Von Seidels

When I started Fundamo in 2000, we contracted Mike von Seidels as our IP attorney. At that stage he practiced from his home as a single person. Today I visited the new offices of Von Seidels in Canal Walk, a grand double story building, home to many partners and employees; one of the biggest and most respected IP practices in South Africa. It was a special experience.

Xavier

Xavier is my third grandchild. He is a big and strong little man. He enjoys wrestling and shouts with joy when he gets thrown around in a tussle. I wonder what sport he will enjoy when he is grownup.

Inclusive digital economies

Just back in Cape Town; attending Inclusive digital economies discussion at the Watershed. Good to see that digital economies are still alive and well in Africa.

Dubai lounge

We are almost home. The lounge in Dubai has become an oasis for Annelie and me. It is a welcome break in the mammoth trip from San Francisco to Cape Town. After a shower, a good cup of tea and recharged cellphones, we are ready for the last leg.

Trampled by Turtles

The are called Trampled by Turtles and they are a famous blue grass band from Minnesota. They are also one of Julia and Izak's favorite bands. As if it was planned, they performed in Santa Cruz on one of the last evenings with the kids. What blessing to share this with the two as well.

Capitola Beach

We took a stroll on Capitola beach on our own, had lunch at a small Greek restaurant and couldn't stop ourselves from taking a selfie with the lagoon in the background.

#300

There is a sneaky cache in the parking lot behind the Citibank close to Izak's new house. I picked this one up late afternoon for my 300th cache.

Lake Tahoe

The three days that we spent at Lake Tahoe with the kids was very special. We were fortunate to live in a cabin on the shore of the lake. Watching the surface of the water change with dawn, fog, rain and wind through the big windows, while making food and talking was a wonderful experience.

Donner Kitchen

We stopped for lunch at Donner Kitchen. The Donner lake in the Sierras is infamous for early pioneer's cannibalism when they got lost in heavy snow on the way west. I had great chicken Taco's with a Miller beer.

Breakfast in San Jose

Most mornings we made breakfast together while staying at Izak and Julia's temporary apartment in San Jose. Oatmeal with fruit and nuts and freshly brewed coffee. So thankful for the time that we can spend together.

Gaudalupe Gardens

There is a historic orchard in the middle of San Jose, commemorating the fact that there was a time when the Santa Clara county was the biggest producer of fruit in the state. Then in the 1960's came chip factories and a different kind of Apple orchard, and now nobody is pruning trees and picking fruit any more.

Golden Gate Bridge

One cannot really claim to have been to San Francisco if you were not photographed with the magnificent Golden Gate bridge in the background. Afterwards we crossed the bridge for dinner at Scoma in Sausalito - bringing back memories of business dinners in another time.

UCSC Arboretum

The University of Santa Cruz Arboretum is a garden of many plant species from across the world in a beautiful setting. It was great to experience all the different plants and the many hummingbirds that flicks from one plant to another. The South African proteas, pincushions and strelitzias were in full bloom and painted a proud picture.

New Home

The kids signed a lease on a great house in Capitola (adjacent to Santa Cruz). It is a spacious dwelling with lots of natural light. They expect to move in within the next fortnight. We were privileged to share the moment with them. Back in South Africa, it would now be easier for us to picture them as they live their dreams.

California rain

Some people say that the drought in California is the most severe in recent memory. That is why it was such fun to drive back to San Jose on the I-5 in the driving rain.

Barf Sink

I have been to many restaurants in the world, but this was the first time that I saw a Barf Sink in the restroom of this Vietnamese establishment in Los Angeles. The situation was made even more funny when the waiter asked us if we would mind eating things like pork blood, pig intestines and fish heads. In the end though, the food was actually quite good.

Santa Barbara

We decided to drive down to Los Angeles to see Izak (working on a project in Irvine). It was special time to bond with our daughter-in-law. We stopped at some of the beaches on the way and even dipped our toes in the Pacific at Santa Barbara.

Crow's nest

We are blessed to be with our children in the US, sharing their plans and dreams. We had dinner at the Crow's Nest; good sea food and a local Chardonnay. The restaurant has a perfect setting next to the yacht basin at Santa Cruz.

