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One mother's journey to find a house swop on Facebook – the ins and outs, pros and cons

We recently found someone with whom we are swopping houses. Or, as she puts it, swopping lives. Because when you move into someone else's home, use their car, feed their cat, flick through their photo albums on a rainy day, stock their fridge with your food, and sleep in their beds, then you've practically taken on their lives, haven't you?

I'm not a fan of Facebook. I intensely dislike the compulsion I act under to check FB at least three times a morning to see who is saying what. I cringe when I get friend requests from people I have gratefully forgotten in twenty years and, even if I had fleetingly entertained a thought about them, certainly wouldn't re-befriend, and I really must untick the tick box that allows FB to flood my inbox with countless updates on who just said what on someone else's profile, simply because on a whim I thought what they said last Tuesday was funny, and liked it.

Love it or hate it, FB is here to stay. For a while at least. Which is why I decided to test out its capacity to work for me for a change, and to see if it was all it is cut out to be.

Gumtree — No go

My aim: to find a house swop in the Lowveld so that we could travel there for the three weeks of the June/July school holidays. Why? Well, I'm a travel writer and staying in different places is what I do. But also because we've not been to Mpumalanga and it seemed like a really good idea. And we were going for long enough that staying in accommodation in the Lowveld was not an option.

To up my chances of finding the right person, because I never doubted for a moment that someone with a similar lifestyle and the burning urge to experience Cape Town during winter was out there, I placed a classifieds advert in a local paper called the Lowvelder, which cost me about R120. The consultant I corresponded with via email, however, stuck the advert where she thought it should best go – in the 'houses for sale' section.

Remarkably, I did get one response from this advert. But it did not amount to much. Gumtree, the other logical website on which to advertise, doesn't have a Lowveld section, and letting my 'friends' on FB know about my need might have produced a couple of 'likes' but nothing concrete.

With only about a month to go before the holiday started, I decide to give FB adverts a whirl. I set up a new page on FB on which I place a description of the house, the dates I need a house swop, the location I want, and pictures of the house and garden so that whoever responds to the advert can see at a glance what they are getting out of the deal.

Choosing which section to put the page in had me going for a while, but I finally selected travel/leisure. Once the page was up and I'd posted my first wall post and lots of info and photos, I pursued the button advert by clicking on 'promote with an advert' (FB makes it very easy for you).

Facebook Ads

This is where FaceBook distinguishes itself. You can select exactly to which age group, gender, and geographical area (right down to the cities or towns you are considering, so I could choose White River, Nelpsruit, Barberton) you want your advert to reveal itself. It is no good wasting time advertising a house swop to 18 year olds, whose parents would no doubt be delighted at the prospect of going to Cape Town because their teenager likes the idea. You could advertise to the 3,664,600 people in South Africa, age 18 and older, who are not already friends of your page, but you're paying per click, so you don't want to waste them.

You can also then set your campaign budget, all in dollars or pounds, or whatever currency other than Rands you want to work in. I set a low daily budget and a maximum bid per click that was a lot lower than the suggested bid (you don't need to feel intimidated by the suggested bid, as it is usually higher than you actually end up paying), chose the schedule of the campaign (the start and finish dates) and put in my credit card details. Done.

Of course, of the 17, 340 people to whom I finally end up displaying my advert, only a small percentage are 'active' users. But we were pleasantly surprised at the number of times the advert was displayed every day. And we ended up paying less than our bid per click. It cost me around R145 a week to place the advert, and we ran it for 2 weeks. At the end of it I had 40 friends (interestingly I keep getting friends even though the advert has long since stopped), but I'd found my house swop!

You soon work out who is serious or not. There were a lot of comments like 'Pity it's for three weeks, or I'd jump at it' that when pushed — 'I'm sure we could find a couple of house swops each for a week, are you still game? Send details' — did not return a response. But *Susan was enthusiastic right from the start and quickly sent me pictures and details. She was booking her flights within the week.

Tweet your ad!

I've yet to go on holiday. That starts tomorrow. But I can tell you, holiday aside, that finding a house swop on FaceBook is a great way to do it. There are international websites on which you can advertise your home. Your intention then is to go overseas and get overseas visitors to stay in your house. And they cost you roughly R350 to place your details. FB cost us less than R300. And we had control over who saw the advert and when it was displayed.

*Names have been changed to protect identities.

If a house-swap is not your thing, browse the South Africa Accommodation pages on SA-Venues.com. Everything from luxury hotels, guest houses and self catering accommodation is available at both reasonable and luxury rates. Whether you are planning a luxury vacation to South Africa or backpacking from region to region, South Africa offers a range of accommodation options to suit every budget and travelling style.

Useful Links

• South Africa Attractions
• Things to Do in South Africa
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• South Africa Accommodation

Wolves Café

Wolves Café in Illovo, Johannesburg, is the brainchild of three friends and creatives, and is undoubtedly one of the hippest hangouts in the city. One of the talented owners, Angie Batis, is not only the stellar creative force behind a popular blog as well as the Creative Head of a well-known ad agency; she also bakes the coolest cupcakes and delectables for Wolves. Co-owner and husband, Shane Durrant, is the lead singer of popular local band, ‘Desmond and the Tutus,’ and together with a friend, they create the magic that Wolves is known for.

Furnished eclectically with mismatching vintage chairs around antique wooden tables, bunting, original illustrations and retro accents; the atmosphere at Wolves is fun, artsy and welcoming. Everything is served on original vintage crockery, which Angie collected for months before opening Wolves, perfectly complimenting the café style food and 1950’s influenced baking.

Wolves Café

I asked Angie whether she could tell us more about what her regulars love on the menu. She told me that her patrons love their rump steak rolls (with balsamic onions, cherry tomatoes, rocket and mustard-mayo) and their Red Velvet cake the most. According to Angie, their Hummingbird Cake with pineapple, banana, cinnamon and pecan nuts with cream cheese icing is also proving popular and she says that she sometimes drives from work to Wolves during lunch to have a slice. It goes without saying that the cupcakes at Wolves are always unforgettable thanks to Angie toiling over her fancy KitchenAid mixer all night after work and baking them for the next morning. Wolves is also open on Thursday and Friday nights, when they serve &union beer and revel to the sounds of live folk bands and DJ's.

The sweet café is always buzzing with creative types, who pop in with their laptops (thanks to the free Wi-Fi) or meet with friends over a delectable slice of cake. Everyone’s favourite destination on a weekend morning, Wolves bursts at the seams with vintage clad boys and girls arriving on vintage bicycles.

Wolves Café

Not only do they offer delicious food, excellent coffee and artisan beer, Wolves also stocks locally handmade jewellery, ceramics, music and Frankie magazines. They somehow manage to draw all these elements together perfectly to create their unique (and quite possibly addictive) atmosphere.

The website explains: ‘We are a little spot in Illovo that loves to make people happy. We make awesome coffee, awesome cake, we sell awesome art and goodies and we’re really good at using the word awesome. So if you are looking for a place that will have you talking about cake and coffee in your sleep, then swing past and come say Hello Hi. We’re open 7 days a week.’

Keep an eye on the Wolves blog http://www.wolves.co.za and follow them on twitter @wolvescafe to keep up-to-date with bands that are playing and other info you’ll love to hear.

Where?
Wolves Café, 3 Corlett Drive, Illovo, Sandton
Telephone: +27 (0)11 447‑2360

Useful Illovo Links:
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Humanearth

Wessel Snyman Creative describes itself as a 'progressive fine art gallery on Bree Street'. I find the building with relative ease, considering I usually have to orientate myself thoroughly on Google maps before venturing into the Cape Town city bowl – I'm such a suburban, I am ashamed to say. When I'm all grown up and finished driving my five-year old from a to b, I'll stay a while in the centre of Cape Town and get to know it better.

But for now I find my way around via a combination of car ticket distributors (what do you call the guys who charge you to park in town – they're not exactly metre maids, now, are they?) and maps on the Internet. I can't do map books, they're too confusing.

Be that as it may, finding Wessel Snyman Creative is not difficult. They're on the lower end of Bree Street, so a quick whip into Strand off Buitengracht, a left into Bree, and a couple of blocks will bring you down opposite the gallery. The right side of the road having been pointed out to me by helpful ticket guy, I ventured up to beautiful wrought iron gate that apparently comes with the building.

Chris, Wessel's assistant in the gallery, greets me at the door and ushers me into the large, roomy space that has a modern and gentle industrial feel about it. Their aim has been to create a gallery that doesn't intimidate and this they have achieved flawlessly. I'm usually hesitant entering galleries – there tends to be an atmosphere that defies my better nature and makes me feel rather gormless. I'm usually awkward and find myself second-guessing my outfit, something I haven't done since I was a teenager – wish I'd worn the orange top, this pink one...

But this place is lovely. There are huge plate glass windows and the building is art deco, if I'm not mistaken. There are a few smatterings of vintage furniture around the beautiful  floor (on reading Wessels' blog http://wesselsnymancreative.blogspot.com/ I appreciate what it took to produce this!) for light relief, which I believe are for sale.

Photographs — Left: The gallery on Bree Street / Centre: Natasha Daniels' sketch / Right: Janet Ranson

Against the far wall rests a piano on which there are numerous frames, for Wessels and Chris also frame in their spare time – they do hand gilded picture frames and bespoke framing, hence the work area around the piano with tools neatly displayed on various hooks. Fashion, jewellery, and bookbinding all make it into the gallery, which they've modelled on the early Guggenheim gallery to include other design media.

I like Wessel's approach. His goal is to have a gallery that has a similar impetus to young artists – to step confidently onto the art scene, intent on adding, if not redefining contemporary art and exhibition practice in South Africa. You can't help but admire someone as young as Wessel, who wants to create platforms specifically for emerging artists. The art scene badly needs it.

I'm here to view Humanearth, a conversation of different art works by Janet Ranson, Isabeau Joubert, Janet Botes, Nastasha Daniels and Danny Shorkend that lines the walls of the gallery until this Saturday, 22 January. Janet Botes sent me an invite but I'd been unable to make the Ecojunki movement's opening.

The aim of the exhibition is to raise awareness of the ways in which we harm the planet and also the ways that we live in harmony with nature; it seeks to explore the theme of human interaction with nature. And the theme that links all the works is the idea of conversation – between humans and the earth, the artist and public and between the artists themselves.

At the heart of Janet Botes' work is her play on trees. She has found that her focus has shifted to what she calls 'land art' – using naturally occurring materials in the landscape to create temporary pieces of art that she then documents in photos. Her baobabs are beautiful and I enjoy the tactile earthiness of her display. Her sketches inspire me as do the works on her website http://www.janetbotes.co.za/ Janet's charcoal and mixed media on paper, which you will see against the window in the display cabinets, too captures something of the industrial in the landscape. The grunge of her charcoal sketches conveys the urban environment.

Photographs — Left: Danny Shorkend / Right: Janet Botes' sketches

The delicacy of Nastasha Daniels' illuminated sketches displayed in lightboxes on the floor of the gallery are pretty and capture something of the fragility of the environment. She sees these as a microcosm exploring human interaction with earth. Throughout these, is a play on language – letters of the alphabet are scattered liberally throughout her work and literally on the floor, which she sees as a 'forced engagement with thoughts of the land'. She is also the curator of the exhibition.

Danny Shorkend, by comparison, is alive with colour – bright, almost garish, and predominantly uses painting in oil and other mixed media. He investigates the question: 'what is matter?', which leads him to contemplate consciousness and the human mind and how these contemplate nature.

He explains that through the 'stuff' of paint, we, the viewer, are led to the energetic quality of matter and, as the paint is organised by the will, a sense of symbolic value is unearthed. He doesn't allow for the difference between consciousness and mind, interestingly, but speaks of the artist as having a 'will'. But I think this is the gist of his exploration – the energy of the mind to materialise form and thus relate to the earth.

Janet Ranson's mixed media works, definitely spring from herself as the focus. It is interesting to see an artist beginning 'at home', so to speak, rather than 'out there'. Her works involve portraits and pictures of her place in the world and are an effort, she says, to understand the patterns of life, her place in it, and how to reverse human destruction of the environment.

When: The exhibition runs only until this Saturday, 22 January 2011.
Where: Wessel Snyman Creative, 17 Bree Street, Cape Town
Times: 10am – 6pm
For more: +27 (0)21 418‑0980

Useful Cape Town Links:
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Zulufadder

“The world is filled with children and adults who need help. I was never terribly concerned by foreign aid work, nor by Africa, says the founder of Zulufadder, Mari Maurstad. “But when you meet with children of whom you had previously only seen pictures, then another room in your heart opens. You then realise that all the energy you use to satisfy unnecessary entertainment, that same power can be used for something so much more rewarding.”

Zulufadder is a children's trust started six years ago to help children marginalised by HIV and AIDS in the rural areas around Eshowe in Zululand. It began when the former Norwegian actress, Mari Maurstad, met Aurelia Mhlongo, whom she calls a 'female version of Nelson Mandela' where she was struggling to feed children soup once a week in the Umlalazi Reserve ...

