Tag Archives: Travel

An Anniversary mini getaway

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Last Month Mr. T. and I celebrated 2 wonderful years of marriage! I cannot believe that 2 years have flown by since our big day! I often tease Mr. T. about doing it all over again       (I can’t help it…it’s the event planner in me!) to which he nearly passes out and says never again! It truly was a dream day and I often close my eyes and remember the special moments we had. My advice to anyone getting ready to walk down the aisle: stop and take mental pictures throughout the day, soak it in!

For anniversary #2 Mr. T. took on planning it all! I knew I was getting whisked away somewhere but didn’t know the details or activities he had planned.

We started off at The Boathouse Restaurant in Horseshoe Bay for brunch. This was a perfect choice as the Boathouse in New West was where it all started with our very first date!

Afterwards a short ferry ride delivered us at Gibsons and we made our way up the stunning Sunshine Coast.

Mr. T. kept asking whether I had any clue what may be planned for the afternoon, but I was quite happy to be surprised! I was just thrilled that he had planned everything and I was along for the ride, wherever that may take us!

A short while later we arrived at The Rockwater Secret Cove Resort in Halfmoon Bay where Mr. T. had booked us in the sweetest little log cabin perched out over the rocks.       It was serene.

The picture on the left was our view from the little deck, and the picture on the right was our cabin taken from the other side of the bay. With only the gentle sound of the ocean and a sweet sea breeze city life seemed to slip away almost instantly.

Next up: my surprise! I was whisked off to enjoy a relaxing massage ocean side in a tent! That’s right! The spa services during summer and fall are offered beach side in their “Spa without Walls” secluded tents where the background music is the lapping waves and wind in the trees. It was amazing.

Dinner was at the resort restaurant and it was beyond five stars!

I started off with west coast mussels in a coconut curry sauce, Mr. T. went for a fresh crab cake, prawn and scallop starter.

Main course for me was delicious scallops with prawn risotto and butternut. Mr. T. had a succulent steak with a red wine butter.

Needless to say there was not room for desert!
The view we woke up to was breathtaking and Mr.T. enjoyed his morning tea and reading time on our little deck.

After a wonderful breakfast of crab cake benedicts (we decided that this trip was to be called the crab cake tour as the last three meals for Mr. T. had included crab cakes!) we explored the the resort and took a few pictures to mark the special day with the stunning scenery as a backdrop.

We didn’t splurge on gifts for each other, the getaway was a gift enough, but I did make this little chalkboard plaque for us to use as a year marker.

I like starting little traditions like these. Tomorrow I will share with you how to make your very own custom colour chalk paint for crafts like this and other projects around the house!

I decided to do a different twist on the traditional anniversary card and made this little “book” instead.

We have an over abundance of playing cards in our house, for some random unknown reason so this was a perfect use for one of them!            Check back later this week and I will share with you how I made it. It’s really easy and very meaningful!

After exploring the luxury tents at the resort…

we made our way back to the little town of Sechelt for some shopping.

Once back on the ferry we were greeted with the most spectacular display of a rainbow. A perfect ending to a wonderful overnight getaway that truly felt like a three day holiday!

I just love that we were blessed with this little surprise on our actual anniversary day! As we sailed on it turned into a double rainbow – fitting with it being our second anniversary!

 

 

 

 

 

 

Hope you are all enjoying this crisp sunny weather!

 

 

 

The great escape ~ Helicopters and Army Men

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Sorry for the delay on posting the final post of our great African adventure. If you missed the previous post, have a quick read through to catch you up to speed for this installment.

So at the advisement of our lodge hosts, we packed our bags to be ready to fly at any moment. We planned to go out on another drive in the land cruiser to see some game hopefully, and I was praying hard that this will be our glimpse of the big 5 that we were so dying to see! Literally MOMENTS before stepping on to the land cruiser the phone rings with the Chief of Police on the other end saying to the lodge owners: The army is sending a chopper to come get your guests at the top of the main road in the next 15 minutes!

That’s when it hit me. It’s over. The opportunity gone. Done. I cannot tell you how disappointed I was that there was not going to be another chance for this to come right. And that’s when the tears came. I had been so strong through the whole ordeal, but I was done.

