DOCD! A Terrible Affliction

My, how lucky we are to have friends like Ann and Paul or so I thought until an incident yesterday!

Despite the fact that we have only been sharing our South Africa experience for about ten days now, I had said on more than one occasion, "you are such easy people to be with".  Kiss of death!!

We have known each other for over 30 years and have shared numerous holiday jaunts.  Our daughter Sarah and their eldest daughter, Emma are very close friends.  We love all their family.  In all those years I can never remember a cross word or a difficult moment between us.  Put simply, they are a joy but yesterday it changed for ever!

The reason?  I discovered that Paul suffers from "Dishwasher Obsessive Compulsive Disorder"!  It's a terrible affliction and appears to be totally untreatable.  We feel so sad.

I only discovered it by chance, perhaps similar to how you find out someone is suffering from alcoholism.  You see we have been taking it in turns in respect of catering arrangements.  A couple of us might prepare the food,  one of us will be responsible for the BBQ and one of us will take responsibility for clearing up and loading the dishwasher.  Yesterday, the latter task fell to me.

I'm actually quite fastidious in respect of tidiness and order within the kitchen.  Ask Linda.  However that doesn't extend to the inside workings of the dishwasher.  Bang the pots and glasses in randomly, load a tablet and away we go.  Job done.  Pour me another large one.

I actually didn't set the dishwasher going but sitting in the lounge, reading my Kindle, I suddenly heard the chink of glass, the clattering of plates and rather surprisingly, the sliding of dishwasher trays.  I popped my head around the corner to discover Paul totally rearranging the contents top and bottom. I didn't know whether to feel sad or inadequate?  In fact when I inspected his work, I definitely felt the latter.  Why?  Because out of disorder, he had created order.  Where I thought the dishwasher was almost full, Paul had created enough space to get another six place settings in there!  How could this be?

In fairness, I have always looked up to Paul for his perfection in DIY.  His work has always been a cut above mine and I have strived for years to replicate the finish that he always achieves  I just never realised that this perfection carried through to loading the bloody dishwasher!

I am happy to include a photo of the rearranged crockery - you can quite clearly see the order achieved.  I have been banned from further efforts during the rest of the holiday and now have to remain "front of house".

Yes, my inadequacy has been heightened a touch but our relationship remains fantastic.  We are having the most wonderful holiday and I have attached a few additional photos to paint the picture of this area.

The Only Way Is Down...For Me!

I often ponder the afterlife and what waits for us when the sands of time run out.  Do I take the lift to the basement or am I raised up towards the pearly gates where the sun always shines and I play off a single figure handicap?  Many friends, indeed my own wife, feel the only way for me is down and I am afraid I have provided further evidence today of why my final ride will be a one way ticket South!!

It all began with our planned trip today to the summit of Table Mountain, a visit we had been trying to make for four days but without success due to those damned orographic clouds!

For those of you who aren't members of The Cloud Appreciation Society - yes it does exist and costs only £10.20 for Lifetime Membership - these are the clouds that are formed when a south-easterly wind is directed up the mountain's slopes into colder air where the moisture then condenses to form the so-called "table cloth".  They have been prevalent this week and so we have had to wait for the right opportunity to hit the cable car to the top.  Unfortunately, every visitor to Cape Town appears to have had the same idea and so when we arrived at the cable car station we were met by the sight of hundreds of people queuing to either buy tickets or for those who had already bought online, queuing to take the ride to the top.  It wasn't a pretty sight and for anyone that knows me and are aware of my pathological hatred of long lines of people it brings out what can only be described as the worst in me!

I don't get angry but I do get naughty in the nicest possible way and when I realised that it was going to take well in excess of an hour to get anywhere near the cable car, I turned to Linda, Ann and Paul and said "l'll be back in a minute".

All I did was head towards a very nice young man who appeared to be in charge of letting people from the lengthy queues either head towards the ticket office or more importantly, up towards the cable car and engage him in pleasant conversation.  Before I knew it, he invited me through his gold plated gate, showed me how to get tickets online (yes, I played the useless with technology age card.  Very successfully I may add) and then said, "go and get your party and bring them here."