Zulufadder

Perhaps it takes more than one person. Certainly in this case it took two. Aurelia, who is a retired nurse, initially set up a vegetable seedling nursery in her home. Children wandered across to buy seedlings and one look at their dirty clothes and hungry faces and Aurelia was compelled to do more.

She started by feeding them soup once a month from the local hall. After being joined by white women from the local town, she was able to increase this to weekly. For roughly six years Aurelia continued until Mari happened upon the scene. She promised help and a few months later her friend, Rung Button, a Norwegian-born tour operator and guide arrived from Durban, and Mari got things going from Norway.

Now with financial help from the trust, 1000 children in Umlalazi, with satellites in Simunye, Mandawe Dinizulu, Esiqwaqweni and Mhlatuzana, all receive care.

Zulufadder

Zulufadder is a Norwegian term meaning 'Zulu godparent'. In essence the project allows interested people to become just that – a sponsor to a child – by linking a particular donation (usually $40 a year) to a particular child. The sponsor receives a picture, a brief history, the hopes and dreams of, and updates on, 'their' child, whilst the children each receive school fees, a monthly food parcel, and things like blankets, clothes and medicine if they are ill.

Many of the children are orphans. Their parents the victims of AIDS. The idea of Zulufadder is not to run an orphanage, but to place these orphans in homes so that they remain within their own communities with normal family lives. Around 450 families have taken children in, over and above their own. All of this is funded entirely by individual sponsors. The aim is the physical and emotional support of individual children.

Zulufadder

The relationship of Eshowe with Norway goes back a long way. The town was originally founded by a Norwegian missionary, Ommund Oftebro, in 1861. Subsequent to the founding of the town, another Norwegian, Bishop Hans Schreuder, was the first person to record iSizulu in written form and to translate the Bible into that language. Today most of the funding for Zulufadder comes from Norway.

When the project initially began it sought mainly to give food to the children by way of parcels and feeding schemes. But today, the $40 annual contribution by a sponsor contributes to a whole lot more.

Over and above food children get counselling, medical screening and treatment, education, self-development and sport. There are also day care centres that provide a kindergarten for young children, breakfast and lunch, an after-care for older children, a library and computer facilities, homework supervision, clinics and sport.

Zulufadder

The trust has also helped families with housing. They have built 27 basic homes and repaired another 15 to meet the needs of these families to live in a reasonable state.

Over and above this they have realised that key to helping these children further themselves is to address the local education system. Rural schools in the area have a number of problems that include lack of management, as much as 50% of staff may be unqualified and the remaining staff only partially qualified, schools are in a poor state of repair etc.

The result for children is that they reach high school without a working knowledge of English, meaning that they fail entrance exams for mainstream high schools. Those that do make it are unlikely to pass their matric exams and even more unlikely to achieve entrance into a university or technikon.

Zulufadder

Zulufadder have selected a small primary school in Eshowe, called Gratton, in which they intend investing financially. Its staff and head teacher are fully qualified. A number of children from the Zulufadder project go to school there, even though at the moment this is difficult as transport is a problem.

The idea is that over time the school will receive funding to make major improvements, that more Zulufadder children will attend, and that the school will eventually develop to include a high school. In this way the project sees these children right through their schooling, helping them create jobs and occupations.

WANT TO VISIT?

Stay at InnZululand Guest Lodge — your hosts, Nick and Silvia Phillips are closely associated with the Zulufadder Children’s Trust upliftment project for orphans and vulnerable children in the nearby rural areas and guests can choose to visit the project and experience the warmth and friendship of their Zulu neighbours.

WANT TO CONTRIBUTE?

There are a number of ways you can contribute to the project, if you are interested. Become a sponsor and fund an individual child, contribute to the Education Fund, help build houses, give donations or gifts, or a little extra.

You can read more about Zulufadder here. http://www.zulufadder.no/index.php?page_id=68&lang_id=2
View photos here http://www.facebook.com/group.php?gid=24356578200#!/group.php?gid=24356578200&v=photos
And watch this video — http://il.youtube.com/watch?v=D8HPsHyh4-g

Useful Links:
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Zululand Accommodation
KwaZulu Natal Accommodation

However, one can choose to know more about where one's meat comes from, if you do decide to go for a joint of ham or a chicken. A number of small farms are now producing organic and truly free range meat, sold more often than not at local markets (although Woolworths is known to stock the odd organic chicken, and Wellness Warehouse in Cape Town stocks Spier free range chickens). ...

So it is probably more of a conscientious change of shopping habits than a change in diet that I'm advocating. And hey, if the Americans can celebrate Thanksgiving without the turkey, as many of them did this year, then Christmas in South Africa without a turkey (or meat) can't be that difficult.

Here follows my favourite alternative menu that one can serve up with or without the accompanying meat dish. These are perfect for both midday lunches in the heat of the day, or wonderful late Christmas eve dinners shared with friends, preferably outside al fresco.

Starter — Jamie Oliver's cucumber soup

This is a wonderfully cool starter for warm days. It's a Jamie Oliver recipe that he claims you can eat hot or cold. I've never had cucumber soup hot and am not going to start now, but at least you know you have the option. It also freezes well.

• 1 tblsp butter
• 1 tblsp olive oil
• 150 g onions, chopped
• 2 cloves of garlic
• 100 g potatoes, peeled and chopped (I've done this recipe without the potatoes)
• 3 cucumbers, washed, seeds removed and chopped
• 250 ml veg stock
• 250 ml white wine
• 200 g cream (if serving cold, replace this with double-thick yoghurt)
• 2 tsp salt
• 1 tsp pepper
• 1 tsp marjoram
• 1 tblsp dill
• 2 tsp sweet mustard

Put the butter and olive oil in a pan, let the butter melt. Add the onions, garlic and potato, stir-fry until the onions are glassy. Add the cucumber and stir-fry for two or three minutes. Add the stock, wine and cream and let the soup boil slightly until the potatoes are done. Blend, add all the spices. Stir and wait for for two or three minutes and then check to see if you need additional spice.

Pour into a glass bowl and place in the fridge to cool. Add the yoghurt just before serving and garnish with mint.

Main meal — Antoinette's butternut and vegetable lasagna

This is a recipe I've stolen from a friend of mine. She served it recently when we were on holiday in a large group and it caused something of a sensation. It's tasty, filling, easy to make and the incorporation of cream means it easily qualifies as 'soul food'. Antoinette also sometimes adds corn and cauliflower to the vegetable mix – the choice is yours. The important part about making this dish is that you treat it as a creation. As she says — the dish is a work of art, not a recipe.

• 1 very large butternut (or pumpkin)
• 500 g carrots cut into chunks
• a punnet of mushrooms
• 1 large head of broccoli
• 1 tsp salt
• ½ tsp black pepper
• 1 tbsp butter
• 3 tbsp olive oil
• 3 large onions, sliced
• a pinch of sugar
• 500g lasagna pasta
• ¼ tsp nutmeg
• ¼ cup unsalted butter
• ¼ cup stoneground flour
• 2 cups milk (can use half cream), heated until warm but not boiling
• 1 cup grated Parmesan cheese
• ½ cup grated mozzarella cheese

Preheat the oven to 180°C. Peel the butternut, slice in half and scoop out the seeds. Then cut into 1-inch chunks. Mix in a bowl with the 1 tbsp olive oil, some salt and black pepper, and the nutmeg. Add the carrots. Spread out in a baking tray and roast for 25–30 minutes, turning once or twice, until the butternut is tender. Remove and turn the oven down to 160°.

Whilst the butternut is roasting, heat the butter and olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add the onions and sauté for 1–2 minutes until the onions begin to soften. Add the pinch of sugar and reduce the heat to medium/low, stirring continously until the onions become soft and golden brown. Add the mushrooms until they are soft. Set aside.

Prepare the lasagna sheets according to the package directions. Drain but don't rinse.

In a saucepan heat the butter over a medium heat. Whisk in the flour and cook for 2 minutes. Add the milk (with or without cream) whilst whisking to avoid any lumps. Bring slowly to the boil, reduce the heat to a simmer and let the sauce cook for about 5 minutes. It should coat the back of a spoon.

Antoinette adds coriander pesto and vegetable seasoning to her white sauce to give it that extra something special – it's delicious and makes all the difference.

Choose the baking dish in which you intend baking. Layer onions, mushrooms, broccoli, butternut, carrots, cheese and pasta, holding some of the butternut and carrots back for the top. Sprinkle with grated mozzarella and bake for an hour. Drizzle over honey once it is out of the oven.

Serve with a green side salad that includes rocket, and a tomato and mozzarella cheese salad, with fresh ciabatta on the side.

Dessert — Chocolate truffles

I found this recipe on the joyofbaking.com as I've misplaced my chocolate truffle recipe, but this is very similar, and you can't go wrong with the simple delight of rich mouthfuls of creamy chocolate. I find these better than a rich and creamy dessert, which no-one can handle after two courses, nevermind the conventional Christmas pudding.

Truffles are made with a heady mixture of chocolate, cream and butter, called a ganache, that is then rolled into rounds, said to resemble the truffle fungus that pigs so enjoy in Europe. After they are formed, you roll them in cocoa powder (if you can afford raw cacao, then that is even better, and healthier).

Tip: the better the chocolate you use, the better your truffles.

To make roughly 30 truffles:

• 230 g good quality dark chocolate (70% cocoa is best), cut into small pieces
• 180 ml of double cream
• 2 tbsps unsalted butter
• 2 tbsps alcohol (frangelica, brandy, kirsch, kahlua, rum etc.)
• raw cacao and/or nuts for coating

Place your pieces of chocolate in a stainless steel bowl. Heat the cream and the butter in a small saucepan over medium heat. Don't let it boil, you just want to get it hot enough to melt the butter. Pour this immediately over the chocolate and allow to stand for 5 minutes. Then stir with a whisk until it is smooth. If you want liqueur, add it now (Jamie Oliver suggests adding a pinch of salt at this stage as he claims it makes the chocolate 'taste even chocolatier'). Then cover and place in the fridge until the tuffle mixture is firm – several hours, so it is best to make this the night before.

You'll need to get it out of the fridge roughly half an hour before you intend making the truffles. This recipe advocates using a melon baller or small spoon, but it's far more creative, and places you in touch with your food, to use your hands. Form the chocolate into a round (ball) and then roll in the cacao or cocoa. Place back in the fridge until you need them.

Conversely, follow Jamie's direction and get your guests to roll their own – a really fun way to end a meal. Arrange the chocolate ganache in a bowl, set up little bowls with the cocoa and chopped nuts for rolling, and arrange a little cup with a bit of boiling water in it for the teaspoons. If they're not into rolling and dipping, simply smear the ganash on biscotti! Num.

Merry Christmas!

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@ Temenos

If I could, I would gladly escape the mad over-commercialisation of Christmas this year and opt for time-out in a retreat in the back of beyond. Whilst this isn't possible — I have family commitments — I can provide, for those lucky souls amongst you who can choose from the wonderful options below to head for the hills, a list of retreats that provide a real space for introspection.

Whilst many accommodation options call themselves retreats, the word has come to mean a space away from it all with little to encourage individual exploration and meditation. A retreat in this article means a withdrawing, a retirement or a period of retirement for religious exercise or meditation. Any of the following places will allow you  'time out' and some will even provide guided retreats. Whilst spiritual, none are religion-specific, and everyone is welcome ...

Temenos in McGregor, Western Cape

Temenos, McGregor

Temenos is set in a huge garden, in the midst of the beautiful little country town of McGregor, said to lie on ley lines, which may well be the reason for the sanguine gentleness that permeates this space. Beautiful accommodation options lie ensconsed within the huge gardens, which also include a myriad meditation spaces that allow one simply to 'be'. The sanctuary is there to allow tranquility and to provide you with a sense of peace and well being. A stay there evokes a sense of the monastic, although the only 'rules' are the option to join a daily meditation at 9am and 6pm, and the hourly chimes of the church in the village. If you are even vaguely tired or overstressed then this is where you go for restoration. They also offer regular silent retreats, during which the gardens are closed to the public.

For more http://www.temenos.org.za/sanctuary.html

Bodhi Khaya near Stanford, Western Cape

Bodhi Khaya

Set alongside Grootbos Nature Reserve, just outside Stanford, Bodhi Khaya lies nestled in amongst the hills on a 217 hectare farm. It's a magical space filled with an energy that makes guided visualisation, meditation, nature hikes and labyrinth walks flow with an almost otherwordly ease. Bodhi Khaya works really well for group retreats and for individual quests. Its location right in the hills means that, despite being only minutes from Stanford, one feels completely isolated and away from it all. Accommodation is in gorgeous restored farm buildings and the vegetable garden, labyrinth, pond (complete with lily pads) and easily accessible walking paths make this a perfect place for introspection, meditation and commune with the elements. Daily Ch'i Gung sessions are provided, as are facilitated retreats.

