Author Archives: Paul

Helipads and wine estates

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Helipads and wine estates
Every self-respecting wine estate has their own helipad, right? Well, Zevenwacht does, so if you're flapping around in your helicopter and need a spot of lunch, they have a lovely brick helipad ready for you to tough down on. :)

The beauty of Zevenwacht

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The beauty of Zevenwacht
I remember attending a friend's wedding on the lawn in front of that old Cape Dutch building several years ago. Zevenwacht Estate in Kuilsriver is still just as beautiful as it was then, and while I haven't yet tried the estate's restaurant, I'm fairly confident that you'd enjoy a walk under the trees and among the vines, followed by a breakfast or lunch on the lawn. Give it a try. :)

Breakfast near Durbanville

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Breakfast near Durbanville
Besides for Chocolat in Oxford Street, I'm not very sold on breakfast spots in and around Durbanville. Well, that's if one excludes the many wine farms in the area... and then still I find their restaurants pretty much hit-and-miss in terms of quality, service, and appeal.

Kerry-Anne recently discovered a little restaurant, La Feta Vij Eatery, in the High Street Shopping Village, so we decided to pay them a visit for a quick breakfast. While not the most scenic of spots, the restaurant's decor was beautiful, the staff were lovely, and the quiet french music playing in the background had the relaxing effect the proprietors intended to create.

They had several delicious-sounding items on the breakfast menu, and after some deliberation I decided on the french toast - I'm a sucker for bacon and green figs. While the bacon wasn't crispy (as the menu suggested it would be) there was plenty of it and the combination of syrup, bacon, and figs on the egg-infused ciabatta was truly exquisite.

Pay La Feta Vij Eatery (map) in the High Street Shopping Village a visit - I'm convinced you'll be glad you did.

The Woodlands Eatery

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The Woodlands Eatery
We visited The Woodlands Eatery in the suburb of Vredehoek (just above the city center) for lunch - the traditional Italian pizza was delicious. In fact, I ate far too much.

The Woodlands Eatery has a pretty relaxed feel, our lunch appeared on our table in a reasonable amount of time and the staff were friendly, though not intruding.

The part of the establishment in this photo is mostly used for evening dining - but I decided to post it to show some of the eclectic decor that fills the little restaurant. Unusual, interesting, and pretty awesome, don't you think?

Ducati – a beautiful machine

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Ducati - a beautiful machine
I mentioned the beautiful Aston Martin shop at the V&A Watefront in my previous post. Doesn't it make perfect sense to have a Ducati store right next door? Mine is somewhat of a closeup photo of the fuel tank, but isn't this one just awesome?

Ford Mustang 289

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Ford Mustang 289
I found this beauty (a Ford Mustang 289) parked in the underground parking lot behind the (awesome) Aston Martin dealership at the V&A Waterfront. It's an arty photo, but isn't she beautiful? Wouldn't you love to take a ride in her?

Passing of time – Bantry Bay

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Passing of time - Bantry Bay
"Therefore a man should examine for himself the great piles of superimposed strata, and watch the rivulets bringing down mud, and the waves wearing away the sea-cliffs, in order to comprehend something about the duration of past time, the monuments of which we see all around us." - Darwin

Kirstenbosch Summer Sunset Concerts

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The Kirstenbosch Summer Sunset concerts
If you've not yet been to one of the annual Old Mutual Kirstenbosch Summer Sunset Concerts at the botanical gardens then you've certainly missed out. The programme runs until the first week in April (closing the season with Johnny Clegg) so you still have plenty of time. Review the programme, choose a concert, and go. You won't regret you did.

Eyes like fire

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Eyes like fire
See how the rock looks like the profile of a huge head? Can you see the wide-open mouth, the nose, and the eyes that appear to be shooting a fiery beam across Camps Bay and towards Llandudno and Hout Bay?

Farewell 2012, and to all our readers, have a wonderful and joyous 2013!

Warm water at Clifton

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Warm water at Clifton
Most people don't venture into the waters at Clifton - it's normally far too cold for comfortable bathing. However, for the past week or so, the water has been surprisingly warm... so much so that I actually ventured in without feeling an immediate desire to return to the warm dry beach.

Doggies at the beach

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Doggies on the beach
It's a pity for dogs and dog-owners that beaches like the blue-flag ones at Clifton and Llandudno have had restrictions imposed that permit dogs on the beach only between 18h00 and 09h00 in the summer months, and then, only if the dogs are on leashes.

Dogs love to run free on the beaches, chasing balls and crashing though waves, but the reality is that there have been incidents where innocent kids have been attacked and where people who are desperately afraid of dogs have been traumatised. Since law enforcement officers aren't able to tell the difference between a dangerous animal and a friendly puppy, and since people who are afraid of dogs couldn't care if the dogs would never attack them, it makes sense to compromise in the way the City has.

For what it's worth, I took this photo after 18h00, so these friendly four-leggeds were allowed on the beach, but since they weren't on a leash I believe the owners were in fact breaking the law - perhaps unbeknownst to them.