Breakfast and sundowners in Cape Town
Love affairs – haven’t we had them all? It’s great to look back on them as they always fill you with great joy. Three of my love affairs never seem to end…
Let’s name them
Let’s start with my last one – Cape Town. From the minute I landed, it was love at first sight. Although I am born and bred in the Netherlands and have lived in England, Germany and South Africa, Cape Town always makes my heart beat!
What’s so special about Cape Town
The mother city of South Africa has it all! From award-winning beaches, nature reserves on your doorstep, stunning views, amazing sunsets, relaxed lifestyle, excellent nightlife, great climate, delicious food and great wines. With the Cape Winelands just a stone’s throw away, what else would you possibly want? A gym to work off the gained calories? No problem finding one as there are many good ones around. The best way to work out is either a run or walk on the beach or hiking up the mountain. Very popular activities with the Capetonians as they tend to start as early as 5 am in the summer to kickstart the day.
My perfect day in Cape Town would start with a run on the beach followed by breakfast on the terrace soaking up the early rays of sunshine and the views over Houtbay Bay followed by visiting the Cape Winelands for a ‘lazy’ lunch so I would be back in time for sunset at Llandudno beach.
My other two love affairs
My other two love affairs are food and travel. They both started at a very young age. I used to map out the holidays for the family, and I am famous for my off the beaten track trips. Whether in the countryside or in the city. I like to go where my eye takes me. I’ve been fortunate, that I have had the opportunity to travel extensively and the highlight of my holiday is always meeting the people and local markets. Of course ‘the Terracotta army’ is impressive, but the Chinese markets were fascinating.
Food – I never get bored of it. It fascinates me and working my way through a cookery book is one of my favourite reads. There is only one problem. I never stick to a recipe. Not a surprise though as I am a trained chef and I do like to put my own mark on my food. In the Netherlands, I have had my own restaurant, and after that in the 90’s I developed food for one of the major retailers here when ready meals were getting popular. Many of my friends have pleaded with me to start a restaurant in Cambridge. I leave that up to Jamie’s so I can enjoy the company of my friends over a good meal.
My perfect holiday
There are so many great destinations and every place is different, but one common dominator is food in every form and shape. I would stay in a boutique hotel or with locals, stroll around markets to look at the local produce and chat with the locals. If I am near a wine area, I like to check out the wine estates in search for unusual wines, and I am always keen to pick up new recipes and ideas so what better than to join somebody in their kitchen.
Never leave home without
I never leave home without a camera and a notepad. With excellent cameras on our mobile phones these days, you will never miss out on a good photo. Nothing is better than looking back on your holiday ‘through the lens’ and ‘taste’ your holiday with the recipe you scribbled down of that delicious dish you had.