I know this might sound ridiculous that I was so upset over not getting to see animals, but this was so much more than that to me. It was deeply rooted in the desire for Mr. T. and I  to experience a true African Safari and for us to share that experience, that “first”  together. I had set high expectations for this part of our trip and it was now beyond my control that it was not going to happen. Wow. That’s a stretch for me. Knowing I couldn’t do anything to change the outcome. I always look for a solution of how we can make things work – even in crazy circumstances like floods! What a test of grace and patience.

So we piled into the land cruiser and off we headed out of the reserve at break neck speed navigating through washed out roads, and potholes big enough to swallow the vehicle.

We gathered on the main road and waited to be rescued. What a weird feeling that was. Here we were with the amazing sunshine beating down – everything looking so beautiful, but we were being airlifted to safety?!?! I think that’s why it felt so strange – I didn’t feel in any danger, but the fact was there was no access in or out….and as I had mentioned the food was running out!

Once at the main road we met up with 4 Danish guests from a neighbouring reserve who had been in safari tents which had been washed away by the torrents of water that rushed through. They unfortunately lost almost all their luggage. So all the luggage you see in the pictures is ours!

Seeing the chopper come over the rise was like a scene out of the movies.

Knowing that it was coming to get us out of dodge was the craziest feeling.

Mr. T. turned to me and said ” It kind of feels like we are refugees!”. Oh goodness. Never in a million years did I think we would need an army airlift out of the African bush!!

They touched down and with little fanfare we loaded into the Puma Helicopter.

From the air we got a perspective of some of the localized flooding.

We also got to have a perspective of how huge the Kruger Park and neighbouring reserves are – as far as the eye could see there was bush. It was incredible. I must say I was scouring the bush from the air for a last glimpse of an elephant!! After a quick 10 minute ride courtesy of the South African Army, we touched down at a nearby Military base.

Mr. T. signed us into the army base (uh…insert another surreal moment – being signed into an army base?!?!?)

and after some confusion of who we were and where we had we come from (insert scary moments) we hopped on the van with the Danish guests on the way to a bed and breakfast – with no reservations (it’s now 5 pm and this was the only hope for the night!).

Mr. T. got us booked into their last room of the night and with God’s grace the B&B had a car rental on site – with one little car available for us in the morning! So with the usual African delays in the morning (read: the car had to go get the wheels balanced!) we were off headed back to Jo’burg, in a much smaller vehicle than we had came in!

I must say that through both cyclones God has protected us and given us a peace that passes understanding during a very confusing and unsettling experience. You’re in a different place, far from home and at the mercy of others looking out for your safety.

Reflections on the Rain

Reflecting on this from the warmth of my couch at home I can say I wanted everything to be so perfect. I wanted to take award winning pictures (lol) and have crazy lion-licking-toes stories. But isn’t that how we often want life to go? We want the sunshiny days, but please hold off on the floods, thanks! We’d rather not endure the rain if we can avoid it. We don’t want to be tested in our grace and patience, thanks very much, especially when I have elephants to see! Ahhh, but that’s exactly when the rain comes to come set us straight. That need to have everything go so perfect gets tested and how you react to it determines what you will learn from the moment.

It’s not about having the perfect moment or experience but growing our grace and practicing our patience. We make plans and dream of how it will all unfold and when it doesn’t it can be devastating. But I’ll tell you what the rain, literally and figuratively, has taught me.

It’s taught me to not let the failed expectation over shadow the whole experience – there were fantastic moments at the lodge, adventures Mr. T and I had that we couldn’t have had anywhere else. It’s taught me to wait for the rainbow after the rain. For us that came in the form of our free chopper ride to safety! Mr. T. did make a point when he said: “A chopper ride to see the glaciers on an Alaskan cruise is well over $600 a person!”

Sure, it didn’t go the way we wanted but Mr. T. and I got to exercise our grace in a bigger way and demonstrate patience with the wonderful people who took such great care of us.

Thankful for our safety,

 

 

 

2 Cyclones and still happily married!

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Hello friends, sorry it has been awhile since the last installment from our South African adventure. Internet connections are hard to come by in Africa! We have been home for a few weeks now but many of you have been asking about our last adventures.

