Braais, beers and bikes

Lunch in Capetown and we check out the Beach Club

2012-01-23T08:56:00.000-08:00

Saturday it was still hot and humid, the past two weeks have seen a debilitating heatwave over the western cape, heat that saps your energy and keeps you continously damp and bad tempered. We saw temperatures in the high 30's celsius but I believe further north and inland there were recordings of close to 50!

We are lucky in Saldanha Bay in that the southerly wind blows in off the sea and over the bay itself, this tends to keep temperatures down slightly, but move away from the bay and you soon feel the temperature rise.

Luckily Sunday was forcast as the beginning of a slight relief from the heat as we were going to Capetown to meet up with Janet's sister Lesley and Leon for lunch and I desparately did not want to drive down, I wanted to ride! Sure enough Sunday morning it was considerably cooler as we saddled up, some 8 degrees cooler than the same time the previous Sunday.

It was a happy boy who guided the big red machine onto the R27 and powered south into the light south easterly which went some way to keeping things cool. It took us just about an hour to get to "Ons huisie" (Our house) restaurant in Blauwbergstrand and the weather was so pleasant that we found a nice table outside where we enjoyed a good lunch and two hours of pleasant company and conversation.

Before heading home I wanted to check in at the Viper lounge to see what was new in the "Victory" line of motorcycles they are selling;

This very nice looking Victory Vegas Jackpot was priced at R220,000, Janet wasn't too keen on the tiny little pad that she would have to perch on though.

This was a bit more to Janet's liking, priced at R269,000 - talk about a big red machine!

I liked the look of this one, priced at nearly R300,000 it has a lot of Arlen Ness custom parts as well as diamond cut engine fins and a really good looking paint job, but there was no top case/ back rest for Janet so I didn't buy it. Nice looking machines though.

The ride home was fast, enjoyable and uneventful with the BMW performing perfectly as usual, we both really enjoyed it and as we cruised into Saldanha the welcome cool breeze over the bay made us feel at home.

I had heard about a new pub that had opened up called the Beach Club so of course I wanted to check it out;

Our friend Ryno, who quite a few years ago started the "Captain's Cabin" has taken over the old beach sailing club which had never been very successful, and has made it into a casual beach pub/restaurant and I must say there is a lot of potential here.

There is a limited, light meal menu with items such as burgers, pizzas, fish and chips and calamari and chips etc., all at very reasonable prices.

Ryno's plan is to build a wooden deck outside in an "L" shape around the front of the building with shade, even though the facilities are quite casual at the moment, there were a good few people there.

Water sports are encouraged and the bay and the lagoon are popular areas for kite surfing in particular,

I'm not much into water sports but I'll certainly be back!

Breakfast run

2012-01-11T13:25:00.000-08:00

I was free on Sunday, Janet had plans for things that she wanted to do around the house and I knew that if I didn't get away I would get roped into moving heavy things around. As luck would have it the Meeulanders had a breakfast run organised so I happily saddled up after kissing the little woman goodbye and thundered off to the meeting point at the Engen one stop.

It turned out to be a small group, we stood around drinking famous Wimpy restaurant coffee while we waited for others to arrive. Nearby a group of Harley riders had gathered and I went over to chat to them, they turned out to be a friendly bunch even though.................

They were six people on four bikes and they were going to have breakfast in Riebeek, man I was glad we weren't going there, the temperature was already in the high twenties and in that Riebeek valley it would be getting a lot hotter.

If ever I was to get a Harley, which is very unlikely, it would be this one. This cool dude was still smoking his pipe as he rode out.

You see, Harley people do wave! It was 09h30 and it didn't look like anyone else was coming, we were about ten people on six motorbikes and Frank was in his car (I'll explain why a bit later), time to get going.

It's not a long ride along the R27 to Velddrif, about twenty kilometres but it was a nice ride and I found myself shouting the lyrics to "Born to be wild" into my helmet. Div set up a fair pace on his Honda, I was behind him and I could see the others in my mirrors as we sped along through the warm summer morning, our destination growing closer in the shimmering heat haze, Man it was going to be a hot one!

Through Velddrif and along the road towards Dwaarskersbos and our breakfast destination was the "Soverby Lapa" which we had coincidentally visited the previous weekend;

It was still a bit early in the day and the place was not yet open as we lined the bikes up outside, but we didn't have long to wait.

It's a really picturesque spot and what was also good was that there was a gentle breeze coming in off the sea that kept the temperature down, it turned out to be a very pleasant morning. We got beers in hand, placed our breakfast orders and stood around talking crap, as bikers are often wont to do.

I mentioned that Frank was in his car and the reason is that two weeks ago returning home from the Snoek festival at Yzerfontein his beloved FJR high-sided him!

Apparently as he was approaching the R27 and luckily not going very fast his front wheel hit something slippery, the handle bars suddenly went into full lock and as the wheel hit dry tar again he was flipped over the bars to land rather ignominiously in front of an oncoming car.

The people in the car helped Frank up, he was more worried about his baby and they helped him pick her up as well. The damage did not seem too severe, luckily he did not have the panniers and top case on, there was a scrape on the front fairing, the wing mirror was bent and the rubber boot which was designed to protect the side of the bike had done its job.

We decided then and there to re-enact the accident scene with the help of a plastic motorbike, because none of us wanted to lay our bikes down in the sand!

Frank always wears full leathers when riding and they were scuffed on the one elbow quite badly which would definitely have resulted in severe skin loss, his helmet was also grazed in two places. He got away with a few bruises, a cracked rib, a damaged ego and a scraped motorbike, his bruises are fading, his ego is rebounding and the insurance will fix the bike but it goes to show the value of ATGATT! The rib will heal eventually.

He is eagerly awaiting the return of his bike so that he can get back out on the road, we are going to the "Freedom Road Rally" in Stillbay in early February so it must be ready by then.

There was much light hearted banter and Frank is the kind of guy who can take a ribbing, we had a very pleasant morning and the breakfast was very good;

This is a word to all of the restaurant owners out there; you need to give bikers a good breakfast, if you do that they will come back and they will bring their friends and bikers often do breakfast runs, much more so than the poor people who have nothing to do with motorbikes, they stay at home and eat toast and have boring lives.
This breakfast was good and it only cost R38, we will be back.

Thanks for the mammaries

2012-01-07T06:40:00.000-08:00

This came through my email the other day and I produce it here with absolutely no apologies because I love it, it's a guy thing;

When I was 13 I hoped that one day I would have a girlfriend with big tits.

When I was 16 I got a girlfriend with big tits but there was no passion, so I decided I needed a passionate girl with a zest for life.

In college I dated a passionate girl but she was too emotional. Everything was an emergency. she was a drama queen, cried all the time and threatened to commit suicide, so I decided I needed a girl with stability.

When I was 25 I found a very stable girl but she was boring, she was totally predictable and never got excited about anything. Life became so dull that I decided I needed a girl with some excitement.

When I was 28 I found an exciting girl but I couldn't keep up with her, she rushed from one thing to another, never settlled on anything. She did mad impetuous things and made me miserable as often as I was happy. She was great fun initially and very energetic but directionless, so I decided to find a girl with some real ambition.

When I turned 30 I found a smart ambitious girl with her feet planted firmly on the ground so I married her, she was so ambitious that she divorced me and took everything that I owned.

I am older and much wiser now and I am looking once again for a girl with big tits.

Thali Thali restaurant and Nature reserve

2012-01-02T08:55:00.000-08:00

Tomorrow it is back to work, the silly season is over but summer is here with a vengeance and the weather is beautiful. Today we went out to lunch with our friends Tony and Laura who have just moved into the area and as they spent some forty years in Kenya we decided to take them into the bush for lunch.

We took them to the "Thali thali" restaurant which is in a nature reserve just off the R27 quite close to the Langebaan turn off. As it is a 3km rough and sandy dirt road we were not able to go on the big red machine so we travelled in Tony's car.

After travelling along the road to the restaurant people are usually quite surprised at how neat and tidy, almost "upmarket" the buildings and chalets are, the restaurant is very pleasantly appointed with both inside and veranda seating areas. There is also a huge bonfire area where outside pots are prepared for specific occasions;

We were there one evening just before Christmas with Janet's work collegues for their end of year function and the food was all prepared in cast iron pots outside; lamb, beef and mutton pots with rice and vegetables, all very nice.

