Dan and Krisie about to take off

Dan and Krisie enjoy a glass of fizz onboard BA2041 at Gatwick before takeoff. Plane landed Cape Town 20 minutes early at 09:25 on Sunday 1 March.

Sunset over Table Mountain

Looking from balcony across False Bay to Table Mountain at sunset as we finished Ooskus fish'n'chips and Delheim Sauvignon Blanc 2018

Lunch at Houw Hook

To Houw Hook Farm Shop for lunch and to buy jams for scones- Hanepoot and Santa Rosa Plum, their home made salad dressing and a loaf of bread.

Lunch was a starter size Bobotie Spring Rolls

Lunch at Delheim

To Delheim for lunch.

 Cape Malay Free-Range Chicken Curry with homemade roti, basmati rice, salsa, apricot chutney and a glass of Wild Ferment Chenin and a glass of Pinotage.

Oslo Court with Emma and Toby

To Oslo Court with Emma and Toby; Chateaubriand, liver and bacon, veal Holstein and Bodegas Trus 2014.

Berkhamsted Canal Walk

Chilly, but a lovely bright sunny day for our canal towpath walk from The Old Mill at Berkhamsted, 

where we had fish'n'chips and a glass of NZ savvie to The Three Horseshoes at Winkwell for a coffee before walking back.

Reflection in pub mirror

To get across the canal to the pub you cross a single track swing bridge, guarded by this sign

The Grand Union Canal was full, with excess water gushing over locks and overflowing through outlets to the River Bulbourne.

Pizza at Home

Pizza with Majestic 'Definition' Stellenbosch Chenin Blanc 2018.

Pizza was probably the best I have made, a result of using '00' flour giving an authentically crisp rim.

The 2018 Definition has the code A1169 on the back label which is the identifier for De Morgenzon Winery. 

De Morgenzon are one of South Africa's top Chenin producers and at time of writing Majestic have their 2015 Chenin under De Morgenzon's label at £26. Chenin is a winemaker's grape in that it can be made in any style. This is a powerfully restrained wine with very well integrated oak giving an underlying backbone. It needs time in the glass to allow one to fully appreciate it's magnificence and depth of flavour. Dry, but not acidic, voluptuous but not blowsy. An incredible Chenin for the price.

GOM King William IV

Derek was supposed to be hosting, but he was in Australia so Andy stepped in and chose the convenient King William IV.

L>R Andy, Mike, John, Rick, Peter N

L>R Gerry M, Colin, Mark, Peter C, Peter M, Gerry W, Fred

Mike was unanimously awarded the GOM badge after he told  a hilarious tale of sexing geese.

I had 'Beef and Black Sheep Pale Ale Pie, tender beef in a rich ale, mushroom sauce and beef dripping pastry'. Very similar to the steak and red wine pie I had last month at The Chequers, but with more meat and £2 cheaper. Accompanied with Campo Vieja Tempranillo Rioja.

Thanks to Gerry M for the group photo.

Early Daffs

Earlier by 10 days than last year, the early clump of daffodils flowered today.

Last year I noted they had been constantly felled by frost in preceding weeks, but not this year. Maybe the warmer weather this year encouraged even earlier flowering, but other clumps in the front haven't shown and daffodils in the back garden are not even close to flowering.