Heads up: grab a coffee for this post and hold on to your seats, this is going to be a heck of a story. I was hoping that the next post in our African adventure was going to bring you fantastic wildlife shots and stories of surveying the African bush….but there is in fact a very different story to tell!

I’ve decided to do this story in installments because a) it keeps you hanging on the edge of your seat waiting for the next installment and b) it is just that long!

Very early on the Tuesday morning  of January 17, we headed out for our once in a lifetime Big 5 safari. We held great expectations for the next four days: Seeing the Big 5 up close and personal, staying at a private game lodge. This was going to be a dream come true!

I should at this point let you know that we drove ourselves 6 hours by car from Johannesburg, in my uncles’ SUV that he graciously lent to us for this excursion. Driving through the mountain passes we experienced some pretty heavy rain, but as is typical in Africa it was heavy at times and then cleared pretty quick. So, on we went.

We arrived at the lodge at lunch time and were greeted by the owners who let us know that we were the only two guests in camp, and welcome to your very own private game experience. “Wow!” we thought, “we are truly in for a treat.”

At about 3:00pm, our Ranger said that the scheduled afternoon game drive would have to be postponed as the rain had now increased and off roading in the bush would get us stuck in the mud that once were dirt roads. My heart sank. That’s too bad, but oh well we have three more days.

After a lovely dinner, we headed to bed.

By this point the pathway to our chalet was a small river, and shoes were pointless. Let me tell you, the rain poured and poured that night like I have only ever heard once before: on our Honeymoon in the British Virgin Islands! Which brings me to the title of this post: Mr. T. and I were experiencing our second cyclone of our marriage, in our second year of being married.

A quick aside to fill you in: Our second week of honeymoon was spent on a 50 foot catamaran, sailing the British Virgin Islands, sounds glorious doesn’t it? Well, three days in and Subtropical Cyclone Otto was bearing down on us sending us scurrying to the nearest hotel for cover for the night. We spent the night listening to gale force winds tear at the roof with rain lashing at the sliding door. In the morning there was a Jacuzzi on the floor where there was previously tile. My nerves were shattered.

Fast forward to this Tuesday night and we have the same scenario repeating itself. Only know I’m concerned that I’m going to see lions and rhino’s float past my sliding glass door in a second. Oh did I forget to mention the SLIDING DOOR DID NOT LOCK?!?!?

We woke up at 5:30 am Wednesday morning with Cyclone Dando pelting us with sheets of water that did not stop all day. Notice the cactus leaning over precariously? The ground was too saturated to hold it up anymore!

I cannot tell you the irony of the whole situation being a carbon copy of what we endured in the BVI. Here is a bullet point list of the similarities:

  • The Kruger National Park region received 480 mm of rain in 30 hrs. That’s the entire rain fall for the year! During our BVI experience, they had more rain fall in 3 days than had EVER been recorded in Tortola (the capital) since they began recording the weather there.
  • Hoedspruit (the closest town to our lodge) was declared a National Disaster Zone and we had reports of the South African army airlifting people on rural farms to safety. The BVI declared a State of Emergency during Cyclone Otto.
  • During both experiences power had been cut off due to the storm. Which means no communication as to what it is you are dealing with, i.e. what kind of storm is this? Is this passing over you? Is it going to stop, how urgently do we need to evacuate?
  • At both places where we stayed the common areas (which is open air) were flooded and incredible amounts of debri and mud covered the living and dining rooms. The staff at the game lodge got up at 5:00am and began shoveling mud out.
  • Both cyclones we have been through have been record setting in their regions, both in rainfall and in damage sustained.
  • During both storms we have been fortunate enough to be on the outskirts of the eye of the storm, and have only experienced the flooding caused by them.

So our Wednesday was spent with squeegees and brooms in hand helping the lodge staff manage the deluge as best we could.

Using rocks to diverge tributaries, we battled the water for over 10 hours. We heard reports over the bush radio that all access in and out of the entire game reserve was cut off. Entire roads had been washed away, leaving gaping 15 meter wide and 4 meter deep chasms with raging waters in their place.

 

We weren’t going anywhere for a while! Let alone in my uncles’ SUV!

Thursday morning, with the rain having stopped, we attempted our first “bumble around” in the land Cruiser to assess the damage in the area and “try” to see some game we had originally come for!