When I went back for them, I almost had to drag them out of the queues.  They looked so embarrassed and almost reluctant to follow this person who had just saved them well over an hour of standing in the hot sun.  Fortunately, they did overcome the shame I appeared to have inflicted and before they knew it, we were being whisked to the top of Table Mountain.  What did I do wrong?

It has been a brilliant day to experience this iconic mountain which provides an amazing backdrop to the city of Cape Town.  Not only that but from the top it affords stunning panoramic views of the city, Robben Island, Cape Penninsula and the beautiful Camp's Bay.  It's breathtaking and despite it being our fifth visit to the top, you can't possibly get bored with the vistas on offer.

I could provide lots of fascinating facts like it was first climbed in 1503.  It's 1086 metres above sea level.  The plateau on top is 3km from side to side.  The cable cars carry 65 people and rotate through 360 degrees.  That's enough for now but it's a must do if you are ever in this part of the world.

We had intended to visit Kirstenbosch Botanical gardens after Table Mountain but instead found ourselves at the delightful Blues Restaurant in Camp's Bay sitting in the best seats in the house enjoying more great views which were complimented by good food and very cold alcohol.  Life doesn't get any better.

I do so hope I have time left to make amends for embarrassing family and friends?  

Feeding Frenzy in False Bay

One of the truly great things to do when you are in this part of the world is to take the 30km drive from Gordon's Bay to Betty's Bay.  It's a spectacular piece of road which hugs the mountains to the left but provides incredible vistas looking back towards Table Mountain and across False Bay to the Cape of Good Hope.  It's a not to be missed part of any itinerary down here.

I well remember when here last year that we drove the road on many occasions but never so much as saw a fleeting glimpse of dolphins, seals, whales or otters.  Big brother Stuart on the other hand on his first solo journey along the road with Terri was gifted with the site of a pod of dolphins performing exclusively for them.  I did feel a tad jealous and cheated when looking at the photos they had taken but put it down to beginner's luck!

My angst at not witnessing this piece of nature was added to shortly after Ann and Paul arrived and we drove them down to Gordon's Bay to have a brief look at the stunning coastline. "Look there are some dolphins" cried Paul. Pull over"!  Unfortunately, the nearest parking place was half a mile along the road and by the time we screeched to a halt and jumped out of the car, the dolphins were no longer to be seen!  Did he really see any or was it just an apparition I asked myself?

Well everything changed a couple of days ago as we again drove part of the road, this time with Sarah along for the ride as well and one of my passengers spotted out to sea what could only be described as a maelstrom.  With the exception of one particular area, the sea was almost flat calm.  However the strange sight we could see was probably what you would class as white water caused exclusively by a huge number of dolphins engaged in a feeding frenzy.  Not only dolphins but also at least one whale who's blow was clearly visible in the outer circle of the feeding dolphins.  It was amazing to see this activity and to follow the huge pod as it chased its prey up the coastline.

Whilst I have some rather pathetic photos attached today to try and validate the experience, we learned one valuable lesson.  Don't leave your binoculars or more importantly, your very expensive camera with accompanying telelephoto lens back at the house!  With Linda's equipment, the photos would have been incredible.  Still, there's always another day but at least I can tick another one off the list of South African experiences.

Gordon's Bay, as well as being home to dolphins and whales is also one of the "must live" places which lies close to Cape Town.  The views and the sunsets are spectacular from here and that is perhaps why property commands such a premium.

I have included a photo of just one of the residences here which is built on stilts and I would particularly draw attention to the infinity pool which, despite being almost 100' in the air, does not have any fencing around it!  Not one for sufferers of vertigo! 

The weather is lovely and warm here but we are not getting the sunshine hours that we experienced in week one.  Mind you, temperatures around the mid to high 70s are a lot more bearable and certainly makes sleep more easy to come by.

Less Than a Pound For a Large Tart!

Half of the fun of writing a travel blog is actually thinking of a title for each post.  Today's offering is down to the creative thinking process of our friend Paul.

