Aster Palms

STAR GAZING 21 JAN 2012 PAARL

2012-01-17T00:27:00.000-08:00

The following is from Carol Botha.

''Shortly - the Pleiades and African folklore

Khoikhoi and the San
When the Pleiades appear in the east, little ones are lifted by their mothers and presented to the stars . . . The Pleiades are considered friendly and the children are taught to stretch their hands toward them.
The Pleiades, named Khuseti or Khunuseh by the Khoikhoi, are called the rainstars. Their appearance indicates the rainy season is near and thus the beginning of a new year. Hahn. The Khoikhoi, or Bushmen (1881).
. . . when rain is accompanied by lightning, girls who are out in the open become killed by the lightning and are converted into stars. Therefore young unmarried women and girls must hide themselves from the rain. Schapera (1930).

Namaquas:
the Pleiades were the daughters of the sky god. When their husband (Aldeberan) shot his arrow (Orion's sword) at three zebras (Orion's belt), it fell short. He dared not return home because he had killed no game, and he dared not retrieve his arrow because of the fierce lion (Betelgueuse) which sat watching the zebras. There he sits still, shivering in the cold night and suffering thirst and hunger.

Sotho,Swazi,Nguni:
isiLimela or the Pleiades were the `digging stars', whose appearance in southern Africa warned of the coming need to begin hoeing the ground. All over Africa, these stars were used as a marker of the growing season. `And we say isiLimela is renewed, and the year is renewed, and so we begin to dig'. (Callaway 1970). Xhosa men counted their years of manhood from the time in June when isiLimela first became visible.

http://www.saao.ac.za/public-info/sun-moon-stars/african-starlore/

I hope the seven sisters will be in full regalia on Sat evening''.
Carol Botha

The Greenhouse at Cellars-Hohenhort Hotel, Constantia

2011-12-21T07:43:00.001-08:00

We had a wonderful evening with our neighbours at The Greenhouse a fortnight ago. It was sublime! Expensive yes, but worth every penny. Beautiful decor at the Conservatory, great ambience. It was a long drive to Constantia but we were all looking forward to a superb dinner. I would like to think that the evening's meal was overseen by the Executive Chef, Peter Tempelhoff. Whether he was there or not, his team did a splendid job. The appointed waiter and the sommerlier knew their job inside out. Their recommendation was perfect. Exquisite! The boys had so much fun, so much so, that their Pinot Noir was all over the table cloth and my husband's shirt (our guests was drunk, I might add). Will definitely go again if they will allow us in.

Glen Carlou

2011-12-21T07:31:00.000-08:00

Lovely lunch at the restaurant at Glen Carlou. The wine estate owned by the Hess group from Switzerland, including the Hess Museum. Not my type of art, I must add.
I had the confit of duck, with pickled mushrooms, and arancini, roasted shallots, washed down with Glen Carlou's of course) Pinot Noir. It was unusually good if not a bit salty. We brought our neighbours, Yvonne and Reg along and they, along with Ron who had the slow braised pork belly. Amazingly good. Highly recommended.

Stargazing at Taalmonument in Paarl on 26th November

2011-11-20T07:39:00.000-08:00

The following is from Carol Botha.

''Our OOGkasie will be on Saturday 26 November. The guest speaker will be Chris de Coning of ASSA’s historical section. After his speech we will be treating the public to stargazing. I am again counting on our regular volunteers to help in this regard. If you have friends that have acquired telescopes and would like to help, please let me know as we would like to strengthen our team of regular volunteers''.

Wanneer: 26 November 2011 van 18:00 tot 22:30
Waar: Afrikaanse Taalmonument, Paarl
Gasspreker: Chris de Coning, Historikus van ASSA
Tema: Die geskiedenis van sterrekunde in Suid-Afrika
Toegang: Volwassenes R25 / Kinders R10
Bespreek by Amira 021 872 3441
Pak 'n piekniekmandjie, bring vriende, teleskope, verkykers en STOELE en kom geniet die aand saam met ons.

All you have to bring along: telescopes, eyepieces and chairs

Don't miss this, try to come along.

Col'Cacchio Pizza, Franschhoek

2011-06-26T08:02:00.000-07:00

This was back in June. We won a prize for two at the Col'Cacchio and we chose Franschhoek as it was the nearest branch to us. Brilliant! Catered for families too. Reasonably priced. A must if you are in the area.

Margot Janse

2011-06-17T06:20:00.000-07:00

We had the wonderful pleasure of having Margot Janse, the multi-Award winning chef from Le Quartier Francais at our cooking demo class in Franschhoek! We were welcomed by Lisa Visser, Margot’s assistant on the way to the owner, Susan’s beautiful kitchen and whereupon we had a lovely cup of coffee.

We had Rob from Haut Espoir meaning High Hopes, a wine farm in Franschhoek. It was a delight to have tasted his family’s wine. A Semillon and a Chardonnay. His family’s farm has over 170 buchus. It’s a dried herb and this we have been told is also good for reducing weight and even cystitis. Even buchu soaked in brandy came out thumbs with our small group of eight. Strong flavour. You get the feeling of warmness running down your throat with just a tiny sip. Great for winter months.

