IRON BRU

I know it in my guts: there's a book to be written about the guests who come to stay at Dolphin B&B+S/C and today cemented that theory.
Eckhard Scholtz and Derek Oehley came specifically to celebrate Chris Dixon's 50th birthday at the home of his parents who live on Golden Mile here in Britannia Bay.
Both are ultra-fit and run a couple of marathons like you and I enjoy Chenin Blanc; they also cycle seriously and the Iron Man competition is a cakewalk for these extreme enthusiasts.
But today's sojourn into Britannia Bay took that slice of cake. Derek donned his wetsuit and dove in undeterred by the icy temperatures of the Benguela Current of around 12°C to swim across to his mates who were enjoying lattes on the eastern side. You better believe it! Makes me tired just thinking about it.

KISSING COUSINS

You can imagine my surprise when a voice on the other end of the line identified herself as Debbie Pallister, eldest daughter of my father's brother and thus my cousin.
Gerald and Debbie had travelled to Cape Town to attend their younger son Kyle's wedding and took the opportunity of contacting me.
I'd never met my two cousins (LIndsay being her younger sister) and jumped at the chance. So off to the city where we hugged for the first time - and it felt like we'd known each other for yonks.
Gerald is headmaster at the school at the sugar cane plantation known as Hippo Valley Estate in the southeastern corner of Zimbabwe, Chiredzi being the closest identifiable town, where Debbie teaches the little ones ("I spend the day playing", she claims).
The time sped by and we parted company with the promise that I will seriously consider returning to the country of my birth to meet Lindsay and Graham and link up with the Pallisters once again.
My surviving relatives have just swelled to three and as I get older I realise just how important family is. Thank you, Debbie and Gerald, for giving me these two hours of great pleasure ... and, oh yes, congrats. on Kyle's marriage.

GREAT GUESTS!

I just wanted to share with you the guests who spent their well deserved annual holidays at Dolphin B&B+S/C.

First there was Tommy and Stella who were here for Christmas and New Year's Eve - that's them raising a glass to 2011 and revelling in what turned out to be the mother of all electric thunderstorms - something quite rate on the West Coast - which vied for attention with fireworks displays courtesy of rich locals.

Then came Cape Town-based Siegfried and Trudi with friend from Switzerland, Hansruedi, whom we were hard-pressed to keep out of the chilling waters of the Benguela Current. The weather being what it was this festive season they were able to partake of their evening meal on the patio overlooking the calm waters of Britannia Bay. (Am I lucky to live here or wot?)

Walter and Francheste (to the right of the picture) are spending what he terms "a delayed honeymoon" here, having been married on December 2, 2011. Her family travelled up to see them safely ensconced, although young Navan was a tad tearful to be parted from his Mom. I promise to look after her for you, Navan! Enjoying refreshments on board Groenveld, a converted fishing vessel moored at MCM's pierside in Sandy Point Harbour, was something of a novelty for them and they were kept entertained with the antics of a Cape fur seal fending off opportunistic kelp gulls bent on scavenging for food.