Plunge pool, dining hall for large groups and accommodation.

We settled down at our table on the shaded veranda and studied the menu over a couple of cold beers, it is quite a small menu but with interesting items such as "Skilpaatjies", (lamb's liver wrapped in spleen fat), "Pofadders" (blood sausage wrapped in bacon) and other quite unusual delectable and very tempting items apart from the more regular, Lamb chops, Crumbed Pork chops, Eisbein etc.

I eventually chose the "Afval potjie" (Offal pot) as I hadn't had that for quite some time.

It was very nicely presented in a cast iron pot which served very well to keep the meal hot, with samp (miellies and beans) which was delicious and authentic African, sweet potatoes and rice, the small cup on the left contained chutney, altogether a very good meal.

Let me just tell you a bit about Offal or as it is known in isiXhosa; "Nqweme" (the Q is a hard click with the tongue at the back of the palate.) English people make tripe out of the sheep's stomach and I remember my dear old Mom used to scrub it with a brush for so long before cooking it that it was absolutely tasteless, nevertheless I used to eat it regularly and quite enjoyed it.

Then we were transferred to the Transkei in the eastern Cape in 1976 where we lived for ten years, there I learned to speak isiXhosa and there we were introduced to Nqweme! The main secret to this delicious traditional dish is that it is not cleaned too rigorously and it is made with all of the guts not just the stomach lining, the amaXhosa literally just flap it under a tap and flush the pipes and tubes out and then cook it, usually outside because it smells pretty bad!

It is usually simmered for quite a long time to get it tender, then potatoes are added to the pot and some vegetables and it is often served on rice. Janet and I both love eating this traditional African dish and at one festival a couple of years back we were wandering around the usual assortment of food stalls when I spotted a stall at the end crowded with black customers, we went over and saw a hand written sign advertising "Nqweme." - I immediately ordered two portions much to the amazement of the other customers who were definitely not expecting white customers, let alone one who could order it in their language! We stood there eating delicious authentic nqweme out of styrofoam containers and even ordered more later to take home.

My Offal pot was good and tasty although not completely authentic as this had a curry flavour, nice all the same but I miss the slightly bitter aftertaste of the real thing.

Laura had Ox tongue with sweet mustard and vegetables while Janet went for the other end of the beast and had an Oxtail pot which she said was delicious.

The helpings were very generous and there was certainly enough to eat.

Just look at the size of Tony's Eisbein with sauerkraut!

Get stuck in folks! We all agreed that the food was excellent, that it was nice being out in the bush and we will certainly go back there again. There was no need for starters and there was no room for dessert at that stage. The bill came to R550 with gratuity which included six beers and a bottle of wine, excellent value as far as I am concerned.

They have two different types of chalets for rent and from what I saw the prices, even in peak season, were very reasonable. Apparently the restaurant is open every day and for large groups they will do the potjies. It was a very pleasant couple of hours and it was good to be out in the bush even though we were only about ten to fifteen kilometres from the sea as the crow flies.

There is a lot of game, Antelope and Giraffe in the nature reserve and they do game drives by appointment, give them a call on 022 7661626 and arrange a visit, the turn off is directly opposite the Engen One-stop off the R27, tell them I sent you.

January 1st 2012, Teyana's Restaurant

2012-01-01T06:08:00.000-08:00

So here it is; 2012 - dammit the last one seems to have flown by, or that just me? I can clearly remember the last new year's eve party at the Viper Lounge with Linda and Janet and that doesn't seem so long ago!

No party for us this year, we had a quiet night at home opting rather for a ride out for lunch today. It was a nice hot day with a gentle breeze and we took the R27 route through to Velddrif where we popped into the "Ek en Jy Visserye" to wish Des, Marina, Leon and Christine all of the best for the coming year.

Des got raided by the Police who caught him selling beer without a liquor license so he was a bit "down in the dumps", someone in the same road had complained - he claims - out of jealousy, so now he is going to go through the legal channels to get a license. We sat for a while chatting, drank a beer (which we had taken there with us of course!) out of a styrfoam cup.

We had tentative plans for lunch so we said our goodbyes and saddled up, there is a little restaurant and bar; "Teyana's" on the banks of the Berg River just to the left of the bridge as you enter Velddrif, we had been there before some time ago and had enjoyed it so we decided to go there again;

Perhaps it doesn't look like much from the outside, it is in amongst some factories but you can clearly see the colourful flags and umbrellas as you approach the town.

Sort of "Shabby chic." but the food is good and from the veranda you can sit and watch the boats going up and down the river.

We were able to park the big red machine right outside the front of the place, which I like. I'm not too happy when the bike is out of sight, but that's just a biker thing isn't it?

Right on the banks of the Berg River.

The place is casual, wooden tables and benches out on the veranda with an inside eating area if the weather is bad and also a bar area. It was fairly busy with groups of people coming and going throughout the time we were there. I ordered a Hake and Prawn Combo with chips;

It was delicious! The Hake was fresh, soft and succulent with a very light batter and the prawns were nice and firm, it came with a garlic butter sauce and a mayonnaise, I really enyoyed my meal and will certainly have it again.

Janet went for home made Steak and Kidney pie with chips and gravy;

A decent sized pie which she declared to be delicious, indeed she managed to eat it all herself, I didn't get anything off that plate!

We finished our meals and then sat for a while over a glass of wine enjoying the atmosphere and the sheer pleasure of summer on the cape West Coast.

Teyana's does not have an extensive menu and it is casual, it is not fine dining but it is value for money and good wholesome food such as the pies, burgers, light lunches and breakfasts and we will certainly be back.

Just look at that account, with the gratuity for the service which was certainly attentive and friendly it came to just over R200, that's R100 per person which we don't often get - you do the math.

We had a pleasant ride home, it's only about 60kms from Saldanha to Velddrif so no big deal but we did take a longer way round in the morning on the way out, a very pleasant outing and a lovely start to the new year.

Tomorrow we are having lunch with friends Tony and Laura at "Thali-thali", a restaurant in a nature reserve not far from here, we will have to go in the bakkie (ute/pick-up/van) though because it is a 3km rough dirt road into the bush to get there, I'll tell you all about it.

Christmas weekend

2011-12-27T08:01:00.000-08:00

Oh well it's back to work, it has been a really lovely four day break, the deputy President in his wisdom, and in the absense of the President, declared Tuesday 27th a public holiday. There were some murmers of discontent from captains of industry and from business owners over the huge losses that businesses would incur, but I am neither, I am just a working stiff so I applauded his decision. Who the hell is productive between Christmas and new year anyway?

Janet and I had already decided that Saturday would be a day for relaxing, we would not go anywhere. I bought two huge T bones from my buddy Steve at Weskus Vleismark (West Coast Meat Market) on Thursday, he had already had them hanging for about a week and I stuck them in the fridge on a rack and left them for Saturday.
The big day arrived and I took the steaks out early to marinate, I used olive oil, Aromat, garlic, ground black pepper corns and mixed herbs and let them sit for a couple of hours.

Can you guess which one is mine? I got a nice hot fire going and started braaiing the steaks while Janet made a salad and then a lovely potato rosti.

I seared the steaks just for a couple of minutes on both sides and then balanced them on the bone to cook just for another couple of minutes.

We both like our meat medium rare so I didn't cook them for long, Janet made a nice egg and mayo salad and we had a lovely lunch - Steve's steaks are fantastic!

