Imagine this, pink roads. I mean it, pink roads. Not your bog standard black tar roads, but nice Barbie pink roads. How can you not love a place that has pink roads AND champagne? If you were just passing through the department of Aube and you saw a blonde woman next to a magnificent chateau photographing not said beauty but the road, well that was me.

I know I’ve told you before, but I shall not tire of reminding you that hubby and I lived on a sailboat for a couple of years and happily sailed from Africa into the Mediterranean. On route, we stopped off at the Cape Verde Islands in the north Atlantic where I went to the market to buy fresh fruit and veg. I asked for bananas (or shall I say, I gesticulated for bananas) and successfully managed to buy some. A whole stalk to be exact. That makes a mere 52kg…

The best place to eat frogs legs in my area of France is our local Chinese restaurant. What? I hear you say disapprovingly. Mais oui, I say right back to you. They may be a French delicacy but those nice Chinese people have it down pat. I must, however, interrupt myself here to say that this is not your standard deep fried never-been-seen-in-China Chinese food. Oh no, this is the real Jackie Chan.

June has been a true baby booming month for us. Our beautiful (if noisy and sometimes irritating) Indian Runner ducks have produced 10 ducklings for us and it is such a pleasure to watch them chase after their Mummy looking for slugs and bugs and puppy dog tails. They are still brown fluff balls and it’s hard to believe that they will change into white females and multi-colored males within a month or two. Rexie the Daddy was bitten by something nasty a month ago and now has scoliosis of the spine – when I recommended physiotherapy and traction, Joerg seemed to think I’d lost control of the last of my senses…

Today’s recipe: Fried fish

I have been bad yet again and have only posted 3 times this month, oh dear. Seeing as I seem to have started 3 post in the 3rd month, I think I shall continue with this and post 4 in the 4th month, 5 in the 5th month, 6…I think you get it!

Today’s recipe: Crayfish / rock lobster with lemon butter

Now who wouldn’t want to wake up everyday to this glorious sight? This is the view from the lounge window of our great friends, Len and Joey, in Cape Town. Joerg stayed with them when he first moved to South Africa and was they became second parents to the both of us (how unlucky could they get!?). Those were the days when I was young and pretty instead of just “and”…

Today's recipe: MINCE / GROUND BEEF FOR CURRY BUNNY OR CURRY AND RICE

The next part of our South African adventure took place in Cape Town with Lars and another divine member of my extended family whom you have as yet not met, namely my wonderful sister-in-law, Catherine. She may no longer be married to my husband’s brother, and she may try running and hiding from me, but she will always be a part of the family along with our two beautiful nieces, Anna and Maya. That’s them in the photo with Table Mountain and its tablecloth in the background.

I forgot to mention in my last African posts that our African adventure started with Etihad Airlines. It’s the first time we’ve flown with them and we were very impressed with the service, food and aesthetics of the stewardesses. Beautiful red nails, perfect buns and red lips, always in a friendly smile.

15 on Orange is a brand new 5 Star hotel in Cape Town city center (corner of Grey’s Pass and Orange Street) and we had breakfast there with the General Manager’s fiancé – what can I say…we know people. People who can get you an awesome breakfast. Entrée the beautiful, friendly, slightly crazy and divine, Cecile.

Today’s recipe: Marinade for meat or chicken.

A braai is similar to a barbeque in that bit involves cooking meat over flames outside. But that is where the similarity ends. A PROPER South African braai involves real wood, no charcoal or (heaven forbid) (gasp) gas. We want flames and carcinogenic black bits on our meat. The word can be difficult for foreigners to pronounce and it has been referred to as a Brie, which is just plain wrong!!! http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Braai