Candlestick Park on a cold day

It is pre-season football time in the US... so tickets were easier to get. Me and a few of my Fundamo colleagues decided to see the 49ers take on the Texans. We arrived, dressed in our new red gear, walked past all the tailgating and bought a beer and a dog. We really had a lot of fun, but also almost froze, with an icy wind blowing into the stadium.

Max the mutt

Me and Adriaan had dinner at the home of Bill. As usual the food was exceptional (smoked leg of pork) accompanied by brilliant wines. We enjoyed the company and the opportunity to get out of our hotel. But we also had a lot of fun to experience the antics of Max; Bill's dog.

Fairview Beryl Back tasting

Returning from Vredendal, me and Annelie stopped at Fairview for lunch. This popular eatery was fully booked, so we filled up our waiting time with a master tasting in the Beryl Back room: eight wines paired with local cheeses. We enjoyed it so much and ended up tasting about twelve wines. The tasting room, the wines and the experience was as good as it gets - absolute world class. The late lunch was also good.

Olifantsrivier region winetasting

We drove the five-hundred odd kilometers up the west coast to taste and evaluate wines of this region. We stayed at the Melkboomsdrif lodge close to Lutzville and traveled to taste wines at some of the massive cellars in the area. (it is not common knowledge that these cellars - Klawer, Namaqua - are far bigger than most). I enjoyed the food, wine and company that I experienced during the weekend.

Overture dinner

Not only is the Overture location one of the most spectacular in the Cape, but the food is also sooo good. I had a special meal with the previous Fundamo board of directors. We recalled some of the good times during the past ten years and closed a chapter with a lot of thankfulness.

I hate gearshift cars

I collected my Avis rental car when in Johannesburg for a business meeting - some type of Renault. It was equipped with a manual gearshift. In a modern world when many technical problems have been solved, why is it still necessary to push a clutch when shifting a gear. I cannot understand why we still make manual gearshift cars. It was with a lot of relief that I slipped behind the Merc's steering wheel when I returned to the Cape.

Attending Hein's fiftieth

It was great to celebrate Hein's fiftieth birthday with friends at Simonsig's Cuvee restaurant - one of the best in Stellenbosch. I enjoyed seeing old friends and making new ones. The food was good (as usual) accompanied by Simonsig wines. (The Gewurtz being one of my favourites).

Splash of orange

Next to the main highway south I noticed one specific, solitary, seasonal flower. In a few days, this plant and the single flower will be gone, forever. While thousands of vehicles passes here everyday, it struck me that the flower will probably meet its purpose: to create lots of seeds for next season.

Bloem's city center metamorphosis

While waiting for the replacement of my cracked windscreen at a very friendly PG Glass in Bloemfontein's city center, I strolled around a bit. I could not find a bookshop in the old FVB center - not sure what is called now. Only budget clothing stores and many micro-lending establishments. It was somewhat nostalgic to think back to the academic bookstores and the student-catering eateries that occupied this shopping center twenty-five years ago.

The big five...twice

It was a great six days in the Kruger Park. We were really very lucky to spot samples of the big five, sometimes in dramatic fashion. But it was also sightings of other species (other, less well-known cats, two species of jackal, a honey badger and various bird species) that made the week even more special.

The mighty Olifants

The Olifantsriver roll through the bushveld towards the Mozambican Indian ocean broken into many different rivulets, rapids and small waterfalls. Given the high density of Hippopotamus, it should probably have been called Hipporiver. We are enjoying the days in the Kruger Park, with lots of rest - experiencing the peace and serenity of nature. The routine of early out of bed to be at the gates when they open, lots of sleep, good food, time together and experiencing different animals and birds is proving to be very wholesome.