The menu: A Wonderbag spinach and buchu samp, seared salmon trout with biltong vinaigrette. All fresh produce locally sourced. The pea's skin was peeled. All these previously done before our arrival. Crunchy flavour, different texture trout fried in olive oil but seasoned at the end with salt. Not being South African, it was our first time to try samp, which has been soaked overnight in the Wonderbag - buchu has been grounded. Samp – dried and soaked corn, salt was from the Kalahari in Namibia. Biltong from Neil in Bread & Wine. So soft and tender. Spinach, bright green colour retained with the ice and water and the plum tomatoes, with its skin peeled off.

An effort well worth waiting for after an hour and a half! Highly recommended and can wait to go again next year. Thank you Margot and Lisa.

The Eclipse on the 15th June

2011-06-01T05:02:00.000-07:00

Carol Botha sent us the following.......

The eclipse from the Taalmonument on 15 June should be quite a spectacular event. Simonsberg will be selling soetes per glass or per bottle! (although it is recommended that telescope operators have one glass only. So, maybe if you're not doing an alternative venue, you're invited to bring your telescope or binoculars.Winter on the berg is not as hectic as in Europe but skiing gear could be cosy.

Heston Blumenthal

2011-06-01T05:00:00.000-07:00

It was a sensational afternoon queuing up to see Heston Blumenthal, the culinary chef, live at the Food & Wine Show in Cape Town. Ten minutes late, due to the audience, trying to find a seat at the back, he appeared on stage. Dressed in jeans, white v-neck t-shirt and jacket, looking fit and healthy but was trying to suppress his coughing.In between his talk, a photographer waved a bottle of water at him. Having bought a premium ticket at R850 (general tickets at R350), I expected to see cooking, real cooking that is. But no, I and some 500 odd people in the audience had his long-awaited food show on PowerPoint! I guess you can only understand that one can’t do innovative and complicated dish in an hour. He talked about the Fat Duck, how the restaurant gets over 30,000 calls per day for bookings. A fast forward step-by-step guide gave us an idea of how he created those dishes. Luckily, I have arduously been following the Heston's Feasts on television for eg. The Willy Wonka, The Edible House and the Edible wallpaper series where all the celebrity contestants had a whale of their time. We were given a green olive and a vanilla pod in each plastic cup. At last I have learnt the difference between taste and flavour. Indulgence worth it? I would go again if I had the chance.

Gansbaai and Cape L'Agulhas

2011-05-25T05:24:00.000-07:00

We chose to go over the Franschhoek Pass to the other side of Hermanus. Gansbaai a sweet little town and where we visited, it was a lovely spot overlooking the Atlantic Ocean. Shame about the sewage deliveries as when the houses were built some eight years ago, nothing was planned for sewage facilities underground. Went on a catamaran boat trip to Dyer Island. Saw hundreds of seals and their babies, a shoal of dolphins, and another boat with cage shark hunters and just about saw the tail end of a shark within meters of us! Another town was at Cape L'Agulhas, at the southernmost tip of SA, but worth the journey.

Pool in repair

2011-05-09T23:59:00.000-07:00

Looks as if our pool is unusable for two weeks so for guests' safety, we are not taking in any guests.

Hartenberg wine estate

2011-05-03T01:57:00.000-07:00

We had a pleasant afternoon to Hartenberg wine estate in Stellenbosch with a pre-lunch tour of the wine cellar. Our friend's family and through that, it was their son
working there that gave us the wonderful opportunity to have a look around in the basement cellar. Our light lunch started with soup followed by cheese platter, washed down with Hartenbergs own Sauvignon Blanc, Reisling and Cabernet Sauvignon Shiraz. All well and nice but the waiter does not know what some of the food were.

lunch at Marc's

2011-04-23T01:24:00.000-07:00

We had four unexpected guests and decided it's best to show them the best of Paarl. Being here for the first time in SA, we thought they need to taste the cusine that is probably one of the best in Paarl. Marc's restaurant has an informal and relaxed ambience. Marc, himself was there to greet us. Some of us ordered the pumpkin soup, creamy but light. The rest, ordered the home pickled beetroot with goat's cheese, parma ham and toasted sunflower seeds. The beetroot was delicious, so finely julienned, no taste of earth, just perfect. For Mains our group of six, ordered pan-fried fish(kingclip) of the day with fine green beans, coconut foam, curry and orange pomme puree. Incredibly delicious and just the right spice, our guests commented. The slow roasted pork belly with pokchoi, red cabbage, baby potatoes and Easter spice jus. It was yummy, texture perfect, soft, skin crispy. Apart from a slightly over salted rack of lamb with a herb crust, potato gratin, wilted spinach, cherry tomatoes accompanied with red wine and rosemary jus, everything was gorgeous. Lastly, the chalmar beef fillet, Mar's pepper sauce, side salad and frites. Presentation was superb, all apart from the swamp of flies that invaded our table. All in all, the fresh ingredients, skilled and delicious cooking was well worth the 45 minutes wait for the first course to arrive. Thumbs up. From there we headed on to Hout Street Gallery up the Main Street. Gail and David Zetler kindly opened their doors for us even though it was Good Friday so that these four ladies from Abu Dhabi could do their shopping!