I tell you what, that ride was intense! We got stuck in the mud and had to dig ourselves out of extremely sloppy mud using rocks and tree branches under the wheels.

When we did get going our ranger “put foot” and hurtled that cruiser through the single track bush trail at about 65km/h just so we didn’t get stuck again! Our poor tracker Eddie, sitting on the front of the cruiser was bouncing so much he looked like he was on a trampoline! It was all Mr. T. and I could do to look at each other with eyes as wide as saucers and hold on and stay in the vehicle. Mr. T. likened it to racing a Ferrari – only this was in the bush!

We did see a couple giraffe (the lovely lady giraffe at the beginning of this post was one of them) and some buck, but that was about all.

Back at camp lunch was served in the hide and the chirps could be heard once more from the insects and birds coming out of hiding.

This little guy is a Red Billed Hornbill and he was extremely brave and hung out with us for a good 20 minutes.

Our lodge hosts then came to give us the good and bad news. I hate that, cause quite honestly is there really any “good” news in a situation like this – just give it to me straight! The low down was this: they were running out of food (nothing was coming in remember) and the fuel supply that was keeping the generators going was down to the last 40 litres. The good news… We can arrange for an Army Airlift by helicopter for you, but we have no idea when that will be: today (being Thursday), Friday or Saturday.

With that we will pause the story for today. Tune in on Monday for the next installment of our adventure in the soggy bush. The Great Escape!

Stay dry friends!

 

 

 

The Wild Coast ~ A beach retreat

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After our first action packed days in Cape Town we jet setted off to East London, a hop skip and a jump up the coast.

My Aunt has a beach house in a secluded part of the Wild Coast called Haga Haga where we joined a good portion of my extended family for some relaxing days on the beach and had some serious down time.

Upon arrival, I took Mr. T. out to the “Cubby Hole”, the lookout in the back garden that overlooks the ocean.

He turned  to me and said: “We’re here for 5 days, right?!”, to which I said “Yup!”. Ahhh…I could hear him start to unwind already. This is his kind of vacation. Do nothing and chill. A reprive from the heavy sightseeing schedule of the previous few days in Cape Town!

Very rustic and down to earth, the house accommodated all ten of us with ease. Meals were amazing and homecooked over open flame most of the time. Some by choice, some not. As it turns out on our evening to cook (we all took turns with meal duty) the power had been out for the entire day and we ended up having to cook our roast over the “braai” – South African for BBQ! In a classic case of “this is Africa” the power went out at 9:00am and was only sorted out and back on at 11:05pm!! We took it in stride and made steaks out of the roast and we all had fun with it!

It was the perfect five days of hanging with family. We even got in a round of golf that was more like hiking.

Mr.T. had to haul our golf clubs through thickets of forests and ravines (in 28 celcius weather!)

Of course we rode in the back of the “bakkie” (truck) as is customary in South Africa, much to Mr. T’s skepticsm

One morning we got to enjoy dolphins while sipping morning coffee from the beach lookout. This shot is to show you how close they were to the waves.

They were fascinating to watch as they worked as a group to feed.

Constantly working in a circle, they would surround they fish and swim closer and closer to catch their breakfast.

What an amazing way to start the day!

Our agenda for the week included lots of lazy days under the beach umbrella and playing in the Indian Ocean. This is the merry tribe making our way to a secluded swimming beach for the morning.

 

 

The rocks along the coastline are really interesting. Over time they all seem to have very weathered with distinct striations in perfect straight lines.

When the tide came in we would have to move camp, and this is how Mr. T. would move everything without getting burnt along the way!

We spent hours explore the countless rock pools right on our doorstep.

All in all it was amazing family time in a serene unspoiled setting.

We all left feeling refreshed and rejuvenated, ready for the next adventure which took us up the coast for a week in Durban!

 

 

 

A New Year ~ Welcome to 2012

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New years day. The start of something fresh. Endless possibilities ahead. One can’t help but dream of all the things you will accomplish in the coming months.

I realize we are over a week into the New Year, but here In Africa internet can be hit and miss, so this post has been delayed ~ Sorry!

