May 10, 2011 | Travel..ling Tuesdays
I think tiredness makes me quirky. And itchy. And occasionally grouchy. And extra hungry. But mostly quirky. And grouchy. Forget that last part.
So this quirky Travelling Tuesday, I feel like posting a buncha photos and letting you guess where they were taken. And the first person to get it right gets a big high five. And the satisfaction of feeling clever for the rest of the day. And, if I had an iPad to pass along, I would but ya know…scratch that, if I had an iPad to pass along I wouldn’t. Unless the Queen wants to share hers with me, in which case you can have mine. But I don’t have one.
Ahem.
So instead of an iPad, I’ll make you a clever badge, email it to you, and you can print it out and wear it all day. Or even all week. However long you like, I’m not gonna ask for it back. If you send a photo of yourself wearing it, I’ll post it here and we’ll all feel special. Or maybe just quirky.
Ahem.
Let’s begin.
This shouldn’t be too hard. A little homework and you’ll have it. (Just name the home country of these special creatures.)
Let google be your guide! Don’t be fooled by the obvious! (Country.)
Everybody deserves a gimme every once in a while. (City & country, please.)
And a little challenge. Be a Sherlock. (City & Country.)
And another gimme. (City.)
And this one you’ll know if you’ve been paying attention! (Country.)
And this could be one of the seven new wonders of the world. Actually I don’t think it made it to the finals. Bummer. Have you voted? Sorry this grainy photo doesn’t do it much justice. I need to work on getting a better one. (Landmark.)
Any guesses? (I’m pregnant there, by the way.) (Landmark.)
Now, last one…hint: if you don’t know me, try poking around on this site to get to know me a little better. (City, state, & country!) Hi, Dad!
I hope you enjoy this Travelling Diversion on a Tuesday. Hero Hubs and close relatives need not participate. You’ll spoil the fun!
xCC
P.S. I seriously made the badge already. And it’s cool.
May 3, 2011 | An Expat, Travel..ling Tuesdays
When we arrived in SA nearly two years ago, we stayed in a little short-term holiday apartment. There wasn’t much space, so we had to put the Bear wherever we could find a spot…
I suppose I’m reminiscing after sharing
the news. I look back and remember: he was non-walking, non-talking, slightly mischievous, and barely one year old when we arrived.
We started going for walks to explore the beautiful area where we live.
We soaked in the new (warmer) surroundings
and browsed the exciting new things we could purchase from our car window.
There were a few ups and downs as our things arrived from the UK and we settled in to our new place…
The scenery constantly blew me away. (And still does.)
Sometimes it feels like ten years ago, but other times it feels like last month.
If you take the time to travel back for a moment, and to consider all the changes that have taken place between any-then and right now, I imagine a few lessons will come to heart:
Life changes quickly.
You won’t pass this way again.
Soak in the moment before it passes you by.
This moment
and this moment
and even this moment
…they’re all gone.
I imagine if we could travel through time, we’d still realise you can only ever make the most of this moment — the one that you’ve got.
Lord, teach us to number our days, that we may gain a heart of wisdom. {Psalm 90:12}
May your travels hold you firmly where you already are this Tuesday.
xCC
Apr 26, 2011 | South Africa, Travel..ling Tuesdays
So…a week late and a Dassie short, I have finally gotten together the Dassiesfontein shots for you. I hope you’ll think they were worth the wait! And that you’ll forgive the delay!
Here’s the backstory: Travelling along the N2 (one of the major highways in SA) you’ll pass some gorgeous South African scenery, like this:
And you might happen to pass a big old barn with “DASSIESFONTEIN” across the top of it, like this:
And you might happen to say to your Hero Hubs, or he might happen to say to you, “We ought’ta stop there sometime.”
Mayhaps.
And you might even decide to take a drive there, thinking there’s a whole village somewhere off the highway past that barn, only to discover when you ask your Hero Hubs as you pull into the parking lot, “Now, wait, is this all of Dassiesfontein?” And he might laugh at you as he has to inform you that the contents of this wee barn are Dassiesfontein in its entirety. And you might be a bit surprised, laugh, or disbelieve him for a while and then feel silly.
Mayhaps. I’m just saying it could happen.
Now remember, Dassies are the little beaver-like creatures I told you about in Hermanus, which are apparently more closely related to the elephant than any other living species. Could’ve fooled me. And “Dassiesfontein” would literally be translated from Afrikaans “fountain of Dassies.” And since there are lots of other -fonteins in SA, like wonderful Bloemfontein for example, I was expecting a town. With lotsa Dassies.
I got neither.
But Good News, even if this is all there is to Dassiesfontein, it. is. still. awesome. And Hero Hubs captured the awesomeness, and here I am, mayhaps a Tuesday late, but nevertheless present, to bring the (non-Dassied) Dassiesfontein to you. (Cuz we didn’t see nay one bit of a dassie there. Ahem.)
For starters, they have several rooms with splendid things for sale:
I love him.
Amen.
Amen.
Amen. {I’m kidding, HH, you’re irreplaceable!}
Beautiful Crosses like the one we gave Agnes!
Sweet things for your weans and bairns. (That’s Scots for Kinder, which is German for niños, which is Spanish for children.)
They also had some beautiful antique furniture and kitcheny stuff:
I will gladly pay you Tuesday for this gorgeous piece of furniture today. And by Tuesday I mean some Tuesday in 2013, please.
And look! Right through here is the wine shop!
Complete with cheese.
Not colourful candles like I first thought.
The lovely stuff just goes on.
And on.
And on.
And I almost forgot, the Bear made a friend!