Man sized T bone steak with potato rosti and salad washed down with a couple of glasses of one of my best Cabernet Sauvignons, a great way to start the long weekend.
Sunday, Christmas day we had lunch at Beira Mar with friends; Frank, Jim, Helen and Fraser and then Janet and I spent the night at the nearby Saint Helena Bay Hotel so that we wouldn't have to worry about roadblocks. So far, so good.
Monday we didn't do much, it was so good to just relax at home but I was determined that we should get out on the bike on Tuesday, the last day of the long weekend.
I didn't feel like going far, the whole area is just crowded with holiday makers and I hate having to stand in a queue to get into my favourite restaurants so I suggested a ride out to Velddrif. We were up fairly early as is our custom and after an early spa bath with the obligatory bottle of bubbly we eventually got out on the bike at about 11h00.
For those of you reading this who know our riding area we headed up the R45 but only as far as Hopefield some 34kms from the R27 and then we took the secondary road that follows the Berg river to Velddrif. It is a terrible road, even with my suspension set for two people on "comfort" we had to cruise along at about 80kmh for the whole 40km trip, but on a day when you are not in a hurry it was just fine.
The road is incredibly rough, it seems to have been tarred in a hurry, almost as if they didn't really prepare it properly but just poured the tar over the original dirt road, but we enjoyed it and it was just after midday when we rode into Velddrif.
I wanted to check out the "Soverby Lapa" which is on the road between Velddrif and Dwaarskersbos, right on the coast. I don't even want to begin trying to translate those words for you, I have a bit of a problem with Afrikaans coloquialisms anyway. A "Lapa" is a casual structure, often thatched, with a braai area and this one is just that.

Something that I really appreciated was that there was a separate area set aside for bikes to park;

What a view! You can't get any closer to the beach with out actually getting wet.

We wandered around getting a feel for the place, it was beginning to fill up so we took a seat outside to have a beer, which unfortunately could have been colder!

The seating is very casual, there is a bar which seems have all of the basic requirements for a festive day out;

The menu is of the "Fish and chips\Calamari\hamburger" type which suits the casual beach style of the place and the prices seemed very reasonable.

We didn't stay for lunch, we had already organised something else but we will be back, I envisage a group of friends sitting around one of the big tables having a leisurely seafood meal and a couple of beers and I'm looking forward to that.
By the time we took the road home, only some 30kms, the wind had come up as it tends to do here on the Cape west coast but it wasn't a problem, we had had a restful day out on the bike, cruising this time instead of low-flying which, as Janet says, is also enjoyable.
Stay on two wheels, take it easy over the new year weekend, take care....because we care, and may 2012 bring to you everything that you wish for yourself.

Yzerfontein Snoek festival 2011

2011-12-24T01:11:00.000-08:00

Last Saturday we were on our way back from a jol in Capetown and halfway along we pulled into "Die Stal" (The Stable) pub and restaurant in Yzerfontein where the annual Snoek Festival was underway.

It was a lovely warm summer's day and as we were quite early there were only a few bikers there, the disco was already on the go and people were arriving all of the time, it started to fill up quite quickly.

They do a biker breakfast from 10h00 which is usually very good, we weren't there in time for that but we did have a good pub lunch a little later.

Mike and Barbara at the table with Frank.

Alec and Mercier arrived, she is now riding their late son's Suzuki Bandit which they have customised and dedicated to his memory.

An old biker buddy, Joos pitched up and we had a chat together, he has now moved away from our area and now lives in Durbanville outside of Capetown but I think we see him more often now.

One of the badges on his jacket, although misspelt, identifies him as "Previously Advantaged"! A tongue-in-cheek commentary on the current New South African situation;

We left mid afternoon, things were slowing down and it certainly didn't appear to be as busy as it was last year, there was to be a braai down in the harbour later in the evening but there was no way we could attend that and still drive home.

Next we have the Christmas weekend and Tuesday 27th has been declared a public holiday, captains of industry and business owners are not too happy with that but I, a mere salary earner, am ecstatic! We will get out on the bike.

Sunday, Christmas lunch is a buffet at Beira Mar restaurant and then we have booked into the hotel in Saint Helena Bay, just down the road so that we don't have to worry about roadblocks.

Have a wonderful, happy Christmas my friends and may 2012 bring you all that you wish for yourselves, if you don't celebrate Christmas like we do then I wish you a happy and peaceful weekend.

What am I doing wrong?

2011-12-21T13:17:00.000-08:00

I see lots of pageviews, 65 followers and readers from 143 countries but no comments! Why aren't you commenting on my blogposts? Tell me if they are crap, don't just gloss over them and think "Nah, this is crap!" Tell me. Some of the blogs that I read attract 25 comments, go check out my friend Geoff's blog; www.geoffjames.blogspot.com and see how many comments he gets.

Go and read www.iowaharleygirl.blogspot.com and then come back and tell me what they are doing that I'm not. Seriously, go and read them and then come and tell me.

Back to this blog and more "Out of Africa" stuff;

Telkom technicians in northern Kwa Zulu Natal on a routine maintenance trip came across this scene quite recently, at first from a distance they could not be sure what it was, but on edging closer.....

They found this massive rock python had crushed an unfortunate buck to death and was preparing to eat it, this one may have been too big to swallow but these snakes have been known to crush the animal and swallow it whole.

This was the last photo in the series and it appears that the snake has been disturbed so we don't know whether it finished its meal or not.

It does remind me of the time that I almost became a meal for an albino Rock Python though, he actually flattened my nose!

The Noisy Oyster - Paternoster

2011-12-18T08:42:00.000-08:00

Down in the quaint, but rapidly growing, fishing village of Paternoster on the Cape west coast is the "Noisy Oyster" restaurant. We had been there before but a good few years ago and decided that it was time for another visit, however on the day that we chose there was a chalkboard on the veranda on which was inscribed; "Sorry, fully booked - big tippers and fast eaters will be considered." seeing as we are neither we decided to try another time but I did like the humour.

Luckily on our next visit, which was last Sunday, we were able to get a table in the garden although we hadn't booked. The outside area is an eclectic mix of decor most of which is related to the fishing industry, very colourful and inviting.

Some of the items are not so easy to identify but very interesting nontheless!

We ordered a bottle of wine from the friendly and attentive waitress, a Fairview Sauvignon Blanc priced at R120, a little expensive I think for a local wine but it was cold and delicious and it went down very well as we studied the menu.

As a starter I ordered "Sardines with Rosemary and Paprika stuffing wrapped in Parma Ham with Potato mash, minced onion and shaved gruyere cheese." and let me tell you it was out of this world!

It was four sardine fillets wrapped in parma ham, the rosemary and paprika did not overpower the delicate flavours and the gruyere and mash needed to be wiped up with my finger but I resisted and scooped it out with the fork! I so enjoyed it that I almost forgot to take a photograph and had actually eaten half before I remembered. A truly memorable starter which I look forward to having again. That I considered reasonably priced at R45.

Janet opted for Pan grilled chicken livers with potato mash and mild chili tomato salsa, also R45 and also delicious, I tasted it!

My main course; Yellow Fin Tuna - pan seared with vanilla tomato confit, young potato, artichoke and roast vegetable salad at R125 came rare just as I had ordered it and I enjoyed and demolished every morsel except for the carrot which I gave to Janet, that had nothing to do with the restaurant but rather personal taste, I do not eat carrots!

The portions are not huge, this is not that sort of restaurant, but there is definitely a chef involved, the sauces and confits were delicious and complimented the food rather than overpowering or disguising it. Janet's Penne Pasta with sauteed porcini mushrooms, basil pesto, gruyere cheese and truffle oil at R65 she declared to be very enjoyable and we easily finished it!

We had room for dessert and I went for my favourite creme caramel which came with a fresh fruit spoon, the crispy top on the caramel was just right and had to broken with the spoon - absolutely delicious, light and delicate with the initial rather more tart mouthful of fresh fruit!

Janet's dessert involved fresh fruit, chocolate mousse and mini donuts and was also quite spectacular, I know because I finished it off!

The Noisy Oyster is not cheap, our bill with the tip came to just over R500, but it is no ordinary restaurant and we will certainly be going back again. There are many more menu items I want to try but I just know that I will not be able to get past the sardine starter, that's a given.

A very nice touch to keep customers entertained while waiting for the food is a bunch of trivial pursuit cards on the tables, all around us we could hear things like; "What is the capital of...?", "What was the name of the.....?" while we were testing our general knowledge, a thoroughly enjoyable couple of hours spent enjoying a lovely meal - go and try it out for yourself, you won't be disappointed I assure you but you had better book; 022 7522196. Tell them I sent you.

Local toy Run

2011-12-13T05:57:00.000-08:00

Two weeks ago I attended the IMOC Toy run in Capetown and here we were buying toys again for the local toy run organised by the Meeulanders MCC, it coincides with the "Wheels on the West Coast" show at the "Wes-kus school" and is usually an interesting place for us petrolheads.

