Article: Crown of Thorns for King of Plants.

'Climate change killing SA's National Flower, the King Protea', says an article in the Washington Post. "Proteas are named after the Greek sea god Proteus, who could change his form at will. Global warming is heating up South Africa and Proteas are migrating upwards to cooler spots - but running out of space.

South Africa has designated 35 proteas as "endangered with extinction" and 46 as "vulnerable to extinction." Another 76 are listed as "rare." Although kind of alien like, Poteas came not from another place, but another time. They are remnants of the distant past, when Africa, Australia, India, South America and Antarctica existed as one landmass, called Gondwana, that broke apart about 130 million years ago and so the members of the Protea family live oceans apart …

Photography: Love leaves so soon

To be confirmed

Schlebs Photography:

Good Hope FM's Natalie Becker with imported Fashionista Amanda Gowing.

TBC

Poetry: Withered

The V&A Waterfront Restaurant Guide – 2006 2007

On Wednesday 27 September I was part of the team, under direction of Lannice Snyman and Donald Paul, that launched the V&A Waterfront Restaurant Guide, 2007. The guide is pocket-sized and lists all the venues serving food and beverages at the Waterfront. For those who do not know what or where the V&A Waterfront is – shocking. Visit http://www.waterfront.co.za/, and be enlightened. Lannice Snyman is an internationally published, award-winning publisher, author and journalist. She is also the editor of SA’s national restaurant guide, Eat Out for 18 years and runs her own culinary consultancy and publishing company that published the guide. Donald Paul has more than 25 years experience in newspaper, magazine and book publishing. He is also a judge for the world’s 50 Best Restaurants. Six professional reviewers evaluated all Restaurants, Cafés, Fast foods and Bars & Taverns, anonymously. Attractive, full-colour photographs captures something of the essence of every venue – no small challenge. The guide offers a small write-up of the venues and includes opening hours, average cost per meal, and the full address and contact details. Basically it is the definitive guide to eating out at the Waterfront and nobody that likes to eat out once a month or five times week should be without it. The awards attached to the guide recognized the Best Venue and its runner-up in six categories. Just a quick list of the venues that received top scores from the reviewers and is worth a visit: Belthazar Restaurant and Wine Bar, Society Bistro, Vida e Caffé (reviewed elsewhere on this blog), Simply Asia and Bascule Whisky Bar and Wine Cellar. I have visited each of the above venues and can agree that the awards are spot on. With safety becoming an increasing concern in South Africa and unfortunately Cape Town, it is good to know that secure parking and around the clock security staff will ensure a hassle free environment. With more than 70 different eating venues to choose from, the Waterfront has arrived as one of the top restaurant destinations in the world. Check out their website for the addresses of the venues as well as photographs. Reserve a Restaurant online at http://www.waterfront.co.za/eat - just follow the instructions.
http://www.waterfront.co.za/
http://www.lannicesnyman.com/

Restaurant Reviews: Coffee, coffee, coffee

This review was published by http://www.diya.co.za/

Vida e Caffé

A well rounded experience at a your local Vida e Caffé is not necessarily dependent on the freshness in preparation of its coffee, nor the temperature at which it is served, but rather the beans from which the flavour is ground and equally important, the number of models fluttering about the tables. In the same category as the stallion and the princess, Vida e Caffé’s Estrela blend is made from100% Arabica beans, which lends itself to a complex coffee with robust flavour and espresso’s described as gourmet. The Arabica beans are grown on mountains, hand picked, very fragile and contain only half the caffeine of the ordinary Robusta bean. It is easy to become enchanted by Vida as the delicate aroma of this fragrant coffee filter through your being and the density of the Cappuccino’s foam is only somewhat upstaged by that of the clientele. It is easier still to fall prey to the enormous four-cheese muffins on display (see pic). Despite Cape Town’s growing Café culture, it is still a challenge to find a consistently good cup of coffee, even at some of the finest establishments. Perhaps this is why the cappuccino/espresso machine, imported from Italy, has become such a status symbol. After dinner guests gather around it, admiring its slick, titanium finish as it sighs and splutters out the latest blend. Fortunately, with more than eight shops across Cape Town, and ever expanding, Vida e Caffé is making it possible for us to enjoy a tasty caffeine fix outside the home. One of their finest outlets is situated on Kloof Street, Gardens. Here, at the foot of Table Mountain, it is almost possible to forgive the capriciousness of the in-crowd as you watch the boys watch the girls watch the boys go by while the setting sun slowly drenches everyone in a golden syrup.

