South Africa

Cape Town: 25 December 2019.

I was going to say that I spent the xmas season with the tTs in Cape Town, rather I have to admit that the cheapest flights [by far] that I could find meant travelling on xmas eve, arriving xmas day and leaving new year's day so I rather missed the season but did achieve my intention which was to see them both.

  At least I arrived in time on xmas day to drink   'to absent friends' at 1100 gmt, following Tanya's family tradition.

  The pair in the garden with Devil's peak in the background.

  Then a look around at the wildlife in the garden.

   Red winged starling 2 links, tw's 'corridor bird'

  

  Putting a juicy morsel out for the other wildlife in the tree.

   Red winged starling 2 links    Cape Ringed-necked Dove 2 links.

   Red winged starling 2 links.

  Assembling our xmas day pizza

  Pizza has been our xmas dinner of choice ever since tw's 12 year old self requested it for our first ever xmas dinner aboard cribbit when I first bought her back in 1993. Many thanks are due to Tanya for making the cold risen dough the night before and for indulging our eccenticies.
So that was our xmas day, it started rather late for me as I arrved at the airport around noon but the tTs had been up bright and early to watch dawn break from the top of Devil's Peak.

Cape Town 26 December 2019.

To my consternation it was raining and rather cold when I arrived and carried on like that on boxing day too so our plans for a hike were put on hold and we spent the day on inside activities. Their garden attracts lots of birds and of course the resident squirrel. Tw has spent quite some effort trying to prevent it from stealing the bird food, just like his grandfather used to, but that T surrepticiously sneaks pecan nuts to it [the ones with the damaged shells] so his efforts are undermined. Actually, they rather enjoy the little critter.

  Yes that is rain on the leaves! Tw's anti-squirrel device giving it a convenient foothold.

  Inside activity number one, making   pasta sheets for tonight's   ravioli.

  

   Production in full swing.

  

  Pressing the dough into the mould using a bit of spare dough.

  

  Wondered when we might get time off for a quick sip of wine.

  Now we can really get motoring.

  

  

  

  

  

  Through the pasta cutter and drying on the rack.

  Next indoor activity ... origami.

  

  Feeding santa's homemade reindeer with a samosa.

  Time for something slightly more energetic, indoor bowling.

  

  

  Sauce for the ravioli.

  

  

  Its always a worry when an artist does a seascape without a boat of some sort.

  The holiday plan.

The rest of the day entailed working out what else we could get up to for the rest of my time here with the trusty planning blackboard. Noticing the Hadada Ibis 2 links pic at the top of the board reminded me that this was the first bird I saw once we had touched down, a sure sign to me that I was in South Africa. Then the tTs told me about the Hamerkop 2 links, this mysterious bird is often associated with the Hadadas so I must be more observant in future. Apparently though it is rather difficult to spot as tradition has it that only women can see it. More information in this link from The Guardian.

Or try this link to a random file somewhere else at cribbitDOTnet: cribblog1624.php