For more http://www.bodhi-khaya.co.za/

The Buddhist Retreat Centre, Ixopo, KwaZulu-Natal

Buddhist Retreat Centre

Perched on a ridge overlooking the Umkomaas River, the view predominantly rolling hills and gorgeously undisturbed valleys, the Buddhist Retreat Centre has provided what they beautifully term a 'sympathetic' space for over 20 years. The beautiful 125 hectare country estate lies near the village of Ixopo, south of Pietermaritzburg and provides a variety of accommodation options and meals for which the centre is famous (the centre has produced a book, Quiet Food). The buildings and environment are exquisite and time spent here on walks, the zen garden, labyrinth and meditation room are restorative in the real sense of the word.

Choose from conducted retreats (daily schedules to achieve the most benefit), self retreats (unstructured) and day visits.

For more http://www.brcixopo.co.za/about.html

The Edge in Hogsback, Eastern Cape

The Ede, Hogsback

Whilst the Edge specialises in weddings, their famous labyrinth and incredible setting (perched on the edge of a gorge with views for miles around) make it a wonderful space in which to escape on a self retreat. The whole of the village of Hogsback set high in the Amatola Mountains has an element of the spiritual about it. The Edge provides a number of accommodation options, a couple of which are perched on the edge of the cliff, around the labyrinth, which people from miles around come to walk. The fifteen acre garden, mountains, gorge and spectacular indigenous forest make for a wonderfully beautiful and tranquil environment and the space is naturally peaceful, spiritual and healing. The wedding function room doubles as a meditation room for larger groups, and overlooks the labyrinth.

For more http://www.theedge-hogsback.co.za

Little Samadhi in Barrydale, Little Karoo

Little Samadhi

This venue offers a more personalised retreat for the individual who wants to nurture body and soul. Little Samadhi, which means bliss or enlightenment, lies perched above the Karoo village of Barrydale, roughly 3 hours' drive from Cape Town. This is a small retreat, offering accommodation for only four people, so focuses on individual yoga retreats,  weekend retreats, detoxifying programmes of between five to ten days and massage. Little Samadhi is a highly nurturing environment where even if you've never done yoga before, you will benefit from time out and the attention of Atma.

Retreats are also aimed at visiting yoga teachers or facilitators and their students and further accommodation can easily be found in Barrydale to accommodate larger groups.

For more http://littlesamadhi.co.za/

Boondocks Mountain Lodge, Kaapmuiden, Mpumalanga

Boondocks, Kaapmuiden

Boondocks is perched on a mountain in Kaapmuiden, overlooking a valley – a perfect place for a retreat centre, offering a natural healing environment, the restorative power of mountain spring water, and a highly original Boondocks labyrinth built next to a stream and used for meditation, transformation and healing. The lodge is gorgeous, beautifully furnished, lovingly nurtured and creatively designed. Throughout the gardens are secluded niches for meditation, whilst absolutely incredible views, an open-air shower, a jacuzzi that gives new meaning to the word and an array of birds make this a wonderful space in which to reflect.

Ann Barr provides Days of Transformation, a facilitated and guided 'game', which helps you uncover your particular question.

For more http://www.boondocks.co.za/transformation.htm

Emoyeni Retreat Centre, Magaliesberg, North West

Emoyeni, Magaliesberg

Lying on the northern slopes of the Magaliesberg Mountains, Emoyeni, meaning 'place of spirit', is a beautiful Bddhist retreat centre and meditation space. Mindfulness and non-harming towards all living beings forms the basis of the retreat's attitude and anyone is welcome to this safe space for the weary. Accommodation is functional but all your needs are met. They offer conducted retreats or you can book yourself in for a self retreat to be done in your own time. The meditation room can seat up to 25 people and three lacto-vegetarian meals are served a day. A New Year retreat is scheduled between the 29^th Dec and 3 Jan for those who want to take time to reflect and meditate, perfect to learn that the New Year is a powerful symbol of impermanence. When there on a self retreat, the centre follows a regular daily pattern that includes lunch at 12.30 and supper at around 18.00. Meditation is at 6.30 and at 19.30 and then there is a Noble Silence until after breakfast the following morning. The rest of the day is yours to walk through the grounds, read material from the library or simply to be. There are also work retreats, where in exchange for gardening, maintenance or cooking, you receive accommodation and meals.

For more http://emoyeni-retreat.com/

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I've put together a list of three such recipes — they're quick, they produce a really tasty meal (usually) and they're from local cook books (well, most of them). If they're not local, then at least they include easily sourced local products ...

The first is one I use all the time. My five-year old son does not eat a lot of things (mothers with young children will know what I mean) and serving up a Roast Tomato Linguini is always met with a 'yay'! I happen to love it too.

Roast Tomato Linguine

from: Harvest – Recipes from an Organic Farm
by Christine Stevens with Russel Wasserfal

If you can, get a copy of this locally produced recipe book. It is so much more than that. Christine Stevens has been farming organically since 2001 and has two sons and a husband to feed from produce she grows on the farm. As she says – 'there is no convenience store just around the corner'. The book also includes a handy section on preserving (the roast tomato sauce below comes from that very section).

Roast Tomato Sauce

• 2kg tomatoes (I sometimes do this in smaller batches)
• 4 garlic cloves, crushed
• 3 tbsp thyme leaves
• 2 tsp salt
• 50 ml olive oil

Halve or quarter the tomatoes and spread them in a baking dish. Sprinkle with all the other ingredients and roast in a pre-heated oven at 200°C or gas mark 5 for 20 minutes. Cool before whizzing in a blender (two whizzes do it). Freeze in individual portions.

• 500g linguine (I often substitute with either spaghetti or penne, or whatever's to hand)
• 300g roast tomato sauce
• 50g parmesan
• salt & pepper

Bring a large pot of well-salted water to the boil, add the linguine, and cook till al dente. In a frying pan heat up your roast tomato sauce. Pour the sauce over your pasta, grate over some fresh parmesan, add some ground black pepper. Supper is served.

Courgette & Chickpea Fritters

from: Sprigs – fresh kitchen inspiration
by Fiona & Clare Ras

Here is a kitchen duo with a difference. They're twins hailing from Kloof in KwaZulu-Natal, and the book, which was printed in 2006, comes inspired by their Kloof food store and lunch venue. It's full of recipes that are worth trying, like their Feta and Peppadew Muffins, Raisin and Rosemary Bread, and Lamb Meatballs in Vine Leaves. But this is one of my particular favourites.

Fritters:

• 500g courgettes
• 1 onion
• 15 ml ground coriander
• 5 ml ground cumin
• 2 garlic cloves
• 200 ml chickpea flour
• 60 ml coriander leaves
• 60 ml sunflower oil (I substitute coconut oil)

Cucumber raita:

• 500 ml full cream plain yoghurt
• 1 English cucumber
• 10 ml mint leaves
• 2 ml ground cumin
• 2 ml cayenne pepper
• salt and black pepper

Tip the yoghurt in a mixing bowl and whisk for two minutes. Seed and finely chop the cucumber and add it to the yoghurt with the chopped mint, cumin, cayenne pepper, salt and pepper. Mix well. To make the fritters, grate the courgettes and mix them with the chopped onion, ground coriander, cumin, crushed garlic, chickpea flour, chopped coriander leaves, salt and pepper. Form into 12 balls. Heat a frying pan and fry the flattened courgette balls in batches for about two minutes on each side. Serve on a platter with the cucumber raita.

Chilled curried apple soup with dried apple rings

from: Recipes from the African Kitchen
by Josie Stow and Jan Baldwin

This cook book fell into my hands in the dead of winter in London. You can imagine the joy at finding a cook book, put together by a chef in her day-to-day life in the bush kitchen she runs on a safari guest farm (she has worked at Makalali and Tswalu). Despite being English-born, Josie Stow's recipes are all African and each has a flavour that is distinctly of this continent. Whilst we couldn't always get our hands on all the ingredients, the meals were a wonderful reminder of home. This recipe particularly is great for summer evenings.

The dried apple rings can prove a little finicky, but worth it. They taste different from those you buy.

For the apple rings:

• 1 granny smith apple

For the soup:

• 15g butter
• 1 onion, chopped
• 1 tbsp mild curry powder
• 1 kg granny smith apples, peeled, cored and chopped
• 1 litre pints chicken stock
• 175 ml single cream
• juice of 1–2 lemons
• salt and pepper

Preheat the oven to 100°C/210°F. Thinly slice the single apple vertically, the thinner the better. Place the apple slices on a wire rack set over a baking tray and place in the oven to dry for about 30 to 60 minutes, until dry. Turn once during cooking. Remove the apple slices from the rack and cool on greaseproof paper. To make the soup, in a saucepan, melt the butter and sweat the onion. Add the curry powder and cook for 1 minute. Add the copped apples, chicken stock and some salt and pepper. Bring the mixture to the boil and simmer covered for about 1 hour. Liquidise the soup , then strain through a sieve and leave to cool. Add the single cream (you could substitute yoghurt) and fresh lemon juice to taste, then adjust the seasoning as necessary. Place soup in the fridge to chill and serve in chilled bowls with the dried slices as a garnish.

And finally, just for fun, and because it's summer and on the way to Christmas, I've thrown in a delicious, perfect for very hot summer evenings dessert. Also from Recipes from the African Kitchen.

Watermelon, mint and vodka sorbet

from: Recipes from the African Kitchen
by Josie Stow and Jan Baldwin

Peppermint is flourishing in our garden at the moment, right next to the borrage, but if you haven't got it, or don't like the particularly sharp taste of peppermint (I'm not that fond of it) then substitute with garden mint. You will need more of it though.

And whilst the recipe calls for an ice cream maker, you can use a food processor (who has an ice cream machine, anyway?) particularly if you're using fruit as the substance.

• 250g caster sugar
• 2 sprigs peppermint
• 750g watermelon, diced
• 3 tbsp vodka
• 1 tbsp fresh lemon juice

Place the sugar in a saucepan with 250ml of water and bring to the boil, stirring to dissolve the sugar. Add the sprigs of peppermint, allow to cool, then chill. Purée the watermelon and pass it through a strainer to remove any pips. Then remove the peppermint from the syrup and add it to the watermelon purée with the vodka and lemon juice. Place the mixture in an ice cream machine and churn until frozen, if you have one.

Otherwise, freeze but check back almost every hour and stir the frozen edges back in. It takes longer to freeze than I thought, but it's delicious.

What's your favourite South African summer recipe? Tell us in the comments below ...

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Heartwood Trees

OK, so here we are a few short weeks to Christmas Day and I haven’t done one stitch of Christmas shopping.  Not only have I not done any Christmas shopping but I also don’t have the faintest idea of what to get my family members.  If anyone else is in my boat then read on because you might be interested in Heartwood Tree Gifting.  I think it’s a genius idea and as Alexander Smith said, ‘Trees are your best antiques.’

Heartwood was founded in 2009 by Jenni Rowe and was created with the idea that small things do count and that gifts should not be instantly forgettable.  A gift can be a sustainable symbol and what better gift than a tree; it’s the gift that keeps on giving!  There are so many wonderful trees: the wise Oak, the peace giving Olive tree and the mournful Weeping Willow.

The idea with Heartwood Trees is that you choose your tree from a selection of indigenous species that include Assegai, Berg Cypress, Cape Ash, Kumquat, Lemon, Mission Olive, Orange, Waterberry, Wild Olive and the Yellowwood.  Prices for the trees range from R320 to R440.  It doesn’t end there though!  Once you’ve selected your tree (which is delivered as a sapling) you can then choose to accessorise your new purchase with wooden butterflies, chameleons, hearts and ladybirds (accessories from R25)!

A gorgeous Port Jackson container is also available (R70).  Accessories can however, be purchased separately, and are carved from unwanted Camphor and Jacaranda trees.

I think a tree makes a wonderful gift – I remember getting a sapling at the end of the Milkwood 21.1km race and was so happy with it.  So much cleverer than getting handed a silly medal and I made my husband dig it up out of the garden when we moved house last month!

So if you think this makes your Christmas shopping easier, give Heartwood Trees a call or visit their website to place your order online. It doesn't get much easier than this!

Contact Details:
Website: www.heartwoodtrees.co.za
Telephone: +27 (0)21 674‑3338.

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Corli Schoeman

Corli Schoeman has been appointed manager of the newly renovated Tswalu Kalahari Spa. Corli comes to Tswalu from the award-winning Pezula Spa & Gym, Knysna, where, as Spa Manager, she headed a team of 25. Previously she managed the Wellness Centre at Marlin Lodge, Mozambique where she introduced a collection of natural, island inspired products and treatments.

“With her international experience and extensive training Corli will provide an outstanding spa experience to guests, individualised to exceed expectations,” says Tswalu MD, Russel Binks. “I’m pleased that she has joined us at the same time as we have completed our outdoor treatment area and indigenous spa garden to expand the spa and offer guests another dimension to the experience.”

