IT'S A FIRST. Leon, for the first time, had his wife, parents, parents-in-law, sister and sister-in-law with him on his birthday. We all went to eat at the Beijing Restaurant in Horsell, only 5 minutes from home. We kicked off with some traditional Chinese Starters, followed by Crispy Aromatic Duck, and main course consisting of Fried Rice, Sweet and Sour Pork, Vegetables and Beef. Just to finish off, a selection of desserts. As you can see we celebrated in style, and ate way too much! But Happy Birthday Leon, may you have another wonderful year, and Thank You to you and Elizma for a lovely evening!
Today I went to see Murphy at the Quarantine Centre he is staying at for 6 months. St. Andrews in West Sussex is a lovely hour's drive from Dad's place, in beautiful countryside. After a struggle trying to get it on, he was very impressed with his Springbok Jersey, which was a gift from Luna and Morgan, Francois and Jeanne's 2 Dachshunds. I am sure he is going to be grateful for this once the winter kicks in. I also treated him with some Doggy Donuts and Doggy Bacon Sizzlers. Murphy sends his best to everyone........... click here to view the photos. (I was very happy to see him after our one month separation, so please excuse the mascara smudges under my eyes, I was a little emotional....)
As a final farewell to the African bush, mom and I went to stay at the Protea Hotel Kruger Gate on Sunday 10 June. We arrived at 15h30 and checked into our chalet, on the edge of the Sabie River, adjacent to the Kruger National Park. We enjoyed "sundowners" on the viewing deck, followed by a lovely dinner in the Boma. On the way back to Pretoria, we stopped at the picturesque town of "Kaapschehoop". Set high in the mountains, where for all purposes it seems that Time has Stopped. We were entertained by the hostess at the local pancake restaurant with stories about the local "Wild Horses" and information on the history of Kaapschehoop. Click here to view the photos.
My circle of friends joined me at a truly South African Restaurant in Centurion, "Die Bosvelder" on Saturday 2 June for a meal together, one last time. The company was GREAT! Thank You for all of you who made the effort to come say goodbye. Also, thanks for all the good luck wishes, the telephone calls, the gifts, etc. I appreciate one and all! Click here to view the photos which was taken by my personal, and VERY professional photographer - Moya.
Thursday 31 May was my last working day at Protea Hotel Waterfront, after 2 years of what I would like to think of as "Dedication". One other way to describe this place, would be a bottomless pit of wonderful people. I have seen many colleagues come and go, but one thing I can say for sure, about my co-workers at this hotel, is that I have made friends that I can say with all honestly has deeply influenced my life, my memories and my perception of what you are capable of when supported by the right people! You will all be greatly missed. Click here to view an album of the party, which obviously, did not stop at the Hotel.............
