Last night in the Mother City

All good things come to an end, so they say… And our trip to Cape Town was incredibly good, so I guess the better it is, the faster it goes. It was bitter-sweet to leave, but it wasn’t goodbye… we will be back. This was our last night here, these photos taken at Derdesteen beach on the west coast.

A bit of random Cape Town

Albert Rd, Woodstock – 2011 Long Street, Cape Town – 2011 Full moon rise seen from Signal Hill – 2010

Hout Bay

So it appears I have an obsession with fishing villages… yet another subject added to the long list of things I already covet and obsess over. Also on the Cape Peninsula, but unlike Kalk Bay, Hout Bay is on the Atlantic coast on the other side of the mountain. This town is also the home of the best fish and chips in the entire world. And while I know that this is a huge statement to make (and one that could very likely start a war) but my Portuguese husband can vouch for the complete deliciousness ( I know it’s…

Kalk Bay

Kalk Bay is a small seaside town on the False Bay coast of the Cape Peninsula. Populated mostly by hippies, fishermen, vegetarians and homeless people… with a sprinkling of the hip young crowd seeking solace from the big city… it’s the kind of place where anything goes, really. The vibe is vintage bohemian and could very easily turn into one of those authentic towns ruined by the noveau-riche but luckily for us all the working harbour (and the homeless shelter) ensures that there are still normal people living here… well, I guess normal is relative here in Kalk Bay.

Return to the Motherland…

Christmas in the southern hemisphere is quite the different event in comparison to our friends up north. Christmas time is summer time, beach, picnics and surfing, and this year was no exception. There are those (perhaps with fond memories of white Christmases) who insist on doing the traditional dinner with course after course of rich, hot, steaming food but my family has thankfully never had any such delusions of “Northern Hemispherity”. Ours was an African Christmas, we made a fish braai (barbeque), drank beer, sat in the sun and went to the beach, not particularly in that order. Now that’s…

Back to the real world.

Its true when they say “time flies when your having fun”… seems like just yesterday I was manically packing, wedding planning and writing multiple posts to keep my blog from dying of boredom while I was away. But in spite of the return to winter and the imminent hibernation of my beautiful tan I am happy to be back with my dog snuggled up next to me and the prospect of a brand new year with a new set of exciting events and challenges ahead. Also, if you have been living under a rock for the last few months you…

Surf Central – Ribeira d’Ilhas

Ericeira is known for the multitude of different surf spots, each with their own characteristics and level of difficulty. Possibly the most famous of these beaches is Ribeira d’Ilhas, which recently hosted the Quiksilver Pro Portugal 2010. This is a beach to see and be seen, and in summer is packed with surfers and gorgeous girls wearing hardly anything. Obviously everyone is only there for the waves… It’s typically a sand and reef point break that changes dramatically from high to low tide and with swell direction. In general it is a fat slow wave that is easy to surf…

Vila Nova de Milfontes

A little while ago I took a (long) drive down south to the Costa Vicentina, with Zé Pequeno in tow of course. This was the first time I had driven so far on my own (on the wrong side of the road!!) and am still quite relieved that I made it home again in one piece… but that’s a story for another day. But we didn’t drive all that way just to take a walk on the beach… the reason for the trip was to photograph Quinta do Monte, a beautiful home on the banks of a river available for…

Venice

Venice! The fabled city of water, the city of romance and history… the city that spins her webs and draws you in with the whispers of mystery and intrigue… Well, yes. But it’s also a city overflowing with people, and not too many of them are Venetian. Venice is beautiful, without a doubt, but to really feel the essence of the place, like anywhere famous, you need to avoid the touristy areas and just go and get lost… literally. That’s when you find the true Venice, the city of history and romance.