Young Forty

This time we went away with friends of ours to Blue Crane Farm Lodge. In total there are three cottages to choose from, and suitably spaced around the farm dam.

You have the option to enjoy the morning delivery of a loaf of bread and milk. Another key feature is the wood-fired hot tub. And still there is more, a built in pizza oven, an indoor fire place and the outdoor braai area.

Our stay was for two nights, and we thoroughly enjoyed ourselves. From heating in the hot tub, to the copious amounts of eating.

This weekend was in celebration of our wedding anniversary. And also a fond farewell to our friends that are immigrating to Ireland.

Also an opportunity to pretend that there is no such thing as a pandemic.

One thing to remember is to remind yourself that there are new experiences to have. New memories … Read the rest

This year for my birthday I had booked us in overnight at Centre Ville situated in Franschhoek. We selected the venue and room based on the spa bath that was located in the center of the room.

Unfortunately, due to Covid, our arrival was less than perfect. We found ourselves stuck by the front door, with none of the doorbells or phone numbers working. Fortunately another guest announced our arrival to the staff. The owner / host was unfortunately at hospital visiting her Covid positive mother, which accounted for the lack of professionalism upon our arrival.

Our room was everything that the photos depicted on the website. However, one thing I failed to take into consideration was our height! Our room is essentially in the roof of the building, and the slant of the … Read the rest

My sister and I stayed true to our promise and stayed at Platbos Farm again. We had enjoyed ourselves previously, that we in fact extended our stay by an additional night. This meant we were off the grid for three nights.

It was good to get away from the daily worry of the Covid Pandemic, and to go sit in nature where there was no one to worry about.

Making full use of the public holiday, our visit was earlier in the month of August than the previous year. And this time we were surprised by the winter feel in the air and even had a bit of storm blow over. There was wind and rain, and yet this did not dampen our spirits.

Driving through, I had made the management decision that we would support local. This … Read the rest

As a way to break the monotony of pandemic living, we decided to visit the hot baths at Caledon Hotel and Spa. Stopping along the way at the Houw Hoek Farmstall for brunch, we still made excellent time over the pass to Caledon.

Caledon Hotel and Spa were having a special, so we had booked for bed and breakfast.

As soon as we arrived, we donned on our swimming costumes to go plunge in the hot baths. And there is definitely a temperature for every person. Turns out that my husband likes to parboil, whereas I like some lukewarm.

A nap soon followed, by some more swimming. Then some dinner, and some more swimming.

We only stayed for one night, so the next morning we were up early and in between breakfast and checking out, there was some more swimming.

We drove back home and will definitely be looking … Read the rest

On a whim, and because there was an opening special, I booked us in for a night at Hotel Sky. This would be the night that there was a storm coming through the Cape. Rain and wind was the order of the day.

Checking in was daunting as there was so many people, we still aren’t comfortable in crowds. A slow cup of coffee while people and robot watching kept us away from the crowds.

Automation and high tech are the staple of Hotel Sky. There is an app you can download to do just about anything. The problem is that the app did not work on any of our devices which proved to be problematic throughout our stay, more about that below.

After checking in, we fought our way up to our room. The problem with not staggering … Read the rest

As These are a list of things done in Cape Town as I explore my own city.

As the year progresses and the activities are completed, so I will add to this post.

DYLAN LEWIS SCULPTURE GARDEN

The morning after our wedding, the host of the B&B handed me a pamphlet for the Dylan Lewis Sculpture Garden. That was back in 2017. Since that day I had wanted to visit by then I just never got around to it.

This year, due to me breaking the year down in to quarters, I finally got to it. I made the booking. My husband suggested I take my one sister, as he was sure I would have more fun. Don’t tell him, but yes I did have more fun. My sister has studied art, I have dabbled. So we had a lot of things to discuss.

The talent of Dylan Lewis … Read the rest

This year for Valentine’s Day I unsuccessfully surprised my husband with a night away at Hoedjiesbaai Hotel in Saldanha.

We left mid-morning on Saturday, we arrived at Saldanha in time for lunch an approximate 2 hour drive. After locating the hotel, we wondered down the street and had a lovely lunch at Captain’s Cabin. The service was quick and friendly. And the portions and cheese was plentiful. Their website boasts that they have the best view, and they aren’t lying.

After lunch, we checked in to Hoedjiesbaai Hotel. Our room was on the first floor, and we had the sea facing room. What this meant, is our balcony was directly over the ocean which I was enthralled by and my husband dismayed by.

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Our room was … Read the rest

We travelled to Owls Nest at Inyoni Lodge which we had to be re-scheduled from June to December 2020, due to the national lock down.

We decided to add another night to our get away by staying at Houw Hoek Inn. This was partly to break the drive and partly as a reward for surviving the stressful year. Houw Hoek Inn was a good place to unwind and start to feel the holiday festivities.

We slept well and had an excellent breakfast, where we planned our trip to Inyoni Lodge.

We hit the road and took a meandering route via Greyton. A picturesque town / village that is popular among artists. From there we took a dirt road though to Riviersonderend, where we excitedly stopped to buy some biltong and braai meat from the Biltong Factory. This … Read the rest