Champagne and Moulin Rouge

On friday the 24th of November, 8 of us (Jacks, myself, Eugene, Heidi, Shaun, Robyn, Ben, Michelle) made our way to Paris on the Eurostar. In no time at all (possibly because we'd had a few drinks), our train pulled into Gare du Nord, and we jumped into a taxi off to our hotel. Half an hour later,we were standing in line, outside Moulin Rouge, waiting to get in for the 11pm show. After a brief reminder of classic french hospitality, we were escourted to our table, a few metres from the stage, and there we sat, waiting and watching. The theatre has a very different feel to it, with tables arranged on different levels. The decor is wonderful, very french (surprisingly?) and possibly a bit over the top. We had no idea what to expect from the show, but after getting a few free bottles of champagne, we were all set to enjoy the proceedings. It began with lots of singing, dancing and boobs, but there were also other fantastic entertainers who wowed the crowd with all sorts of weird and wonderful performances, from swimming in a huge tank of water with pythons, to playing the drums by juggling balls onto them. The highlight though was Eugene being taken up onto the stage for a small performance with 3 co-star's. Very amusing indeed, and a great climax to a superb show. We better all keep a look out for Eugene on the stage some time in the future, possibly not in Moulin Rouge (he hasn't got the boobs for it), but surely in some other form of theatrical production.

We walked out of the theatre, and straight into 'Quick burger', where we grabbed a quick bite, and then it was off to bed. After breakfast the next morning we walked to Gare de l'Est station, where we just made our train to Epernay. Epernay is an hour and a quarter east of Paris, and besides being the 2nd biggest town in the Champagne region, it is home to some of the most famous Champagne Houses, like Moet and Chandon, and Pol Roger. After arriving, we rushed into the closest restaurant and all satisfied our hungers with a pizza. We had booked a tour, and accomodation with Nathalie, a wine grower from just outside Epernay. She picked us up from the station, and drove us to Mancy, where her B&B, and cellars are. We then ventured off on a 'day in the life of a champagne maker' tour, which was really interesting. She drove us up to some of her parcels (rows of vines), and explained in detail what needs to be done in order to make the most of the vines. After a tour of the cellar, and a bit of a chemistry lesson, we got the chance to taste some of the produce, and it was fantastic. We all bought a few bottles, and decided to continue the tasting in the comfort of our lounge. A little later on, with all of us feeling a bit more festive, we got a ride with Max (Nathalie's non-english speaking husband and chief champagne maker) back into Epernay. We had booked at a restaurant in town, and were all looking forward to taking in some of the local fare.

Problem: French Menu + French Waitress with attitude

= us not knowing what we where ordering.

Now, most people know that I love my food, and don't mind trying some strange dishes. There is probably only 1 thing I don't like, and that is kidney's. After ordering what I thought was veal, I received a big bowl of kidneys and pasta. I managed to get through it, but would put the experience right up there with my root canal treatment from earlier in the year. Our Maxi-taxi picked us up a bit later, and we continued the festivities at the house, with some of the boys even taking part in a traditional south african late night jog.

We woke up late the next morning to find that we were all feeling surprisingly strong. Nathalie's promise that her champagne wouldn't give us a hangover was accurate. After breakfast and a walk through the vineyards, we caught a lift back into Epernay. Unfortunately Moet and Chandon was closed, but we could still visit 1 or 2 others. We ended up at Mercier, one of the biggest, and did the 45 minute tour. This was supremely cheesy, and included a train ride through their cellars. We got to taste some of their champagne at the end, but didn't learn anywhere near as much as the day before.

A great weekend in France, the highlights for me being Moulin Rouge, and Champagne Domi-Moreau. Sante!

Guys and Dolls

A lot of theatre reviews, I know, but all the shows we have seen in the last while, deserve a word or 2. 'Guys and Dolls', starring Patrick Swayze (one of Jacks' all time favourites), was entertaining from start to finish. Patrick Swayze was excellent as an actor, singer and dancer, and at the end he even gave us a bit of his dirty dancing moves. He still seems to have the ability to make the ladies weak at the knees.

Close but no cigar!

John and Darienne have been travelling around the UK for a few weeks, and last friday they made their way from the west coast of Wales to London. They were to spend the weekend at our place, and the 4 of us would be watching the Springboks take on the Pommies at Twickenham.