Joostenberg Deli

2011-04-19T23:54:00.000-07:00

Another rose to get at Ludwig's in Stellenbosch and lunch at Joostenberg. Anyone who has been over to the Joostenberg Deli will know that you simply can't resist buying something from there. Variety of cold meat eg. Parma ham, kudu's, Montague sausages, chorizo, Blackforest ham, French pepper salami, free-range chicken and even dog bites! Frozen section, wine, vegetables and fruit. Yummy figs, small but very sweet. Bakery - various breads, baguettes, muffins. For lunch, we had the a la carte menu. Snoek and pepperdew pate with baby leaf salad was surprisingly good. For mains, there was Chicken and mushroom pie with a side salad and Roast glazed pork with pilaf rice, butternut puree, green beans and a rosemary jus. Just nice with a chilled bottle of Tokara's Sauvignon Blanc.

Royal Wedding Cake

2011-04-13T01:19:00.000-07:00

Over in London, our daughter Lara runs a little business making cakes. This royal wedding themed cake is one made in celebration of the forthcoming wedding this month of Prince William and Kate Middleton. This cake and other more everyday homemade cakes can be found every week at London's biggest food market, Borough Market. www.cakeholelondon.com

Market at Laborie on Saturdays

2011-04-10T03:20:00.000-07:00

Why it's called the Laborie Lazy Market I have yet to find out but we took another sunny morning out to have a look yesterday. It commences at 0900 and I got some beautiful plums for R10 a punnet, fresh figs for R25 a punnet, all locally sourced in Paarl. The plants and herbs stall had artichokes, spring onions, lettuce, celery and other herbs and plants on display. I was tempted to buy the artichoke plant but changed my mind because of the aphids and went for the others instead. Non-edible stalls like photo frames, clothes, bric-a-brac or food stalls with burgers, boerewoers, cakes, buns, salads all ready for sale with coffee, cold drinks and even beer!(before 1000?!). Seats a plentiful and music to get you in the mood to hang around, chill out.

Guest on the Grand Piano

2011-04-01T08:25:00.000-07:00

A great number of our guests are pianists. I couldn't possibly bit them. Amazingly beautiful music! And this guy is running in the Comrades Marathon (between Durban and Pietermaritzburg, 90km) in May. Good luck, Louis!

Noop

2011-03-29T07:59:00.000-07:00

We had dinner last night at Noop. Chef and owner Abe Conradie came out to greet us and offered his ''specials of the day''. My aim was to try another risotto there and when he mentioned that, I went for it.

For starter, we had Tropical Salad with parma ham, julienne sweet potato, grapes, lychee with feta cheese, caramelised peanuts, olives and rocket herb salad. All looking fresh and full marks for presentation.

I had chicken roulade stuffed with pistachio nuts, smoked raisin, spring onions rolled in nori, served with a soft polenta, wilted spinach and asparagus, a smoked paprika and honey sauce served with beetroot risotto. It was sublime!

Ron had the other special: Fish with green vegetables, pureed spinach and mash potatoes with nuts. All washed down with Ken Forrester's slightly dry Chenin Blanc and served by Angelo the waiter.

A wonderful welcome back after a keyhole surgery. Which restaurant next? Normally, we don't recommend restaurants to our guests until we have tried it again and again.

Sports and more sports

2011-03-21T00:45:00.000-07:00

Another exciting week for Paarl! We are so well-known for sports and who cares whether it's boiling hot. Currently the weather is 20 degrees in the morning and possibly up to anything in the mid to top 30 degrees celsius. Meanwhile, the town will literally be buzzing with cars, people and movement. Parents, family, spectators and those participating in the various sports events here. Restaurants and accommodation are sold out, and like us, everyone has been indundated with calls. Another good night for astronomy except for the buzzing mossies....

K-Day Music Festival this Saturday, 19th March

2011-03-17T09:22:00.000-07:00

This is probably one of the Cape’s biggest outdoor music festival and Paarl will be completely amassed with visitors. K-Day is brought to you by 94.5 Kfm and Santam Gates, commences at 1100 hours till dusk. There will be vendors selling food and drink at the venue. This year the K-Day festival will be filled with loads of cool artists, including acts like:

* Freshlyground
* Goldfish
* Prime Circle
* Arno Carstens
* Loyiso
* Danny K
* Flash Republic
* Good Luck
* Chad Saaiman
* La VuVuZela & Axene
* Dr Victor and the Rasta Rebels

Tickets are R160 for adults and R80 for kids( 3-12 years). Remember to take your sunscreen with you as the sun will be shining all day long!