Santa Cruz

The thing about Santa Cruz is that the breakers for one of the surf spots is right underneath a cliff overlooking the sea. One can see surfers plying their trade within 50 yards from you. Wonderful and special moments that we can share with the kids.

Bugger

I discovered fraudulent transactions on my credit card and had to ask my bank to cancel it. My watch stopped working and then MTN informed me by text that I had spent more than my credit limit on roaming charges and suspended my phone. Great way to start my holiday abroad.

Rockies railroad

They say that the railroad through the Rockies from Denver to Sacramento is the most scenic route in North America. The track climbs to over 3 000 meters, following majestic canyons and though many tunnels. Looking down over sheer cliffs into rivers speeding over rapids or long plains that stretches all the way to the horizon. What a memorable trip this was for Annelie and me.

Washington

Washington could be seen as a garden full of grand buildings, statues and memorials. It oozes symbolism and value-statements. I drove and walked through the center of the city and realized why the peoples of this country constitute such a great nation.

Izakaya

Seeing that we are on our way to visit Izak's new home in California, Annelie felt it appropriate that our last meal in New York should be at a Japanese restaurant called Izakaya. We also ordered California Rolls because we are about to start a 3 000 mile journey by train to California.

First class to New York

We were treated with a wonderful surprise when both of us were upgraded to first class on the A380 from Dubai to New York. We enjoyed the spacious cabins and the world-class cuisine and rare wines. And, yes, we did it: we showered at 40 000 ft.

Wine for breakfast

Pineapple, melon and a variety of berries are the type of flavours that one would find on good wines. It almost felt as if I was having wine with breakfast in the lounge at Dubai on the way to New York.

Seal breeze

Joan Wiggens is a soul-winemaker, making small quantities of quality wines in her small cellar close to Lutzville: Seal Breeze. All the grapes grow close to the sea and the wines show well-balanced, maritime influence of which the many awards are a testament of. As we got on the bus, some of us were still wiping tears from our eyes. Who said that wine-tasting cannot be an emotional affair.

Muisbosskerm

Muisbosskerm is a famous eatery on the beach, close to Lambertsbay. Various types of fish are cooked on open fires and guests help themselves to all the wares. There is no cutlery; only mussel-shells are provided, to scoop up the sweet potatoes and the rice. Another stop on the Official Kurktrekker Westcoast Winetour, where we paired local wines with food till late.

Cederberg Wines

Forty years ago, the Niewoudt's planted the first vines in the rugged wilderness of the Ceder-mountains, today, we traversed two passes to taste the award-winning wines. The new cellar now processes 800 tons of wine a year, the walls of the tasting-room are lined with accolades and trophies... but the unique style and quality remained.

Zipline

All wine tasting and no play will make a wine tour dull. This afternoon we zip-lined down the Piekenierskloof to escape from wine-tasting.

SIW

The Swartland Independent Winemakers (SIW) is a group of young, dynamic winemakers. They have developed a new exciting style of winemaking, unique to this region. We attended a SIW festival in RiebeekKasteel to discover their wines. Sometimes we had to sit down to discuss the merits of a specific wine.

Bills

At time when I receive almost all my correspondence electronically, some institutions still distribute their bills through the ancient paper posts. It struck me, when paying bills tonight, that it is mostly municipalities that have not changed.

Andre at R&V

What we like about the winemakers lunch at Rust and Vrede is the simplicity of it: a good steak and a glass of Shiraz. That is why Andre and I have had a standing arrangement here, once a month, to discuss business and the meaning of life. Lately they have complicated matters by also offering salmon and a glass if Steen. Not that we would ever succumb to fish.

Patricia and Tim

My brother's oldest son, Timmy, married his sweetheart, Patricia. It is always special to see two young people commit themselves to each other for a lifetime. What struck me about tonight was the diversity of languages, cultures and practices. It is a celebration of diversity.

Annelie and Kirby

About a year ago Annelie and I visited Andri and Wessel's new restaurant in Pretoria: Salt. Today we were there again to enjoy some of the exquisite dishes and a few of the craft beers in stock. We also met Kirby, the newest addition to the van Jaarsveldt family.