We met up with Frank and Danny at the Spur restaurant in the Mall for a light meal and then joined the steadily growing crowd of bikers in the car park.

We were a bit early but the crowd slowly grew as more and more riders arrived from the different local clubs, some bikes festooned with toys;

A club you will always find well represented, especially at events such as this one; the CMA.

Soon it was time to go, kick stands up and we headed out of the car park, about fifty bikes tried to keep a nice tight formation for the short ride down to Saldanha.

It is about ten kilometres from the Mall to the school and I think we made a pretty impressive looking convoy.

We all parked up in the show ground area and immediately people gathered round to admire our machinery,

We deposited our toys into Craig and Monica's van and went off in search of beer.

A relatively small group of bikers but a lovely big pile of toys for underprivileged local children.

Braai lamb chops for sale.

Immaculate 1949 Mercury.

They don't make 'em like this any more, more's the pity!

There were the usual trade stalls, here Steven buys himself a cowboy hat.

Lots of food and drink stalls, it was a hot day so they did a good business. We spent a couple of hours there and soon it was time to go.

Willie on his 1300BMW

As usual the last two to leave a party! We rode through to the Rooikrans pub in Vredenburg for an ABF and found most of the mob had had the same idea!

A pleasant day, a good cause and a great bunch of people - what more could anyone want?

Food, glorious (sea)food

2011-12-10T00:46:00.000-08:00

The weather has been really bad this past couple of weeks, gale force winds just about every day but it seems to be over now - hopefully! Last Saturday we rode down to friends Neville and Janet in Simonstown, going over "Ou Kaapse Weg" in that wind was something of a trial but luckily on Sunday morning when we rode back it had moderated somewhat. Maybe we'll have some calm for a while?

I received some really bad news in my inbox this week; the Cape Town Bike Festival has been cancelled! Scheduled for the weekend of the 16th to the 18th December, I had really been looking forward to it but must confess that in the back of my mind I harboured a nagging doubt that Capetown could pull it off.

The reasons given were that sponsors hadn't come forward and ticket sales hadn't lived up to expectations but in talking to people afterwards I heard another side; Graig from the Yamaha agent in Vredenburg said they wanted a ridiculous amount of money from exhibitors for the three day event, something like R80,000! Craid said there was no way they could afford that not knowing whether their would be any business generated and "Muis", a biker friend said that he wouldn't have gone because entry was way too expensive, maybe the organisers were trying to make a quick buck and hadn't gauged their market. Pity, now we'll have to keep going to Jo'burg for the big shows.

Last Sunday I ended up at Des' Ek en Djy Visserye just after lunch and Leon and Christine were serving up Crayfish and salad for R75!

If I had known about that beforehand I would have gone there for lunch.

It was a festive scene with a good few people enjoying the meal, you just gotta go there.

Maybe that was what inspired me to do some seafood during the week;

I bought a fresh Angel fish from Charlie's Fish Shop which is conveniently just around the corner, cut the skeleton out and cut out all of the pin-bones away, placed them skin-side down in a buttered baking tray, grated some lemon zest over them, a sprinkle of mixed herbs and a squeeze of fresh lemon a little salt and pepper and into a hot oven for about ten minutes.

In the meantime I steamed some fresh mussels in a bit of white wine and lemon juice while Janet prepared the accompaniments;

and there it is, lemon baked Angel fish with garlic potatoes, butternut squash and fresh mussels. We also threw on some cherry tomatoes, feta cheese and olives, what a lovely meal!

We are shortly off to join a group of local bikers on a local toy run organised by the Meeulander Club, it is a beautiful calm day, the sun is shining so it should be great - I'll tell you all about it later.

Toy Run 2011

2011-12-01T09:04:00.000-08:00

The wind blew like hell all day Saturday and on Sunday morning it was still blowing, the forecast was not good so Janet opted out, "I'm staying here, you go." I also had second thoughts about it, I prefer riding in the rain to riding in gale force winds but I also didn't want to miss my fourteenth consecutive annual toy run.

Now in its 26th year the toy run was started by the Italian Motorcycle Owners Club (IMOC) and it has become a national event, bikers all over the country get together on the same day to collect toys for underprivileged children. I headed out at 07h30 to the gathering point at the Engen One-stop on the R27 with the idea that I could call it off and ride back home if that was the general consensus.

Of course that wasn't the general consensus! There were already about a dozen guys and ladies there all eager to get going, the wind didn't feel too bad anyway.

I rode behind this bike most of the way to Capetown and this teddy bear was waving his arms around all the way as if he was really enjoying himself!

We got going shortly after 08h00 and the Undaunted Club riders set a good fast pace, we settled into the staggered formation and cruised down at a steady 140kmh, every now and then I could feel some wind gusts but we were heading directly into it and it would be pushing us home later.

These guys were all going directly to the end venue but I had a different idea and at the outskirts of the city we split with the bunch and headed for the Viper Lounge. We had some time to kill and I could not think of a better place to do it.

There were plenty of people coming and going, like two guys on these BMW "Cafe racers", a 1976 and a 1983 model.

We sat around until just after 10h00, the mass rides were due to start from the two venues at 10h30, so we rode through to a spot en route where I could get some photos. Every year I have taken part in the mass ride but it is a lot of clutch work, braking, foot down, 1st gear riding and I thought that with the gusting wind and the added hazard of lots of inexperienced youngsters all over the place on scramblers and scooters, now would be a good time to have a change, I had always wanted to get photos of the mass ride anyway.

We selected a picturesque spot and settled down to watch the passing parade. At first the bikes went past in dribs and drabs but it wasn't long at all until the road was full of riders.

A traffic cop led the way followed by the mass ride which had started simultaneously from the Ottery supermarket and from the Epping market.

For some unknown reason they let the Harley riders lead, why? You'd think it would be Italian bikes.

All kinds of bikes can be seen in the mass ride;

Tuk-tuks laden with toys;

Trikes,

Sidecar rigs;

and thousands and thousands of motorbikes. We sat there for an hour, and in that time the bikes were passing non stop, before we joined in for the short ride to the Maynardville showgrounds. Still it was an unbelievable mob but the traffic cops were doing a splendid job and it wasn't long before we were parked and heading in to the show ground.

A "Sea" of motorcycles in the parking area, still filling up, millions of Rands worth of machinery here!

Thousands upon thousands of people all with the one purpose, well with two aims I suppose; to donate toys for needy children and to have a jol! (a party). Anyone is allowed in and recently we have seen a huge upsurge in the number of non-biker families who come in to mingle with the bikers, the only entry fee is at least one toy.

The first thing we do is make our way to the trailers to get shot of our parcels, it doesn't take long before both are full to overflowing.

The organisers estimated that there would be in the region of 35,000 toys to be distributed this year!

From there we always go to the beer tent which was, as usual, doing a roaring trade. We usually hang about for a while because the beer tent is a good place to see friends passing through.

Jenny and Joos here chatting to Frank. There is plenty to see and do and for a while we wandered around.

There are live bands performing throughout the day as well as comedians to keep the crowd entertained.

There are plenty of trade stalls;

Food stalls, all doing a brisk trade.

There we met up with friends Janet and Jeremy and we chatted with them for a while. I'm not a big fan of "Stand-up" food sans wine so we headed off sort of early afternoon in search of a restaurant and ended up in Table View.

By then the wind was really blowing hard but it blew me home and if I get any speed trap photos later that will be my defence; "Your Worship I was doing 160kmh only because of the wind!" I got back home just after four, it had been a lovely day on the bike and I am really glad that I went. A wonderful event to be involved in and I hope that I will be around to do a lot more.

Which restaurant is it?

2011-11-28T12:42:00.000-08:00

This was the view from our table at our favourite restaurant where we had lunch on Saturday. I say it is my favourite because although there are a lot of really great restaurants in the Saldanha/Langebaan and Paternoster/Velddrif areas, indeed pretty much the whole western cape area where we live, we are friends with Don and Connie and it is always a pleasure to go there.

So, here is the question - and there is no prize for the correct answer, except maybe bragging rights; what restaurant is featured here? Clue; it has been featured before in this blog.