Paarl Ommiberg Round the Rock Festival

2011-03-03T01:45:00.001-08:00

Next weekend sees the start of the Paarl Wine Route, the OmmiBerg "Round the Rock 2011". On Saturday, 12th March, Janet and Stephen Richardson of Mellasat Winery is having a gourmet breakfast demo, wine tasting and grape stomping, food and wine pairing lunch with live music and in between with snacks as well. Time from 0900 to 1730 hours. Tel 0218624525 www.mallasat.com

In total, there are 12 wineries in Paarl that you can visit. Can you resist this?

On Sunday 13th at Nederburg, you can go with the family and enjoy pony rides, slip-n-slides, tractor and trailer rides; while cooking demonstrations, art exhibitions and glass blowing entertain moms. Traditional harvest activities, such as cellar tours, grape stomping and grape tastings will keep dads occupied; while the young at heart zip around the Paarl Rock in a Cessna or Helicopter; or chill to the tunes of Zinkplaat, Pieter Smith and other live bands.

What a shame that I am still on sabbatical following a keyhole knee surgery. But I will be back in no time and raring to go!!

2011-02-26T01:10:00.000-08:00

FOOD & WINE PAIRING at WINE FOLK

will be hosting a Food and Wine Pairing at their new shop, Winefolk on the 27th February. The guest chef is Marco from Black Pig Charcuterie who will give a demo on how cured meat is made. The venue is at WINEFOLK SHOP 191 MAIN ROAD PAARL Time 11:30 FOR 12:00. A truly well organised time to taste various wines in the region and meet other wine lovers. Real fun.

Bright shining stars for amateur astronomers

2011-02-01T07:55:00.000-08:00

Ron took this photo recently of the Great Nebula in Orion with our small telescope. It came out surprisingly well and we will try more. The Great Nebula is an area of our galaxy where new stars are being formed from thin gas and tiny particle. It is one of the best and brightest nebula to look at.

On Saturday, he will take part in the first public sky viewing of the year by the Orion Observers Group (OOG) at the Taal Monument overlooking Paarl. The evening will be spent viewing open star clusters such as the Pleiades (the Seven Sisters) and the Hyades in Taurus. OOG meet up at the Taal Monument, usual time, 1900 hours.

Have a bright stars evening!

First class vegetables

2010-12-26T04:19:00.001-08:00

Yvonne and Reg Weiss, sent us a tray of vegetables from their garden next door. All truly in first class condition. Tomatoes where we were amazed by the sweetness, zuchini and patty pan with no blemishes, all made up a colourful basket of organic vegetables. Thank you so much.

Wheel of Excellence, Victoria Wharf

2010-12-23T22:40:00.000-08:00

Yesterday, I had a few moments to kill and as I was leisurely walking at the V & A Waterfront in Cape Town, I came across the Wheel of Excellence, built by the French. Although it looked interesting and inviting, it was nothing like London Eye. The generous cabin takes six passengers comfortably or eight slim and friendly ones. The ride lasts between 12 to 15 minutes, the view was simply stunning!! Cape Town in all its glory. Table Mountain, the Marina, Cape Grace, Victoria & Alfred Hotel. In the distance, Chapman's Peake and further afield, Robben Island. Down below, I can see the multitude of people, multi-coloured shops, African music blasting away. The ride was comfortable if not a bit nerve racking, as you can't stand up and move too much to see all directions as the cabin wobbles. Definitely give it a try.

Cabernet Sauvignon

2010-12-15T00:44:00.000-08:00

Merry Christmas and thank you Backsberg for sending us your news on your wine.
A must try for all including us.
http://backsberg.co.za/2010/12/09/cabernet-sauvignon-the-travelling-grape/

Clear skies for tonight

2010-12-11T02:29:00.001-08:00

Early this morning, Carol Botha says there are over 80 people coming to the lecture by Willie Koorts and star gazing evening at TaalMonument tonight. This is all for anyone especially children to learn and see what we have above the skies, the stars and beyond.

I hope the OOG will like my Brownies with dates that have been fed with brandy. See you there at 1900 unless you have having a picnic, then go earlier.

13cm (5in) round Christmas Fruit Cake available

2010-12-10T01:05:00.001-08:00

If you are looking for a gift and one that's edible, I have just the right thing here. A small Christmas cake, stuffed with fruit and fed with brandy, ready to be eaten around Christmas. Un-iced at R85 or iced on top at R95. Please call me Kim Morley on 021 872 0895.

Orion Observation Group

2010-12-09T04:59:00.000-08:00

The Orion Observation Group (OOG)will hosts an evening picnic and thematic discovery of the night skies on Paarl Mountain starting at 2000 hours but go there if you want to bring your picnic and talk to the number of keen and experienced amateur astronomers.

See you there!!

From an admirer

2010-12-08T01:13:00.000-08:00

Apparently David felt ill during the Heritage meeting and missed all the brownies I made, so I sent my assistant to give him a piece of the Almond and Apricot cake.

From: David and Gail zetler
To: Kim
Sent: Mon, 6 December, 2010 11:15:37
Subject: What a cake!

