Airplanes and boys

It was a public holiday on Monday and a friend suggested taking our toddler boys to the Harvard Cafe at Grand Central airport in Midrand for breakfast.

What a find! 

Breakfast was good but the view of small planes, helicopters, refueling trucks, a fire engine and a tractor won hands down! And the playground area was new, clean and filled with safe equipment and nice clean astroturf with two child minders on duty.

I am sure we will be back soon! 

http://www.harvardcafe.co.za

Weekend in Clarens

We spent this last weekend in Clarens in the Free State. We took Friday off work, and left pretty early in the morning, around 6 am.

We did one stop along the way for a quick breakfast, some hot drinks and a milkshake for the youngest member of the family, who clearly didn't get the memo that the temperature was 0 deg Celcius outside! We were in town just after 12.

It was really cold the whole weekend, although luckily the accomodation we stayed in was really geared up to the weather... Wood fireplace, underfloor heating and electric blankets. At a point, I actually had to move away from the lounge area as I was getting so warm from the fireplace! More information on where we stayed is here.

The area is really beautiful. Stark landscapes with grass that is brown in winter, huge sandstone mountains and the older buildings in the area (farmhouses etc) clad in the sandstone. 

The village itself is pretty small, with a large village green with shops and restuarants around it. We ate outside at a place that had an old rusty tractor - quite the attraction for a small boy. The food was good and hearty with a varied menu. We were the only people sitting outside and I think the waiter thought us a bit mad. It was actually quite warm when you were in the sun though.

On Saturday morning we took a drive to a nearby National Park, Golden Gate. More rolling brown grasses that make for some interesting bird watching if you have the time and patience. We got out at one point but it was pretty cold with a windchill so we quickly hopped back in the car. We saw zebra, birds of prey and some buck along the way.

I spent some time that afternoon exploring the shops and art galleries. We stopped for a milkshake and fries at a restaurant we enjoyed many years ago, the Post Office. It's in the old Post Office (sandstone) building and the food was just as wholesome as we remembered. They had trout on the menu that I would have tried again had I been hungrier.

The place we stayed at was very close to the village green and was really nice for the price and amenities, http://clarenslodge.co.za/index.php/en/.  It was really reasonably priced too and comfortably accommodated two couples and our toddler who shared the room with us.

I liked the way one or two of the shops I visited had been styled, but most seemed to keep things that weren't really unique or locally sourced. In the past, I seem to recall that there was more original things for sale. It may just be my memory... The art galleries seemed to have a lot of the same type of commercial work and I didn't really see much that stood out for me.

For a short weekend trip, it was nice to enjoy the peace, the pretty views and the decent food that was within walking distance.

The highlight for me was definitely being able to spend some time together with my family that we joined up with on this trip. I can always shop when I am at home, but it was nice to spend quality time just being with people who I love.

Trip to the zoo

In the approximately ten years that I lived in Johannesburg prior to having a child, I think I took the total of one trip to the city's zoo. 

Since having had our son, we have had two visits to the zoo. A year ago, we had a short visit before it was nap time and time to rush home. We visited again this Sunday with friends whose son is friends with our son.  The boys are two and a half plus years old and it seemed like they were the perfect age to enjoy the experience.

We arrived at around 09h30, and found a little converted truck taking people for R5 fare to the far end of the property. It was well worth it. The boys really enjoyed the "bus" trip.

On arriving at the lion enclosure at the far end, there was a nice play area and space to have the picnic brunch we had packed with us. The play area had modern safe playground equipment and nice rubber flooring all around. 

From there, we walked past the Polar bear enclosure. Someone told us that the Polar bear was sad as his or her mate had passed away. This stuck with my son, who is now a bit worried about this and keeps checking with each of us whether we are happy or sad.

We walked from there past enclosures with buck, storks and wild cats. The highlight of the elephant enclosure was certainly not the elephants themselves but rather the very big half tractor tyre in its enclosure to provide, I imagine, a scatching post / entertainment.  The bodily functions of the ellie came a close second in the wow stakes. Similarly, the rhino himself was not nearly as exciting as the shower in his enclosure.

I am not a fan of seeing wild animals in cages, but being around for example the polar bear made me think how times have changed and how hopefully we won't see new polar bears coming into a smallish enclosure with concrete and some water and no ice for a few thousand kilometers.  I grew up in Port Elizabeth with the oceanarium on our doorstep. There, the remaining dolphins were sent off to Hong Kong a few years ago and the facility now has a few seals and rescued penguins. There won't be more dolphins coming I am sure in the foreseeable future. 

When we visited the zoo last year, I think the majority of the time was spent in the "farmyard" section and the highlight was the "tractor" constructed from wooden poles. I am almost sure that our son remembered it from that visit!

It just shows how simple things can be exciting when you are small. A ride in a "bus", some tyres planted in the ground and something with a steering wheel that resembles a tractor to drive. And the joy of walking alongside your friend chatting away when you are only just both really starting to speak in full sentences. 

Being around my child teaches me what's important in life.

ps Don't forget to bring your pushchair... Even if it's just to provide wheels for your picnic basket!