Hout Bay

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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

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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…

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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.

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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

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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

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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

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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.

Summertime… and the living is easy

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So were off to the southern hemisphere, don’t hate me because I get to have 2 summers this year… And this means that there’s going to be a little bit less blogging action going on for the next month. I have lined up a few more travel posts and will try to put up a few pictures during the holiday but its all going to be a bit random around here for a while. But random is good, and there will be more South Africa on this blog than any of you can handle when I’m back in freezing Europe!…

Foz do Lizandro

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Foz do Lizandro is one of the many beaches on the Ericeira strip of coastline, but it is my favourite for various reasons, the most important being that it is the closest one to my house… I’m lazy like that. It’s long, a good surf spot, generally never full of people, has a river mouth and is also the home of Zé Pequenos favourite girlfriend, Tosca. The fact that she is much bigger than him has never put him off and he has had a huge crush on her ever since he was a little puppy.