GIBS Panel

I was invited for a panel discussion on the economic impact of mobile payments at the Gordon Institute of Business Science. It turned out to be a lively discussion with a lot of participation from the audience. It was also an opportunity to see some very special friends, like Dare Oukoudjou.

Ansie

Our road-trip to visit family that we have not seen for ages continues with memorable visits to Frans and Nico. In Volksrust we stopped for a night at the home of Eugen and Ansie (a cousin of Annelie's). We talked a lot about the past and our children. They shared their world with us in a special way. Our last stop was at Koppie-T, a coffee shop in town that Ansie is involved with.

Cheetau Lodge

We stayed over in Bethlehem at Bok van Zyl's Cheetah Lodge. The accommodation is set in beautiful surroundings amongst many big cats. There is a sense of safety knowing that it is unlikely that intruders would scale fences in this property.

Goodbye dad

When my dad was about as old as I am now, he built the Wildebeest walking trial through Wolhuterskop nature reserve close to Bethlehem. Today, in a small private ceremony we said a final goodbye to him at the trial (now in dis-use). As we listened to the wind in the trees and the birds, we remembered.

Magda and Botha

We are at that age where we make an effort to visit as many of our family as possible. We have not seen Botha and Magda as a couple ever. The dinner that we had with them on their farm, Driefontein, near Bainsvlei and the chats that we had, will remain memories for a long time.

Credit risk

I collected a rental car at Avis in Bloemfontein. The system highlighted me as a credit risk and I watched as a young agent tried his best to resolve a very uncomfortable situation (The system was wrong). My tribe (system developers) do not realize what we do to the innocent that use our creations.

Tewie, Engela en Trienks

Tewie is a special cousin of Annelie. They stayed at de Wijnlanden for Easter, supporting their oldest daughter completing her third Two Oceans, amongst others. We had a wonderful time.

Hartenberg

Hartenberg is one of those wineries that does not have to be boastful to be recognized for their amazing achievements. Wines made on this farm have won international acclaim. We were fortunate to experience the wines with food and good friends. We ended the evening in the underground private cellar amongst some of the world's best wines.

Spasie

Spasie is a place that could be called a restaurant. It is a long table where young chefs are invited to present their art for a few evenings. Annelie and I experienced Nic Charambolous present a menu influenced by his Greek heritage that just blew us away. From the marinated octopus starters grilled on an open fire in the street outside to the desert finale.

Miedie and I

I have known Miedie for ages. It is almost as if we grew up together. For some time we went our separate ways, but today we had lunch together and agreed that we should do it more often.

Early morning beach

I love an early morning walk on the MeerenSee beach. A hazy fog filter the early sun and the sound of the surf is interspersed with the gulls screeching their anxious messages. Just a few human foot-prints provide evidence that people do come here. For the rest it feels surreal almost mystical. There must be unicorns here.

Fire behind Afdaksriver

Veld fires at night is both beautiful and scary. We watched a fire behind Afdaksriver glow in the dark, flaring up as it hits thicker vegetation. Deep inside of me, I can feel the primeval fascination with fire.

Gnocchi and Liver

I have never really cooked in my life. I always thought that it is sufficient for a man to be able to only braai. But now that I have discovered the fun of planning of a total meal, the use of fresh herbs and the combination of tastes a whole new world opened up for me. Tonight I experimented with Gnocchi with calf's liver in a tomato stew. Sure it was a bit dry, and the gnocchi's texture collapsed, but it was a lot of fun to prepare.

Skype on Sundays

Sometimes we are spoiled on Sundays to see our children in the US and to listen to them telling us about their world. This time we connected to them at their home in Indianapolis and enjoyed listening to their stories and their dreams.

Maritha birthday

We were privileged to celebrate Maritha's birthday with friends at Warwick during the weekend. JP and Maritha are such special friends. I am always amazed at how easy-going and comfortable our relationship is, yet how this is supported by depth and seriousness.

Stellenbosch burning

The sun is fighting to penetrate through the thick smoke this morning. Ash gathering on tables and cars in the street. There is an eerie glow in the sky over Stellenbosch today as the mountains burn.