Tswalu Kalahari Spa is now a combination of sensual spaces which combine to create an inspirational venue for what must be one of the most unusual spa experiences in Africa.

Designed to enhance the natural beauty of the Kalahari and take advantage of the superb climate, the outdoor treatment area is within an indigenous spa garden where guests may find the occasional antelope grazing alongside them and be lulled into a deep state of relaxation by the sound of birdsong.

Surrounded by endless blue skies and the unique vegetation of the Green Kalahari, guests who indulge in the authentic signature massages performed by local therapists, will discover the Spa’s ethos of “closer to the land, closer to the people.”

The indoor spa area is a natural extension of the earth, inspired by nature and the splendour of the Kalahari, with natural finishes and fabrics and simple spaces which together create a sense of tranquility and barefoot elegance.

Guests may also choose to have their treatments at an outdoor tsala, where a rustic structure protects one from the elements and is positioned to give a bird’s eye view of the open grasslands of the reserve against the backdrop of the Korannaberg Mountain range.

Treatments at Tswalu Spa include exfoliation treatments using fine red Kalahari dune sand or desert mineral crystals from the natural mineral rich salt pans of the Kalahari, infused with plant-based emollient rich aromatic oils.

For more information about Tswalu see:
Tswalu Kalahari Reserve

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South Africa’s Game Reserves

This was part of The JAG Foundation’s Big Boy Scooterthon (15–21 November), which saw three Provincial Super 15 Players, Nick Koster, Tiger Bax and Tim Whitehead, travelling 1000 kms from Cape Town to Pezula and back on Big Boy scooters. Along the way they stopped to host four coaching clinics for previously disadvantaged kids.

Photograph: Scrumming with Nick Koster, Tiger Bax, Tim Whitehead and Levi Odendaal

The ultimate goal of the seven day trip is to raise money for JAG Rugby, part of the JAG Foundation, which inspires South Africa’s disadvantaged children to build a positive future for themselves, their families and their communities, by encouraging them to participate in various sport-related programmes.

Former provincial rugby and cricket player Evert Ferreira from Prosport International who managed and hosted the event said that all too often sport stars’ diaries don’t allow time for good causes and giving back to the community. “These guys are bucking the trend early in their careers by taking the time and making the effort.  This road trip put smiles on the faces of dozens of children along their route.”

At Pezula children from Sunridge, Hornlee, Sedgefield and Tembelitsha Primary schools were first given a scooter ride by their heroes and then put through the ropes of scrumming, passing and catching the ball, tackling and lineouts.

Afterwards they enjoyed hot dogs and refreshments provided by Pezula Resort Hotel & Spa. General Manager Boris Bornman said this was a great way for Pezula to give back to the local Knysna community. "These kids will never forget this experience, and we are delighted to have been part of it."

Pezula Resort Hotel & Spa:
Visit Pezula Resort Hotel & Spa / Rates & Bookings
Contact: Natalie Bright and Claire Fish, Tel: +27 (0)44 302‑3333

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SA's Got Talent

SA's Got Talent Top Three to perforn at Cavendish Square on Saturday 13 November at 13h00: Cape Town really proved that they have talent at the finals of SA’S GOT TALENT last week with the top three and winner all hailing from the Mother City. Cavendish Square has organised a heroes welcome for Cape Town’s top talent, and ALL of the top three will perform at the Centre Court next Saturday 13 November from 13h00.

Performing will be winner, James Bhemgee — a former street sweeper and unemployed tenor, runner-up, Constable Madalene Abrahams – a local policewoman and third placed group, Limited Drum Corps, who also come from very humble backgrounds and had to borrow drums for their show stopping performance ...

Facebook fans have dubbed Bhemjee as “South Africa’s own Susan Boyle – only better” and South Africa was reduced to tears when the 45 year old former street sweeper and unemployed tenor James Bhemgee won SA’s Got Talent on SABC 2. Bhemjee won R250 000.

SA's Got Talent

Bhemjee beat fellow Capetonian vocalist and policewoman, Madalene Abrahams (32) who came second, with The Limited Drum Corps coming third making it a 1,2,3  for Cape Town.  Bhemjee was first “discovered” on the streets of Cape Town by a woman who overheard him singing whilst he was working as a street sweeper.  She was so impressed that she paid for Bhemgee to have vocal lessons and today he performs with the group, the Cape Flats Tenors, but until now, was waiting for his big break.

Runner up, Constable Madalene Abrahams, sang her way into second place with a near perfect performance of Whitney Houston’s “I Will Always Love You.” By day a policewoman, the transformation tonight into glamorous diva left the audience speechless.

The three judges had no say in last week’s grand finale and it was purely based on public votes. But they did have a lot to say about Bhemjee’s win: “You are so humble but blessed with a stunning talent” said Ian von Memerty; “You are natural and proved there is no need to show off” commented Randall Abrahams; with Shado Twala telling him that he could “perform anywhere in the world.” Shado Twala also added that “Cape Town’s proved that they’ve REALLY got talent!”

SA's Got Talent

Join Cavendish Square in welcoming the top three home next Saturday 13 November at 13h00 at Cavendish Square Centre Court in Claremont.  The event is FREE of CHARGE.

An ideal position to watch the proceeding is at Col’Cacchio’s pizzeria in Cavendish Square.
Call them on 021–674 6387 to reserve a table.

For further information go to Cavendish Square’s Facebook fan page where you’ll also find details of exciting competitions and retailer specials, or call Cavendish Square on 021 657 5600.

SA's Got Talent Website: http://www.sasgottalent.co.za/

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Creature from Planet X

The final lecture in the GIPCA Great Texts / Big Questions series will be held at UCT’s Hiddingh Hall at 5pm on Thursday, October 28^th.  Entitled ‘The Creature from Planet X: an anatomist looks at science fiction’, Professor Alan Morris of the University of Cape Towns Department of Human Biology will give a lecture exploring how science fiction movies (think Avatar) paint a picture of what is a very possible reality.

Professor Morris who practices as a professional archaeologist in the excavation of human remains describes himself as a ‘self-confessed science fiction special effects junky’.  The movie Avatar had a huge effect on Prof Morris because the ‘writer and director of the movie not only created a world of weird creatures but obeyed the laws of comparative anatomy’.

In his lecture Professor Morris will examine the rules of comparative anatomy and how they make an imaginary world come alive.  He says we have yet to discover another planet with life on it but when we do it is likely that we will be able to predict the pattern of that life.  According to Professor Morris the best of science fiction recognises this and paints us a picture of possible reality, not just glitzy monsters.

Morris has published extensively on the origin of anatomically modern humans and the Later Stone Age, Iron Age and historic populations of Malawi, Namibia and South Africa.  He has also published on the history of race classification and of physical anthropology in South Africa and on the Canadian involvement in the Anglo-Boer War.  He has been an advisor to the Departments of Forensic Medicine at the Universities of Cape Town and Stellenbosch in cases where only osteological remains are present and the identification of the individual is uncertain.

Where & Where?
Hiddingh Hall, UCT, Rondebosch, Cape Town
This lecture is free of charge and is open to the public.

Contact:
Please call +27 (0)21 480‑7156 if you require additional information.

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Duran Duran

You’ve got their cd, you’ve listened to them on the radio and heck you probably have a couple mixed tapes with them on it stuffed in the back of your cupboard, but now you can see them live! Duran Duran rocked us through the 80’s and early 90’s and now the original band members, Nick Rhodes, Simon Le Bon, John Taylor and Roger Taylor will be in South Africa from 7–12 December 2010.

Not only will this be a treat but South African guitarist and singer-songwriter Arno Carstens will be on stage as a special guest artist ...

Duran Duran had over 14 singles make it to the top ten of the UK Single’s Chart and most definitely was one of the biggest bands in the 1980’s. I’m sure you remember some of these hits “Lay Lady Lay”, “The Wild Boys” and one of my favourites “Ordinary World”. Won’t it take you back to a different place and time to hear these songs sung live by the legends themselves?

With five shows planned in three cities you have no excuse not to be there!

When & Where:
The performances kick off in Durban at the ICC on 7 December, the band then heads into Johannesburg for two performances on 8 and 9 December at the Big Top at Carnival City. The tour finishes up in Cape Town at the Grand Arena at GrandWest on 11 and 12 December.

This isn’t the first time that the band has played in South Africa, their first performance was 17 years ago in 1993 and they were one of the first international bands to perform in the country after the end of Apartheid.

Their music spans three decades and is a unique blend of pop, art and fashion with a debut album in 1981, entitled “Planet Earth” spending an impressive 118 weeks (that is over two years) on the charts. Their music is exciting and catchy and somewhere you have a Duran Duran classic beating in your heart.

Come and watch this 80’s phenomenal band that has certainly been a part of your life this December – be a part of the Wild Boys and rock your socks off!

Tickets & Bookings:
Tickets can be bought from Computicket and range from R350 to R600 per person, the higher price is for golden circle so you can really get up close and personal with the groupies.
Telephone Computicket on +27 (0)83 915‑8000 for more details or bookings.

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The episode shows Geoffrey Murray and his team with Justin in Zachary’s kitchen at Pezula Resort Hotel & Spa in Knysna, preparing and cooking some of the dishes from Zachary’s menu, including seed loaf, green tomato relish, octopus carpaccio and salami.

The focus of the series is to show how Justin, who has made his name cooking in the outdoors, copes with working in a formal kitchen.

After three seasons of Cooked, and having published the first Cooked in Africa cookbook, Justin will be seen cooking in top haute-cuisine styled eateries and family restaurants where he attempts to master or at least gain insight into a smorgasbord of cooking styles from around the globe.

Says Justin: “I’m not a chef, I´m just an ordinary guy with a passion for life, food, the great outdoors and being with people I really like. I started doing Cooked with the thought, why not do a programme that combines all of these and now here I am working alongside these amazing chefs in Cooked season IV”.

Geoffrey Murray said that having Justin in his kitchen was an absolute pleasure.  “He really enjoys food, always had lots of questions and wasn’t afraid to jump right in. With his personality and passion for food I can’t imagine that there are many places that he wouldn’t fit in.”

This exciting new series sees Justin visiting Zachary’s at Pezula and another 12 professional kitchens, sharing centre stage with the chefs and learning their secrets.

Cooked Season IV – Out of the Frying Pan premiers on BBC Lifestyle from 1 October 2010 at 8.25pm!

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Angel Fish Braai

Braai Day is an active celebration of South Africa's rich cultural heritage and its unique national pastime, the braai (our version of the Barbecue!).

Ahead of National Braai Day coming up this Friday 24th September, we are delighted to have received this mouth-watering recipe for Angel Fish to prepare on the braai for those of us that prefer fish to meat! Sue-Ann Allen's creation suggested for fish-lovers, Angel Fish basted in an Apricot Jam and Chilli Dill Butter Sauce — served with Asparagus and flash grilled Vine Tomatos, sounds both healthy and delicious!

What you will need per serving:

• A 200gram good quality fillet of Angel Fish
• 1 Tbsp Apricot Jam
• 1 Tbsp Butter
• 1 Tsp Crushed Chillis (the ready crushed variety from Woolies is ideal)
• A handful of fresh chopped dill (the dried variety will not do this time)
• 8 Asparagus tips
• 8 Small blushing tomatos still on the vine
• Crushed salt and pepper to taste
• 1 Lime

What to do:

• In a small bowl combine the Jam, butter, chilli and dill and mix to a paste, transfer to a heavy based pan and melt over medium heat for approximately 2–3 minutes, the butter should be melted and the jam syrupy...

• Place the fillet on a double layer of heavy duty foil (at least 30x30cm's square) and season with salt and pepper.

• Drizzle the sauce over the fillet and immediatelygather the corners of the foil together to form a parcel.

• Hopefully the coals have been lovingly tendered to and are somewhere between hot and medium (you should be able to hold you hands about 10cm's above the grid for 5 seconds without burning them ...

• Place the fish parcel on the coals, and start to savour the delicious smell! Leave for about 20 minutes or until cooked to your liking... but whilst this is happening, back to the kitchen for the final touches...

• Brush the Asparagus  and Vine tomatos with Olive Oil and season with salt and pepper, finish with a squeeze of fresh lime and place under a hot grill and watch carefully until the skins of the tomatos burst and the juice just starts to sizzle out, give it a quick turn and replace under grill for a further 30 seconds, remove and let it rest whilst carefully opening the fish parcels (make sure to open carefully — steam burn is not fun)

• Place all ingredients on a wooden serving board (leaving the fish in the foil to catch all the juice), garnish with some more fresh lime and serve with a glass of chilled bubbly...

Healthy and delicious... YUM!

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Dassiesfontein

Dassiesfontein is a smorgasbord of THINGS. We're talking room after room of this and that – from antique furniture through kitchen plates, clothing and shoes, to Victorian fireplaces. The venue is a veritable collector's dream of kitsch and paraphenalia, so set aside at least an hour for your stop at this farmstall.

