Cape Verde day 8

Returning home today.

Packed up our things and checked out by around 10.30.  Buses took us back to the airport around midday.  On our arrival last week we didn't fully appreciate the tiny size of the airport ... I'm sure it is the smallest airport I have ever been through.  From climbing off the bus I doubt we walked more than about 400m until we were on the plane!

Bizarrely, the terminal building is half open air.  The arrivals and departures halls are separated only by a glass partition and you can sit in the sunshine outdoors while you wait to board your plane.

Landed safely in Birmingham after an uneventful flight and arrived home around 00.35 Thursday morning. 

So long until next time!

Cape Verde day 7

Our last full day on the island.  Decided to maximise the beach and sunshine time.  Started with a few hours on the beach but the wind began to pick up a bit making it less pleasant so we moved to the infinity pool again for a while.

We took several photos of the waves this morning because they were forming beautifully tubular shapes and the sun made the water a lovely turquoise colour.

All day today there has been a camera crew at the resort filming people enjoying themselves doing whatever the resort has to offer.  There was a drone flying low overhead up and down the beach while we were there.  Then later they were at the main pool area and we have seen them around the restaurant areas as well.  We wondered whether we might be included in the next version of the resort's publicity material, but it became apparent that Ann and I do not fit the profile of "young, toned, bronzed, fit and beautiful" that they were looking for.  I told Ann she should have left me in the room ... the camera crew would have been flocking all around her, but alas she dragged me along!

Tried the panorama function on my phone today for the first time.  This is the view from the beach, looking back towards the resort buildings.  It gives a good feel for the total size of the resort.

Tonight we are going to the Asian restaurant for dinner.

Cape Verde day 6

We started the day with breakfast as usual followed by an hour or so beside the Jacuzzi.  At about 10.30 we went to the art room where we tried our hand at painting - something I have never done before.  The arrangement is that you buy your canvas, already mounted on a frame, they supply whatever assortment of colours you choose ... and the rest is up to your own creativity.

It doesn't require a genius IQ to work out which masterpiece was create by the engineer and which was created by someone who actually has some artistic talent!  It was a fun way to pass a couple of hours.  "No Stress" is a saying frequently encountered on the islands, capturing the spirit of the relaxed lifestyle enjoyed by all who live and visit here.

After that it was back to the pool.  We chose the infinity pool today.  Smaller and not quite as busy and the water was notably warmer.  It is interesting that the water in the pools is sea water ... so preferable not to get a mouthful because it tastes just as salty.

There are quite a few cats that wander around the resort.  Apparently some of the staff keep them as pets.  Today we saw the place where the cats have their food, provided by the resort staff, I suppose in an attempt to prevent them from begging at the tables - several of the guests' feeding troughs and watering holes are outdoors so the cats can wander through as they please.

Cape Verde day 5

Had another relaxing day in the sun today.

After breakfast we went for a long walk on the beach, heading west.  We only walked an estimated 4km from the hotel, but could have gone a lot further if our legs had felt up to the challenge.  Turned back before total exhaustion set in, knowing there was still another 4km waiting for us on the return trip.

The beaches here are definitely among the most beautiful, unspoiled and vast I have seen anywhere in the world.  We feel very blessed to be able to enjoy this natural beauty.

Saw lots of little white crabs on the beach and this one larger one catching the surf.

Spent the rest of the day reading and relaxing by the pool and on the beach.  Tonight we will be going Italian for dinner.

Cape Verde day 4

Saturday 9 December 2017 ... exactly 28 years since Ann and I became Mr and Mrs.  At the time we never dreamed that we would be celebrating our 28th wedding anniversary on an island in the Atlantic, but here we are ... and what a lovely setting for the occasion.

We decided the holiday would be our gift to each other this year so only exchanged cards this morning to mark the event.  Decided to break with tradition and start the day with a breakfast of waffles, honey and cream ... all with zero calories of course!

We tried to re-create one of our favourite wedding photos today.  See below.  We haven't aged a bit!

We spent the day relaxing beside the pool and in the spa where we treated ourselves to a full body massage to ease the tensions in our weary bodies after putting up with each other's nonsense for all these years.

This evening we ate dinner in the "Cabo Verdiano" restaurant specialising in authentic Cape Verdean cuisine.  Very good food as always.  We really are eating well this holiday.  Unfortunately I fear our waistlines will reflect that fact by the time we return home!

Cape Verde day 3

By contrast to the busy day yesterday, today was quite the opposite.  We spent the whole day sitting on the beach or round the pool doing very little.

Breakfast was at one of the semi-open air feeding troughs, where the selection was every bit as enjoyable as in the main restaurant.

The weather was a bit hazy today but still lovely and warm - good for working on the tan, interspersed with ploughing through several chapters of my book.