This is another clue because this is the starter that I usually have; Portuguese sardines, absolutely delicious with pan-fried onions and peppers.

My main course was a seafood medley, with prawns, in a creamy chili sauce with rice which I found absolutely delicious and Janet opted for Portuguese baby chicken;

normally served with chips, Janet asked for mashed potatoes, no trouble to our restaurateurs they produced the most delicious mash to accompany Janet's peri-peri chicken, and I can vouch for it because I had the left-overs in my work lunch box today (Monday.)

We sat and relaxed after our meal chatting with Don while a little duckle wandered around our table, a future menu item perhaps?

Ok what restaurant is it? The answer will appear in the comments section I hope, and if you Capetown or western cape people haven't been there yet then bad luch you're having! We have booked for our Christmas buffet lunch there with Frank and friends so that should be good.

Next write up is the toy run in Capetown which was the next day, stay with me friends.

My new zorst can

2011-11-24T07:53:00.000-08:00

Well I sure chose a lousy day to ride down to Capetown to get my new exhaust can fitted! Weathersa website said nothing about rain! I met Frank at the Engen One-stop on the R27 and we could see the rain coming along from the south, we stood around and drank a couple of cups of coffee hoping that it would clear, but motorists coming from Capetown told us of lots of rain.

We hung around until about 09h30 and then decided to press on, it would only be showers. Sure enough five kilometres down the road we passed through a heavy, but brief shower and in the south I could see blue sky.

The closer we got to town the more the wind seemed to pick up until it was blowing really strong southerly, not pleasant. We rode through to the Belleville/Stigland industrial area, an area completely new to both of us but I had previously consulted Google Maps and had printed out the relevant section, this proved to be absolutely useless and we spent about an hour and three phone calls to Raynard at Scorch Designs before we eventually found the place.

I handed my baby and the new zorst can over to Raynard who said that he needed about two hours for the job and we headed off to a nearby take-away food joint for something to eat. We sat in Archie's take aways for about two hours over a hamburger and two cups of coffee while the rain hammered down.

By the time we had finished it was just drizzling and we walked back to the workshop, Raynard and his team were still busy so we had to sit around for a while but it wasn't long before we were ready to go, happily the sky had cleared by then but the wind was even stronger.

These show the standard can, it's huge and I have always felt that the bike was too quiet, sort of like a sewing machine. I bought the Scorch can a long time ago but could not get anyone to do the pipe work here in the area where I live.

Raynard and his team did a very proffesional job and the end result looks great!

When I fired it up it was magic! A very low tone, not excessively loud but definitely a good sound, I asked Raynard if it was going to improve performance and he said that it may give an improvement in top end but unless you have a dyno test it's hard to tell, the bike sounds good so you ride it harder and think it's better, happy anyway.

I thoroughly enjoyed it through the suburbs heading towards the R27, definitely the throttle-blip on downshifts sounded lovely, and accelerating up through the gears was completely different. She definitely felt more responsive, was that my imagination?

On the R27 heading home and cruising at 4,500rpm which equates to about 140kmh the sound from the exhaust was not that much louder than it used to be so it all seems like a good job. I'll have to do some more riding but I'm happy.

If you need a good exhaust job contact Raynard of Scorch Designs on 021 9454874, they are at 16 Kaymor Street, Stigland Industrial but don't ask me how to get there!

We are looking forward to the Annual Toy Run this Sunday, last year an estimated 6000 bikers took part, will it be more this year? I'll tell you all about it.

Smoked Angelfish and Rock Lobster

2011-11-22T13:19:00.000-08:00

I had occasion last weekend to smoke a whole lot of Angel fish, it was for a Christmas function and our share of the catering was the starters and two salads for eighty people. The Angel fish was part of the starter course along with a tub full of marinated mussels and it caused me to cast my mind back over the decade between 1990 and 2000 when Janet and I, along with two other couples were involved in the open-air seafood braai restaurants in Langebaan.

I used to do the cooking for groups numbering anything from 40 to 200 and I used to smoke tons of Angel fish, apart from the numerous other courses, but that is a story for another time.

This is the Angel fish, minus head and tail, about to be filleted. I had eight of these to smoke so the work of removing the skeleton took a bit of time.

It wasn't too long before I had them all cleaned up, all bones removed and ready for the smoker.

Place the fillets on tinfoil on the grid over some good hot coals, sprinkle generously with salt, throw a good double handful of beer-soaked sawdust onto the coals and cover.

The other half of the drum goea over the top, you will notice that the bottom half has the bung hole open and that the top half is not quite aligned, there is an opening at the back to allow a flow through of air. After about twenty minutes lift the lid (carefully because it gets hot!) and check the fish, it should be ready, don't overdo it.

Delicious smoked Angelfish fillets, they are pale because I don't baste them with a colourant like commercial producers do but they were delicious.

After a hectic Saturday evening party we decided to have a lunch later on Sunday and so it was that we arrived back at "Modo Mio" restaurant in Paternoster, I could not resist the special advertised for R200;

Crayfish, West Coast Rock Lobster (Jasus Lalandii) with five prawns, Janet opted for the hamburger, she did....I swear! My food was fantastic!

Here's the aftermath, signs of sheer enjoyment.

Tomorrow I have the day off to take the big red machine down to Capetown to have my new Zorst can fitted, many months ago I bought a "Scorch Designs" cannister, smaller than standard, but have not had the opportunity to get it fitted, mainly because I couldn't find anyone in the area who could do the stainless steel pipe bending required.

Frank is riding down with me to Scorch Designs where they will do the fitting, I just know the bike is going to sound much rortyer afterwards. Apparently performance will be enhanced as well, I will let you know but I am really looking forward to a midweek break on the bike.

Rhodesian Independence weekend, Bamba Zonke guest farm

2011-11-20T07:11:00.000-08:00

Last weekend saw the forty sixth anniversary of Rhodesia's Unilateral Declaration of Independence, when the late (great) Ian Douglas Smith said "Enough! We go it alone!" and without going into any serious political discussions about betrayal, for a good few years there was prosperity for all of the citizens, Rhodesia was the bread basket of the African continent, exports of tobacco and maize, to name a few, supported the country and benefitted its neighbours but unfortunately pressure from ......blah, blah blah....and now Zimbabwe is the basket case. (This is not a political blog!)

Every year at this time, which also happens to be Janet's birthday and our wedding anniversary, we got married on her 21st birthday on the 10th November, ex Rhodesians all over the world gather to celebrate and to commiserate and to reminisce about the good times in what was a beautiful country.

So we were invited back to the "Bamba Zonke" guest farm just outside of Yzerfontein, owned by an ex BSAP (Rhodesian Police) member and we gladly accepted, we were there two years ago and had a wonderful time but could not make it last year, I was really looking forward to it once again.

We arrived at about 16h30 and already there were a good few people there, including Neil, the owner of the place. We got settled into our room, a very comfortable double with an ensuite bathroom and then joined them for a drink around the famous fire-pit.

We sat around the fire talking crap for a good hour or two until the sun set and it started to get cold, I put a big pot of mussels on the fire for an early snack but it wasn't long until we moved inside and Eddie lit a fire in the lovely big kitchen area.

Neil's on the barstool to the left, Neville is sitting at the table and Johnny Walker is in the foreground, gradually everyone moved inside and before the braai I opened about three dozen oysters as a starter.

The guys, there were only two women there for the weekend, Janet and Belinda, all moved into the kitchen and soon made short work of the oysters.

The jokes were flying thick and fast, here's Cyril on the left who claimed that his liver was royalty; named "Sir osis" and Ross both of whom kept the party moving!

Neil, one of only three ex-Bsap members there was the first to salute the flag. The party raged on into the night and I'm not sure what time we got to bed, the only thing organised for the next day was a fishing competition and Neil wasn't even sure if there were any fish left in the dam. It certainly wasn't a high prority for me!

We awoke to the sounds of raucous laughter and to the smell of frying bacon, Sir Osis was already telling jokes, (or was he still telling jokes?) and Belinda was making breakfast and several of the guys were getting their fishing tackle ready to see who could catch the first fish. The dam is right next to the guest house so at least it wouldn't be a long trek.

