The Veranda's retro sister

I am sprucing up my 60's flat after tenants left it in a sad condition.

      We lived there in 1980 and I feel sentimental about it because it is the first property we bought and we had a  great year there (Before Kids)!

        Although face brick is not my scene it is a reminder of a certain era and with a little imagination someone (caring tenant or buyer) can give it a new lease on life.    

 On the sunny balcony

                                                               
        Sarel and Michelle de Wet (top pic) were my tenants until 2010. They popped in while I worked in the flat and told me once again how happy they were living there for seven years.

        Painting the interior white has already improved the atmosphere and this afternoon I "decorated" a nasty rusted bell switch-plate at the side entrance door and put two plants down to give it some life (and personality).

before ...

The same space after TLC

         

         Add plants ... The Dutch have a saying:

 Bloemen houden van mensen, nemen ze naar binnen

Veronica's birthday!

It does not take a lot to convince my friends that one day is too short to celebrate one's birthday.
        I send Veronica a sms on her birthday (10 April) and celebrated the next day with a small "brunch" at Deli Street Cafe in our famous Stanley Street in Richmond Hill.

Coffee for the birthday girl

        The interior is cute and cosy and they also sell shabby chic items and goodies that are the trend nowadays ...

    I spotted the little Citroen - our honeymoon car in the Seventies ... but that is another story! 

Three very young visitors

Kia had a few very energetic visitors over the Easter weekend.
    Her friends had gone away for the weekend an she took care of their pets. She felt sorry for the three young rats in a cold and dark empty house and brought them home to meet her pets.

Kia with Bean and Ollie

Little Chester  - the third one - is bashful so he stayed
in the "playground" that Kia has designed for them.

Dinner for two

My Swedish friend / Afrikaans "pupil" of 21 years, invited me to dine at Old Austria, a Westbourne Road restaurant that had a previous life as an Anglican  rectory.
    Our waitress instructed us to turn our menus upside down when we wanted to place our order. My friend, who frequents Michelin star restaurants when he is in Europe, said he was not aware of the "custom". The waitress did not know either but told us at the end of the meal that the owner heard it from a French couple who dined at Old Austria many moons ago.

 The menu - obviously we were not ready to order yet! 

The chef did his best!

      We shared a starter of crumbed mushrooms and then my German potroast with rosti was served and  Per-Olof Pehlergard's steak tartare was properly delivered with raw egg, spices and herbs ready to be mixed by the patron himself  ...

Per-Olof  in action

Richmond Hill birthday

Our mothers and grandmothers may have started a week doing the laundry ... but here we are "handjies gevou" at a birthday tea ...

Starting the week with a celebration cake?   Yes this is what I did this morning .....

        My around-the-corner-neighbour Amanda Wellman  - a  guesthouse owner - invited her friends to gather around Maria's cake at Ruwach Coffee Shop.

  Birthday girl!

.

Male guest Anton enjoying his rooibos

Mad ratters vegetarian lunch

It is Kia's birthday today but we started celebrating on April Fool's Day.

 Jackie, Lara and Jessie with Kia

                                                        
    As the autumn weather was just perfect, we served lunch on the patio. The rats stayed at home but their owners were out in full force and enjoyed the stuffed mushrooms, roasted vegetables, salad, garlic bread and chocolate fudge ice cream.  No alcohol. Only one smoker who really behaved well by abstaining.

      Kia is 27!

A year earlier ... 
                               Kia;s 26th birthday was celebrated at the Phoenix Hotel (where I was a waitress - and poor student - in the 70's.

Kia in her pre-rat phase