Well, he tried anyway.
So we piddled around a good wee while,
and scooted into the restaurant for a great lunch.
Did I mention they have plants?
And a delightfully rustic feel?
And {special treat!} I got to take one of these crates home with me:
And then I read that they were trendy on this blog, and felt really special for being ahead of the game. (Cos that’s usually my sister.)
Now. For the big finish, I feel a TT in Dassiesfontein wouldn’t be complete without some moody, black and white Fotografien, which is German for fotografias, which is Portuguese for фотоÑнимки, which is Russian for photographs.
{As you see above, you can see more at www.dassies.co.za. And in case you’re wondering, this is not a paid post. The Dassies-folk don’t have a clue who I am. But I wouldn’t turn down some free stuff if they offered.}
And dat was my fave.
I hope that was a Travelling Tuesday worth waiting for. Happy Tuesday! May the road rise to meet you wherever your reis, which is Dutch for 旅途 , which is Chinese for journey takes you next!
Now if I only knew why they named it Dassiesfontein, which is Afrikaans for… 🙂
xCC
Apr 12, 2011 | South Africa, Travel..ling Tuesdays
I never cease to be amazed at the way the sky is painted at sunset around here. Evening after evening and moment by moment, it’s as if the Creator has a thousand paintings prepared for a one-night-only gallery. They gradually and imperceptibly shift from one to the next, and it stirs my heart to consider how each moment passes, and never will be again.
A few nights ago Hero Hubs slipped out in the evening to capture some sunset shots, and as he returned with a camera full, I marvelled at how many different scenes there were, from a single spot on a single evening with a single camera. He commented that the picture changed so quickly he wanted to take another shot every moment.
{This is sunset at the new harbour in Gordon’s Bay, looking across False Bay toward Cape Town}
The heavens declare the glory of God, and the sky above proclaims his handiwork.
Psalm 19:1
Have you stood still to enjoy a good sunset lately? Happy Tuesday!
xCC
Apr 5, 2011 | South Africa, Travel..ling Tuesdays
A lot of places claim to be “a world in one country,” but I think Cape Town is one of the only places that can claim to be a world in one city. Travelling through the Mother City’s sweet streets, I often find myself reminded of other destinations halfway around the globe. I glance down a street in her city centre and it feels like Glasgow. Another street, it’s Paris, then London, then the winding slopes of San Francisco. Camp’s Bay is South Africa’s answer to Miami Beach, with the bonus of the incredible background of the Twelve Apostles.
Kalk Bay is a sweet little corner of Cape Town known for good eats, sweet bookshops, unique fashion finds, bright colours and lovely views. We took a stroll there last weekend to soak in some colour and sun (and get out of the house a bit!) We brought back some snaps from the feast for the eyes, to share!
I would wear this apron all day.
What’s not to love about this delightfully coloured wall??
Important memo: It’s not just about vintage clothing, accessories or cars anymore. We should now be looking for Vintage Kitchenalia. As you were.
Let’s stroll up Memory Lane together!
These beaded peacocks are amazing. But are they vintage?
Even outdoor columns deserve trendy patterns.
If it’s vintage-inspired, does it still count?
Vintage.
Inspired!
Could this stuff be vintage?
Much to this seller’s disappointment, the Bear’s attention to selecting the perfect beaded keychain did not mean the Bear got to *keep* said keychain. “Bear,” said I, “It’s not even vintage, my boy.”
You guessed it…vintage wall art!
Sorry, bro, you’re just old.
Which way to lunch, vintage stick man?
Vintage galore! And a great place for lunch.
We sat outside to enjoy our toasties…
{That’s a wee baby asleep in my arms. Only he’s not so wee.}
But you could have lunch in the vintage train carriage!
This place had a ton of vintage signage…
seriously, if you piled all this signage on a scale and weighed it, the display would read: One Ton. {No Pun Intended here.}
When is it safe to say this stuff is just… old?
Okay, let’s get back to beautiful and tie this thing off with the favourites. This must be the longest Travelling Tuesday ever.
See that lighthouse up there? It’s vintage.
Pretty church? Totally vintage.
HH’s favourite:
Score! It’s vintage!
And my two favourites, pleasedon’tmakemechoose…
Yummy colours!
What’s not to love? So much vintage!
Hope you made it all the way through this marathon Travelling Tuesday {and enjoyed yourself}. If I could sip it, sniff it, and swirl it in my glass, I’d say Kalk Bay was a good year.
Happy Tuesday!
xCC
Mar 29, 2011 | Baby Photos, The Parenthood, Travel..ling Tuesdays
We interrupt this Travelling Tuesday to bring you an important celebratory tutorial: How to Photograph a One-Month-Old.
If attempting to photograph your One-Month-Old baby, we have a few suggestions.
Don’t just put him down and set him up for the photos any old time.
Make sure he’s exactly one month old. And wait until he’s asleep.
Then he can stir in his own good timing.
He might pause and wonder “How did I get here?”
Or smile as he recognises the silly people doing goofy things to encourage some happy.
You’re likely to see enough cheer in his disposition
to allow you to grab a few good shots.
He might give you a sweet little smile
or look like he has something important to say.
Don’t be offended if he wants to stick out his tongue. He doesn’t know any better.
But grabbing the opportunity when he’s just waking up should give you a good chance to capture some happy baby-ness and nothing like that first picture up there. Our mistake is your learning opportunity.
Can you believe this baby is one month old?
xCC
P.S. Travelling Tuesday will return as regularly scheduled next week. We have some beautiful shots from Kalk Bay to share!
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