Home Sweet Home

After 23 hours of flying I am home safe and sound! I was so excited to see Paul when I got home!! I was surprised at the airport by Dad, Marcia and Sal too! They gave me the royal treatment with flowers, balloons and a welcome home sign! It was wonderful to see everyone! They even took me to Spin for my favorite lunch and Mom stopped by for hugs too!

Wednesday's Fun

We spent time at Kirstenbosch Botanical Garden's. Bobbi and I had a wonderful lunch at the Tea Room then spent a few hours walking around the gardens. Absolutely beautiful! The first photo is of a protea, an African flower. The second photo a group of lillies. We then went to District Six Museum downtown, the museum portrays the history of apartheid and its effects on the people. For my last meal in South Africa Bobbi, Amber and I went to La Romantica Italian Restaurant for dinner. We had a great meal - it was wonderful getting to know Amber while I was there and I will miss Bobbi!!

Spa Day!

Today was Spa Day!! A great treat after all of our running and my cold! We had massages, manicures and pedicures - it was wonderful! The spa was next to Canal Walk so we walked over to have lunch and shop a bit. Tonight we went to Glenn Robertson's home - the pastor of a church here that Youth for Christ is very involved with - for dinner and drinks. This week 2 of the girls head home so all the volunteers were there. It's really cool to see them all and learn about what they do - an amazing group doing God's work! We all went to see the movie 10,000 BC because Bobbi's friend Phillip is in the movie! He's pictured here with the poster and was so embarrassed with all the attention :) He has 3 close up shots as an "extra" - pretty cool!

Wino Monday

Monday we went to Neethlingshof Estate for a wine cellar tour and tasting. It was a beautiful drive to Stellenbosh and the Estate was very nice. We had a wonderful girl doing our tasting and she was a generous pourer. Since it was 11 am and the day was still cooler we did it outside on the patio. We had lunch at the winery and it was fantastic, great service and Divine food! Photo one. We then went into Stellenbosh and shopped for a while. At Spier Winery I went in with the cheetahs - very cool (photo 2) - unfortunately we were too late for the tasting and even the wine shop was closed. Everything closes what seems early to me, dare I say the grocery store closes at 7 pm and Sunday at 2 pm - Paul might decide on a move :) We had dinner at Moyo which was absolutely fantastic! It is an African buffet so I tried all kinds of new dishes....pap - which tastes like malto meal but is a staple in the townships - osterich meat - springbok sausage and bobotie (spicey groundbeef w/ egg on top). Desserts were wonderful, my new favorite malva pudding with custard - yummo! They have small bands - as seen here with Bobbi come around (photo 3), a drum band that plays on a small stage in the middle of the resturant (which is a huge tent) and then a big band that plays up front - no shortage of entertainment and a great experience!

Easter Sunday

Bobbi and I went to church Sunday morning and then to the Market. The market is very fun but I am not good at negotiating so I'm sure they loved seeing me coming...look at the silly American, I give you a good price my left foot :) That's the first photo. We then went to the V & A Waterfront for a boat tour of the harbor and Easter dinner at Quay Four. Second photo. To finish the evening we thought it would be great to watch the sunset from Signal Hill, so did half of Cape Town! We couldn't make it to the top and the sun was going down so Bobbi, being the super dooper hostess she is had me get out and walk up so I could see it while she sat in traffic! Nothing beats the sun dipping into the ocean, one of my favorite things - yes, that's right I said FAVORITE! While I did miss the family knowing they were all together, it was a very nice holiday with Bobbi.

Cape Point

Saturday we did the Cape Point tour - it was, you guessed it...amazing!! We started in Muizenberg, which is where the bright houses are on the beach. The drive goes around False Bay and down to Simon's Town - home of the African Penguin. We had a wonderful lunch at Boulder Beach Restaurant and then headed into The Cape of Good Hope Nature Reserve. The views were wonderful, it's incredibly windy at the lighthouse where the Southwestern Most point of Africa is. We ended in Camp's Bay and had pizza for dinner. Thankfully Bobbi loves za as much as I do...and ice cream too so I've been spoiled rotten :)

Cape Agulhas

On the trip back from Knysna we stopped at Cape Agulhas, the southern most tip of Africa. Also where the Indian and Atlantic Oceans meet. It was very chilly and when I tried to get sand to bring home I ended up getting wet up to my knees...not quite worth it :) The drive back through the mountains was beautiful. I was naive about how beautiful this area is, truly breathtaking! Amber met us to drop off our rental car and we grabbed dinner at Doodles. One of Bobbi's friends was leaving the next day so we went to the volunteer house and hung out for a while. And I almost forgot...I am sick! I have a terrible cold and my voice is raspy! I am pushing through but didn't have a cold on my itinerary!