Linda keeps reminding me to stop talking about the cost of things here in South Africa because she believes anybody reading my musings will think that we only visit here because of how little everything costs.  As a good Yorkshireman, that strikes me as a very rational and sensible approach when choosing a holiday destination!

Why would you visit anywhere for the natural beauty, the beaches, the wildlife, the food and wine, the sunshine, the infrastructure or indeed the history when the major benefit is that everything costs so little??

I'm being glib really, the value for money that we are enjoying this year is very much down to the collapse of the Rand, due in the main to the shenanigans of the country's President, Jacob Zuma.  I could comment in much greater and possibly more boring detail but I don't intend to turn my readers away.  No, we actually love being in South Africa and would return again and again regardless of exchange rates.

But before I move on, I must return to the tart.  It's a custard one and has quickly established itself as a must have item in our daily food intake.  The pastry is mouth watering and the filling is nothing like we enjoy in our custard tarts back home.  It's super creamy, absolutely delicious and for me, a scoop of vanilla ice cream is the perfect companion.  Oh and the large tart is less than £1.  Damn!  I'm back to the cost of things again!

Life continues to be relaxed and truly enjoyable here and although just over a week has passed since our arrival, it feels like we have been here forever.  The sunshine, the food, the company and the sights and sounds all contribute to the enjoyment and one of the nicest things to do if staying in this area is to visit the Vergelegen Estate. 

Vergelegen is one of the finest wine estates in the whole of South Africa with its roots going back to the early 1700s when it was established by Willem Adriaan van dear Stel, an early Governor of the Cape.  The name Vergelegen means "situated far away" and the estate sits on the slopes of the dramatic Hottentots Holland mountains.  The view of these from The Stables Restaurant where we had a delicious breakfast is stunning and they provide an incredible backdrop to the whole estate.  It's a must visit place and well worth the R5 entry fee if you are a "student of life".  A pensioner by any other name.  If you are of a certain age and actually visit on a Monday, you get in for free saving the 25p charge!  Things don't get better than that!

Final piece of news to report before signing off is the arrival of our daughter Sarah who is spending a couple of weeks down here, a week with us and a week with friends Ellie and Helen, fellow BA flight crew.  She was supposed to travel on the same type of ticket as us ensuring a confirmed seat but due to an administrative error - a total cock up really - she ended up having to come down on a standby basis.  Fate smiled on her I am happy to say and seeing her beaming smile come through the arrivals gate at Cape Town airport this afternoon was a real treat.

Monday tomorrow and as I post this report, the rain has begun to fall steadily outside.  This wasn't in the script!

Sharing With Friends

I am happy to report that our great friends, Ann and Paul, arrived safely in Cape Town on Tuesday after a journey which included a nine hour stopover in Munich airport.  They looked none the worse for their flight as we watched them disembark from the huge Lufthansa aircraft although they did arrive to the hottest January temperatures that Cape Town has experienced for at least ten years.  On Wednesday, the mercury touched close to 40 degrees.  Phew!

This year is almost a repeat of last when we again introduced first timers to the pleasures of South Africa in the form of big brother Stuart and his wife Terri.  For twelve years, they had put off a trip to this part of the world, based very much on the perception of violent crime that affected huge swathes of the country.  It simply isn't the case and whilst the place does have some major issues - I will come back to these in future posts - this is our sixth trip down here in seven years and not once have we ever felt exposed or uncomfortable in anything we have done.

And so we have the pleasure of introducing Ann and Paul to everything we love about the place.  It's amazing that they have only been here for two full days and yet it feels like they have been here for ever.  It is of course much easier to arrive somewhere new and be met by people who have a good knowledge of the surrounding environment.  However, you very quickly feel comfortable, relaxed and at home here.

It's funny that the first place we took them after unpacking was the local supermarket, Pick N Pay!  Seems strange really although we are self catering so regular visits for provisions are essential.