In the build up to the game on saturday we made our way to Richmond, and walked up to Richmond Park, where we had a view of Twickenham in the distance. After a beer at a pub on the river, we made our way to the stadium, along with another 81,996 people. We weren't completely surprised to find boerewors rolls for sale, and I just couldn't resist. Tasty, but maybe just because I haven't had 1 in a while.

Our tickets were organised through a contact of John's dad at SARFU. This meant that we were sitting with the bulk of the SA supporters, and I must admit that I had a huge frog (or possibly some of the boerewors roll) in my throat during the singing of our anthem. We thought we were impressive, until the poms sang 'God save the queen'. All of a sudden we were feeling a touch outnumbered.

The game began, and we immediately showed that we were ready to rumble. Our play was seriously good, and by half time, it looked like we had it in the bag. Then it all fell apart, we started shouting more, and the poms started singing more, and that was that. The chariot had swung low.

On sunday we drove down to the south coast, close to Beechy Head. We parked at Birling Gap, and walked along the coast towards Eastbourne, enjoying super views of the coast and white cliffs.

Lets wait and see what happens at Twickenham next weekend. Maybe, with Jacks and I not being at the game, the bokke will win for a change!

Lansdowne Road - a rugby lesson

Jacks and I booked a trip to Dublin a while ago, with the intention of watching the SA/Ireland rugby international at Lansdowne Road. We were spending the weekend with Simon and Lorraine, and after breakfast and a walk through Phoenix Park on saturday morning, we started worrying about our chances of getting tickets. These worries however were short lived, with one of Lorraine's contacts coming to the rescue.

The early afternoon was spent wandering the streets of Dublin, having a beer or 2, a bite to eat, and soaking up the atmosphere. We made our way to the stadium, and were seated 5 minutes before the anthems. Our seats were in the south stand, behind the posts, nice and close to the field. After the anthems, play was underway, and in no time at all I realised it would be one those games. Unfortunately SA never arrived, and it was a walkover, but the atmosphere in the stadium was fantastic, and this spilled out into every pub in Dublin after the game. We secured a position in the Lansdowne Road Hotel, and settled in for a while. I don't know why, but Guiness just tastes better in Dublin.

On sunday we took a drive out to Howth, which is a town on the coast, just north of Dublin. Simon and Lorraine took us on a great walk around the peninsula, with dramatic views of the coast and Dublin Bay along the way. After a bite to eat from the local market, it was back to the airport, and bye-bye to Ireland.

A message from Cape Town

from Barry and Anlia's little princess

Weston Subedge?

No, not a snowboard trick, it's a village in the Northern Cotwolds. 8 of us rented an old stone cottage, and enjoyed a relaxing weekend in the country, celebrating Heidi's 30th birthday. Friday night was a good start, with us enjoying a meal at a greek restaurant in Chipping Campden. We decided to rename the place 'Abzorba the Greek', with fairly high prices, but good food all round.

The weather really spoilt us, and we were treated to 2 beautifully crisp and clear autumn days. We made the most of this and spent majority of the limited daylight hours outdoors. On saturday we hired bikes, and set off on a circular route that took us from Bourton on the Water, through Lower Slaughter, Upper Swell, Upper Slaughter, and then back through the valley to Lower Slaughter, where we enjoyed a sneaky fireside drink, in a posh english hotel. We spent the evening at our cottage, feasting on home-cooked roast pork, chicken, lamb (fish for Jacks), and veg.

On sunday we walked along a country trail, through farmland and forest, to Chipping Campden. Besides the attention of a few curious cows, we made our way there and back, taking in the spectacular views on offer. A great way to spend a weekend with friends.

Some strange place names mentioned above? Well this is what they mean:

Weston Subedge - west village under the egde of the escarpment.

Slaughter (Upper, Lower) - muddy place.

Bourton on the Water - Farmstead near a fortification on the River Windrush.

Chipping Campden - Market place in a valley with enclosures.

London Wine Show 2006

Once upon a time, Jackie and I were members of the Wits Business School Wine Club. We had weekly tastings, and besides learning a bit about wine, we had a lot of fun (as is usually the case when wine is involved). We haven't been to a tasting in a while, so we decided to make up for lost time, and attend the London Wine Show.

Wines from all over the world + Unlimited tasting

= PARTY

SA made an above average showing, with about 10 farms in attendance. The highlight for us though were the complex Australian Reds - superb.