For Mr. T. and I our year started with ticking off one of the official New 7 Wonders of Nature: Table Mountain! This title, recently bestowed, is fitting for the iconic flat topped mountain that is the backdrop to every worthwhile picture of Cape Town.

There are a number of ways to ascend the mountain, including various hiking routes of varying degrees.

If you’re not too concerned whether or not you see the year through you can climb the sheer cliff like these guys (look closely at the blue and red specks on the cliffs!):

Or hike up through this canyon. Which takes the better part of the day just to get up.

Mr. T. and I took the 10 minute ride in this:

The Aerial cable car that has been taking fascinated tourists up the mountain since 1929. Although back in those days it wasn’t sponsored by Visa. When I was younger we went up the mountain with my parents and this is the car that took us then:


Here is Cedric the gnome with his ticket:


Unfortunately, one can plan everything except the weather and as is quite common with table Mountain there was a “table cloth” of cloud covering the top, which hampered our view. Nonetheless we had a splendid time enjoying the diverse flora and fauna on top of the mountain.

The wild Watsonias grow in abundance

These little guys are called Dassies. They scurry in and out of the rocks and are quite adorable.

Mr. T. and I enjoying the edge of the cliffs..gets your adrenalin going in some spots!

Yes, That’s the city below me!

Our next stop was the Rhodes Memorial.

Dedicated to Cecil John Rhodes, a colonist who left his mark on the early South African political and economic landscape with such feats as starting the De Beers Corporation. Constantly wanting to further the British Empire, Rhodes dreamt having a railroad from Cairo to the Cape that would run through nations all under British rule. This dream fell short by only a handful of countries never under British rule. There are 49 steps leading to the top of the memorial, one for each year of his life.

Our New Years Day was topped off with a little bit of South African Culture.

Mango Groove was the hottest group back in the 90’s here in South Africa and I remember listening to their stuff on the radio lots. Well I thought what better way to get Mr. T. immersed into the culture than a bit of South African music. Playing at the stunning Kirstenbosch gardens under the African sunset we enjoyed a picnic while grooving to the sweet sounds of penny whistle and some true African sounds.

By the end of it we were all up with the entire crowd getting into it. Here’s Mr. T. and my cousin groovin’ away!

What a wonderful start to the year!

 

 

New Years Eve in Cape Town

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New Years Eve was our third day in Cape Town and we had a check list of places we wanted to tick off the list before we rang in the New Year.

Taking the famous Cable Car to the top of Table Mountain was at the top of the list, so off we dashed bright and early. Arriving at the cable car we saw a mass line up that was not moving…oh dear, not a good start. We parked the car and were nearly blown off the side of the mountain.

Well as it turns out they were shut down until the afternoon due to high winds, and for good reasons – those cable cars would have been doing full rotations around the cable had they been running.

Cedric the Gnome kept being blown off his perch when taking his picture with the city in the background!

Well, with this hiccup in the plan we decided to take a drive over to Signal Hill. Offering similar stunning views, Signal Hill gives a great vantage point for the whole city.

We had a great view of the World Cup Soccer Stadium.

After admiring the city from above we stepped back in time for a visit to the Castle, the site of the first settlement at the Cape. In 1666 the Dutch East Company felt it would be prudent to build a fort to protect themselves and their interests at the Cape of Good Hope from the British. 

Interesting to note that the Castle was built right at the waterfront, however today it stands about 10 blocks back from the water due to reclaimed land and development into the harbor.

Exploring this type of historical site is just up Mr. T’s alley, and we were quite pleased to know there was a tour starting within 15 minutes of us arriving. Mr. T’s first request: can we please go with the English group?!? Haha! A quick aside: he has been fully immersed into Afrikaans since arriving as my Aunt Caroline (who we are staying with in Cape Town) often switches between English and Afrikaans within a conversation. I must say he is picking up the lingo quite well as we go!

We started off with the firing of this little cannon. Don’t let it’s size fool you! I blocked my ears and still had them ringing for at least 20 minutes afterwards. So for me it didn’t matter whether the tour was in English or Afrikaans, I couldn’t hear a thing!

Having a walk around this significant historic site was a great reference point for how The Cape, and more over, South Africa got settled.  Much of our history reflects back to the Cape being a refreshing station for ships on their way from Europe to the East on the trading routes.

