Newly planted coastal fynbos garden at the Beach House

I love the natural planting at the Beach House. Lots of coastal fynbos and the local birds are loving it.

My morning walk on Llandudno Beach

This was my morning walk today. So very different from my normal walk back home -better weather and more stunning scenery, but sadly no Colin. He would love running along this  beach.

Sums up where I am today!

Original T-bag Designs Hout Bay

 
A morning trip out to Original T- Bag Designs in Hout Bay. This is a community based project of the Imizamo Yetu community which turns discarded tea bags  they receive from around the world into beautiful works of art. These include greetings cards, table wear, textiles and artwork.

First I was shown a DVD of how the project started and how the tea bags are created into the artwork. It started of with very small outlets but now has a store at the Victoria and Alfred Waterfront in Capetown as well as shipping internationally. 

They use ordinary used tea bags that have been emptied of their tea and dried. People ship their used tea bags from all over the world. How fascinating is this whole story around used tea bags that I have thrown away or composted. I need to start saving my tea bags!

Here are some photos of the tour........

me outside the Original T-Bag designs at Hout Bay

Busy varnishing and assembling.

 A beautiful tray with artwork made out of used tea bags

Coasters coasters and more coasters.

Their Hout Bay Store

Dinner at home tonight

 After eating out for the last few nights we all felt like a dinner cooked at home. So we made reservations for a table at the Beach House last night. Chris and Neil went to Fish for Africa  yesterday morning while I was at yoga and bought Calamari and Swordfish for dinner. It was absolutely delicious - thanks to Chris cooking the fish while Neil made an excellent coconut and vegetable rice and the sous chefs Gillian and Ruth prepared all the veggies. A truly combined effort.

It was delish and here's the proof

And here we are having dinner -not quite outside but in the sun room Gillian Chris Neil & Ruth enjoying dinner - I'm taking the photo.

What's been happening?

It's been a long while since I blogged I realised and so Ruth has informed me. Christmas was so busy with visitors and cooking and all the usual Christmas stuff.

New Year was quiet. Apart from Colin barking in the New Year as their was lots of fireworks near where we live. He has an aversion to fireworks and gets very stressed barking at them. So we were up until 1.30 a.m.until the war zone that our area seemed to become for a few hours with loud explosive fireworks going off heralding  in the New Year. I don't like to be a kill joy but fireworks have become a real pain in my life as Colin is really angry at the sound of them. What with 5th November, Diwali, Thanksgiving, Christmas, New Year and any old excuse it seems they have been going off every night causing a lot of stress to our little furry friend. Surely there should be something that could be done to limit the time people can let these explosives off in a residential area and think it is ok?

Enough now and breathe....... The new year has started well with a trip to my favourite place!

                                  Does anyone recognise it from January 2013?

Back in Llandudno just outside Cape Town. The view from where I am staying

So I am back in my favourite place - Llandudno just outside Cape Town

I can't quite believe that we are here. It was a bit surreal to be going away on holiday so soon after the Christmas and New Year festivities. After the dreadful rainy stormy weather in the UK and getting soaking wet every time I stepped outside the front door I am so lucky to be back in summer and in January. Yes it did take 11 hours on a plane which passed really quickly -watching a few movies and some sleep. I really liked "Enough Said" which was a bit different and really uplifting when I didn't think it would be. Even got some shut eye on the flight.

 It was cloudy when I arrived but warm. The weather has been patchy and reminded me of summers back home, rain cloud sun and winds all in one afternoon.

So lucky to be staying at the Llandudno Beach House. There is a story connected to why I am so happy to be staying here at long last.  Two years ago I was supposed to be here in the former Beach House but I had to postpone it as I  had to have my liver resection. So I never got to stay here as when  I came out here 7 weeks later it was booked by someone  else. Sine then it has been demolished and rebuilt and in November last year I connected with Annie a wonderful agent here in Llandudno to see what was available  for early 2014 and the new and improved Beach House was available in early January for 10 days and was the only opening this season. Wow how lucky was that and I am convinced that it was just meant to be!


I am back in my favourite place and I can't tell you how wonderful that feeling is and how beautiful it is being here. I have a huge sense of gratitude for being given the opportunity to be here with Neil and my wonderful friends Chris Gillian and Ruth.

And this is the view from my bedroom window - I could sit here and stare out at the sea all day.

Watch this You Tube clip of my bedroom.

And this quote has resonance for this time..........

"Turn your face toward the sun and the shadows will fall behind you.” ~Maori Proverb