Category Archives: Olives

Wellington Wine Walk far more than about wine, about olives, gin and Buchu too – Day 1

 

Last week my school friend Jenny Stephens and I spent two days on the Wellington Wine Walk, a guiding service offered by school friend Elaine Wegelin and her colleagues Katrin Steytler, and Carol-Ann Jeffrey.

Jenny, Elaine, and I grew up in Wellington, and sat on the same school benches at three Wellington schools. Having left Wellington after Matric 50 years ago, it was not just an eating and drinking adventure, but it was a catch-up of how our hometown has grown and developed in this time. Continue reading →

Corona Virus: Lockdown Journey Journal, Day 47 of Level 1, 6 November 2020.

 

Friday 6 November 2020, Day 47 of Level 1, Day 225 of Lockdown 😷

Corona Gratitude 🙏

#Grateful for the huge amount of rain that has fallen today, in Cape Town as well as here in Wellington, excellent for the new vines that have just been planted; for the fabulous flexibility of our Wellington Wine Walk hosts for keeping us dry, in shuttling us to all our stops today, as it poured non-stop; for the entertaining and educational tastings of Buchu, Olive oil, and Wines at various stops in Wellington; for our cosy accommodation at Dunstone wine estate; for a good dinner at the Dunstone restaurant; for a warm bed; for the confirmation of the Carte Blanche interview with Carte Blanche presenter Derek Watts happening at my home next week; and for being happy and healthy. 🙏💙 Continue reading →

Corona Virus: Lockdown Journey Journal, Day 46 of Level 1, 5 November 2020.

 

Thursday 5 November 2020, Day 46 of Level 1, Day 224 of Lockdown 😷

Corona Gratitude 🙏

#Grateful for a warm windy day, ahead of a wet weekend; for an early start, joining Brian Van Hansen on a visit to The Beach House in Hout Bay for breakfast while Brian shot photographs for the guest house website; for meeting The Beach House owner Sylvie Wrankmore, proudly showing me her rooms, and her fabulous vegetable garden; for sitting with Brian to select the best pics of our shoot on Tuesday; for a quick walk to Bakoven; for a short and sweet client meeting; for fetching Jenny Stephens and driving to Wellington, where we left our car, and were fetched by Elaine Wegelin, school classmate and Tour Guide on our Wellington Wine Walk, with whom we have had anxious discussions about the forecast weekend rain over the past few days; for our lovely accommodation at Cascade Manor outside Paarl, with an olive oil tasting, followed by dinner with other walkers in our group; and for being happy and healthy. 🙏💙 Continue reading →

Corona Virus: Lockdown Journey Journal, Day 30 of Level 2, 16 September 2020.;

 

Wednesday 16 September 2020, Day 30 of Level 2, Day 174 of Lockdown 😷

Corona Gratitude 🙏

#Grateful for another rainy day, not too cold at 16C; for giving myself this morning off, a rare treat, meeting Isabella Niehaus for coffee/tea and a treat at Manna Epicure, personally looked after by owner Agnes Renault; for a special lunch at the brand new Oxalis Restaurant, which is owned by four former female staff of Janse & Co; for a productive afternoon writing replies to lost baggage and flight cancellation customer complaints, the first in German and the second in English, for a potential airline call centre job application; for a longer call to my Alex, doing better and better career-wise; for a walk through Camps Bay, a refreshing break after being indoors all day; for two Discovery Gameboard plays making 330 Miles; for Discovery Cashbacks for Healthy Food purchases and for one-third back on the Adidas shoes I bought at Sportsman’s Warehouse last month; for the interest rate remaining unchanged; and for being much happier and healthy today. 🙏💙 Continue reading →