We piled out of the car, now desperate for a breather, to stretch legs and maybe pick up a quick munch while we were at it. Immediately I sense that this farmstall is not like any of the others we have visited on the N2 (and there are numerous between Cape Town and Caledon).

Outside looks a little like a ramshackle farm yard. There are chickens doing their thing, strutting around the car park as happy as muck, whilst a little further along various farm implements and a lot of what looks like aluminium pipes stand higgledy piggledy to one side.

Inside the farm store Tina and Francina are busy baking bread. The huge farmstyle brown bread dough stands in a large mixing bowl, whilst several tins stand rising above the old farmstyle oven – dinkum, I think it's a regte egte Dover. Another series of breads have already made their way out of the oven and infuse the little room crammed with anything from bokkoms to jams, rusks and dried fruit with the pungence of yeast bread. Dassiesfontein grind their own flour and these loaves of farm bread are famous. You can also pick up a bag of their flour here too.

I should warn you that they also bake pies that are seriously good, so don't have your lunch beforehand. I am not a pie fan – I think I've eaten one in my life — but these were worth sampling. It helped that someone else was intent on buying up the entire supply. Amazing what a little bit of competition does to compel one into a buying frenzy. We bought two immediately, just in case we missed out.

There is nothing so comforting as the smell of baking bread. However, it does nothing to lessen the effects of tetchy whining from my son, who takes it into his head to whinge for a chocolate when I've already laid down the law in the car about what he can and can't have! We find ourselves outside having a typical mother-wee-son confrontation just as another group of people arrive – spare me these debilitating whatkindofmotherisshe  moments!

Back in the farm store, son safely ensconced with Dad, I head further into the Aladdin's cave – for there is no other way to describe how the rooms just seems to merge one into another. The store becomes a restaurant area overhung with light fittings. I pass through an area so dense with glass wear and crockery that it is difficult to take note of everything, and I can imagine that given the time, one could pick up some real gems here. I overhear Francina managing someone on the phone who wants to book a table. It seems the place is so popular that they only operate a first-come-first-served basis.

In the centre of the rather dark room I enter is the restaurant. Pretty wooden chairs and tables dominate the room, but surrounding them are stands filled with clothing and jewellery as well as a selection of candelabra that make the pulse begin to race (I feel the start of a secret fetish coming on). Overhead hang an endless supply of woven baskets and one wall is covered in second-hand books. To one side stands a chalk board filled with a list of local wines, which is why many people stop here, whilst the far wall is lined with an eclectic and attractive array of gift boxes.

The restaurant serves traditional boerekos, seven days a week. The portions are larger than large and include Sunday lunches that are three course affairs – goodness knows, you better hope your destination is not too far from here, or you'll fall asleep at the wheel after such a meal.

Down yet another corridor, this one lined with a series of fireplace implements, fresh flowers and a lot of bric-a-brac; I pass the dairy. I don't trust myself in here as I am a cheese addict, and we already have some delectable items in our boot. But here you will find milk, yoghurt, fruit juice and a range of cheeses. The dairy guarantees that its milk is hormone and additive free, all their milk is sourced from cows that range freely, and all of their cheese is locally produced.

On still further one enters a series of little shops, their shelves lined with things like vases, watering cans, coat hooks and spice racks, followed by a leather shoe and handbag area that would hold the attention of the average woman for at least half an hour. Home made women's bohemian style clothes, felt handbags and decorative items, and a little dressing room finally complete the picture. This part of the farmstore is known as the boutique and includes vintage clothing, jewellery and beauty products.

Other bits and bobs you can pick up here include a fine selection of coal and wood stoves. In fact Dassiesfontein specialise in a collection of cast iron wood stoves that are practical and beautiful to look at. Their antique section is a collection of old kitchen utensils, enamel ware, tins, porcelain dolls, garden tools and Africana books, pictures and furniture. They also restore old furniture if you are interested.

We fall out of the farmstall having undergone something of an experience. As we leave, we spot a field to the left of the stall where there is an assortment of donkeys, great for children to pet and feed – make a note, in case you stop here too.

Address:
Dassiesfontein Farmstall on the N2 between Botriver and Caledon, Overberg, Western Cape

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SA-Venues Blog in Top 10

If you appreciate our blog, we would really appreciate your Vote! To vote for us to win the Best SA Blog Award in the TRAVEL category ... PLEASE Click here to VOTE for us! Please! (Once you click on that link you will need to scroll down and enter your e-mail address so that they can confirm your vote). And if you REALLY like us, you can even vote for us more than once! (You can vote once every 24 hours)!

We are incredibly proud and excited that the SA-Venues.com Blog has made it into the finalists of the Top 10 Travel Blogs in South Africa. Having looked at the other 9 Top 10 Finalists, we are humbled to have made it into the top 10 as all the blogs in this category are all of a very high standard ...

Notably, amongst the nominees, is the blog run by South Africa's most popular Travel Magazine (all that yummy content written by professional and very experienced writers), a blog by one of South Africa’s most famous game reserves (photos and experiences to die for), last years winner – the publisher of a prestigious South African Accommodation Guide, the Blog of one of South Africa’s best known Safaris specialists for South and East Africa and Cape Town Tourism’s own corporate blog. To have made it into the Top 10 in and amongst these very fine blogs is humbling. To everybody that nominated us – we thank you most sincerely ...

The SA-Venues.com blog is written and managed by a team of 4 people. We are a small team here at SA-Venues.com – we work full time on managing our actual website – and all content we publish on our blog is written in our spare time, just for fun*, and because we are totally passionate about this beautiful country we call home! We love to share what we know, enjoy the feedback we get from our readers and love being able to provide our fabulously loyal site users and visitors with worthwhile competitions, tales of our travels around the country, snippets of info you might not know about … all of which we hope will inspire locals to travel our country and invite foreigners to visit our shores, and for YOU to find out something about South Africa that you didn’t already know!

We really mean this … it’s an honour just to be nominated … but, if you do like our blog and what we share with you … PLEASE, please vote for us!

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• We do not sell any advertising on the SA-Venues.com Blog, all travel is funded by the writers themselves and restaurant visits and accommodation stays are fully paid for. In the interest of “keeping it real”, we cannot be coerced or bribed into writing nice stories about any venue, attraction or eatery.
•  We do on occasion publish press releases about certain events we feel are of general interest but this is at the blog manager’s discretion. All other content on this blog is © the writers and SA-Venues.com.

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Mac McKenzie

A friend of mine shared a video about goema recently on Facebook. Since I don't have a clue what goema is, my interest was more than a little piqued. Mostly because this particular friend of mine has introduced me to the sounds of Cape Town jazz in her own way.

Her house, up until recently, was a one-stop-shop for Cape Town musicians who used her lounge for jamming sessions, and any occasion that warranted it (and a fair number of those that didn't) would find her home full to busting — singers with microphones, any number of guitars, the piano and even the odd double bass — I tried not to be there on birthdays, New Year, public holidays... you can see how this might have interfered with our friendship somewhat.

Fortunately my friend's house (she who originally inspired me to find out just what 'goema' is), is once again sane and you can enter without being overwhelmed by the sights and sounds of, well, jazz musicians. Which isn't to say that you don't miss it. You do. But it is good to be able to have tea with her in the sunshine that floods the front room, rather than squashed into the kitchen nook, shouting to make ourselves heard.

Goema (pronouned without the typical Afrikaans spitting glottal 'ggg', just gʊmə) was originally used as a term to describe the drums used in minstrel parades (the classic Coon Carnival) but it has morphed to epitomise a rhythm found at the heart of Cape Town's carnival culture; it's the rhythmic groove that is so classically the Mother City, and nowhere else in the world, and is a mix of lively guitar, banjo, percussion and vocals, mixed with a good dose of humour.

If you watch this video, which is a teaser by Jigsaw Productions, goema takes on a life of its own, and you realise that goema is a whole lot more, or at least it is becoming so:

Goema is our own unique sound, one that separates us from the rest of the world. Cape Town, because of its incredible history and mix of cultural influence means that our musicians are not only inspired by the incredible natural beauty that surrounds us, but also by this cultural mix. As someone says quite early in the teaser for Jigsaw productions' anticipated documentary: 'Cape Town is the broadway of Africa'.

What is goema, the 'goema, goema, goema'? As one youngster on the video teaser so delightfully says – 'Goema is beyond musical terminologies'; and the teaser ends with Hilton Schilder’s comment 'we are the master race'. It is fun, provocative and coming soon. We live the 'goema' life here in Cape Town; goema is for Cape Town what Samba is for Brazil, to steal a phrase from the goemarati website, which coined the term 'goemarati' to mean – 'made in Cape Town' – a brand that is as diverse as the city itself.

Look out for Jou Ma Se Goema – a documentary produced by Angela Ramirez (Columbia), Sara Gouveia (Portugal) and Calum MacNaughton (South Africa). It's currently in post-production. Find out more here http://www.profoundlysouthafrican.co.za

And that brings me to Mac McKenzie. Apart from jazz saxophonist Robbie Jansen, who recently passed on (I was very lucky to see him at Solms Delta wine farm) just before his death, Mac is one of the goema greats. Whilst Robbie was regarded as having a PhD in goema, Mac McKenzie is virtually the king thereof.

Mac has quite a history. A colourful one at that. Today he might look like a typical serious Rasta musician — but his musical journey spans some 25 years (More about Mac McKenzie here: http://www.profoundlysouthafrican.co.za/archives/1).

The son of a banjo player and carnival leader Mr Mac (who had a fairly colourful history himself), Mac originally made headlines as an 'ex-gangster makes good through music'. During the late 80s, he re-ignited the flame of goema together with his pop quartet known as the Genuines, who finally disbanded in Amsterdam after a few albums and a fair amount of success, when his van fell into one of the canals.

Then he made a re-appearance in the late 1990s, when Vincent Kolbe took Mac to the District Six Museum and introduced him to some of his musical peers, and the Goema Captains of Cape Town emerged, combining goema with Cool Jazz.  Mac's band featured, off and on and whenever they were together, an all star collection of Jazz greats like Hilton Schilder, Alex van Heerden, Robbie Jansen, Riedwaan Bollie, Zolani Mahola, Ernestine Deane and Jannie van Tonder. Their sound was part goema and jazz, part tango and bop dance. Their album, produced in 1999, was called The Goema Captains of Cape Town.

Hilton Schilder deserves a mention in his own right (another article, in fact), as he easily stands with Mac as the king of goema! My friend described how he inherited his musical talents from an equally musical family, refering to his gift as the Schilder/Africa dynasty.

He particularly likes the piano, playing anything resembling a keyboard from baby grands to synthesizers. Mac and Hilton were musical partners in a sense. Together since 1978 when they formed the Genuines, they virtually coined goema as a unique fusion of jazz and rock and produced four records together whilst touring the country extensively.

He also appeared often with Robbie Jansen's Sons of Table Mountain, whilst he is behind musical projects like Iconoclast, African Dream (both experimental concept bands), and Rock Art. With Hilton, goema evolved to combine contemporary and traditional African music.

If you want to a taste of goema, then you're in luck as Mac is back. This time with an orchestra, which promises to take goema into the classical genre, or something close to it. The Cape Town Goema Orchestra will  play on Saturday 28 August 2010 in Sea Point. They'll play a composition called Goema Symphony No 1.

where: SABC Studios Auditorim, 209 Beach Road
when: Sat 28 August 2010
find out more: http://www.profoundlysouthafrican.co.za/archives/1

Keep Flying!!

The Keep Flying initiative – together with initiator Draftfcb South Africa, Vodacom, the International Marketing Council of South Africa, Lead SA & SuperSport – will attempt to set a new world record at the Springbok-All Blacks Trinations clash on Saturday August 21 at FNB Stadium in Soweto.

The record attempt – 90 000 South African flags in one venue at one time — has been lodged with Guinness World Records, the ultimate authority on record-breaking achievement ...

The Vodacom Fan Cam, a high definition camera with 360° picture-taking and geo-tagging capabilities, will provide the photographs required by Guinness so that that organisation can audit the record setting attempt.

FNB Stadium formally Soccer City, host to the first and final matches of the 2010 FIFA World Cup in the country, has a capacity just short of 84 500, excluding its 99 suites, so record attempt organisers are urging everyone who attends the rugby match to bring along more than one flag.

Said Draftfcb South Africa Group CEO, John Dixon: “When we launched Keep Flying as a way of encouraging all South Africans to retain the sense of unity and achievement we’d felt during the Soccer World Cup, we knew we wanted the campaign to culminate with a memorable event.

“Initially, we thought we’d organise a minute of noise for Africa – a crazy 60 seconds filled with vuvuzelas blaring, car hooters hooting, drums drumming, voices shouting – but that seemed so transient.

“Instead, we looked for something that could be documented, verified and carved in stone – a lasting memorial to our nation’s flag and what it symbolised for us all during the World Cup. Setting a world record just seemed the appropriate thing to do.