They tried from different positions around the dam, and they sat there for ages but in the end;

it was Sam who bagged the first, and probably the only, Bream and that won him a case of beer. He threw the fish back because it was not big enough to feed the hungry mob and the fishing sort of petered out after that.

We had a lazy day, a very nice braai lunch and then in the early evening as the sun went down a bunch of us started playing "Lie-dice", you must know it, where you use poker dice which you throw into a container and get the person next to you to accept your nomination, he then has to improve the hand to the person next to him and if he is proved to be a lier he has to drink, if not the challenger has to...etc., it's dangerous!

We played that for a while and then the mob moved into the bar where they carried on with "7-14-21", also using poker dice the person who throws the seventh Ace nominates the drink, the person who throws the fourteenth Ace pays for it and the one who throws the twenty-first Ace has to drink it!

This was where I opted out and left them to it, I had to open the rest of the oysters, I remember that kind of drinking game from my youth and I was bad enough at it then!

The guys moved through to the kitchen and attacked the oysters with gusto but as the evening progressed it seemed like most of those who had been playing dice were fading quite quickly!

While this was going on Eddie was preparing one of his outstanding chicken potjies out on the front veranda, in between popping in to eat oysters!

We ate in the kitchen again, it is a lovely big room with a huge fireplace that lends itself to happy and comfortable conversation and of course lots of bullshit!

The later it got, the quieter it got and people started contemplating a comfortable bed, there were some though who were not ready to pack it in;

The ever-ebullient and indefatigable Sir Osis kept the party going with his jokes and his raucous laughter, I don't know what time it was when I eventually fell into my bed but it had been a fantastic weekend thus far.

Sunday we awoke to pouring rain, that put paid to the traditional five kilometre walk but Eddie and Belinda made us a delicious breakfast of fried eggs on top of left-overs and gradually everyone said their farewells and headed off home.

Another very memorable and festive "Bamba Zonke" weekend and I hope we are around for next year.

Dramatic Elephant rescue

2011-11-14T06:39:00.000-08:00

Every now and then I like to post wildlife stories from this beautiful continent of ours as opposed to the many biker "wild-life" stories that I usually post! This is a lovely story out of Zambia in an area called the "Kapani Lagoon" which like many areas in Central Africa is suffering with a particularly harsh dry spell. I received this story via email so I will quote;

Most conservationists believe that man should not meddle with the natural order and that nature should be allowed to run its course, no matter how grim or cruel. However every rule has an exception and when members of the South Luangwa Conservation Society, attracted by their screams, came across a baby elephant trapped in the rapidly drying mud of the Kapani Lagoon, along with its mother who had tried to save it, they knew that they could not stand by and with the assistance of the Wildlife Authority, they attempted a difficult and dangerous rescue.

The frantic herd members were desparately trying to help the baby and its mother who were screaming in terror. The baby had become stuck first and the mother tried to help and became stuck herself.

They had no hope at all of getting free and the mud was rapidly drying.

Carefully avoiding the mother's flailing trunk the team managed to get a rope around the baby elephant.

With the whole team pulling they begin to drag the baby out of the cloying mud.

Slowly and painstakingly, being careful not to injure the baby, they manage to drag it from the mud.

But it wont leave its mother's side and struggles back into the mud!

Again the team manages to pull the young elephant out of the mud.

But again, and in spite of members shouting and waving their arms, the baby again returns to its mother's side.

This time they drag it further away from the mud hole hoping that it will run away.

Luckily a call from a cousin in the herd convinces the baby elephant to join them, now the team can turn their attention to the mother.

With much difficulty they manage to get a rope around the huge, rapidly tiring beast.

Using a tractor they slowly begin to pull, not knowing if they were going to be able to get her out.

She seems to sense that she is almost free, with the team shouting encouragement "Come on Mama, come on, you can do it!" she struggles to free herself.

Almost there, she was obviously exhausted but could sense freedom.

Success! Weak and wobbly she hurried off to join the herd and her baby.

The happy team members drink to their success on the Kapani deck after a very long, exhausting but extremely rewarding day. Congratulations on a job well done, they could not have left those Elephants to their fate.

After that beautiful story I will leave you with a picture showing how Elephants scratch their nuts;

Use a hired car when you visit game reserves!

Breakfast Run with the Meeulanders

2011-11-09T14:00:00.000-08:00

Sunday morning, the weather looked great and still Janet wanted to stay home; "You go on the breakfast run, I want to stay here for the day and just relax." I wasn't sure at first, at least she didn't say; "It's fine, just go!" I edged around a bit, I reminded her that she had the option to come with me on the Meeulanders breakfast run to Maestro's restaurant on Woodbridge Island.

"I know," she said, "It's fine, just go." Uh oh!

Eventually reassured that I was not in trouble I left Janet happily involved in her beauty products and got the big red machine out onto the west coast road, the usual meeting place was at the Engen One- stop and Frank had said that he would be there early for a cup of coffee before the ride.

This was a Meeulanders MCC ride and although I am not a member I have ridden with them often, they are a good bunch of people and a very active club and I enjoy riding with them.

Frank was not there when I arrived, several members were already there but by the time I had finished my cup of famous Wimpy coffee he had still not arrived and I began to think that he had had too much of a good time the night before.

Steven arrived on his very nice cruiser, we have spent time together at some of the rallies, in particular the Buffalo rally in Mossel bay, a solid guy.

Willie Goosen arrives on his very nice K1300, another good guy to have on rallies, he keeps the party going.

09h20 eventually Frank arrives, looking very much the worse for wear, "Oh no I had a late night at the pub last night, you know what I'm saying!" I had expected that he would not be showing up for the ride but he lit his normal cigarette and seemed to be ok.

Div, the President and Frank the Road Captain have a discussion just before the ride and shrotly thereafter some twenty people on thirteen bikes pulled out onto the west coast road.

Janet and I don't do much group riding, we prefer to ride alone but every now and then I ride with the Meeulanders and really enjoy their disciplined runs, they immediately fall into the staggered formation which we all know is the safest way for a group of bikes to ride, if you can see the face of the rider infront of you in his mirror then you know that he can see you.

As we thundered south in tight formation there was one sublime moment which I will always remember, I was riding at the back of the bunch with only Frank behind me and suddenly I saw a group of lights approaching from the front, it was another group of riders heading north and for one brief period in the inexorable march of time that small stretch of road was suddenly full of bikers! We raised a hand in greeting, acknowledging the bond and just as suddenly that moment was past but it had been an extremely cool moment and I was happy that I was there, I was aware of my place on the road, my position in the group and how lucky I was to be there at that time.

Riding in a staggered formation group is all well and good when you are riding out in the country but as you approach the Urban sprawl and the traffic congestion the group tends to get split up, especially at the traffic light intersections. Not so on this occasion! The traffic lights either stopped us all or let us all through and we arrived at the Maestro's restaurant car park together.

We soon disrobed, shucked out heavy clothing and went in search of sustenance....and breakfast!

The buffet was excellent, really good value for money but from the breakfast tickets that were issued and signed off as you collected your plate I gathered that you could not go back for seconds, as is usual at a buffet.

Let me hasten to add that the variety of the food was excellent and abundant and under normal circumstances seconds would not be needed but a buffet is advertised and usually you can go back for more.

Just look at this; there were two slices of French Toast buried under that scrambled egg! A really great breakfast washed down with a couple of cold Castles.

The view from the deck outside the restaurant is difficult to beat and we stood around for a while finishing our beers before the ride home. That breakfast was a bargain for R60, I didn't want to go back for more after finishing what I had piled on my plate, maybe that's the way it works.

A good fast ride back along the R27 found us all at the Phoenix bar for last drinks, what a sad time!

Frank and I have to find ourselves another place to play pool on a Friday afternoon but hopefully the Phoenix can again rise from the ashes!

Meeulanders Mcc dart run

2011-11-08T05:54:00.000-08:00

The very active Meeulanders Motorcycle Club recently held their annual "Dart Run" in the local area, the bunch rides around to different venues where each person throws one dart at a board and at the end of the run, usually at a hotel, the results are tallied and the winner gets a prize. Much the same as a Poker run, it usually ends up as a party at the end venue and everyone sleeps over. We unfortunately were not able to take part as we had other commitments but from stories I have heard and photos I have recently received, it was a party of note!