After our history lesson for the day we picked up my cousin from the airport and headed to Blouberg (in English: Blue Mountain) beach for a late lunch. We were told to eat at Moyo’s a fun authentic South African restaurant on the beach.

With some GPS challenges, we finally found it and gosh we were glad we persevered!!!

The patio “chairs” and “tables” were surfboards and underneath was a wading pool that was calf deep! So AMAZING! What a way to cool down after a hot drive in the car. Honestly that was the best.

With views of Table mountain behind us and authentic South African fare on the menu life couldn’t get better! We sampled Springbok Carpaccio ( thinly sliced raw buck meat) – so flavourful and tender. Mr. T. was weary at first about eating raw meat in Africa but he loved it when it came, and we lived to tell you the tale about it :)

 

My cousin Serena ordered fresh oysters that were caught that morning.

Mr. T. and I were trying to think of an equivalent restaurant theme that would work in Canada – the closest we could come up with was sitting on snowboards with snow underfoot. Somehow it’s not that appealing and we didn’t think the concept would fly so well!

The New Year was rung in on the beach with fireworks and stars over head. A stark contrast to the cold and chilly New Years’ celebrations back in Canada!

Happy New Years Friends. May you be blessed in 2012!

 

 

 

 

Penguins in Africa?!

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Friday Dec 30 – Victoria and Alfred Waterfront was the destination for the morning, and with the sun shining off we went. The weather has been so spectacular. Sunshine all day with a typical Cape Town breeze which keeps you nice and cool. The V&A is right in the harbor basin and is a delightful collection of buildings with a myriad of shopping, restaurants and entertainment of every variety. We strolled through the craft market stalls, and took in the sights and sounds of street performers. Mr. T. even spotted his first Rhino :)

The Wheel of Excellence was next up, have no idea why they call it that but anyhoo..

It gave an amazing view of the waterfront, Table mountain and the World Cup Soccer Stadium. The cruise ship in port was The World. An independent ship that offers cabins for “purchase” and fortunate souls live aboard and travel the world. What a terrible way to spend one’s life?!?!

I need to introduce a little travelling companion that is tagging along. Cedric the Travelling Gnome is tucked in the camera bag and every so often likes to pop out and have a photo op.

So here is Cedric with Table Mountain. And here he is with the Wheel of Excellence. He thought the ride was excellent!

By the afternoon it was getting VERY warm, so we hopped in the car and travelled to Simonstown. About an hour south along Table Bay, where we found the most amazing beach. Boulder Beach is littered with massive boulders and in amongst the boulders a colony of about 3000 African Penguins have made themselves at home. For the admission price of a latte we enjoyed a swim in the most stunning setting with penguins!! They are the most adorable creatures. Waddling around on beach in amongst everyone. It’s all too cute. There was a lot of snoozing going on in the African sun.  
Obviously the day of belly surfing the waves had taken it out of them!

As we were leaving this goose came honking down the beach making the biggest racket as she paraded her flock of little ones past everyone! 

 

 

 

 

Inspecting the toes :)

 

 

 

 

On the way home we took a different route and ended up seeing this amazing Vista of Table bay.

Oh I love Cape Town….

Happy New Year Friends!!

 

 

Touch down in Cape Town ~ Let the adventure begin!

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We have arrived in Cape Town! Two days into our trip we have sorted ourselves with an internet connection and settled into the swing of things, including pulling out into traffic on the left hand side of the street. Mr. T. has a near heart attack every time!

Well, let’s just say 20 hours of flight time is madness. Throw in a 5 hour lay-over in London and you have no idea whether you are coming or going. When you get off the on the other side your body is not sure what meal it’s supposed to be eating, all you know is the clock says it’s a meal time…so you eat!

I  must say the flight with British Airways was great, and I’m not sure if I was delirious from flying for so long but I do remember saying that the food was pretty good!

We landed at 6:30 am Thursday morning and without missing a beat my Aunt Caroline whisked us off to the farm “cause we have to deal with a horse drama”, oh boy – welcome to Africa! 

