Roadtripping & Breakfast with a View!

It was a very early start to the day as posh pup was scheduled to go in for "the snip" and we had to have him dropped off by 8.30 am which was a little bit of a push because the place where they do the operation is about a 25 min drive from where we stay and we also still had to get Jude to school on time. Thankfully we managed to get both done in time, but I felt like the worlds worst furry parent leaving him there! His little face as they put him into the dog cage was filled with so much confusion, which I suppose is completely understandable as he was a rescue pup and this was the place we adopted him from.... but it had to be done.

After doing that we decided to head off to Hout Bay to have some breakfast at the harbour, but when we got there, everything was still closed... so we decided to take a walk around for a little while instead. The harbour is always filled with so many interesting characters and this morning was no different! We had wanted to have breakfast at a place called "The Lookout Deck" but they too were closed unfortunately, because it is an AMAZING place to dine at as you get to sit right on the water!

After the little walkabout our tummies were getting the best of us so we decided to head off somewhere else rather than wait an additional hour for places to open. So Camps Bay it was! It is always a treat heading in that general direction as you get to take the very scenic Chapman's Peak drive. However, before I get to that.... take a look at this:

See that little brown dot above the houses on the mountain? Well that... is actually THIS!

and this is Lichtenstein Castle! How amazing is that?!!!!! I have never been up there myself and until recent years, the only way to get up there was via helicopter! Admittedly, we did phone them to find out if they had a restaurant on site, as we would have gone there in a flash! But the venue is mostly used for weddings and private functions.

When I was in college, one of the girls in my studio dated someone from the family that built the castle, it was built as a replica of the Gothic Schloss Lichtenstein Castle in southern Germany and whether this is true or not, I do not know... but she told me that the husband had built it for his wife and she didn't want it!!! - If that IS true, all I can say is... ungrateful wench! hahahaha!!!!

_{PHOTOS SOURCED FROM https://lichtensteincastle.co.za/}

It is definitely still want to make a plan to go there some time. Perhaps I should have my 40th there! hahaha!!! Ok, so as I was saying... off to Camps Bay it was and over Chapmans Peak! It was the perfect day to do this as Cape Town was really showing off weather wise!

Once we arrived in Camps Bay, we parked and then went on foot to find a place that was open for breakfast. There is never a shortage of places to choose from down that end of the world - there is always a constant hum of people eating and drinking at sidewalk restaurants, riding their bikes, taking a dip in the ocean or simply strolling around enjoying the views... which are nothing short of gorgeous!

I can honestly say that although Camps Bay is only about a 15 min drive from where we stay (going directly there obviously), I have NEVER been there so early in the morning and it was really enjoyable to witness the lively morning activity... and what an amazing way to start your day!

We ended up at a place called Zenzero which is a part of The Kove Collection restaurants which are some of the finest dining establishments dotted around the peninsula. I am always a sucker for a view, so being able to sit across the road from the beach to enjoy breakfast is right up there on my "yes purleez" list lol! One of the things I also love about ALL the Kove collection venues is that they always have background music playing, so whether the place is empty or packed to capacity, there is always a nice vibe about it! To my knowledge, all the music they play is signature music too which can only be heard at those specific venues.

I was in the mood for a traditional style breakfast and also a latté which I have not had in ages, because I stopped drinking milk a long time ago and have been living on rooibos tea! Oh, and before anybody chirps me... no, I do not drink wine at breakfast time... unless of course I am on holiday in which case it would be champagne not wine haha! The breakfast was delicious and I also decided to treat myself to enjoying the apricot jam on toast afterward, which I NEVER do!

Once we were done with breakfast, we went for a walk on the beach and then began making our way home - bar one or two stops along the way. As we got over the mountain and were about three minutes from home, we got the call to say that Herbie was ready for collection hahahahahaha!!!! and so, off we went straight back to where we had started from! So essentially we did an entire round trip of the entire Peninsula in one morning lol! But no matter... we were just happy to have our posh, but rather groggy pup back!

Despite the fact that it was the most enjoyable morning, I was actually quite buggered by the time we got home - probably a combination of the heat and the lengthy journey...so I decided to whip up something simple and light for dinner. We had a braai over the weekend and one of my favourites (much to the disapproval of many) is pork braaiwors... so I cooked up some bowtie pasta, chopped up the leftover pork worsie and a lamb chop, roasted some veg and threw it all together for a nice "warm pasta salad". When we eat later, I will top it with some diced avocado and a little grated parmesan - YUM!!!! Simple and delicious!

So, that is pretty much a wrap! It was a super morning out, posh pup is starting to act himself again, Jude's homework is done and dusted, dinner is ready to rock 'n roll and now... I think it is time for some wine! Cheers to that!