Face lift for the Verandah and major alterations at the cottage

While our grand old lady boasts a spanking clean facade, the Sherlock cottage is taking a beating.
    Wallpaper coming down, carpets out and a thorough schrub for the ceilings.   Lots of other work will follow after 30 years since she was bought.

The cottage was built in 1889. Whilst scraping the wallpaper off, we found a layer of  the original    green lead paint.

   Eon is the project manager and our friend Jacques Theron has given us good architectural advice.

                           Eon in 1983 ... little did I know that he would be so versatile at 32.

                            This book was found behind one of the cupboards in the kitchen. Pinoccio kept Emile and Eon busy whilst their parents restored the cottage from October 1984 to March 1985.

Two Brazilians came to stay!

Dani and Leo are on a world tour and the Verandah was their first Couchurfing stop on this ambitious journey.
     They live in Curitiba in Brazil where Dani is a teacher and Leo a professor of Digital Marketing.  I met them on a Sunday afternoon at the Intercape Bus Station and we immediately clicked. 

Dani making Brigaderos

 Dani enjoying our pancakes

      Eon spent a lot of time with them and dropped them in the city from where they made their way back via the Donkin Reserve. They were so glad to get a dose of history after Nature in Namibia, Cape Town and J Bay.
      Time flew... and when I dropped them at the PE Railway station, it was like saying goodbye to family.

Dani wrote :          Well, I kind of have no words to express the wonderful experience me and my husband had at Trudie's place and with her. 
          The house itself is a alive museum and for me P.E. was worth it paying a visit just because this lady, her family and her house (that includes her garden). I wish I had more time with them so we could learn more and more about many things. 
          She kindly introduced as to many typical dishes, flavors and ingredients. My husband's birthday was just perfect because of Trudie, a wonderful, kind and generous person! I am very thankful to have met her.
        Sincerely, Dani and Leo.

Neighbour gets a ride

Our 80-year-old neighbour Kenny Pietersen locked himself out of his home a while ago.
    Fortunately Eon was at hand to transport him to fetch his spare sets of keys!

A Steenbras for our table

I was very proud of Eon for catching a very welcome fresh meal in the guise of a Steenbras.

The catch was "translated" into two meals with friends...

          Even the head made its way to the pot and turned out to be a healthy soup !

Coachsurfer from Poland

                                                             Tea on the verandah

Monika Grzlak visited us for 3 days and we had a truly great time.
    Kia took time off her busy schedule to take our guest for a motorbike ride along the coast and a BMX ride from Hobie Pier to Kings Beach. Kia was on her rollerskates!

    She is currently working in South Sudan with a humanitarian group based in Germany. Monika had so much to share with us about her experiences in Africa's youngest country.
     While she was here, I cooked dinner for Eon's 32nd birthday and we enjoyed it outdoors. Inge's mother and sister joined us and they had a ball of a time discussing Poland and all things Polish.
    We took Monika to the movies before she boarded the night bus to Cape Town. (Still Alice)

                                                                        Monika and Eon

Monika's review:

Saying "positive experience" is definitely not enough! Trudie is incredibly warm, caring woman with a lot of enthusiasm, energy and ideas :) Her beaufiful home became my home for few days! She is an extraordinary host who truly look after her guests.
         We had a lot of interesting conversations, afternoon tea on her veranda and lovely evening with her family and friends - celebrating birthday of her son! It was unforgettable time! Thank you Trudie :)

My favourite succulent

The Echeveria thrives in my Port Elizabeth garden and it was a surprise to be greeted by a fine speciman of the Crassulaceae family on the terrace
 of the King David Hotel in Jerusalem.

 On the evening of December 3, I flew back to SA, but that morning my daughter-in-law took me out for a goodbye capucino. ( We went by bus from Malcha to central Jerusalem and walked to the hotel near the landmark YMCA building.
      The winter weather was so pleasant that we could sit outside at this historical hotel. Here is Jana sipping her delicious coffee from a lovely modern German porcelain cup.
      O! Great to feel rich once in a while (worldly rich, I mean).