Our busy schedule was interrupted only by numerous trips back to the bar to refill our glasses. 

Dinner this evening will be at the grill restaurant called "Bereber".  Until then we are relaxing with ... yup, more refreshments.  Good thing they are non-alcoholic!

Added in later, after dinner ...

Well that was certainly a memorable meal for all the right reasons.

See below for starters, mains and desert.

The desert was a combination of coconut ice cream, baked banana in a sweet syrup, with a drizzle of white rum over the top.

Cape Verde day 2

Awoke early and after a small breakfast we met our driver, tour guide and the other members of our tour group for today at 08.45.

We headed north, hugging the west coast of the island.  First stop: Santa Monica beach, about 30 minutes drive away.  This beautiful, unspoiled beach stretches for 18km north to south, most of which is well over 100m wide.  It boasts the reputation of being voted in the world's top 10 beaches on several occasions.

Headed north again.  Next stop: another beach (whose name I cannot remember).  Just as beautiful but smaller and featuring many spectacular caves and rock formations.

Stopped for a drink at a little village with some curio shops before heading slightly inland to the desert where there are some beautiful sand dune formations.  Of course we had to "climb" up one of them ... make that "slip and stumble" up one of them!  The sand was very fine and beautifully white.

All day we travelled in two open back pick-up trucks.  Two people up front with the driver and 6 on the benches in the back, rotating places at each stop.  Ann and I were in the first vehicle most of the day, which was a good thing because the people in the second vehicle spent most of the day eating our dust ... almost literally.

Next stop: the beach bar at Praia da Chave.  Had a quick and very refreshing swim in the warm turquoise sea before a 3 course lunch and some cold beverages.  This was the view from our table.

After lunch we headed north again to the most northern beach on the island to see the remains of a shipwreck that ran aground there in 1969 en-route from Spain to Brazil.

Not much of the wreck left any more.  What you see here was only about the middle one third of the original liner.

Headed south again back to the resort.  Arrived back here very tired, windswept and somewhat dusty at around 17.00.  A very good day out by all accounts.

After showers we enjoyed another wonderful dinner in the main buffet restaurant.  Early bed tonight for a pair of weary travellers.

Cape Verde day 1

Departed Birmingham airport around 09.00 after an uncomfortable overnight at the Travelodge.  Uneventful flight.  Landed on Boa Vista island around 13.15 local.  35 minute drive in the bus to our hotel - Riu Touareg.  The terrain on the island is very dry, virtually desert, as it receives almost no rain.

The hotel complex is superb.  Right on the beach and VAST.  Apparently there are about 1100 rooms but nothing higher than the second floor.  The style reminds us a lot of the Palace of the Lost City at Sun City, South Africa.

Part of the complex is shown in the photo below.

We were greeted at reception with a glass of orange juice while waiting to check in.  Staff have all been very pleasant and helpful so far.

Unpacked and then took a walk around the resort to see what it all looks like.  No swimming permitted today because the sea and the current were too rough to be safe.  The beach stretches for miles in both directions along the southern coast of the island.

After showers we made our way to one of the several bar areas where a strawberry daiquiri and a fruit punch provide a refreshing way to relax before dinner in the main buffet restaurant.

Going on holiday

Waiting in Birmingham airport to board our flight to Cape Verde islands for a week in the sunshine.  Looking forward to sitting on the beach doing as little as possible while recharging the batteries.

Magic Coke bottle cake

Last week Ann baked a surprise cake for us, which looked just like a Coke bottle.  See the photo below.  The resemblance was very convincing at first glance apart from the fact that the bottle top appeared to be too big for the bottle.

We knew it ws a cake but the real surprise came when the cake was cut.  See the next photo ... inside there were layers of chocolate cake, vanilla cake, jelly and more chocolate.  Unfortunately it was a big difficult to cut neatly because of how it was created, but the taste and the overall effect was amazing.

Posted by a proud hubby!

Home baked Italian bread

Yesterday, Nicola baked a loaf of special Italian inspired bread which we enjoyed with our dinner.  See the photo.  Really scrumptious!

Posted by a proud Daddy!

Why we should sometimes bend the rules

I saw this story on LinkedIn recently.  Thought it was interesting and worth sharing

Dunblane, Scotland

For a few weeks I have the pleasure of visiting the town of Dunblane in Scotland while working with a client based in the area.  The company has booked me into the Doubletree by Hilton hotel.  See the photos.  It is a beautiful building both inside and out with immaculately manicured gardens.

This evening I took a walk into the town to get something to eat and walked a few blocks afterwards before returning to the hotel.  It is a very pretty town with many old stone buildings and traditional architecture.  There is a little river that runs through it.

