Remember one of the best kept secrets of the Cape? Yes, wind still and sunny winters days. We have been blessed with a couple and it really helps to lighten up the mind: body, soul & spirit. I’m continuously attracted to the waterfront in the pursuit of finding different things and happenings that are not in the tourist mainstream so to speak and also finding a lot of local designs that are not in the everyday mainstream for the locals.

At the Cape Town Waterfront you will find everything from the rich and famous, a little Monaco, to the poor, humble fisherman Oscar, who gave his only catch to a big fury seal and hence the life size sculpture of Oscar, the golden seal, in front of the table bay hotel.

http://tablebay.suninternational.com/

Table mountain reflecting in windows of hotel.

Notice the motor yacht for the

One & Only hotel; a hotel "franchise" from Sol Kerzner, the man who dreamt up Sun City and Lost City and many more all over the world. By the way have a look at the sculptor Danie de Jager www.sculpturesa.com who also was comissioned besides the seal to some of the animal "structures"/ sculptures at Lost City.

This is not exactly the London Bridge or any of those in the Netherlands but progressive never the less for South Africa.

Progress report on the building of the enormous stadium for the 2010 soccer world cup. Just another angle from the far end at the helicopter pad at the waterfront.

As the days progress we will find more warmth and bug you with some sunset and evening shots when all comes alive at this remarkable place, the waterfront, that also started with humble beginnings.

Happy Birthday Dad

While you sharing this day with another famous icon of our country, Nelson Mandela, I thought we ought to put you in the limelight too , even if its so small. The internet is jammed as everybody wants to be part of this important birthday.{lol}

Ahhh cute, even your father could'nt resist carrying you around and that mob of hair? hmm.

If they could only remain little and cute.

To us you will remain Eggi. Enjoy your day. Alles Gute zu Deinen Geburtstag.

Presies/Presents/ Gifts/

Gift: my late German grandmother was always quite perturbed by that word, as it means poison in German. No resemblance to her ‘Geschenke’ word. We always looked forward to all her presies she would lovingly make or select and wrap and ship to our shores, all those goodies we couldn’t get here, in South Africa, in those days. So, I have an incredible weakness for presies and especially if they have been handmade by the actual person who is giving me a presie. And when it’s also for no reason, unexpected and out of the blue, it really makes you feel special.

Steffi has done just that. Its one thing to follow on her blog how she selects her fabrics and sews all these wonderful clothes, cushions and bags, amongst other things, but to actually have it in reality is just something else. The interesting choice of fabric for the cushion and the appropriate choice for a “winter” handbag… what fun, and what makes this even more special is that this was chosen for me in the making process and we have never met. So as you can gather I really love these presies, gifts, Geschenke.

Cushion with interesting fabric at the back as well...

Detail of cushion and logo...

lovely, big, fun and warm bag for our winter...

Detail of fabric on handbag.

The reason for this, yes there is always a link, her husband, coming from Germany, decided to surprise their daughter, who is currently doing volunteer work at the junior Muizenberg school {in Cape Town} for a couple of months, which was a suggestion via Wendren . And this is only a small fraction of blog social networking at play… No wonder the suitcase was so full. Sweet…

So, Steffi, we have met your daughter and husband, when are we going to meet you? Virtual is all fine and well but nothing beats the real thing…I still don’t know how you found my blog so quickly with the first post?

Thanks again for my wonderful surprise.

Guten Flug zurueck fuer Dein Mann heute.

Have good weekend everyone…

End of June already?

The neglect, somewhere out there is still a blog of mine, while I have been absorbed with my flickr. How on earth do people maintain all these goodies, do they still have a life out there and make time to smell the roses?

When time marches on like this, I become more aware of what surrounds me or rather what happens in that specific time frame that I happen to be in a certain place. Like this afternoon for instance, these where just a few little snapshots that I picked up at the beach in a few minutes. Yes, we have been blessed with an exceptional warm, windless winter day and if you don’t grab it, what’s the point. There are smoke breaks, tea breaks, lunchtime, exercise time etc and then there is’ me’ time or ‘our’ time.

Time has wings and marches on.

Still water?

Or would you prefer sparkling?

Special 'our' time and me?

Just ordinary folk having fun in the winter sun; just so that you don't think ,that's not me... Muizenberg Surfers corner and train in the background, one of the most scenic everyday routes in South Africa. Just another afternoon of what surrounds me but keeps me going when the next cold front decides to play havoc....These images where taken with little digital still camera and I dare say not to shabby for something that you cannot tweak at the lens...

My new/old “notebook”
appears in a fancy, durable case,

is wireless, needs a strong touch and makes slightly louder clicks than a ‘mouse’. A Remington travel writer; typewriter.

I sneaked this one towards my channels as it was meant for my dad, yes, and that before fathers day {in South Africa}, kids….what can I say besides the fact that it evokes a lot of nostalgia and my feelings towards these gadgets 20 years ago were not of fondness but this one has a certain cuteness about it and wants to be taken to the Serengeti to start an African novel…. Picture it : perched tent, endless views over the plains and Livingstone meet Remington, trustworthy companion, no viruses, hard working and consistent.

Love these images from a flickr member, her wildlife captures portray something special that is really different from your usual wildlife fotos; take a peak, while I carry on visualizing going to the Serengeti… { see above}

Image of the day on this Cape Tourism Blog . http://www.capetown.travel/blog/entry/last_light_in_constantia_flickr_pic_of_the_day/

Its really great when someone goes through so many images and says : I like this one, we want to put this up for the day on our blog.

No matter how small, its still a nice boost in such a competitive field between so many amateurs and pros alike.

Its also incredible how many moods and angles the Cape really has and that there is a platform for locals to show off the 'off the beaten track' images of the usual "postcard" scenario's.

All thanks to that enormous social network of flickr...

Dishes:

Yes, I know blogging about dishes must be really off the rack. But these are my last Mohicans going to another rack, as in a new/old shop in Hermanus, opening soon, [more about that later] and they needed a wash…due to dust. How often do we do all those mundane chores, like washing dishes and aren’t really conscious or aware of what we are busy with. These dishes are quite cheerful for a grey, rainy day and had to be handled with care as they are all handmade by me from that lump of clay into thin delicate functional forms. Also durable for everyday use and will continuously bring a cheer to any household, well that’s what they say.