Pick N Pay is one of South Africa's best known brands, equivalent we feel to Asda back home and does have a wonderful array of fresh produce - meat, fish, fruit and vegetables.  It also possesses a fantastic selection of South African wines at spectacularly low prices.  One of these is Du Toitskloof, a delicious fresh and light Sav Blanc which costs a whopping £1.85!  Even Paul was shocked when he realised one of the Merlots he placed in the trolley was only £1.50.

We offered a marginal improvement on the supermarket yesterday when we visited Steffanies Place for lunch - our first meal out this holiday.  We discovered this place a couple of years ago and for lunch or evening meal, it's a great place to eat, generally evidenced by the difficulty in getting a table.  Book or be disappointed.

The location is stunning and from their terrace, you get great views out over Strand and False Bay.  Also stunning is their food, beautiful fresh ingredients and in our experience to date, cooked and served to an extremely high quality.  Note to myself - cut down on the superlatives!  Sharing an experience like this with such close friends is difficult to beat.

Clearly we are sharing all costs here - one day I use my Haifax Clarity card (all travellers should have one of these) and the next it's Paul.  When the bill arrived, it was Paul's turn to pay.  Like me he's a Yorkshireman and as far as money is concerned we are one step removed from a Scot!  We watch the pennies.  Quite frankly and 24 hours on from our lunch, Paul still can't understand just how little we paid including all drinks, one of which was a rather expensive bottle of pink fizz.  The total bill, just £50!!  Yes that's £50.

So impressed but shocked at the same time was Paul that he increased his tip at the last minute!  Whoa there friend!  You'll be getting us Yorkshire folk a bad name.

Sharing with friends.  A smashing way to spend a day.

Our Home for the Next Five Weeks

We have now made the move into our rented property which is to be home for the Coy family and friends for almost nine weeks - us for five and big brother for four.  Moving in yesterday from our hotel was a real treat and despite only being one year since we were last here, we were thrilled to reacquaint ourselves with what is a lovely home in a beautiful area.

Home is exactly what it is to Colin and Val the owners, albeit a second one, but it has been furnished and fitted out with a very personal touch and the instant that we walked through the door, we felt totally relaxed. I don't know if it's an age thing but returning to somewhere you have visited before and know intimately is so much easier than arriving in totally new pastures.  Not to say we have lost our spirit of adventure just yet but coming back to South Africa puts a broad smile on both our faces and it will be interesting to see if this country has the same affect on Ann and Paul, our friends who arrive early tomorrow morning as it does on us.

These are hazy, crazy, lazy days of Summer and for me, it provides an opportunity to catch up on books and reading that I never seem to find time to do at home.  Yes, I know I'm retired but hours back in the UK seem to be devoured by other things than books and yet here, I can pick one up in the morning and still be reading twelve hours later!  Perhaps the warmth, the frequent quick naps on the sun lounger, the occasional dip in the swimming pool or the very cold beer and wine are the fuel that drives my reading habits here.  I only know that the written word provides great pleasure.

It has been very much a slow news day but I have to include in my photos below a couple taken in Vergelegen this morning.  For any of you that might have read last year's Coys at the Cape Blog, I probably featured a similar photo but a trip here in the morning for coffee and fresh baked scones is unmissable and I'm afraid will probably always feature whilst ever we are capable of making this trip.

As senior citizens, it costs us an exorbitant 5R each to get into Vergelegen - that in our money is 25p!  Amazingly on a Monday, wrinklies get in for free!  Unbelievable.  And what do we pay for a fantastic coffee and fresh baked produce with cream and preserves?  £4.00 in total!  Yep, that's £4.00 which is probably a quarter of what you might pay at Betty's in Harlow Carr.

Enough said tonight, the photos can do the talking including the last one taken 10 minutes ago from the lounge window.

An early trip to the airport in the morning to collect our friends.  Will they love this place as much as us?  We shall see.

A Lovely Way to Spend a Sunday Morning

During the years that we have been visiting South Africa, an activity on Sunday has become a firm favourite of ours notably a visit to the family market at Blaauklippen Vineyard.  It's held every Sunday and appears to be very popular with locals and visitors alike attracting large numbers during the opening times of 10am until 3pm.

