PHEW, it’s been a year…and yes, there’s a lot to get through in today’s bumper newsletter, the last one for 2023. I’ll be taking a break from now until some time in January yet to be determined (although I already have a few things in my diary). Let’s see how it goes with the Netflix, Showmax, BritBox, Apple TV and Disney+ watchlists.
Obviously there was a great deal of eating, playing and drinking, otherwise what even am I doing here? I spent weekends in Stellenbosch, Franschhoek, the Nuy Valley, McGregor and Hermanus, and was lucky to have an amazing and heart-warming holiday in the UK, visiting friends and very dear family. I glamped for the first time, went to the theatre quite a bit as well as drag king and queen shows, and a few live music concerts and gigs (Wonderboom still the best, but Bryan Adams was pretty good too). It was lovely to have the annual open-air Shakespeare back at Maynardville, for a fabulous production of A Midsummer Night’s Dream; next year it’s Romeo & Juliet to look forward to.
New restaurants like Upper Union, Eleven, Hoseki, and Salon opened, and Hope On Hopkins in Salt River launched its cocktail bar, StrangeLove. Anatoli’s closed after 40 years, so that was a last supper. I went back to the big screen movies – extra large, IMAX or nothing (Talking Heads so good I went twice), and revisited favourite places like Carne On Kloof and 95 At Parks. There were events hosted by Mynhardt Joubert at KWV’s Cathedral Cellar (and of course his famous festive fruitcake later in the year, steeping in brandy as we speak), and the Eat Out Woolworths Restaurant Awards, and the Amorim Cap Classique Challenge.
I met new friends, and reconnected with old ones. I gathered many, many plates and bowls from Mervyn Gers Ceramics. There was tea at the Nellie, and a “car-ty” – a brief kidnapping of a friend on her birthday to drink bubbles and eat cupcakes in the car; boxing matches, a Blue Moon in August, and wonderful wine discoveries, like Alvi’s Drift.
That’s just a quick highlights reel, and my last post for 2023. There’s a medium to strong chance I’ll do some Instagram stuff between now and my return, so follow me there @biancaleecoleman. Thank you for your continued support, and I wish you all a safe, peaceful and happy festive season, however you celebrate it. Don’t drink and drive, adopt don’t shop. Catch you on the flip side…