This very festive looking place is at the "Wielhuis" (Wheelhouse) pub in Velddrif, one of the darts was thrown during this visit as well as at places such as the hotel in Hopefield and also at "Vlakvarkgat" which is a very difficult word to interpret, let alone to say! It means something like; Bushpig or Warthog hole, and is a restaurant/pub on the R27 between Langebaan and Saldanha.

The ride culminated at the Saint Helena Bay hotel where the last dart was thrown, the results tallied and the party raged and as usual my old riding buddy Frank was the last man standing!

This (not unusual) sight greeted the people in the foyer of the hotel as they came down for breakfast the next morning. Apparently the hotel manager became anxious that other people arriving might be put off by the sight so Monica woke Frank up to get some breakfast.

It's a pity that I wasn't there because I could have told the manager what the magic words are, when you want to get rid of Frank it's no good being polite, you have to say to him; "Frank, fuck off now." and he does. Frank always pays for one of the rooms but seldom uses it, more often than not he is found in the same type of uncomfortable sleeping arrangement.

It seems like it was a good party, though on a sad note Shawn of the "Kreefsmokkelars" broke his leg in an accident during the ride on Saturday, we all wish him a speedy recovery and back on the road soon.

The Day of the Dead

2011-11-07T07:43:00.000-08:00

Saturday dawned cold and gray, heavy water-logged clouds threatened to ruin our ride down to Capetown. The weather site forecast a thirty percent chance of only 3mm of rain, that's a seventy percent chance of no rain to me and as it got later in the morning it did look a bit better, we were to meet at the Phoenix bar at 10h30 and as I saddled up and got the big red maching rolling I was feeling more confident, what the hell if you're a biker you ride in crap sometimes!

"The Day of the Dead", a somewhat ominous sounding funday was being held at the Killarney race track to raise funds for the families of fallen brothers, such a worthy cause induced several of the west coast bikers to attend, I was first to arrive at the gathering point as usual.

I didn't have to wait long for my riding buddy Frank to arrive on his FJR, but still the bar was not open!

About 09h45 Danny arrived on his broken GSXR, you can see the broken left side fairing, he hit a buck on his way home after closing the bar late at night and it smashed the fairing, he was very lucky not to have gone down. He hitched a ride down to Capetown on Frank's bike, he can only do local rides until he replaces the fairing.

Danny opened the bar and we waited for the other riders to gather, it wasn't long (time enough for only one beer) before we were ready to go.

Seven of us on five bikes left just after 11h00 for the ride down the R27, it was cold when we left but the weather improved, Capetown had it's rain earlier and as we headed south we could see a large area of blue sky opening up ahead. By the time we pulled into the parking area outisde the Viper Lounge it was a lovely day if still a bit cool.

The Viper Lounge was bustling, it seemed that many bikers had the same idea as us and we wandered in to get a beer and greet friends and brothers. We had a breakfast to oil our stomachs for the afternoon that lay ahead and gradually by 14h00 the bikers started heading over to the race track.

As we were leaving this really nice Suzuki Bandit 1200S caught my eye, it was obviously lovingly looked after with lots of chrome and polished stainless steel, maybe I just have a thing for red motorbikes?

Over at the Western Province Motor Clubhouse the jol was already on the go and there were many familiar people that we regularly see at these type of events and at local rallies, it was like walking into a room full of old friends.

The banners of the four clubs sponsoring the event were proudly displayed and the party raged through the afternoon, there was a live band alternated by a disco blaring out rock classics and the number of revellers swelled as the afternoon progressed.

That's one of our local brothers, Alex Vermeulen enjoying himself and other west coast brothers arrived throughout the afternoon;

Frank bending the ears of "Van" and his lovely lady Isla.

We briefly sought refuge in Dalton's caravan restaurant where we found Daan and Beverley already enjoying his fare, Dalton's is a favourite place at the rallies and is often a gathering place where conversation and general partying last well into the night.
Not for me this time though, I had a long ride home and even as I left after a very enjoyable afternoon there were many more bikers arriving. I hope that the fundraiser was a success, it certainly was in terms of enjoyment.
I had a lovely fast ride home with a slight wind behind me and cars moving over ahead of me, what could be better? A breakfast run with the Meeulanders Motorcycle Club the next day was something to look farward to, I just love the biker lifestyle!

Swiss Deli and Bistro again and another Sunday pot

2011-11-03T14:50:00.000-07:00

Our friends Rene' and Bronwyn joined us for the weekend and as the weather was good we decided to go back out to the Swiss Deli and Bistro in Saint Helena Bay for lunch. The owner Daniel had been generous enough to sponsor a meal for two to the value of R250 as one of the prizes on our recent Polar Bear run so we would only have to pay for two of the meals - bargain!

The last time we were there it was mid summer and the place was sweltering in the mid 40's, this time it was a lot more comfortable. After browsing the menu for a while we selected our starters;

I went for the mussels in a creamy wine sauce, in spite of the fact that I work on a mussel farm and can have mussels whenever I want I like to taste how other people prepare them and Daniel's dish was a winner! First of all it was a generous portion, I think there were eight mussels and the sauce was delicious, I had no trouble polishing the whole lot off.

Bronx went for the fried calamari strips which she declared were tender and succulent, both Janet and Rene' had chicken livers peri peri which were delicious and too much to eat as a starter, they could have been a main meal!

My main course was pork schnitzel with speatzle (spelling?), it was delicious with little dumplings and I had no trouble finishing the whole lot.

Rene' had kessler chops with potatoes which he thoroughly enjoyed.

Bronx enjoyed her schnitzel with roesti (and again I apologise if the spelling is wrong, I should have copied the menu.)

The food is great, it is rich and the portions are generous. I would recommend this restaurant to anyone, however they are unlicensed and they do not take credit cards - they take cash or cheques! Hands up anyone who writes cheques these days! Our bill came to R495 without the gratuity, that's about R125 per person for an excellent starter and a main course, good value in my book - give Daniel a call on 0767985182 and tell him I sent you.
Sunday dawned bright and warm, just perfect for a lamb potjie! I know that I have written about lamb potjies before, but please stay with me on this, they are all different.

If you have been reading my stuff you'll know that I like to line up my ingredients; choice lamb, yellow peppers, chopped onions, white onion soup powder and tomato paste, fresh herbs (or 'erbs as my American friends say, how do you pronounce "Herb Alpert" the old musician; "Howsit Erb?") but I digress, four green chilies (chillis/chilis/chillees) chopped, one tin of butter beans, chopped butternut squash, potatoes and button mushrooms.

In the trusty old three legged pot first brown the meat in a little bit of cooking oil stirring constantly, when it is nicely browned remove and set aside.

What you are left with now is the oil and some lovely juices from the meat, chuck in the chopped onions, peppers and garlic and fry them until they are soft and translucent and then throw the meat back in and give the whole lot a good stir.

It is at this point that I usually add my stock and with this pot I made it with the "Thick white onion soup powder" and the tomato paste stirred into a good cup of dry red wine, I also added a cone of salt, a good "grind" of pepper and my 'erbs and spices.

This is the time when the potatoes, butternut and butter beans go in, pour in half a Castle Lager (drink the other half), put the lid on the pot and leave it to simmer for an hour, the mushrooms go in right at the end after you have checked to see if the meat is cooked.

Janet made a lovely sweetcorn souffle' and we served it up with ciabatta, exploding tomatoes and black olives, what a lovely meal.

Our friends enjoyed it, or at least they said that they did!
Friday afternoon I am playing pool at the Phoenix bar again and then Saturday Frank and I head south for the "Day of the dead" dayjol at the Killarney racetrack so I will let you know how that turns out, in the meantime stay on two wheels.

Rock and Roll in Capetown and lunch in Velddrif

2011-10-26T07:44:00.000-07:00

On Saturday evening we were at a Rock and Roll party at the Hout Bay Yacht Club, something to do with the opening of the sailing season and what a good party it was! The band was excellent, the booze was cheap and the food was good and sometime in the early hours of the next morning we were back at the house where Rob and I finished off the last of Dick's good whiskey. It had been a party of note and I'm not quite sure what time it was when I eventually fell into bed.