This is one of the oldest wine estates in the whole of South Africa and was established in1682 on the side of the Stellenbosch Mountain which provides quite a spectacular backdrop.  The name of the estate comes from a Dutch word meaning Blue Rocks although I can't shed any light onto why so called?

It's a delightful place to spend a couple of hours.  Families getting together for picnics under the magnificent trees, live music to listen to, lots of stalls selling home made crafts and then an incredible array of foods being cooked and consumed on site.  In addition you can taste the Blaauklippen wines and artisan beers or indeed buy a bottle or two and sit consuming it while people watching, a favourite of ours.  That's people watching, not drinking!  We introduced my big brother to the experience last year and are looking to do the same next week when our friends Ann and Paul arrive.

Every time we have visited, it has been under beautiful clear blue skies and today was no exception.  In fact the  mercury climbed north of 35 degrees today and we were grateful for the cover that the trees provided. The weather does add rather a lot to the occasion.

And so our stay at The NH Lord Charles ends in the morning and we move to our home for the next five weeks which is actually only a stones throw away.  Bags are packed and from tomorrow we start catering for ourselves instead of having our every need looked after by the hotel staff.  This has been a lovely four days allowing us to reacquaint ourselves with the hotel but more importantly  the ever smiling staff and I hope that it won't be the last time that we stay here.  

Oh No! The German Went Splatt!

* Please note that at no time during composing this dispatch were any Germans hurt *

Strange title eh?  Let me explain.

It's funny but trouble or incidents of differing types seem to always gravitate towards me and this morning proved to be no exception.  And all we were doing was having breakfast!

Breakfast is a very pleasant experience at The Lord Charles and this morning we took a table on the sun-kissed terrace alongside the stream that flows through the middle of the hotel.  Gorgeous and unlike yesterday, not a breath of wind.

It's a buffet type arrangement which requires several visits from your table to the generous and wonderful array of fresh produce laid out at the breakfast bar inside.  Being the gentleman that I am, Linda went first, returning with a delicious looking bowl of fresh fruit and yoghurt whilst I ordered our morning coffee and tea.

My turn and as I got up to walk into the hotel through the only door open, a German guest with a plateful of bacon, eggs, sausages, beans and whatever else he could cram on his plate was heading towards me.  Instead of waiting for me to get through the door, he clearly thought that the remainder of the sliding doors were open!  In actual fact, they weren't, they were merely very highly polished and therefore presenting the impression of not being there.

Splatt!  He hit the door full on, sausages one way, bacon the other and the remaining contents of his plate quickly proving that there was indeed a door there as they slid slowly to the ground.  I very quickly went to assist but in true Germanic fashion, he brushed the incident off as a mere inconvenience and continued to his table.  Very impressive recovery I felt.

It was only when I returned to our table and looked back at the offending door that tears started to form in my eyes.  For any of you that have experienced a bird strike against one of your own windows, it can leave a mesmerising outline of the bird on the glass, hopefully without long term damage to the feathered friend.  Well in this case, it left a wonderful image of our German friend but I am happy to report that he still appeared to enjoy his breakfast without any ill effects.

The only other thing I wanted to write about very briefly is a touch of magic, black or otherwise I'm not sure, but magic nonetheless and it relates specifically to our long term hire car, the Toyota Etios.

When we left home, Ann and Paul, our friends who join us next week, kindly ran us to the airport in their rather large and very comfy Mercedes Estate, a vehicle almost twice the size of a Toyota Etios.  Despite its size, we still had to carry one of our cabin bags in the back seat of the car.

When we were allocated our car at the Avis hire centre in Cape Town Airport, I thought we were really in trouble and would have to carry a couple of bags on the rear seat.  None of it.  Every suitcase, piece of cabin baggage and even my laptop case all fit comfortably into the cavernous boot with room to spare for a touch more!  How could this be?  Clearly, Toyota have got their hands on the design spec of Dr Who's Tardis and applied it to this latest model.  I keep looking at it and still can't work it out.

Anyway, a great day here on the Western Cape, with not a cloud to be seen.