You're a dear. you know I'm an admirer of your cakes.!
Thanks very much......
Don't think I forwarded these images on to you.
Please put my name down on your fan list. What a taste. As I'm emailing you, I'm still salivating from the wee bite I had, as a starters. More will follow later with my tea.
Regards
David

David & Gail Zetler

Tel: 021 872 5030
Fax: 021 872 7133

Email: zetler@icon.co.za
Web: www.houtstreetgallery.co.za
Hout Street Gallery, 270 Main Street
Paarl, 7646, South Africa

Bethlehem Star by Willie Koorts

2010-11-21T08:05:00.000-08:00

Here's the next meeting for the stargazing evening. This will be at the same place in the Taalmomument. More information can be found on http://www.saao.ac.za/-wpk/OOG/

Briefly, in Afrikaans below.

OO(G)kasie
Dis weer tyd vir ons jaarlikse afsluiting en almal word hartlik uitgenooi na die joligheid.
Wanneer: Saterdag 11 Desember 2010
18:00 tot 22:30
Waar: Afrikaanse Taalmonument Paarl
Tema: Die Bethlehem Ster deur Willie Koorts
Toegang; R20 vir volwassenes & R10 vir kinders betaalbaar by die hek
Bespreek by: Amira 021 872 3441 en Carol 0721816744
Pak ŉ piekniekmandjie, bring vriende, teleskope, verkykers en STOELE en kom geniet die aand saam met ons.
Desember dagboek – moet sien
02 04:00 mooi groepering van die Maan. Venus, Saturnus en Spica
02 19;40 Merkurius en Mars tussen sterre van Sagittarius & Ophiuchus

35th Summer Salon Exhibition

2010-11-18T05:58:00.000-08:00

The above exhibition will be opened by Ceramist Ralph Johnson on the 25th November at the Hout Street Gallery in Paarl. An attractive, well displayed, eye-catching

I spend more time in this shop than any other for Carrol Boyes(18/10 stainless steel) stuff and other gifts for families and friends. Paintings and other sculptures will also be included from the 25th. A shop where one can browse from top to toe, checking out the jewellery and other fares.

Drakenstein Heritage Society

2010-11-17T07:18:00.000-08:00

It's time for the annual AGM and their party. Cathy has asked me to bake her a cake for next Friday. So looks as if I may just do a Chocolate Brownie with Prunes soaked in brandy. Christmassy?? I hope so.

Goodbye Scorpion

2010-10-29T02:22:00.000-07:00

Just a reminder for all those keen and enthusiastic stargazers!!! The OOG again meets up at the Taalmonument here in Paarl on the 6th November, starting at 1900. You can also bring your own picnic before it gets dark. The theme for the evening is Goodbye Scorpion. This time, Carol Botha promises there will be no TV cameras.

Fingers crossed for good weather.

Christmas Fruit Cakes to order

2010-10-15T04:21:00.000-07:00

Hi everyone

Christmas is just round the corner and I have listed the Fruit Cake that can be ordered as follows:

Fruit Cake – R150 without icing or R170 with icing

Sizes: 20cm square or 23cm round (approx. 225g or 1/2lb in weight)

Orders need to be at least two weeks in advance. In case you are wondering what is in the cake, here are the ingredients below.

almond essence, brandy, brown sugar, butter, cinnamon, currants, glace cherries, large eggs, lemon and orange zest, marmalade, mixed peel, mixed spice, nutmeg, plain flour, raisin, salt and sultanas.

Please send me an email: aster_palms@yahoo.com

Kim Morley

Breakfast at Grande Roche Hotel

2010-10-10T08:06:00.000-07:00

Last weekend we treated ourselves to breakfast at Grande Roche Hotel. It was a ''champagne'' breakfast with oysters and we were informed that there would be scallops too! Oh no, just oysters really, with the usual cold meat, fresh fruit, juices, different cheeses, bread, various Danish and all kind of jams from Hillcrest. All these for R150 per person!

Dance of the Planets

2010-10-10T07:58:00.000-07:00

Last night's Astronomy up at the Taal Monument was not as good as previously as there were clouds. But lots of people managed to see Jupiter, with the little black dot after the line across Jupiter and the four little moons. Next meeting is on the 6th November - Goodbye Scorpion

Travel and Food in the Far East

2010-09-28T05:30:00.000-07:00

Spring is definitely in the air. With a huge sigh of relief, I can honestly say that renovations has finished and we have had guests since.

We had a whale of a time during our holidays, first visiting families in Columbus, Ohio and then across to meet the other families in Singapore and Malaysia. If anyone has heard of Pelotonia(www.pelotonia.org/ride), this is a cancer charity (Cancer Research at Ohio State University) that my niece was involved in. Cycling 150 miles from Columbus to Athens (US). Months and months of training with a group of friends paid off.

