The Happy Labby Blog

Last day and it’s golf. Fly out tonight. Been a wonderful 4 weeks. Bye for now. 

(Going to be a long journey at this rate!!!).

Went off to have a look at where we are planning to stay next January/February at the Strand near Somerset West –

Oh. Is that the signs of a little 9 hole course within the complex –

Apartment on middle floor –

Walks down to the beach –

Swimming pool looks ok –

Then onto the water treatment plant for some bird watching. Ok he’s photographed a long way away but it’s a very rare red breasted phalarope in this region. Quite a coup –

And here’s a yellow billed kite in for a paddle –

A cape long claw with a beetle in its mouth –

A very good day out. Golf tomorrow before we fly home. 

Camera melt down. 

Played golf at Bellville. 

Weather hot and sunny. 

Backdrops great.

What else do you want to know?

Afternoon tea at the Mount Nelson Hotel in central Cape Town –

 

The gardens were stunning –

We met up with Gordon’s niece – Carol’s in laws – Gavin and Ray who had just arrived for 2 weeks –

Choose your tea –

Then pour –

The delicious savoury selection arrived, with more than enough on board –

No good photos of the scones, but apparently they tasted lovely. Then upto the centre piece for a selection of deserts –

Those roses are real. 

Here’s a selection of what was on offer –

This was Gordon’s desert plate –

And this was mine –

Lovely man playing the piano. So quintessentially British –

Part of the lounge –

Reflections of a slightly wonky chandelier –

Not sure what this is all about –

Just snapped this little photo on the car dashboard –

Back home in 4 days and what could it read then????

It was one of those days at Rondebosch –

Played with Linda and John from Barking. My golf was terrible and Gordon played well. Good day out. 

River looking cleaner –

Lazy afternoon and BBQ for tea.

We had a walk around the harbour and encountered this motorcycle –

Then this ship which is equipped to take personnel, provisions and instruments to the Antartic –

Then off to Kirstenbosh to see what was going about. Lovely male sugarbird –

And this well camouflaged Brimstone Canary –

And Mummy helmeted Guinea fowl with 2 babies –

This is how they protect the seeds of the Strelitzia plant from the ubiquitous squirrels –

Some new lily type flowers that have just bloomed –

And finally one of the guardians of the park –

Very short blog today as we were at Rondebosch Golf Club –

Beautiful day and views-

Then a gang of labourers arrived to clean the river –

They did a remarkably good job.

BBQ chicken and homemade Ostrich burgers. Yummy –

Big BBQ kettle for 2!!!!

Short blog today as we went to play –

At Somerset West Golf Club. Home of the white squirrel which can sometimes be seen around the 13/14 holes, but not by us! –

It was quite windy –

Usual backdrop but this one shows an area that has been cleared to plant vines. This will all have been done by hand –

A little aggressive –

For this –

Right in the middle of the course!

Along with a telecommunications tree –

Very enjoyable 18 holes rounded off by one of these for £1.00 –

Golf again tomorrow!!!

Conversation over breakfast-

Gordon – I thought we would visit a sewerage plant today to do some bird watching.

Jane – A what. You must be joking. It’ll be dangerous and smell. I’m not getting out of the car. 

Gordon – I read someone’s blog who had been and they said it was good. 

Jane – What year was that written in?

Gordon -2012.

Any how we went! 

This is what greeted us –

So the sewerage works was actually a massive water treatment plant (Sounds a lot better).

Note the back drop again-

And does it still look warm and sunny? –

The bird life was abundant –

Cormorants roosting-

A lovely little wood sandpiper in the water –

This was the mural on the side of the information centre – (Not open) –

Flamingos upright –

Then taking part in a group drowning session –

Here’s a little black necked grebe in the centre of the photograph with lovely golden “ears” –

The other ducks are African Teal. 

Here’s a Yellow billed Egret getting cross with me for taking his photograph  –

So what started as a trip to a very dangerous and smelly sewerage plant turned out to be a fabulous time at a fabulous location. –

Golf tomorrow. 

Double tap on any photo and it will enlarge.