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.