“We looked to Vodacom, SuperSport, the International Marketing Council of South Africa and Lead SA – Primedia’s awesome campaign that truly embraces the spirit behind Keep Flying – to help us plan and prepare for the attempt.

“And now we’re calling on all South Africans going to support the Springboks on Saturday at FNB Stadium to show as much ‘gees’ as they did during the World Cup. Two hands means two flags; what could be simpler!”

Added Vodacom Managing Executive: Marketing, Enzo Scarcella: “Vodacom is a proud supporter of South Africa’s sporting teams. It’s a proud supporter of South African supporters. But most of all, Vodacom is a proud supporter of South Africa.

“We’re delighted to be a part of this record setting attempt ... and to be able to use Vodacom technology to record it for both auditing and bragging purposes. That’s right, in addition to sending Guinness our geo-cam photographs for verification, we’ll post them to our media partners’ web sites – 702, Highveld, SuperSport – so that those who attend the game can locate themselves on the pic, tag it and upload it to Facebook and the like. What a wonderful way to support your country, and what a great way to prove you were there!”

Highveld, 702 and SuperSport will begin broadcasting details of how spectators can prepare for Saturday’s record attempt today (Wednesday). It is likely that the official attempt photography will take place at half time.

“Logistics being what they are at games of this stature, it is likely that the record attempt will take place at half time,” said Dixon. “Of course, our team will be back in the dressing room preparing for the second half of the game but imagine what a rev they’ll get knowing that 90 000 South African flags are waving for them in that stadium. Once again, come on South Africa, get your flags out.”

South African Links:
2010 World Cup Stadiums
South Africa Attractions
Things to Do in South Africa
South African Hotels
Accommodation in South Africa

Just imagine right now holding the first copy of a book with YOUR name on it ...

How much "goodwill" would you be able to generate by giving away your book as a gift to your favourite customers? Imagine the exposure you can get in the press & media as a result of writing, publishing & promoting your own book?

As you consider all the benefits of becoming an author, then I'm sure you'll agree that learning the 'secret' of how to publish your book is not only good for your business, but also an achievement and a great way to spread your unique and special message into the world.

But stop and consider this: most people don't even get started on their book simply because they think it's difficult, expensive or time consuming.

FACT: Publishing a book can be done in weeks, not months.
FACT: It's cheaper than you think.
FACT: Working with the industry leaders in publishing-on-demand makes the process far easier than doing it "all on your own".

The first WORKSHOP was held on the 25th of July 2009 at the Sports Science Institute Auditorium. With very little promoting and no advertising, we had 50 delegates!! We covered the most important topics such as

• what you need to start the publishing process
• how the editing & proofreading works
• how we layout your content, create indexes, page numbers & reference pages
• how we take your ideas & content to create a eye-catching cover design
• ISBN registration & how YOU become the copyright holder of your work
• the printing process, including paper & binding quality
• how you are not limited by a 'minimum order' because of the printing processes we use (POD)
• typical costs of each process, so that you have a good idea of value of your investment
• distribution options & how to get your book into the retail stores
• self-promoting yourself with your book
• creating additional income streams with your book
• additional tricks & techniques to generate more value from your book

MOST IMPORTANTLY, if you haven't already started writing your manuscript you will be INSPIRED TO START!

WHEN? Saturday, 11 September 2010 — 08h30 (don’t be late!) to 12h30
WHERE? Sports Science Institute, Auditorium, Boundary Road, Newlands, Cape Town
WHO? Anyone who has a manuscript, idea, or story to tell
WHY? Because it’s worth it!  Bring a friend!
HOW? Book with Barbara at barbara@newvoices.co.za before 4 Sept 2010

Some Comments from the first workshop attendees:

Thanks so much for arranging this seminar. I haven't been so fired up in years! After countless rejections from Publishers and Literary Agents I had given up on the whole idea of ever writing again. After leaving the seminar I went and dug out my box of old manuscripts, blew off the dust and have selected one that I am revising at present. Hope to get it to Barbara in the next few weeks. Thanks again — all the speakers were on target. I really appreceiate the work that went into organising it. Looking forward to future communications and seminars — Peter Erikson

Oh! What an empowering day and guys you rock. It was not a workshop. It was the first time I had experienced the word Networking at the highest level. If you do things like this, we are moving and growing faster than we think intellectually and paractical — Zazi Ndebele

Exalted, elated, elevated, inspired, invigorated ... that's how I've felt and been since leaving the venue this morning. You did a really splendid job, bring us all together and putting a marvelous programme together too, you and Marcel. The energy and creativity were palpable, as was the goodwill and resolve ... I have no doubt that at least one-third of those present WILL actually put pen to paper and approach you, Kristina, Mike et al for guidance — John Linnegar, Professional Editor's Group & one of our facilitators

Leave space in your life for inspirational thought

For more info see:
Website: New Voices Publishing
Facebook Event Page: New Voices Workshop Page

Andile Ndlovu *

On Saturday evening I went to the Artscape theatre with my mom and a good friend, we were there to watch the gala performance of the Cape Town International Ballet Competition. After stopping for a quick bite to eat and glass of wine at the News Café onsite restaurant, which was very tasty but quite pricey we settled into our seats in the back row of the theatre. Just a quick note if you’re planning on eating at the restaurant before a show it is advisable to book beforehand and not do as we did and just rock up, they might find it very difficult to find you a table and you might need to sit outside on a chilly evening.

This year’s competition was the second time it had taken place and since it happens only every two years we can look forward to the next one in 2012 (and we will keep you up to date with the information). This exciting competition had competitors from South Korea, Cuba, USA, Canada, Italy, England, Australia and South Africa. It was great to see all the flags represented on stage when the curtains opened – this can be thought of as the World Cup of ballet.

The competition took place over four days culminating in the best of the best on Saturday night. With classical and contemporary as well as junior and senior sections we were in for a treat. Not only would Saturday’s performance showcase some outstanding dancers, but we would also be indulged with a number of performances from some of South Africa’s best dance companies.

The evening kicked off with an excerpt from Veronica Paeper’s ballet Carmen danced by the Cape Town City Ballet with Laura Bosenberg taking the lead. This was a vibrant passionate performance and I look forward to the production from 14 October to 7 November 2010 at Artscape.

The first competitor on stage was 17 year old Victor Manuel Estevez Acosta from Cuba and his non-competing partner. They performed three excerpts from Don Quixote, a ballet I haven’t seen in more than 15 years, and what a performance it was. Acosta was electric on stage and I found myself sitting on the edge of my seat eagerly waiting for more beautiful dancing.

Throughout the first half we saw female dancers from South Korea dancing an excerpt from Paquita a ballet I am not familiar with, but their sparkling tutus made we want to get up and jump straight into one and join these beautifully elegant and controlled dancers on stage. I couldn’t believe how dancers as young as 16 could be that fantastic – I can only imagine the hours of intense training they put in to be that good.

We were wowed by the dance of Siegfried from Swan Lake by both Nathan Chaney of USA and our very own Andile Ndlovu who brought the house down. Senior dancer Aaron Smyth from Australia partnered Alys Shee from Canada in the Don Quixote excerpt and they were by far my favourite couple.

Other performances from guest artists included Kitty from Mzanzi Productions performing a solo to the Beatles number “Too Much Love Will Kill You” and this was fantastic. The Table Duet from Bovim Ballet’s Tango Nights as well as 2009 winner Camille Bracher performing a solo. Jazzart and an excerpt from their production iHaw’ Elisha the full production of this is running from 3–12 September at Artscape and I advise you to buy tickets soon. My favourite of the guest artists however, even though everyone was outstanding, was the Cape Dance Company and their presentation of extracts from Sur les Ailes de Sue. All I can say is WOW, what a performance, what emotion, control, enthusiasm and talent in these six dancers. I will most definitely be keeping my eye out on their upcoming works.

The second half was the contemporary part of the competition and we saw contemporary numbers by Nathan Chaney (USA), Andile Ndlovu (RSA), Hyn-Seon Park of South Korea with and enchanting piece entitled Sleepwalking, Thoriso Magangwa (the oldest competitor by seven years and he was only 27) who performed a beautiful number entitled Soliloquy. We also saw a duet by Costa and his partner which started with a hitch as their music stopped playing after a few bars in, they handled it well and came back with confidence.

All in all a fantastic showcase of dance, with unbelievable talents being found, they were after all judged by an incredibly talented panel of international judges. The Classical Junior winners were third place Jeon Yeo Jin of South Korea, second place Alys Shee of Canada and first place going to Nathan Chaney of USA. The Classical Senior winners were third place Aaron Smyth of Australia, Hyo-Seon Park of South Korea and Oscar A. Valdes Carmenates of Cuba. Junior Contemporary was won by Nathan Chaney – who pumped his fists into the air with exuberance while the Senior Contemporary was won by Thoriso Magongwa. A special award was presented to Andile Ndlovu for his artistry, versatility and talent in both contemporary and classical disciplines.

Before the prizes were awarded all of the dancers who took part in the competition came out to give the audience a spectacular finale choreographed by Lindy Raizenberg to the Waka Waka song. This was a vibey, energetic number which showed the new friendships that had been made, the fantastic talent and just what fun this competition had been.

I will definitely be in the audience in two years time when the Cape Town International Ballet Competition comes to town… will you?

Photo Credit:
Gwen Barry & Andile Ndlovu in Jean-Paul Comelin's "Dance Symphony-Second Movement" — photo from The South African Ballet Theatre.

Useful Links:
Cape Town Hotels
Cape Town Accommodation
Things to Do in Cape Town
Cape Town Theatre & Nightlife

Keep Flying!

Draftfcb South Africa, has responded positively to the nation’s post World Cup fears and launched a national campaign to retain the energy and passion unleashed by the 2010 spectacular. Speaking in Johannesburg on Friday July 2, Draftfcb South Africa Group CEO, John Dixon, said the agency will actively enlist the support of the country’s most loved brands to extend the sense of achievement and self-belief we’ve achieved as a nation over the past few weeks.

Dixon explained: “As South Africans, we have experienced an unprecedented high during the World Cup month. Which means, given the proven fact that all host nations have suffered from post-event depression, we’re due for an even lower low when the final teams and soccer tourists return home ...

“Well, at Draftfcb, we happen to believe that South Africans can pass on the ‘deppie’ because we feel in our gut that we haven’t just been celebrating soccer these past few weeks, we’ve been celebrating us – our passion, our drive, our spunk, our ‘gees’. That’s several damn good reasons to go on celebrating. And the best way to do this is with our awesome flag. Cos, the flag hasn’t actually been a symbol of our soccer enthusiasm. It’s been a symbol of our enthusiasm for ourselves. Of what we can accomplish.

“We showed the world our true colours. And we showed our guests true African hospitality.

But most importantly, we showed ourselves. We showed ourselves that with one spirit, we can do anything.

“The agency and all its staff in our three biggest cities have therefore committed to wave our flags for 30 days after the final World Cup whistle has blown, and we’re challenging our clients, our suppliers and our countrymen to do likewise until we all – at the same time – stop, pause and create a Minute of Noise for South Africa by trumpeting with our famous vuvuzelas, hooting the horns on our ‘chorries’, whistling, yelling, shouting. This will send a clear and loud message to the rest of the world: Africa’s time has come, South Africa’s time has come.”

To kick off the campaign, Draftfcb has spoken to its clients to initiate massive internal staff drives celebrating South Africa and reinforce a sense of pride in its World Cup achievement.

It has also shown clients how the concept can translate into their existing advertising and marketing campaign, and is currently compiling a manual detailing how other companies and brands can similarly join in. Lexus became the first brand to join the agency in its bid to fly the flag by agreeing to include the device in all three of its television commercials it will be running during the period.

In addition, the agency is recording a song it will distribute to the country’s radio stations, and investigating ways to get the flag flown high over South Africa’s cities in the month ahead.

Said Dixon: “You know, Draftfcb believes passionately in South Africa and its people, and we’ll be putting our heart and soul behind the flag for months and years to come. But we don’t want to retain ownership of this concept we’ve developed, we want any company, any brand, any media owner who identifies with our passion and shares our commitment to our country, to join us and introduce the initiative to their own audiences in their own way.

“Come on corporate South Africa; let’s show the country and the world that the end of the World Cup, is our beginning,” he said.

Any company wanting to join the Fly the Flag initiative can obtain the necessary artwork and accompanying details from Draftfcb Johannesburg by emailing Heidi Nelson on heidi.nelson@draftfcb.co.za

Barrydale Weavers

It would be pouring with rain on the day we visit the hand weavers in Barrydale. We run into what appears to be an old school hall, which we later learn is the town's former 'bioscope' and are greeted by Tivane, whom I have already met over the weekend at the Montagu Village Market where he can usually be found manning a stand selling rugs on a Saturday morning.

