Groundhog Day

Oh that feeling of déjà vu!  Something about today was so, so identical to a day, no days, that we have experienced in the past four weeks. 

Wake to the sun peeking over the Hottentots Holland mountains.  Open the doors and windows to let the gloriously cool early morning air flood through the house.  Fresh orange juice, cornflakes and Ceylon tea in the braii (for the uninitiated this is the Bbq room at the front of the house) watching the numerous fitness fanatics walk, jog, run and cycle past the house. Say good morning to my beautiful wife.  Yes I'm stretching the beauty thing on first sight in a morning but she does scrub up rather well.  Oh and just in case you take me to task over my comments, I tell her every day how nice she looks and that I love her.  My fashion sense unfortunately doesn't attract any form of compliment and generally I change outfits several times before I get the "that's better" nod of approval!  It's a bit of a bugger when three changes of shorts and tee-shirts are required before I am allowed to leave the house!  Then head to Cape Town International Airport.  Yes, the airport, for the sixth time this holiday!  A journey that I can now complete on automatic pilot with my eyes taped shut.

Yesterday it was to deliver Ann and Paul for their long journey home via Munich.  Today it was to pick up Big Brother Stuart and better half Terri who are with us for a week before we head home and they are joined by South Africa newcomers, Paul and Liz.  Stuart and Terri by the way came via Istanbul on Turkish Airlines!  Some would consider that brave but their flight arrived 30 minutes early and apparently the service throughout was excellent.

I remember the identical journey last year when we collected them at the airport only on that occasion they arrived to the greyest of skies.  Today they enjoyed wonderful views of Table Mountain as they came into land and disembarked to blue skies and temperatures in excess of 30 degrees.  

My big brother qualified for his State Pension last year so he's no Spring chicken but his enthusiasm and excitement at returning to South Africa for a second time was a real joy to see.  As I write this dispatch, he has been in the country for only 8 hours and already I am worried that we will have to get the huge and seemingly permanent smile on his face, surgically removed!

I'm afraid the Groundhog Day also featured me providing the same first meal as last year - a chicken salad - but already Stuart has discovered in the local bottle shop, gold medal winning Sav Blanc and Merlot, both at the incredible price of £1.46 a bottle.  As he has already reported to his friends, "these prices are very dangerous"!

We have laughed a lot today and though this year, our time with them is short, a fun few days beckon.

    30 Minutes Early. Well Done Turkish Airlines

    

    Eight Hours Here and the Smile Hasn't Altered! Me and Big Brother