytrain to terminal 3, all still within the transit area. The train was very easy to find and was clean and efficient. This took me to the KrisFlyer Gold lounge that I have been to many times before so I spent the last hours having a bite and a wine.

The next leg of the flight took about 10 hours to Johannesburg. Many passengers alighted there but those going on to Cape Town were told to remain on the plane. Cleaners and security personnel came through and did their jobs before a replacement crew started the next leg of the journey. It was a good opportunity to stretch our legs before the one and a half flight to Cape Town. Since they were vacated by a couple at Johannesburg, I asked if I could move to their window seats and permission was granted. There were about 30 per cent of the initial passengers continuing onto Cape Town so the plane looked quite empty. 

At Cape Town airport we had to disembark using the wobbly stairs and walk across the tarmac. Luckily there was not a cloud in the sky so the sunshine was a nice change from the aeroplane cabin.

All the airport staff were happy and willing to assist. We were reminded to make sure that we declare any restricted items…so the wine and small vodkas I bought in Singapore (to help me sleep but I didn’t open them) were going to put me over the limit … I didn’t check before I left home and I had popped a bottle of vodka and a Graham’s Port in with my checked luggage. The limit you can bring to South Africa is 2 bottles of wine and 1 litre of spirits. I was so sure that some would be confiscated but the lovely young customs man opened my bag, asked me why I came to SA and then handed me all my grog and sent me on my way.

So Scott was there to greet me and we had a coffee at the airport before catching an Uber to the accommodation in Sea Point.

The traffic was terrible and our driver skilfully worked his way past shanty shacks, schools, government buildings and shopping centres until we reached the seaside suburb. 

The apartment block is behind metal gates which are topped with electrical security wires. I looked around and noticed that this was common for all the dwellings around us.

It was just a two block walk to the beach and the swimming pool. Scott walked me down to the sand so I could dip my feet in the sea water and help avoid jet lag issues.

We then strolled along the esplanade and spotted an inviting restaurant across the road called the Grand Pavilion. Our waiter was the friendly Zimbabwen young man called Lesley. We ordered a bottle of local sparkling wine, oysters natural and Japanese style, tempura prawns, crispy calamari and a large garden salad. The food was superb and the view of the ocean was only interrupted by the traffic on Beach Street which included the topless red tourist buses, the occasional Maserati along with everyday cars like Range Rovers and Toyotas.

We finished with spicy margarita cocktails which were some of the best we have had anywhere in the world.

The shopping strip was busy and I noticed that there were security officers on general duty scattered across the city. Many shops are also behind iron gates which are activated by the staff inside.

There was even a guy selling cigarettes from his little stall on the footpath. The locals shop for their groceries at the Checkers Supermarket and people are so helpful. We gathered some supplies for the evening and walked back to the unit for a bit of a rest.

Dinner was just some corn crackers with eggplant dip and hummus. It was still daylight so we went down to the opposite direction of the shopping strip and stopped at a bar for some Dirty Martini’s and traditional margaritas while watching the locals go about their daily business.

It was a long day so an early night beckoned.

Goeie nag!

Saturday started out with another caviar and salmon omelette. Delicious! 

Scott wanted to visit the local flea market at the end of his street so we braved the cold and walked and walked.

Sadly, the flea markets were not happening so then we walked and walked some more to find a restaurant for lunch. This proved to be a difficult task as only hip students cafes and touristy take aways were here on Warschauer Strasse. So we decided to catch the S-Bahn to find another part of the city that might have better food offerings, only ending up catching the U-Bahn back to Neukoln. There we found a lovely Vietnamese restaurant called Kottidang. The food was amazing and warmed us up before another excursion to some markets.

As we were walking the wind was icy and the real feel temperature was -9C. We decided to Uber home and as it turned out, the other markets were not open either. 

We watched and really loved Clarkson’s Farm on  Amazon Prime when we were having some down time. It is hilarious and informative and we were thoroughly entertained by the show.

Time for dinner meant that we had to brave the cold again but the wind had died down and we just walked through some light sleet. We stopped at a Sudanese restaurant for a traditional soup.

Then went to a favourite Turkish restaurant where we consumed beef and eggplant dishes with Raki, wine and beer. 

Sunday was another cold day but no snow. In Germany, no shops are open on Sundays including supermarkets or Department Stores. The only highlight was dinner at Knödelwirtschaft SÜD where we ordered Goulash and Knödels – meatballs with various flavours. They were delicious!

On Monday I packed my bags for the long trip home and Scott fussed with housework. He sent the robot vacuum to do a thorough clean while we drove to the airport in a Bolt sharecar Audi.

The car park had more cars this time than on Monday night when returned from Lisbon. Snow was still built up around the perimeters.

Scott had to return to work and had a few meetings to conduct so we said our sad goodbyes and I went through security. I’m going to miss my personal chef, cocktail waiter, chauffeur and tour guide! I settled into the food court and ordered some shrimp and white wine. I wiled the time away by watching Reacher on Amazon Prime.

The Lufthansa flight to Frankfurt was delayed and we arrived at about an hour after expected. I thought this would eat into my ‘lounge time’ but as it turned out, it was a bit of a blessing.

I had to collect my checked bag which took over half an hour to appear and then I went in search of the Singapore Airlines check in counters. German efficiency dictates that the gates don’t open until exactly 3 hours before the flight. So it is not evident which counter to wait near! I asked a few people but they didn’t really make it clear. So I waited patiently and finally checked my bag in and asked about the lounge… she said I could go to the Lufthansa lounge…. Well that didn’t happen…. And the someone said maybe I could access the Air Canada Lounge… which sounded promising except for the fact that it was closed. So Singapore Airlines you disappoint me again!!!

I found a lovely restaurant near my gate and settled in with some food and wine. 

At least I knew that I could go to the lounge in Singapore and enjoy the Laksa I discovered on the way here! 

Once in Sydney I went to the old Uber pickup only to find that the Uber is now right at the exit and there is no need to cross the road….which I discovered after about 15 minutes of confusion. Now to get over the lag! 

Good night!