He steps down from the stage (it's one of those typical old halls – wooden floors, stage at one end, gallery on the other) onto a freezing cold floor where we stand shuddering at the combination of wet and wind, and welcomes us. Carol is on her way, but in the meantime, Tivane is more than happy to show us the ropes, quite literally, since he runs production here and has been weaving rugs for what must be close to 25 years.

The hand weavers of Barrydale produce gorgeous rugs. They also make other amazingly beautiful items like throws, shawls, table wear and even handbags, but it is their rugs that have got us interested in the project as not only would we like to own one, but we think that locally made items like this deserve a blog or two written about them.

The project has a bit of a history, we soon learn, once Carol joins us, donned in at least one clothing item she has made in her weaving history. Essentially Barrydale hand weavers are a group of people, who otherwise would probably be unemployed, and who meet daily to weave rugs and fabrics on wooden hand looms the good, old fashioned way. The building in which they meet is filled with wooden looms and a spinning wheel, used primarily to wind bobbins, or at least Tivane has fashioned the former spinning wheel to serve this purpose.

Photographs –Left: Tivane / Centre: Andiswa busy weaving / Right: Cezslyn knots

Tivane and Carol Morris, who is responsible for establishing the weavers and is also the proud owner of Mud, a gallery and restaurant on Route 62, the main road through Barrydale, go way back. They were intially both involved in another weaving project in Swaziland, when Carol's daughter was but a young child (Catherine Morris now runs Green Home, a successful biodegradable food packaging distributor that recently won a sustainability award – www.greenhome.co.za)

To cut a long story short, and to forward wind some twenty five years, Tivane periodically phoned Carol, now based in Barrydale, to cajole her into starting a similar weaving project to the one they had run together in Swaziland, in Barrydale. Carol's resistance worn thin, she relented and Tivane made the move to the cold(er) climes of the little town that today runs a very successful project.

The hall is virtually devoid of rugs when we begin to look around. The project has a stand at the stadium in Cape Town for the World Cup, so anything they have produced in the last six months, and they have been working around the clock, is now proudly selling to supporters of soccer. But there are still enough rugs to choose from, and a display area set jauntily around a wardrobe and mirror, shows a number of throws, scarves and the like to give one a good idea of what this group of weavers is capable of.

Photographs — Left: Barrydale Hand Weavers shawls / Centre: Cloth / Right: Carol

Of course, it is a wet Monday, so not many of the weavers are in evidence, but Carol shrugs and explains that if they want to come in when it's raining, they usually call Tivane who goes to collect them in his car. As we're chatting, one lost soul enters the realm, but he's here to paint shelves by the looks of things.

Tivane is busy explaining the ins and outs of a loom and how the different pedals (it's rather like playing a piano) allow for different patterns to emerge, and how, if you are doing an intricate design on the rugs, you can't be caught chatting, as you're bound to make a mistake! The rugs here are mostly plain, or striped as a consequence – you need a lot of experience before you can start producing intricate patterns, although the weavers, as they gain confidence and are brave enough to attempt it, can use their initiative when it comes to introducing colour and pattern into the woven products.

Tivane is responsible for teaching each newcomer to the group how to weave. Learning the trade is an ongoing process, one to which he is more than dedicated, and it isn't unusual to find him in the old bioscope over weekends. In the alcove at the back of the hall we find Ansie, who has just been hired to oversee quality. She's had years of experience. Next to her is Czeslyn, who is busy with the painstaking task of knotting every little thread that runs through the rug, so that it won't unravel – a process that happens by hand. She's got the rug held in place with a hefty, old fashioned weight so that it can't slip off the table.

Photographs: Barrydale Hand Weavers, Barrydale, Karoo

Andiswa is busy weaving a rug, as we stand discussing the ins and outs of this craft with Tivane, who is Mozambican by birth and speaks five languages, although no Afrikaans. Not that he lets this discourage him despite being out here virtually in the Karoo. A weaver he might be by trade, but his personality is one of an entrepreneur. He is passionate about his product, loves his work and is always happy to convert one to the joys of weaving.

There is a lot of thumping and thudding as the wooden panels are pulled and pushed to tighten the weave of the rug, and Tivane shows us the raw cotton that is piled high in the alcove at the back of the hall, and how it is used in weaving. He is a font of knowledge, and I'm not surprised that Carol hands over much of the running of the project to him.

By this stage I've got Carol draped in colourful shawls, while I try and photograph her, and we're looking through the rugs draped along the front of the bioscope, so that we can choose one for our bathroom floor. Rug acquired it's definitely time to move on to somewhere a little warmer and we wave goodbye, happier and one rug richer for the experience.

Visit Barrydale Hand Weavers:
Address: "Belanti", Laing Street, Barrydale
Telephone: +27 (0)28 5721729
Website: http://www.barrydaleweavers.co.za/

Barrydale Links:
Barrydale Attractions
Things to Do in Barrydale
Barrydale Accommodation
Western Cape Accommodation

Harvest of Hope

Every school week a box of vegetables is dropped off at my son's school with my name on it. It sits, in amongst similar boxes, awaiting pick-up. It must be said that I often forget and my box finds its way into the school fridge until I remember the following day to collect it.

My pack is always brimming over with a variety of fresh vegetables, picked on the morning of delivery. This might sound pretty obvious, but I have used other box delivery schemes in Cape Town where, because of logistics and through no fault of their own, you only receive your vegetables a couple of days after picking. But this makes a huge difference to the state of your vegetables (Harvest of Hope's are firm, crisp and FRESH – gorgeous!).

These aren't jiffy wrapped, perfectly uniform, washed to distraction vegetables available on your local Woolies or Pick n Pay shelves. These particular vegetables were grown just around the corner on the plains of the townships on the periphery of Cape Town in a selection of community gardens funded by the NGO Abalimi Bezekhaya, who have been doing this kind of work for the last 28 years.

Organic vegetables are grown in hundreds of gardens in the townships, mostly of Nyanga and Khayelitsha. People there are taught to grow their own to feed their families and at any time, Abalami works with over 50 community and institutional gardens. Once these gardens are sustainable (and this takes a while), in the sense that they easily feed the families of the people involved, and there is a surplace, the excess is 'sold' to the Harvest of Hope who have created a market with the box delivery scheme that delivers to schools.

And this kind of food growing needs encouragement. Corporate farming, the type that brings sterilised, imported and homogenised vegetables and fruit to our local supermarkets, having acquired a few thousand food miles in the process, is threatening the very existence of global food security.

Photographs — Left: Gardens in the township / Right: Harvest of Hope packing shed

Rob Small, the man behind Abalimi, and one of the most unassuming gentle giants of sustainable living I know, surmises that as little as 25% of our food needs are met in South Africa, and that around 50% of our 'homelands' are desolate as thousands pour into the cities.

Abalimi's Harvest of Hope box scheme, which started only in 2008, shows that 'under-educated, unemployable South Africans can have healthy lives with tiny pieces of land, and in the worst possible conditions, can have abundant healthy food and a decent income using their own initiative'.

I cannot emphasise how much this type of community grown food needs our support.

The farmers involved will benefit from a secure and fair income, while you benefit from reasonably priced and locally produced organic vegetables. Your money is giving people jobs, and conserving the environment through local organic farming.

I am fussy about my vegetables, but there hasn't been a week's worth of delivery with which I have been dissatisfied. Quite the opposite, in fact, each week there is a moment of anticipation before I reveal everything washed and packed carefully within, before quickly doing a recce of what is for dinner that evening.

Every week there is a new combination of vegetables. Sometimes the box includes free-range eggs, other weeks there is a surprise pack of herbs. But in general, the carrots, spinach, aubergines, potatoes, sweet potatoes, cabbage, cauliflower, lettuce, spring onions, green peppers, onions and baby heirloom tomatoes that I have had over the past couple of months have been excellent.

Photographs — Left: Harvest of Hope leeks / Right: Harvest of Hope vegetables

Harvest of Hope usually include a recipe that involves using at least two of the veg in your box, so you get to try a new dish as well. Or you can find a list of recipes on their website http://harvestofhope.co.za/?page_id=8

And the boxes are really reasonably priced. For R95 a week you get a generous helping of vegetables (on average eleven types of mixed vegetables) for an average family for the week. The other option is a smaller 'box', which is actually a bag, of vegetables for R65. You get your box on a Tuesday.

The veges are washed, checked for quality and packed at the Harvest of Hope pack shed at the Philipi Developmental Node. On average they are packing close to 200 boxes a week for people like us.

Abalimi is one of the most successful projects in Africa to combat poverty by growing food sustainably, using organic methods, in community gardens. So much so that other organisations are travelling here to observe. What makes it work is the support the farmers constantly receive, and the guaranteed market once the farmers are at a stage that they can supply vegetables.

If you want to receive a box of organic vegetables every week, email harvestofhope(at)abalimi(dot)org(dot)za. For your school to act as a drop-off point, you need around 10 parents initially to sign up.

Useful Links:
Read about a recent visit to the Abalimi gardens at: Abalimi shows how microfarming is the key to the future.
Find out more about Harvest of Hope  http://harvestofhope.co.za/ and
Abalimi Bezekhaya http://www.abalimi.org.za/

Die Antwoord

Saturday 5 June was all about experiencing new things. A good friend has come back to South Africa from his lecturing job in Spain not to visit his wonderful friends but to enjoy the World Cup in his home town, Cape Town. He is always up for a bit of an adventure and suggesting new things so when the call for “who wants tickets to Die Antwoord” came I put my hand up although not quite sure of what I’d agreed to.

All I knew of Die Antwoord was that they were a South African band who had become and overnight sensation and I had heard one of their songs, something about a butterfly, a samurai and needing your production (turns out production is actually protection, just so you know). I however handed over my R100 and was ready for anything ...

We kicked off the afternoon with the SA / Wales game and had decided that since another friend lived within walking distance of the 3 Arts Theatre, the venue for the show, we should make a day of this and try out the pub just down the road. Interesting choice to say the least, walking up the road to Vadi’s on Diep River Main Road someone commented that he hoped that they’d be screening the rugby and not only the footie (Bafana was playing Denmark and won might I add). I laughed at this and thought this is a rugby loving nation why wouldn’t the rugby be shown. I got a rather rude awakening as on entering Vadi’s there were lots of TV screens however only one in the corner with the sound turned off was screening the rugby. Turns out we had walked into a local betting bar and horse races were the name of the game.

We put on a brave face wriggled our way as close to the TV as we could and ordered Castle Milk Stouts and Red’s Premium Cider, pub appropriate drinks we thought. It turned out to be a fantastic afternoon and a great way to kick everything off. With a bowl of hot chips costing R12 and a variety of colourful characters who would gladly take some time out to explain the ins and outs of horse racing it put everyone in a jovial mood.

However our stomachs were rumbling and we knew we had a long night ahead of us, so we opted to head back to the house and order in. Our decision not the usual pizza or delivery menu but something new and I think very exciting which has opened on Constantia Road, much to my delight as I live only a few blocks away. Eat Out The Box is quite a new concept in the take away food market, I don’t know of anywhere else where you can get quality food the chicken is free range and the veggies and meat are all locally sourced. The menu is diverse with salads, pizzas, pastas and burgers and everything sounds mouth watering.

I ordered pasta with bacon, chilli, mushrooms and onions in a Napolitano sauce which was delicious and the boys all enjoyed their meals too. The prices are extremely competitive with three burgers, a pasta, a pizza and a salad adding up to R309 this was a very good deal. Also good to know is that you can order online, however their staff is very friendly and helpful over the phone (+27 (0)21 761‑9839) I strongly suggest you give them a call next time you don’t feel like cooking.

While we waited for the food to arrive we thought it might be a good idea to find out a bit more about Die Antwoord and so onto the “interweb” we went and YouTube’d this group we did. What a find, I don’t think any of us were quite prepared for what the evening had in stall. This group has taken South Africa and parts of the world by storm. Seeing is believing and you need to listen to some of their interviews to understand who they are and their attitude on life and music. Their cult video “Enter the Ninja” – the only song I knew and now know the title to has had over four million hits on YouTube and it’s not hard to see why after you watch it.

You need fair warning though, this is not for the feint hearted, there is some seriously foul language and you may take offense at some of their lyrics. The group is made up of Ninja (you may recognise him from his former life as Max Normal), DJ Hi-Tek (who makes the banging music on his “PC Computer”) and the blonde beauty with an interesting haircut, Yolandi Visser. Who as someone described as having a potty mouth, he was very correct in that description.

Off we went and walked to the venue in the crisp winter air, as expected I was branded with a stamp the size of my forearm on entering the venue and once through the door we walked into a venue that was filling up with people. I was surprise at the variety of people who were there, both young and old and some serious fans, who were deemed as such by their Yolandi haircuts.

I wasn’t sure of any of the others on the line up, but I can tell you that they didn’t disappoint. Some seriously great music was played to warm the ever swelling crowd up. Drinks were also flowing that evening as you bought your plastic cup for an additional R5 which was yours for the keeping and drinks were R25 for a vodka redbull, when in Rome… Slightly horrified by the discovery that Die Antwoord was only due on stage at 23h30 because some friends turn into pumpkins when the clock strikes twelve, we settled in a good spot and enjoyed a bit of conversation before heading into the crowd.