Another longhaul flight from London to Singapore. I must stress the food here in South Africa is absolutely wonderful but I would say it’s nothing compared to the Malaysian and Singaporean food. Being Chinese and from Penang, I am biased to that part of the world. What do you think is the one top hobby of Malaysia? Yes, you guess it, it’s eating!! Everywhere you go, almost everywhere you see are people eating, in restaurants, in cafes, hawker stalls, along the parks, next to the beach, everywhere.

Where would you get $M50 per head to have a Japanese or Malaysian buffet? Tenji in Mont Kiara, an upmarket, trendy place like Kings Road in South West London.

Here you have the most diverse food. There is the nyonya (a blend of Chinese and Malay food) cuisine or simple Nasi Lemak with sambal, the equivalent of bacon and eggs for breakfast. These are served in almost every hawker stall.

The dragon fruit (from Mexico) is something new for me. We don't have these in Paarl, otherwise I will be serving it to my guests. But my guests love the Star fruit, a cholesterol-lowering fruit. Rambutans and durians were in season, especially the latter. Enough of fruit. There is the ''belachan'' which is basically a dried shrimp paste, it smells pretty horrid when cooked but the locals over there are used to it and it adds flavour to their savoury dishes.

Accommodation - anything from a guesthouse to 6 star hotels.

We have had a few great experiences in accommodation across the Far East, some excellent and some not so good. For eg. G Hotel in Gurney Drive, Penang was outstanding. Nothing like a private breakfast in the Executive Lounge, sumptious buffet breakfast with all kinds of exotic fruit to suit all palate. Then there is the Rice Congee. It is like a rice porridge but with a lot more addition to it eg. fried shrimps, picked cabbage, duck eggs, 100 century eggs, to name a few.

We also had the unfortunate hotel accommodation that was simply 20 years out of date!!

Sunday buffet lunch at the E & O Hotel. A invite from my sister and brother-in-law. Apart from fish and chips, practically all types of dishes are displayed and consumed. Oysters, scallops, barbecued spare ribs, beef rendang, laksa, char kuah teow, fried beehoon. I can go on and on, even Italian ice cream at the end or the local Iced Kachang. We definitely were not thinking of our waistline. Glad we had the buffet lunch instead of Afternoon Tea. You see, the best Afternoon Tea over there is actually at Stamford Raffles Hotel in Singapore. It was exceptional, to say the least. And not forgetting, the Singapore Sling upstairs!

Paarl Rotary Club

2010-09-28T05:29:00.000-07:00

Our next door neighbour, Deon and Rosario who owns the Italian ice-cream shop, Lecca il Gelato, just up the road sent us an invite to attend the Paarl Rotary Club held at the Rheeboksloof wine estate.

It was a great evening with canapes and sparkling wine on arrival. A pity the evening dragged on a bit with the auction, but then it was for charity and to meet other Paarlites. Food? Could be better.

World Cup fever

2010-06-11T05:16:00.000-07:00

Well, here we are. Within minutes, the first game of soccer for the World Cup will be played in Soweto, Johannesburg. The excitement, buzz, noise of the 'vuvuzela' or horn is deafening (even in our guesthouse) and that you can hear almost everywhere in Paarl! All the very best South Africa!!!!

St Lucia Wetlands and Oyster Box

2010-05-26T05:42:00.000-07:00

Last weekend, we had a well-deserved break away at St Lucia Wetlands up in KwaZulu-Natal.

Whilst there, we managed to see just a few birds and animals and here they are. We saw this bird from far away – the goliath heron from the cruise that we were on in St Lucia. Photos to follow soon……Here’s our guide who took us into the forest looking for birds. Unfortunately, we did not see too many of them. In fact, we discovered more trees than birds!

We went on to stay with friends in Pennington and took them to have High Tea at Oyster Box Hotel in Durban. Wow, were we prepared to see such grandeur!! There was even a surprise birthday note as the staff presented me with a huge slice of yummy chocolate cake while the pianist played ‘’happy birthday’’ on the grand piano! Very nice touch even though my birthday was a few days before. All in all, the whole place was so impressive, trendy but kept the colonial decor. The cane chairs were slightly on the low side but had beautiful fabrics to match the room. Since then, I have had a call from them asking if we had enjoyed our tea-time there. Of course and we will go back for some indulgence.

climate

2010-05-10T09:33:00.000-07:00

Currently, it's raining cats and dogs and everywhere looks miserable! The poor dove, sitting on its eggs is hanging on to dear life up in the palm tree next to the pool. Yesterday, we took ourselves off (when the rain stopped for a few minutes) to Joostenburg deli to get some lovely sausages and ham. Then headed towards Ludwig Roses to get more roses for the garden. Not too far to drive to Stellenbosch from Paarl, about 15 minutes from here. Before that, I was again in my favourite shop, the Hout Street Gallery (www.houtstreetgallery.co.za). It's 10 minutes walk from us. Not only do David and Gail Zetler sell paintings, there are also exquisite Carrol Boyes functional art, jewellery, gifts, ceramics, sculptures, glass and crafts. Absolutely fantastic and the shop is open seven days a week.

