Good Wine, Great Food, Fabulous Company
Friends of Ingrid’s have arrived at Gecko Creek to spend the weekend with us, as has John’s girlfrend Monica who lives in Cape Town. Such warm and wonderful people and such fun! After a lovely afternoon getting acquainted in the lappa, the men began to prepare supper. (Yes! That’s right ladies. We are insanely spoiled by not one but two amazing men here!)
Rhino, originally from Germany but now living here, is a tour guide who takes groups out to explore the wilds of Africa. If any of you are contemplating a visit here let me know and I will put you in touch with him. I have no doubt a tour with him would be an experience to remember. And … he is also a gourmet cook!
Katja is Rhino’s wife. She is also German and met Rhino while taking one of his tours with him. They are newly married and she has recently relocated from Germany to South Africa. She is charming and beautiful and warm and I so much enjoy speaking with her about the challenges of familiarizing oneself to a new place. She is delightful.
John is a Scot, staying here at Gecko for six months to help out and is himself very accomplished in the kitchen. His exploits in the kitchen are surpassed only by his quick wit and zest for life. I say to him all the time that I find it hard to image him returning to the confines of civilized life in the U.K. For him, life is an endless adventure.
Monica is an absolutely stunningly beautiful woman with a warmth and charm even more appealing than her beauty. She envelopes you with a radiance that makes you instantly at ease and her fun-loving nature makes her good company.
Anyway … back to dinner.
Rhino prepared an amazing Eland Steak for us on the braai (B-B-Q … but so much more) and John prepared “root vegetables” for us in potjies (small black pots cooked over the open flame), accompanied by potato salad and the spectacular Merlow-Shiraz from the Cederberg Winery. Just when you thought it couldn’t get any better, it was followed by Rhino’s amazing Semolina pudding with fresh, marinated strawberries with his secret ingredient (red peppercorns). It was an exquisite meal! And of course, the meal was made all that more enjoyable by the fabulous company.
I know I probably sound like a broken record but you cannot imagine how fabulous these people are. Without exception they have invited me into their world, shared it with me without any expectation or judgement, and have left me changed. It will be very hard to leave them but I will carry them with me always in my heart.
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Morag