The mood of the venue was electric and you could feel the anticipation and excitement the closer it got to 23h30. Die Antwoord wasn’t late as is notorious with concerts and the crowd volume increased in decibels as the Ninja entered. The crowd jumped up and down and sang along with the group for a rip roaring and seriously entertaining hour and a bit. While I couldn’t quite catch everything that was rapped and sung I acknowledged that this group has struck a chord and will forever remain a part of music history. Before going to the concert I wasn’t sure how the Afrikaans lyrics could translate to overseas audiences, however after watching them perform I understand now.

Die Antwood gave me the answer, with their high energy performance and exuberance I was sucked into it all and while I won’t be buying their album I will always remember Saturday 5 June 2010 as I allowed myself to discover new things, experience things far outside my comfort zone that were all quite out of this world!

Useful Links:
Cape Town Events
Things to Do in Cape Town
Cape Town Accommodation
Western Cape Accommodation

Barry Hilton

What if Comedy was a sport? Who will represent South Africa at the World Cup of Funny?

Enter left wing Bafunny Bafunny – SA’s star-studded Comedy Team featuring 8 of the funniest stand-up comedians from the Host Country, who will tour South Africa with their special brand of comedy in the lead-up to the World Cup, to unite the nation through laughter.

Despite their zero sporting ability, the stand-up show will keep the sport parody alive throughout the tour “fixtures” with each show, or rather “match”, starring the Best in SA Stand-up comedians as “players”, complete with a “coach”, a “captain” and big screens with commentators that will keep the “fans” entertained during “half time”.

Created by Comedy specialists Hunta Live who are no strangers to hosting international comedy heavy-weights in arenas across SA (Chris Rock’s No Apologies Tour to SA, Wayne Brady’s Making it Up SA Tour) or at their annual Comedy Festivals nationally, their latest offering  Bafunny Bafunny made history as the first South African Comedy Production to be staged at the prestigious Royal Albert Hall. The momentous tour kicked off with an “away game” in London at the Royal Albert Hall on the 20th of May 2010 before returning to South Africa to complete the national tour in May and June 2010.

Yolisa Gola

“Nothing unites an audience like laughter and nothing unites a nation more than the ability to laugh at itself. Bafunny Bafunny celebrates everything South African, and how if Funny scored Goals, we would win every Game”, says Sam Hendrikse, executive producer for Hunta Live, the creators of Bafunny Bafunny

M-Net and Loaded Smoothies have joined The Comedy Team as presenting partners.

“As a brand we are super excited to be the headline sponsor of an event which showcases the very best of comedic talent in the country. There is a natural synergy between comedy and Loaded Smoothies, an irreverent brand high on nutrition and equally high on fun with a sense of humour that forbids us from taking ourselves to seriously”, says Mario Thompson, Marketing Director of Loaded Smoothies.

We are calling on all South African Comedy Fans, to stand up and celebrate SA Stand Up when tickets go on sale on the 1st April 2010. Hear the roar of the crowd, feel the thrill of the game ... Get your funny on!

Strictly no Vuvuzelas!!

Marc Lottering

Bookings & Tickets:
Bookings at Computicket (083 915 8000) from 1st April.
Tickets are priced from R120 to R200.
There are discounts for parties of 10 fans or more.
No persons under the Age of 16.

For more information and general funny unsporting behaviour, visit www.bafunnybafunny.com

Bafunny Bafunny “Tour Fixtures” for South Africa:

Cape Town:
Friday 28th May 2010: Grand Arena, GrandWest, Cape Town at 8pm
Saturday 29th May 2010: Grand Arena, GrandWest, Cape Town at 8pm

Durban:
Wednesday 2nd June 2010: Durban International Convention Centre at 8pm

Johannesburg:
Thursday 3rd June 2010: Big Top Arena, Carnival City, Johannesburg at 8pm
Friday 4th June 2010: Big Top Arena, Carnival City, Johannesburg at 8pm
Saturday 5th June 2010: Big Top Arena, Carnival City, Johannesburg at 8pm

Definition:
Bafunny – A South African word for explaining something that is so uncontrollably, rib-ticklingly, snortingly funny, that there are no words to describe it.
(Not to be confused with Bafana Bafana, the South African national football team).

Soccer Fan

The Cape Town FIFA Fan Fest is a must as part of your Cape Town 2010 World Cup experience. With the ultimate soccer atmosphere it is definitely the most fun you can have without a ticket!

Every match day the Cape Town FIFA Fan Fest will broadcast all the FIFA Soccer World Cup matches live on a 70m² screen — to ensure you don’t miss one goal. There is also a daily entertainment lineup between matches that will blow your mind. This lineup will include a variety of top local performers and bands, local DJ’s and new and emerging talent.

The overall entertainment programme at the CTFFF will encompass a variety of themes which celebrate the diverse cultures and fan bases that will be converging at the CTFFF. Look out for Family days, celebrate South Africa Days, Youth Day and World Culture Days focusing on the teams playing in Cape Town.

Even on days when the teams are resting, the Cape Town FIFA Fan Fest will still be operating in full swing with special events being planned to keep you in the party mood.

For hospitality package info please contact Geraldine on +27 (0)21 426 5775.

Note: Public viewing in Cape Town will also be available at the Athlone Civic Centre, Oliver Tambo Sports Centre, Bellville Velodrome and Swartklip Sport Complex.

And even if you have tickets for some of the matches, why not make your way down to the Fan Fest to be a part of the vibe and experience the excitement of the fans? Should be a wild party!

Cape Town Links:
Cape Town Stadium
Cape TownAttractions
Cape Town Hotels
Cape Town Accommodation

Kommetjie

My Saturday was, as per usual a day of eating.  I didn’t feel too guilty about it though because Knysna Half Marathon training has commenced so I did my scheduled 3kms on Friday night and wrapped up a quick 5kms on Saturday morning (the views from Boyes Drive make it all worth while)!

Breakfast had been organised for 10am and I met my girlfriends at Caveau in Newlands.  Housed next door to the well known Josephine Mill, Caveau serves breakfast, lunch, dinner and a delicious range of tapas (try the lamb samoosas or beef cubes with béarnaise sauce — to die for!).  We were there for breakfast though so I had to pass on the lamb samoosas and opted instead for the Caveau Eggs Benedict, served on a croissant with Black Forest ham, spinach and a Hollandaise sauce — absolute heaven!  Two flat whites and a glass or freshly squeezed orange juice accompanied the meal.  That and two hours of girl chit chat were a splendid start to my weekend!

Josephine Mill is well worth popping in to.  The museum upholds the age old tradition of stone-ground milling.  Records show the building dates back to 1840 and the operation stopped in 1863.  The building, abandoned in the 1930's and exposed to the elements for all that time, was is a sad state.  The Cape Town Historical Society (who now owns the building) began its renovation and reconstruction and after extensive clearing of the immediate area exposed the original mill machinery and 13 years later, the iron waterwheel turned once again and supplied the community with stone-ground flour!

The weather on Saturday was perfect and as another cold front was en-route to Cape Town, we decided to make the most of the twenty degree day and headed, with our two dogs to the beach.  My husband was running the Milkwood 21.1km on Sunday and wanted to make sure he knew where the start was, so after popping in to the Soetwater Recreational Area we carried on to Kommetjie.  We had done our normal trick of packing a small cooler box with some nibbles and made our way over to the rocks just past the sign for Schusters Kraal.  The rocks are a perfect place to have a picnic lunch and we found a large, flat one where I could sit with my toes just dipping into a rock pool!  The sea was massive and we thought how brave the two surfers were, taking on those pounding waves!  The dogs had a good run, dashing into the waves and out again!

We made our way back to the Southern Suburbs with a pit stop at Imhoff Farm — I’ve never stopped here before and oh my goodness their seed bread is more-ish, as are their koeksusters!  The sticky treats are so good I had to have two.

Our day ended with drinks and a pizza at Forresters Arms while watching the Sharks beat the Stormers in the last few games of the Super 14!

So, as always, a busy Saturday but a good one all the same ... at least I didn’t have to wake up at 5am to get to the start of a half marathon!

Cape Town Links:
Cape Town Accommodation
Cape Town Attractions
Things to Do in Cape Town

Good Food & Wine

If you are a foodie then you, like me, are probably eagerly anticipating the Good Food and Wine Show which takes place in Cape Town from 13–16 May 2010. Those of you in Johannesburg and Durban have to wait a bit longer as the Johannesburg show takes place from 23–26 September and Durban’s show on 25–28 November.

If you are not one of “those” food people although I think everyone is to a certain extent (who doesn’t love food?) this is the show to get you excited about food. Expect to find the finest South Africa has to offer in food, beverage and lifestyle. If that hasn’t got you excited then the international line-up should do the trick...

The chef everyone body loves to hate Gordon Ramsay makes his first public appearance in South Africa and joining him is the Willy Wonka of the cooking world Willie Harcourt-Cooze, master pâtissier Eric Lanlard, the vibrant Giorgio Locatelli and Anjum Anand who brings her own style to Indian cooking. You can watch these chefs in the Chefs in Action theatre as they demonstrate their signature dishes.

Good Food & Wine

There are so many other things to see, do and experience at this show. Enjoy cooking outdoors? Then you will enjoy the Outdoor Theatre which showcases the best of the best in outdoor cooking, from built-in gas braai’s to maximising your outdoor living area as well as delicious new recipes. You are also able to purchase autographed copies of cookbooks in the Books for Cooks section, who will you take home? Grolsch is host to the Beer and Food Pairing Theatre come and discover this new concept of pairing beer (instead of the traditional wine) with food.

Those who enjoy a good cocktail but have no idea how to make one can find out in the Interactive Cocktail Workshops or if you enjoy standing on the other side of the bar you can watch the national classic and flair competitions that will be taking place. You may just be surprised by what can be done with a bottle and a cocktail shaker and I am sure you will go home and try it yourself.  In the Alchemy of Gold Brandy Theatre you will be able to taste various brandies, both local and international.

Good Food & Wine

If you have ever watched one of these chef’s on television you have most probably wanted to taste the dish in your own living room, but this isn’t possible. Now in the Celebrity Chef Restaurant you will be able to taste the dishes you have seen prepared at the Chefs in Action Theatre. An opportunity not to be missed! Purchase some delicious, fresh produce from the Slow Food Market to take home so you can be a chef in your own home and all good food can do with some wine so why not buy some from the Great Wine Sale?

This will be a great day out and you will learn some new tricks to wow your friends with at your next dinner party or braai!

Enter to win — Competition now closed!
SA-Venues.com is giving away 5 sets of 2 tickets to the Good Food & Wine Show in Cape Town. To enter, please send an e-mail with your name and e-mail address and we will contact you to arrange your preferred day and ticket delivery. The winners will be randomly drawn from all entries received before 17h00 on Monday 10th May 2010 (winners will be contacted on Tuesday 11th May). So hurry up and e-mail us now! (Update: Competition now closed).

Good Food & Wine

Can't wait and want to book now?
See our previous article which has all the details here:
Good Food & Wine Show Cape Town

Event Links:
South Africa Events
Cape Town Events
Cape Town Accommodation

The Blog Hop is On

Here you go — Your Blog Hop Travel Contest Play Card!

• Click here to download the play card for this week, April 26th to May 2nd.
• Click here to get your play card for future weeks.

Playing the Blog Hop?
You'll find the answer to the question for this blog by clicking on the correct articles / posts below ...

1. 10 Romantic Hideaways — Pictures to Inspire!
2. 10 Amazing Game Lodges — Pictures to Inspire!
3. Bitten by the whale watching bug
4. Flower Power — the Cape Floral Kingdom
5. Addo Elephant Park — a commune with elephants
6. In South Africa but got to do it in 9 days? Here are the 'must see' spots.

Thanks to the Blog Hop Sponsors
Complete your Blog Hop play card for a chance to win one of these great prizes!

• $2,000 cash prize thanks to Contiki
• $1,000 worth of camera equipment from Amazon.com thanks to SA-Venues
• 3 hotel nights in a European city thanks to Splendia
• 3 hotel nights in a European city thanks to EasytoBook.com
• 16GB ipod nano w/ video thanks to TravellersPoint
• $100 Budget Accommodation from TravellersPoint
• Great travel gear from Pacsafe.

A Few Details

• The winners will be selected using Random.org and announced on May 11, 2010.
• Global Bloggers Network members and their family do not qualify for the contest.
• You must answer all 6 questions correctly to win.
• The contest will run for 3 weeks; each week will feature a new set of questions. You can play once in each week of the contest for 3 chances to win. Get your play cards for other weeks at the Global Bloggers Network site.
• Read the full Blog Hop Contest Rules at the Global Bloggers Network Blog Hop page.

Have fun!