What a terrific week we had in Cape Town, went all around False Bay, great seafood, to wine country with the BEST food I’ve had in a long time — maybe since Moe and Rose, in Robertson, which we didn’t get to eat at because they don’t serve lunch anymore, BIG DISAPPOINTMENT. Anyway, a place I’ve been intrigued by whenever I go to Franschhoek, Allee Bleue, I finally got to go to. Marita, Laird and I had a so-called “burger”, the most profane name of what we ate. It is skaapstertjie (sounds like scarpstackie to me), a “little tail”. It was springbok venison and lamb’s tail in a creamy mushroom sauce on a bun. Each bite was like knocking on the doors of heaven! And being let in. Noekie had the famous Turkish dish, Imam Baylid, means “the imam swooned” — which is supposedly what happened when he ate this eggplant dish. And a fabulous wine to boot (of course — and by that, I mean of course we had wine and of course it was divine). It was Allee Bleue’s L’Amor Toujours, which the man who last bought the winery made and named for his wife. Now how romantic is that, I ask!?
On the way back home, we decided to go 110 kilometers out of our way to go to Cape Agulhas. None of us had ever been there. Now, Marita, Laird and I have been to the highest bar in Africa in Lesotho, the southern most point in Africa, Cape Agulhas and the most southwestern point, Cape Point. I wonder what the lowest point in Africa is. (I know, bad grammar, but I’m beyond that point.) Laird, being the intepid tourist he is, climbed up all the quite steep ladders to get to the top of the Cape Agulhas lighthouse — stupidly, none of us was outside when he got there and wanted to wave at us, so we didn’t get a picture of him. But he did do it. He is the only one who earned his certificate. I bought one for all of us because I thought it only said we’d been to the southernmost point of Africa; instead, Noekie, Marita and I had to cross out the part about climbing to the top of the lighthouse and say only that we had been there.
YEA, NOEKIE for driving us all over the show and for using her time share points or whatever it is for our place in Cape Town. Ahhhh, a cleaning woman who washes all the dishes from the day before — it can’t get any better than that.
It was rainy and cool coming back, but now it is COLD. The apartments have no heat since they are mostly rented out in the summer, and we have a heater, but I have on heavy socks, long pants, shirt and jacket and two scarves. It’s still cold. It’s supposed to warm up tomorrow. I sure hope so, because we don’t have much time left. Only two weeks and we have to fly home. Damn.
OK, short break while we had a delicious lunch of onion boerewors and roasted vegetables. Dessert of pudding with brandy-cooked apricots. Wine? Really, do you need to ask? So, there goes the afternoon! Marita is such a wonderful cook — we are going to be so fat when we leave, we might have to buy extra seats on the airplane! Laird bought the charcoal and sausages to do a braai, but it is way too cold outside for that. As usual, Marita to the rescue.
I got some lovely presents in Cape Town, and I got myself the most beautiful beaded rooster — baie lekker! Everyone who sees it will swoon, will want it, I tell you.
Tomorrow, I’m so happy to have another treatment with Corina, the miracle worker while Marita goes to the dentist, then we need to go by Hein’s shop, the African crafts workshop, to see if he is willing to ship the 40 pound leopard statue in leopard stone that Laird bought, and for me to buy more presents for y’all, and me. Theodore and Sia, I think I shall start you on your lifetime collecting of art, with wonderful folk art. How’s that? I hope it will make you happy. You can’t have the grandmothers and mother you have without becoming fervent art lovers! I sure hope it is warmer — did I tell you how cold it is?
Hope you will all have a wonderful Sunday — ours is already in the afternoon. Marita is waiting, quite patiently, to Skype with her grandson Enzo in San Diego for his birthday.
Oh, and I have learned two new words that I’m sure will hold me in good stead. All the politicians talk about something being done timeously. It’s used in all the newspapers we read. I don’t think it’s Afrikaans. I assume it means timely. The other, my favorite, maybe so far, is snotklaap — the name for slapping someone so hard snot flies out their nose. I’m changing my desired vocation from designated slapper to designated snotklaaper!
lairdandjonelle 
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