Camping

2010-05-08T10:51:00.000-07:00

Two weeks have passed since some renovating took place here in Aster Palms. It looks like a camping site and most of the time, we are actually camping!! Some old, long forgotten, tired looking furniture have gone, Oregon pine floors sanded and all bedrooms painted and looking as new. Thank goodness it'll soon be over.

A discovery in Paarl

2010-04-29T02:43:00.000-07:00

Over the bank holiday, there was free wine tasting at Anthony Smook's cellar/office. No one knew there were going to be so lucky to get some food as well with their wine tasting. The wine from Veemoulen was pretty impressive that Ron had to order R3000 worth of it! Can't wait to try it. Thank you to Anthony and his brother who cooked up a storm and well done to Jana for organising it.

Mother's Day at Bosman's

2010-04-29T02:35:00.000-07:00

Christine has sent me some information on Mother’s Day, 9th May and there is a special three course lunch plus a glass of wine at R250 per person at Bosman’s at Grande Roche Hotel. In Paarl of course. Book now before it’s too late. Enjoy.

Paarl calling London?!

2010-04-29T02:29:00.000-07:00

On a totally different note, the General Election in London is reaching fever pitch!!!

Our daughter Lara who owns Cakeholelondon, has brought out cupcakes to the punters. See below.

http://blogs.telegraph.co.uk/news/benedictbrogan/100036280/the-cupcake-election

The cupcake election
By Benedict Brogan Politics Last updated: April 24th, 2010

The bucolic bliss that is our corner of north Lambeth includes a farmers’ market by Oval tube station where this morning I came across this contribution to election ephemera – leaders’ cupcakes. According to the folk at Cakehole London, the passionfruit (how apt) Nick Clegg ones were outselling the others (£2 ea). Cakehole is a local bakery down the road in Vauxhall, and they seemed to be doing a roaring trade. If election memorabilia is your thing, Daniel Finkelstein has been collecting.
UPDATE: Lara Morley at Cakehole London has updated me on the day’s results: She took 50 each to the market, and Passionfruit Nick sold out first, followed by Raspberry Gordon. Blueberry Dave came last. Hardly surprising – this corner of Kennington is a Lib Dem enclave in Kate Hoey’s Labour fiefdom.
Tags: cupcakes, David Cameron, General Election 2010, gordon brown, Nick Clegg

PARTY POLITICAL CUPCAKES

www.mynottinghill.co.uk/article/party-political-cupcakes

If you are like me you have probably been wondering ‘is a tastier, if ineffective, way to vote’. Well now there is.

Kennington-based cake company Cakehole London have made cupcakes featuring the leader of each party.

You can try a blueberry flavoured David Cameron, a passionfruit flavoured Nick Clegg or a raspberry flavoured Gordon Brown.

To put them to the test, and to see which cakey version of the politicians will win, Cakehole London took the political treats to Kennington’s Oval Farmers market to see who will sell out first.

It was a close race but the winner was, unsurprisingly, Nick Clegg with Brown a close second. Cameron was apparently a bit harder to sell.

Founder of Cakehole London, Lara Morley, 29, will cake poll Kennington residents every Saturday up until May 6th and thinks the cupcakes would be great for all those who are politically-engaged saying ‘What better way to make your pre-election party special than with your candidate’s face on a cake?’

Cakehole London’s Party Political Cupcakes are available to order for your party by the dozen at £2.50 each plus delivery.

For further information: www.cakeholelondon.com

Betelgeuse and others

2010-03-15T04:14:00.000-07:00

Today the weather has been very kind to us. The last few weeks the heat has been pretty unbearable in Paarl. If you love excessive sun, with temperatures over 40 degrees Celsius, then this is for you.

We had a miniature size group of very keen and enthusiastic stargazers here last weekend and it was just perfect. The group were lucky to see Alpha Centauri, Nebula, Jewel Box, Sirius, Mars, Orion's Belt, Betelgeuse, Saturn and other stars. My freshly homemade cookies went down well.

The last meeting for the stargazers is on the 27th March. Again it's R80 for adults, R50 for under 12s. Check with us on 0826321807 the day before. Our guests will watch these free!

star gazing evening 6th March

2010-02-24T05:03:00.000-08:00

Time is passing fast, so just a quick reminder for those who are keen on star gazing, Saturday,6th March is the evening. However, please call(0826321807/0218720895) us first to check availability for stars and skies! R80 adults and R50 for under 12's. Refreshments and fresh homemade cookies served.

Mars

2010-01-29T22:35:00.000-08:00

Mars is at its closest in January this year. We did our best to photograph the planet last Saturday but it was rather a 'wobbly' night sky so the image wasn't that good.

Astronomy evening

2010-01-17T05:22:00.000-08:00

Last night's star gazing organised by the locally based Orion Observers Group at the Taal Monument in Paarl went down very well. There were over 327 visitors!! Our 12 inch Dobsonian telescope was beaten by a 14 inch Schmidt-Cassegrain! There were long queues of interested people who saw Mars, Orion with its great Nebula, the Large and Small Magellanic clouds with the Tarantula Nebula and globular cluster, Tucanae 47 and many other wonderful sky objects.