Vida e Caffé Head office
Tel: 021 421 5755 fax 021 421 5765
www.vidaecaffe.com

Article: Tour d' Afrique - Odyssey Magazine

One of my very first published pieces - 2005.

There are time when you just about sell your soul in return for R400.00 and you have to wonder if it was worth it. It makes for heart wrenching poetry and inpirational dreaming.

Article: TdA - Property Magazine

In 2005 I had my own extreme adventure. I joined the Tour d'Afrique bicycle tour as on board diarist and all round care taker. See http://www.tourdafrique.com/ for this mind blowing journey.

Here is a piece I wrote for Property magazine.

As always. Just click on the article to enlarge it.

Article: The End is Naai. Darling

It has been another bizarre weekend in Cape Town. A Cape Flats woman bit her best friend’s ear off in a drunken dispute over R6. The culprit then ran along brandishing her trophy throughout the township. The police returned the ear to its original owner, who is now keeping it in a jar as a reminder of an unusual experience. Hearing this, I feel the urge to just get away - quick. What better place than Evita se Perron for a dollop of white guilt, washed down with Darling wines and boerekos(enormous plates of home-style cooking).Darling is a tiny village (blink and you’ll miss it) about an hour from Cape Town along the West Coast road. It is here where you will find Evita Bezuidenhout se Perron (station platform) with a museum or as Evita calls it, ‘Nauseum’, that is probably the biggest collection of apartheid era, pictures, posters, symbols and letters in existence (unless there is more, buried in shame somewhere). Evita is South Africa’s most renowned political satirist and cabaret artist. Why would anybody want to take time out to be drenched in (more) white guilt? Evita explains: ‘Remember where we come from, so we can truly celebrate where we are going.’ The artifacts are presented in good humour and Evita performs her internationally acclaimed shows throughout the week. There is also a Boerassic Park filled with statues, kitsch and cartoons that reflect the, mostly ridiculous, political world and their laughable players. The most memorable being a statue of the AWB leader, Eugene Terreblanche falling of his ass.( an actual event). Once you’re done with reflection and laughter, you can sit down to a wholesome plate of South African boerekos and a show. This time of year you can take a slow drive through the Darling region and enjoy the spectacular fields of indigenous flowers and fynbos. It is recommended to stay over for at least a night at one of the cosy guesthouses and allow the tranquility to saturate your soul before returning to cannibalism and Cape Town.
www.evita.co.za

Articles: Three interviews with Cape Town Night Club Moguls

A challenging assignment.

In life there are no real obstacles, only challenges. Or so I tell myself when the wheels start to wobble. This assignment was one of those CHALLENGES. I was asked to interview three of Cape Town's top Night Club owners. Free tickets! Not really. More like. Ok. ok money coming in. Rubbing hands in delight whilst feeling the draft wafting in through hole in very sad, very old pants. It is a fact that a lot of editors, sub editors, etc. will bribe your services with promises of fine wine tastings, multiple course gourmet dinners, concert tickets, free handsoap, linen and the use of their prestigious publication as home for your writing and photography. It is also a fact that you can't eat concert tickets or a reputable publication.

I had around 48hrs to set up the three interviews, host them, find a photographer, write, and finally e-mail the articles to the ed. A piece of cake!