The last few days have passed by super quickly but have been really good. On Thursday my sister, brother-in-law, aunt and I went on a day trip around the Cape peninsular. We started at Silvermine and then headed to Simon's Town and Boulders Beach (yay for jackass penguins) before going to Cape Point and ending with a drive through Kommetjie and along Chapman's Peak to Hout Bay and back to Constantia. The weather was perfect and we had great views.
On Friday we booked to go to Robben Island. I have been twice before but it is a good reminder of South Africa's recent past and our guide, a former political prisoner gave his own stories of his detention there. Had hoped to get to the new contemporary art gallery at the Waterfront but I needed to get shoes for the wedding and ran out of time. It was pretty busy with some people having just ended work for the year. My cousin Jaimie picked us up and we headed to the Hout Bay market in the old fishing warehouses. There was a great live band and a great selection of cuisine to choose from for dinner.
Yesterday I headed off to the very pretty region of Elgin, which is just over Sir Lowry's Pass in an apple growing area. A friend from Fuller/Smuts days kindly gave me a lift and we caught up on the drive. Dropped my stuff off at Inn on Highlands where I spent the night and got ready. We were picked up by a shuttle going between farms on Highlands Road and taken to the wedding venue at Auldearn Farm. A tractor with apple carts on the back took us up to the farm house and we were served organic cloudy apple juice (the best I've ever had), lavender biscuits and tea before descending down the slope to the spectacular setting for the ceremony. The couple specifically requested us not to take photos (although we were allowed to take of the garden and of each other as long as it wasn't the bridal party). I did find myself itching to take photos but restrained myself. The ceremony was very intimate and beautiful. Drinks were then served further up and amazing canapés. The reception was in an old apple barn which was very tastefully decorated and transformed. I think the speeches were the most entertaining I've ever heard and we then danced the night away. Well I lasted till 1.30 before deciding to hop on the shuttle back. Others went on all night and there were some amazing dance moves - two attempts at the Dirty Dancing lift.
Woke up feeling a teensy bit hungover this morning but there was a delicious brunch (raspberry fruit salad - yummy. Had a raspberry mojito at the Hout Bay market on Friday which was also really good). Was nice to chat to the other wedding people again. Last night I was with a lot of the Francophones which was fun. There were about 20 different nationalities represented which was awesome. Then headed back to Cape Town and met up with some more Smuts/Fuller people at Kirstenbosch. It feels like a time warp seeing them as it is and isn't a long time ago since UCT.
Now back at my aunt and uncle's and we're putting up their Christmas tree and eating mince pies. It's beginning to feel a lot like Christmas.
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