Andy Murray, British tennis player, grew up in Dunblane.  On my walk I passed the gold mailbox in the town, painted gold to commemorate the fact that Andy won the gold medal in the men's singles tennis at the London 2012 Olympic games ... which may or may not be of interest to anyone reading.  Still, it's not every day you see a gold Royal Mail box.

Inspirational video

My brother sent me this video a few days ago.  A very inspirational message ... worth sharing.
6 minutes.

Belgium and the Netherlands

In Belgium this week running a training course.  Just got back from having supper with a few colleagues this evening.  We went to a little town about 15km from here just inside Holland but most of the town is actually Belgium, within Holland.  We saw the border line between the 2 countries that runs through the town.  It was really interesting to see how the border actually goes across streets and even right through shops and buildings!  See the white "plus" tiles on the ground in the photos.  Seems to be quite a tourist attraction and one can understand why because of the novelty factor!

Left foot in the Netherlands, right foot in Belgium.

The national border runs right up to this shop door ...

And continues through on the inside!

It even took a double 90 degree bend in the middle of this street.

Now that's not something I  see everyday.

Harvest time

No sooner had I left home today heading for the airport than this happened in the field opposite our house.  This year's crop is wheat.

So what goes on in your neighbourhood?

18 Years in the UK

31 July 1999 ...

About 07:00 (give or take an hour or two) 3 weary travellers arrived at London Heathrow airport from South Africa to start the next chapter of their lives in the UK.  The plan was that it would be a permanent move, primarily aimed at seeking a better way of life and better long-term opportunities than the prospects available in SA.

Fast-forward to today ... 31 July 2017

Exactly 18 years later and still going strong.  Loving life in the UK and no regrets about making the move.  The years have proved over and over again that it was definitely the right thing for us to have done and by God's grace we have been blessed and protected every step of the way.

Long may it continue!

Improving the kerb appeal

When we moved into our home some 4 years ago, the garden was in a terrible state. Overgrown, unloved, untended and full of weeds.  We have slowly been making progress getting it into a respectable condition.  There is still much to do, but it is good to stand back occasionally and recognise just how much we have achieved to date.

Earlier this year we had all the shrubbery removed from the front along the road and had a wooden fence built with a low hedge in front and lawn laid up to the pavement.  After the generous rains in the winter and spring, and with the warmer weather that us Brits refer to as Summer, the lawn is now well established.  The hedge is becoming stable but will only fill out properly next season.  This is a photo of how it looks today.

This afternoon we cut back and cleaned up a bit more just inside the fence beside the parking area.  There are still a few stumps to dig out but that is a big job for another day, after which we will plant more lawn in this area with a flower bed along the fence.

A small bed in front of the lounge window is planted with some fresh flowers.  The bird feeder table is old and rotten but the birds do use it daily so I will build a new one for them, but again, that is a project for another day.

Just as we were clearing up, Barney started barking frantically deep in one of the overgrown beds on the other side of the garden.  He has previously found a hedgehog in that area and his barking today was similar.  On this occasion he found a group of 3 baby hedgehogs who had ventured out of their nest, probably exploring or looking for a meal.

Their defence mechanism is to curl up into a tight ball with spikes pointing out in all directions.  An effective approach as Barney was not able to hurt them.  Too dark for a photo that deep into the shrubbery but we were able to see them shuffle back into the safety of their nest.

Miami South Beach

Flew in to Miami, Florida last night.  Miami International airport is a shambolic mess!  Probably one of the worst airport experiences I have had in many years.  Took exactly one hour from disembarking the aircraft until I was in the taxi.  The 2 mile ride to the hotel was uneventful, as had been the flight from London.

The Pullman hotel, where we will be stabled for the week is very nice and comfortable.  See the photo of the pool area, taken this morning.

After breakfast I downloaded the Uber App and used it for the first time to call a taxi to take me to South Beach.  For those who have not used the Uber App before, I can highly recommend it.  After just 2 rides, I am hooked and will definitely be using it as my preferred method of finding a ride.

So South Beach was as interesting and memorable as the last time I visited on holiday in 2011.  I walked north along Ocean Drive then into the beach where I walked south, then retraced my steps heading north again before turning back to Ocean Drive.  I must have walked a few miles in total but didn't want to fry my lily-white body by overdoing the exposure on my first day out. The weather was beautiful - hot and sunny, some cloud.  Must have been around 32C.

I found one of the eating places where I stopped for a cold drink.  I think the staff were a bit confused by the fact that I didn't want to eat anything.  Must have thought "This foreigner is crazy".  After watching the local wildlife passing by for about 45 minutes while sipping my drink I am now convinced that there is alien life on this planet, some of which can be found right here in Miami.

Used the Uber App again to get me a ride back to the hotel where I plan to spend the afternoon relaxing.  I might even try out that pool!