My cousins’ horses got into a fight and got caught in the barbed wire fence – drama in the biggest way. So there Mr. T. and I are, looking like we’ve been dragged through a bush backwards after 30 hrs of travelling, about 5 hrs of sleep between the two of us, assisting with a horse emergency surgery.This was the “surgery room”.The little guy standing next to me was holding all the surgical tools on the tray, acting as the table. This is Africa! 

Oh did I forget to mention Mr. T. doesn’t “do” horses…thinks they have it in for him! He was standing way back with the camera!

After all the horses had all their appendages back in place, Caroline took us off on a trip around the wine region.

Wine tasting and sightseeing with our own tour guide for the day was the best way to get our bearings. We went to the world renowned town of Stellenbosch.

This historic town is home to some of the oldest wineries in the country and the scenery is nothing short of stunning. The Cape Dutch architecture is very distinctive with grand facade’s and thatch roofs.

I just love how all the white buildings look so striking against the blue sky.

Friday morning we headed out to the Victoria and Alfred Waterfront. Watch for the next installment featuring swimming with penguins and the Victoria and Alfred waterfront.

Cheers!

Lift off ~ An adventure awaits

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Mr.T and I are Africa bound! That’s right, we are headed to South Africa for a month!

So just to give you the heads up there will be more “lifestyle” than “design” for the next month in the posts as I bring you highlights from our travels.

This truly is a dream come true for me. Ever since moving to Canada 15 years ago with my family I dreamed of the day I would one day take my future husband back to the country where I was raised.Well the day has come and in a few hours Mr. T. and I will be starting the looong journey to Cape Town. The stunning city that I proudly say I was born in (at the Wynberg Military Hospital no less, thanks to my dad being an air force pilot – a story for another day) and a place that so mimics the lifestyle of the place I now call home ~ Vancouver. The ocean, the mountains, the vibrant culture. I can’t wait.This trip will take us all around the country. Experiencing all that South Africa has to offer. And you dear friends are along for the ride! I’m hoping to share lots of pics and stories to have you share in the adventure.

They say that when you live in a place you don’t often do the things that are right at your door step. In all my years living in South Africa I never went on a true “safari” and I am excited to share this “first” with Mr. T.

So be sure to stop in often and journey with us to the amazing country that is South Africa!

Leaving one’s life for a month takes a bit of planning and logistics, hopefully I’ve remembered everything that needs taking care of! The plants will probably thrive under my mother-in-laws care and attention – I’ve neglected them these last couple months. It’s great knowing the house is taken care of with them here.

Right now I have to double check my packing list and be sure I have the sunscreen…oh did I forget to mention it’s summer there?! That’s right we are dodging winter in Vancouver…the snow can fly anytime now ~ we are outta here!

Toetsiens (Till we see you again!)

 

 

 

Oktoberfest ~ Leavenworth style!

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On our way down to our vacation spot at Lake Chelan, we drove through Leavenworth, WA. Lucky for us it was in full Oktoberfest swing and we made a day of checking out the cute shops!

What a cute little Bavarian town!

One store is dedicated to the Nutcracker, a curious Christmas decoration that up until now I hadn’t really paid much attention to. Rows upon rows of nutcrackers line the shelves, all in full costume, and countless themes.

We even found a Star Wars themed bunch! They have a Nutcracker Museum upstairs that I overheard from one of the customers “was kinda creepy with all of them staring at you”. I thought they were lots of fun, and even found myself wanting to pick one out.

Of course we stopped in at the Munchen Haus for a bratwurst and local brew.

 This is honestly when our true German experience began! Long communal tables, accordian music playing and good ol’ fashioned handmade German Sausages!

Not to mention the um-teen specialty mustards and apple sour kraut to top them with! How does one choose?!

We found a spot at the end of a table and as it turned out we found the nicest bunch of people. They very quickly welcomed us into their group and next thing you know we were discussing everything from the US economy (ok I know a bit of a downer, but good to get an American opinion!) to the best local hidden gems. We left with plans to join them same place next year! So fun, I love meeting genuine folk like that in our travels.

A little more strolling the shops and taking in the entertainment of the day which, as you guessed it, was more polka music!Gotta love the lederhosen!I absolutely loved this little town and definitley want to make plans to come back during the Christmas season when it’s all decked out. Apparently it’s truly magical!

Well friends, off for the afternoon stroll around the lake!

Auf Wiedersehen!