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Sunday, December 11, 2011

Cape Town

My trip to Cape Town is suddenly on my radar. I leave in ten days. Something blackhole-ish happened to this year and I have a twinge of whiplash. Where did it go? I need more time! Does this phenomenon just get worse as you grow older? When you're seven a year is a major slice of your age - when you are...cough-cough-we-have-a-bad-connection-squee-shhhhh ....that year has decreased incrementally in relation to all those stacked up against it. Is that it?

False Bay from the air. Photo: Vincent Mounier

There will be some new things to do in the Cape. I intend mushrooming a bit more seriously than before, now that I know that summer-fruiting chickens of the woods can be found. I hope to join Helen's group of walking friends: without Vince I don't want to hike on my own. And not having him there will be a big, big sadness. But! My intrepid friend Ellen spontaneously booked a ticket to Cape Town at the end of last week, and will join me for ten days, staying in Constantia with us. That will be a lot of fun: a fellow plant and flower geek, forager, cook, and eater of lambs. I am very touched that she has the faith to fly so far, to see the land that I love.

I am hoping for a blogging friends lunch under the tree - the Voer bloggers will be in town from Pretoria and Southampton, respectively, there is Karen of Smashing Cape Town to meet, I hope The Sourcerer's Lily will be back from Turkey, and perhaps the Green Lima Beans can be pried out of Noordhoek...

If the dicey Internet connection in my parents' house holds its own I will of course post from down south. Constantia seems to reside in a kind of cyber Bermuda triangle. Connectivity comes and goes.

Enough of that. Here are some Cape Town and environs (Hermanus, Stanford, Walker Bay) pictures from our last trip. I'm having issues with Picasa - I used to like it but as a slideshow but it's just not as viewer friendly as Flickr. So here's Flickr.



Anyone else want to come? There are tickets in the realm of $1,000. Not bad for 16,000 miles, round trip. The extra bed is taken but we do have a nice tent...
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15 comments:

  1. arcadiaDecember 11, 2011 at 3:42 PM

    Ek het self vanaand besef ek vlieg oor 10 dae Kaap toe, en liewe donder, daar is nog ontsettend baie wat voor daardie tyd moet gebeur. Maar ons sal definitief saam kuier! En dis baie jammer Vince kan nie saamkom nie :-/

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  2. KathDecember 11, 2011 at 5:32 PM

    I would love to see Cape Town, but I'm guessing the airfare from Seattle is a bit higher :-) Although my passport is up-to-date....

    I hope you enjoy your trip!

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  3. Ellen ZachosDecember 11, 2011 at 5:55 PM

    I was already giddy with anticipation. After that slide show I can scarce contain myself!

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  4. flwrjaneDecember 11, 2011 at 7:09 PM

    That hummingbird! Those protea! And on and on and on..

    What a beautiful piece of earth captured in such incredible photos.

    And you get to meet Karen + show Ellen the sights.

    Your holiday looking up also.

    xo J.

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  5. moreidlethoughtsDecember 11, 2011 at 7:33 PM

    I would love to join you!
    Unfortunately, I have just committed my money and self elsewhere.

    Have a wonderful trip, Marie.

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  6. PamDecember 11, 2011 at 7:58 PM

    We wish we were going. It is actually the CATS that are hampering us.

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  7. webbDecember 11, 2011 at 8:10 PM

    I long to see it "live", but will have to live vicariously thru your wonderful photos. Hope Ellen falls totally in love with it all!

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  8. CarrieDecember 12, 2011 at 12:12 AM

    Speaking of South Africa…. Maybe asking a South African this gets an eye-roll in response, but since you are the only South African I know I have to ask you. Do you have a good recipe for Bobotie? My husband just loves it and I have never tried to make it. Any advice?

    South Africa is on our radar but we are just back from honeymoon in Cuba and have some fiscal recovery to do for a while. Someday, hopefully soon…

    Happy holidays!

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  9. MarieDecember 12, 2011 at 12:19 AM

    Arcadia - ek sien uit daarna...

    Kath - mightn't be so bad. Vince got some good surprisingly good deals from Vancouver, BC.

    Ellen - squee! (sorry, I'll try to stop doing that)

    flwrjane - ain't he gorgeous? He's an orange breasted sunbird. Maybe he also eats Doritos.

    MIT - I wish I could borrow the neck bear :-)

    Pam - the cats can room with Vince and le chat noir...

    webb - I hope you may, some day :-)

    Carrie - that's OK. Only thing is, I don't like bobotie, so never make it! I'm not sure what I don't like, exactly. Maybe I should work it out.

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  10. DDecember 12, 2011 at 12:21 AM

    Mmm, already mid-Dec and the mall was in full Christmas frenzy yesterday - also don't know what the hell happened to the year, although it seems to have been hard work for all, which does make time disappear...

    Thanks for the potential invite - would be lovely to meet you and Lily. We're disappearing to Joburg from 19th-26th Dec but otherwise taking our well-earned break here.

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  11. JillDecember 12, 2011 at 1:23 AM

    You are heading south while I am heading north. Enjoy Cape Town but we are having a very curious summer, so no, don't pack a whole load of winter woolies, but do bring at least one item on the warmer side.

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  12. FrankDecember 12, 2011 at 9:46 AM

    You've made us all want to go to SA. I had no idea until your pictures!

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  13. the sourcererDecember 12, 2011 at 10:17 AM

    back from Istanbul 26 December. with sugar and spice and all things nice.

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  14. HelenDecember 12, 2011 at 1:20 PM

    Ooh, I'm looking forward to some walks!

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  15. jelliDecember 13, 2011 at 5:13 AM

    Please!!! Bet the fare's cheaper from UK! Need a holiday like my next breath... :)

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