We were not in any huge hurry to get on the road the next morning so we were able to take it easy, even so I needed a pit stop on the way. Our destination for lunch was Des' shop; "Ek en Djy Visserye" at No 1 Bokkom Boulevard on the banks of the Berg River, some 160kms away.

It was a lovely ride, there was quite a strong wind out of the north but that was the way we were heading so it didn't bother us too much, I stayed at 140kmh just slowing down to the speed limit at the lay byes where we expect the speed traps but I didn't see any at all, must have been a rest day.

The big red machine comfortably ate up the distance and it was just after 12pm that we cruised down the dirt road along the Berg River towards Des' quaint little shop.

Next to the shop is Marina's River studio where her art is on display and for sale, lots of interesting things to see;

We have been there many times and the last time this was "Lady Gaga", this time it was his ex Mother in law holding out the "bokkoms", dried harders (mullet) a West Coast delicacy.
Leon and Christine who used to have the "Seafood Shack" restaurant in Velddrif are now doing lunches on weekends at Bokkom Boulevard, we had enjoyed their restaurant and I wrote about it some time ago, so I was keen to see what they were doing;

Looks good for R40 (You do the math.) We ordered two beers and two lunches and sat down to have a chat with our friends.

It really is an idyllic location and Des and Marina are very friendly people, bikers too so they love having other bikers come by.

There is also the option of a cruise up the Berg river with Dan who operates from the jetty right in front of the shop, it was very relaxing sitting there watching the boats cruising past and whilst we waited for our food Des showed me his new clothing range, so far only tee shirts but with Des you never know! This is bound to catch on;

Inside Des' shop there is an eclectic mix of things to buy, things to make you laugh and things to ponder over. His cash register has a bell on the side in case customers want him to ring something up;

Whenever we go to No.1 Bokkom Boulevard there is always something new to see, it wasn't long before our lunch was ready, a simple but deliciously satisfying meal;

Clockwise from the left; a lovely creamy Feta cheese with olives, sweet and sour mussels, potato and lettuce salad, smoked Snoek nuggets with a seafood sauce and home baked bread. I really enjoyed the meal, perhaps the ambience had something to do with it, apparently Leon and Christine do different meals each time and I am keen to go back for their seafood pot sometime.

Soon it was time to get our ducks in a row and move on. (Sorry!) Seriously though, you Western Cape people should visit sometime, turn right at the major four way stop after the bridge over the Berg river as if heading to Piketburg and after about one kilometre or so look out for the sign "Bokkom Bedryf" on the right, go right down to the dirt road which goes left along the riverbank, a good easy to ride road and you'll soon come up to Ek en Djy Visserye, and as I said Des loves having motorbikes parked outside the place - tell him I sent you.

R.I.P. Marco Simoncelli

2011-10-23T20:32:00.000-07:00

A sad day for MotoGP in particular and for the biking world in general, Marco Simoncelli succumbed to his injuries sustained in a crash in lap two of the race on Sunday, rest in peace brother.

We wuz robbed!

2011-10-12T07:53:00.000-07:00

What do Bryce Lawrence and the Dalai Lama have in common?
Neither of them can get a visa to visit South Africa!

Bloody Aussies - bloody Ref. - bloody disallowed (because-of-a-supposed-forward-pass) try - bloody Aussies - bloody hell!

Ok now I 've got that little rant off my chest I can continue;

We stayed over at Linda's house on Saturday night, we were invited to her Springbok breakfast for the game on Sunday morning but we managed to have quite a bit of a piss-up that night anyway!

We were up bright and early Sunday morning helping to get things ready and eagerly anticipating the game, which we were all sure that we would win.

Linda always goes to great lengths to ensure that her guests have a great time and with Janet and Patsi's help she put on a wonderful breakfast spread.

There were even little South African flags on the hors d'ouvres and there was a hot breakfast for after the game.

Springbok rugby fans just before the game started; Don, Trish, Patsi, Linda, Sharon and Brian but they didn't look this happy when they sat down to breakfast a bit later!

This rather clever email came through my inbox, not to make light of the American 9-11 tragedy, somebody caught onto the 9-11 score and made a comparison.

We enjoyed a hearty breakfast with our friends and then got out on the road, it was again a lovely sunny day and I was keen to get going. Even though the R27 West Coast road is very familiar and very boring we had a lovely cruise in the mid morning sun and got home just after 11h00.

I dropped Janet off at home and then went around to the Sports Club where I knew that the local bike club the "Meeulanders" were handing the proceeds of their food tin collection to the local Round Table.

A couple of weeks ago the Meeulanders spread out and spent hours outside local supermarkets persuading members of the public to donate tins of food for needy people, the result of their efforts was an amazing 1,2 tons of tinned food collected!

An incredible effort by a relatively small bunch of dedicated bikers, I've said it before and I'll say it again; bikers are good folk.

Here Div, left, the President of the Meeulanders MCC hands a tin, representing the 1,2ton load over to the President of the local Round Table, well done guys.

Here are the members who were there on Sunday, I'm not sure if this is all of them, probably not but it is the largest and the oldest motorcycle club in the area having been formed some twelve or thirteen years ago. I know them well and ride with them often, a great bunch of people and long may they continue to thrive and prosper.

Ink and Iron show 2011

2011-10-10T09:26:00.000-07:00

Janet and I met up with Frank at the Engen One Stop on the R27 and after a cup of Wimpy's famous coffee we hit the road bound for Capetown and the second annual Ink and Iron show. By the time we left, just after 09h00 it was alread feeling very warm, promising to be a hot and windless day. What a day to be out on the bikes! The ride down to Capetown was fast and very enjoyable and after dropping Janet off at Linda's house, (they had their own plans for the day) Frank and I headed off through the Saturday traffic to Timor Hall in Plumstead.

I know the venue very well having been there many times, but it was immediately evident that this was a much better venue for this show because of the large rolling lawn areas and the abundance of massive shade trees. Our first priority was to get a cold beer in hand, after that we could concentrate on the displays.

Obviously cars are also "iron" and there were some very interesting classic and custom cars on display, including some very nice American muscle, lovely stuff.

There's a new magazine on the market guys, this sweet young thing was one of several beauties who were promoting "Garage magazine", it's a high quality glossy mag with great photos and interesting articles of particular interest to us petrolheads, I have since had a chance to peruse it and it's a good one.

Every available interior space was taken up by tattoo artists, including some space on the veranda and there were many people subjecting themselves to the pain! This young lady was having a large tattoo done on her side, she was quite relaxed about it though.

This young lady looks very familiar, is she not the one who featured in last year's blog post? I'll have to compare photos, she also seemed oblivious to the pain. You will no doubt have guessed that I have not yet plucked up the courage to have my first tat done.

There was plenty of eye candy in the form of beautiful motorbikes to look at, drool over and comment on such as these two lovely Ducatis.

We liked this very interesting low-slung custom job and there was also this very sweet Kawasaki Ninja which was obviously a class winner;

It was plain to see that a great deal of tender loving care (and money) had gone into the preparation of this lovely looking bike. Also there was this amazing Honda Rune 1800 belonging to a brother we see at many local rallies;

When I commented on the huge amount of chrome that had to be polished he willingly admitted that he didn't have to do that, a member of his staff kept it clean for him. Nice one.

An amazing looking machine based on the 1800 Goldwing and Valkyrie engine.

By then it was time for a snack, there were plenty of food stalls and all seemed to be doing a roaring trade, this lady sold delicious boerewors rolls with lashings of fried onions which went down very well.

It's a great place for "people watching" and we were able to witness a biker wedding that took place in the afternoon;

Amid much cheering and celebration these two people were married infront of their brothers and sisters.

The happy couple head inside to sign the register and to have their wedding rings tattooed onto their fingers, we wish them a long and happy life together.
After spending a bit more time wandering around we decided that it was time to leave, Frank had to ride back to Vredenburg, I was staying in Capetown for the night.

It definitely seemed that there were more people than last year, there were certainly a lot of motorbikes in the parking area and the show was better organised this time. I hope that it continues to be a part of the Western Cape biking calendar, who knows, maybe I'll get my tattoo done next year?