Hotter

2010-01-15T00:14:00.000-08:00

I got it wrong! It was 44 degrees Celsius yesterday and not 41 here in Paarl!! Aah, a cooler day today after last night’s rain. Even the birds in the garden are feeling more relaxed.

A sweltering day

2010-01-13T23:41:00.000-08:00

It was a sweltering day yesterday at 41 degrees Celsius! The temperature in the car read at 34 deg at 1830.

Just before Christmas, I met up with my friend Cheryl in Cape Town. She suggested having coffee (that’s what I thought) at Mount Nelson Hotel and we landed up having Morning Tea (a miniature size version of Afternoon Tea). It was fabulous!

We ventured out for my treat of late lunch at Bistro 1682 (my friend’s choice) at Steenberg wine estate in Constantia. It was packed to the brim even though it was nearly three o’clock.

The first course was Asparagus di Parmigiano. Fresh, sautéed green asparagus with parmesan gratin but the main course of Mushroom Risotto was average, nothing like the first-class version at Le Petite Ferme in Franschhoek. Having had a bit of sandwiches and cakes in the morning, we skipped dessert and just had coffee to finish off. It came with petits fours, nice touch.

Back in Paarl, Ron and I went searching for 2003 wines for our son. A good selection found at Backsberg and Vrede-en-Lust wine estates. Thank you, Anthony Smook, the winemaker who did the research for us. And we found another one - a Coleraine bottle at Marc’s Mediterranean restaurant.

On another note, two of our guests had a great time at Bosman’s.

It appeared that the sommelier was so much better than their previous evening of food and wine pairing at The Tasting Room at Le Quartier Francais. We ourselves did not have the opportunity of wine pairing, but the five course meal was absolutely outstanding even with our own choice of wine!

The Killers concert in Paarl

2009-11-27T01:05:00.000-08:00

The Killers concert at the beautiful Val de Vie Wine & Polo Estate in Paarl next Sunday, is proving to be a problem for many spectators as they search frantically for accommodation. We believe there will be around 20,000 spectators!

We have been informed by the wine estate that this organiser for the concert is making sure that there will be more than one entrance/exit and that people are able to park inside and outside the estate. Let's hope so for the sake of our guests' safety.

Swimming pool

2009-11-25T02:46:00.000-08:00

Oh, last night we were in the pool at 2100 hours and the temperature was still at 30 degrees celsius!! It was like bath water. Really amazing for November.

cakes

2009-11-23T11:55:00.000-08:00

Baking is a hobby of mine so I volunteered to make some cakes for the AGM's Drakenstein Heritage Foundation this weekend. I am making yummy Chocolate Loaf to go with cream cheese, Mini-Pavlovas with fruit and cream, taking my 20cm Christmas Fruit cake, soaked with brandy! The latter was made a month ago so now all ready for the marzipan and icing. As yet, I have no idea of the number of people attending, but at a guess, possibly around 75. So busy few days ahead apart from looking after guests.

Our visit to Victoria Falls and Chanters Lodge

2009-11-23T11:18:00.000-08:00

We had a wonderful holiday to Victoria Falls in Zambia staying at the David Livingstone Lodge and Spa. We met up with Richard Chanter and enjoyed great hospitality and dinner at his Chanters Lodge.

http://www.chanters-livingstone.com/

Astronomy evening with the Orion Observation Group

2009-11-23T11:15:00.000-08:00

On the evening of Saturday 21st November the local astronomy society, the Orion Observation Group held its last public viewing as part of their contribution to the International Year of Astronomy. Around 50 people attended at the Taal Monument venue overlooking Paarl. Ron is shown next to his 300mm Dobsonian reflector, one of several telescopes available for viewing the night sky.

Full Moon rising

2009-10-04T13:46:00.001-07:00

We had a great view from our garden of the full Moon rising over the Du Toitskloof Mountains at dusk on 3rd October.

Sunny days are here again

2009-10-03T05:58:00.001-07:00

After nearly six months of lots of lovely rain ( great for filling the reservoirs) the sun has made a welcome return. We've had a gentle run-in over the last couple of days as temperatures climbed into the twenties. The swimming pool was used on Oct 1st - the solar panels did their stuff and pushed the water to a friendly 22c. Today the shade temperature is pushing 30c and we're in for several more days of super weather - spring is becoming summer.

This is one of the best times of the year in the Western Cape as everything comes back to energetic life.

Two Fat Birds

2009-09-23T09:00:00.000-07:00

The Guinea Fowls have returned to our garden. They visit early in the morning and evening searching for insects and seeds in the lawn and borders. Terrific runners who only fly as a last resort, the guinea fowls are a welcomed addition to garden life.

2009-09-06T12:37:00.000-07:00

Jupiter is high in the night sky and the moment and great for observing and photographing. We spent the evenings of 4th and 5th September taking webcam recordings through one of our telescopes. The Great Red Spot is clearly visible in one image while the many stripes and whorls of Jupiters atmosphere are seen in the other.