Old Alto

My brother found a case of Alto Cab 1982 at a liquidation auction and we managed to pick it up at a good price. Last night I carefully extracted the soft cork out of a bottle, lovingly decanted the thirty year old liquid and left it to breath. The nose had a strange metallic whiff, but the mouth was still packed with fruit and lots of structure.... Beautiful.

Sunshine breaking through

With low clouds over the Stellenbosch mountains, half an hour after dawn, the sunshine blazed a path downwards. It reflected off the dams between the vineyards in a powerful exhibition of light.

Hemingway's restaurant

One does not always think of Pretoria as the centre of culinary expertise. That is why we were so delightfully surprised with the three course dinner that we enjoyed at Hemingway's in Centurion. The wine list was very good - with a wide selection, cleverly put together. The food was delicate, yet complex with signature themes that we enjoyed. The service was knowledgable and quick, guided by head waiter: William. Strangely, the restaurant was not full, possibly indicating that this type of restaurant is not fully appreciated by people north of the Jukskei.

House in the "Moot"

We are building an investment house in the Theresa Park area north of Pretoria. The brickwork for the first storey has been completed and me and Annelie inspected the progress on a sunny day during an early spring.

Legends off-site

We are having a off-site (bosberaad) at Legends in the "bosveld". It is such an opposite from Singapore where I just came from. The bosveld-silence and clearly more oxygen in the air is so refreshing.

Singapore getting ready for F1

Singapore will host a F1 street-race in about a month. The city is already getting ready for the event. One can see advertising everywhere and everyone knows about it. Tonight, when I returned from dinner, I noticed the fences being erected next to the roads. It has got the potential to be very spectacular.

Changi to Swissotel

Here I am again sitting in a taxi from Changi airport to Swissotel in Singapore, early morning. There is a part of me that asks: Why?; but then I remind myself to be thankful for everything that I experience; the privilege to work with smart people and good health and strength that allow me to do all this.

With Corne Krige at rugby

I was a guest of Absa at the SA Argentina international. I met Corne Krige (a previous captain of the SA national team) at the game and had an opportunity for a long chat with him. I really enjoyed it and was particularly impressed with his outlook on life. I subscribe to his view that, in order to be successful in life, your life must be based on strong moral principles.

Stunning Cape

I was fortunate to do a flip in a helicopter from Twelve Apostles Hotel to the Waterfront. It was a perfect day with sunshine and no wind. One could see the well-known landmarks; like the stadium, Signal Hill and the Victoria Basin, bathed in glorious sunshine. It is hard to think of a better place to be.

Lagos tennis

One can see the Ikoyi tennis club's courts from our offices in Lagos. All nine courts were in use after six o'clock till late when we left for the hotel. But what was interesting was that everyone playing was dressed in white: white shoes, socks... everything. No wait, one guy's collar was off-orange.

Lagos arrival

Arrived early evening at Lagos airport and after a wild drive from the airport - sometimes taking backroads to beat the Sunday evening traffic - arrived at the Federal Palace hotel. Vibrant is a word that does not give justice to an amazing city.

Sunday morning jetplane

I am sitting in the lounge at CTIA for an early flight en route to Lagos. I would rather be sleeping late. But then the friendly staff offer me a freshly baked croissant from the Premier lounge - piping hot and I look out over the Stellenbosch mountains where the sun is fighting a loosing battle with the rain clouds and I feel a bit of contentment. One should appreciate the small things in life more often.

Stormy night at Botriver

Gale force winds and driving rain shook the wooden house as we slept in the bedroom on the second floor. The sounds of the wind through the trees and a loose board on the roof was interrupted by squalls thick with rain. It was as if you could feel the fury of nature.

Clarence drive cycling

Some club members got me out of bed with a Facebook message for some cycling. With very little wind, crisp-cold air and the beauty of the Cape environment, it was an ideal day for cycling. Only problem was that I battled to survive the ride - a reflection on my lack of training.

Blending old and new

I gave a talk on the story of Fundamo to Endeavour at the venue of Alan Gray Orbis Foundation. It was great to meet the members of Endeavour and to just talk frankly about the last ten year's journey. The building that houses the Foundation is quite interesting: a proud old Victorian-style building encapsulated in a very modern, new building... an example of old and new working together in harmony.

Closing banquet

Six Olympians were guests at the closing banquet of a very special week in London. Amongst others, we listened to Kerri Strug (who helped the US win a gold medal in 1996 with a broken ankle), Derek Raymond (finished the 400m in 1992 with a torn hamstring) and Sifiso Nhlapo (who came back from a broken neck to compete as a BMX athlete at London 2012).

Federer marathon Olympic win

Bill Gates, John McEnroe and other famous people were spectators very close to where we sat watching the men's semi-finals at Wimbledon. In the end Federer beat the Argentinian, Del Potro, in a mammoth match stretching over almost five hours.

Greenwich Gymnastics

The gymnastics championship event that we attended was spectacular. The gymnasts was amazing, but this was augmented by a display of lights and music, that turned the night into a special occasion. We shared in the joy of Douglas, the gold medal winner from the US as well as the despair of the Russian that missed gold with 0.20 at the last exercise.

Olympic Beach Volleyball

I never thought that beach volley ball would be so much fun! We watched four games at the horse guards parade stadium and all agreed that it definitely is a spectator sport. The final match between Canada and Italy was the highlight.

Olympic swimming

What a privilege to see two South Africans qualify for finals in the Olympic Aquatic Centre tonight. The Olympic Park was vibrant and full of energy and even the weather played along.