A stylish market in Cape Town....the Biscuit Mill..

People from Afar, this is a fave Saturday morning destination for the locals. The Biscuit Mill Neighbourgoods Market is where you will find, quite simply, the best of everything. From fresh food & flowers to bottled amazingness, sweet treats, organic this & that, French crepes, fresh fish & so on. That's the market side...on the other end you'll find the permanent stores like Espresso Lab & the Test Kitchen. Top of the league coffee & cuisine as well of course. And in the middle, between the market shops, is another open air section that sells fine wares: clothing, jewellery, crockery, bags, shirts (bluecollarwhitecollar), shoes & more. Make a date for the Mill ~ it's also open daily; the market is only open on Saturdays...

Everyone's going somewhere...

Amazing wraparound wooden watches...

Bags... (Check out Dark Horse & Wolf & Maiden)

Beaded wonders...

 

EVERY SATURDAY RAIN OR SHINE 9H00 - 14H00 | THE OLD BISCUIT MILL - 373 ALBERT ROAD | WOODSTOCK CAPE TOWN SOUTH AFRICA | WWW.NEIGHBOURGOODSMARKET.CO.ZA

 

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A face to watch...

Remember this face ...he is going places....actor, model...son number 1....

 

 

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Sushi & Prawns....always a winner...

Dinner at Live Bait in Kalk Bay was a fishy affair. The restaurant sits directly underneath Harbour House & so shares a stunning setting that overlooks the bay on the one side & part of the working Harbour on the other. When we arrived it was almost dark so we could still see the wild waves crashing against the side of the building...nothing like a bit marine drama with your dinner. Here are a few foodie pics to whet your appetite...

End off with a trio of sorbet on pineapple carpaccio...

Live Bait is open Monday through Sunday for lunch & dinner. 0217885755. www.harbourhouse.co.za

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Spanish tapas...in Cape Town..the real deal...

I had lunch yesterday at La Parada, the newest addition to the Harbour House Group, purveyors of fab cuisine as you may or may not know. La Parada is on the main road in Kalk Bay. Yes, I know those road works have been going on forever & are a real pain in the ass but think of it this way- after that long wait in the horrid traffic at that annoying Stop-Go, you get to indulge in authentic Spanish tapas, good coffee (Tribe) or maybe a glass of vino. Seriously, this tapas offering is the real deal. Chef Eva de Jesús Galán is from Spain and recently moved to the Mother City. She was trained in Seville and is the shizz when it comes to this cuisine. I have too many fave dishes to mention but what I always do is end off with a fabulous creamy rice pudding, arroz con lache. Take a drive out of the CBD & indulge...& say Hola to Eva...she will give you a warm Espanol welcome*

Moutadito solomillo mojo picon – tender Spicy Steak....

Ensaladilla – Prawn Salad...

Tortilla Espanola – Spanish Omelette...

Arroz Con Lache, creamy rice pudding...

Important to note that La Parada doesn't take reservations...the restaurant is open from 12pm daily & has a full bar service. 0217883992. Next door to the Olympia Cafe. Bon appetit or as they say in Spain, on the plain, ¡Buen provecho !

 

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Coffee please....the best in Cape Town...

I'm at that amaze coffee spot, Espressolab Microroasters in the Biscuit Mill, Salt River. People from Afar & those closer by, in case you're out the c-bean loop, this is THE place for the BEST coffee in the Mother City. E Lab is a specialty roastery whose mission it is to..well, let them say it themselves, as per their website copy.... "Our quest is to find optimal ways in enjoying coffee, from sourcing small lots of freshly harvested coffee, to finding the optimal roasting profiles that will reflect the terroir and origin of the coffee, showcasing complexity in flavour and a balance between sweetness and acidity". Stop by but be warned, you'll never be able to drink any other coffee again. I mean that.

Come inside...

 

 

 

 

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Remembering chairs I spied in Bangkok...

If you're going to sit down, let it be on a lovely chair. I'm still thinking about all those I saw in Bangkok...I have been back in Cape Town a week & am having BK throwbacks daily....let me sit down & ponder on these chairs pics shall I.....

Talad Rot Fai...that über vintage night market I LOVE so much...retro fabulosity...

A bench at the Jim Thompson House

Somewhere near Khao San Road...

Sofa bar in Ekkamai...

 

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Style, Design, Innovation ~ & my fave mall in Bangkok...

As @lateralpaul says, 'fashion is expensive, style is free'. I saw plenty of fashion in Bangkok, high end brands draping well- heeled women, displaying the latest in international looks etc. Nothing new there & not much to excite or delight me. What did get me going, as I mentioned in a previous post, was the chiffon, silks & voile...the soft fabrics that so many women & girls in Bangkok have embraced. An exquisite, feminine look & a refreshing trend that inspired me to buy my own collection of vintage shirts at the exceptional Talad Rod Fai night market, the coolest night market in Bangkok. I have to say here that the gents of Bangkok need to up their game - seems stylish men are as rare as hens teeth. The gals have flair, the boys must catch up.

On the clothing & store design front, there is no better place to spy style & innovation & succomb to retail temptation than at the Siam Centre next to the Siam Paragon behemoth, in Siam natch. Store interiors, window displays, shop layouts, shelving, packaging, clothing rails & clothing is edgy & unique; the design on show here is phenomenal. The mall itself shows off fabulous elements in roof displays, use of space, lighting & signage that sets the centre apart from the run-of-the-mill shopping emporia that we see every day in most cities. Even the restaurants do their part & present their food beautifully. Siam Centre is an inspiring creative space. I so admired & appreciated the efforts store owners & designers put into making their products stand out ~ enticing shoppers in for a closer look in the hopes they will part with their plastic. Not at tall order for someone like moi. Next time, I'll be scooping up gorgeous items at JNBY, amongst others. Put this amaze retail space on your To Do list.

Lovely lighting in Siam Centre...

Innovation .. a dummy with a difference at Garden, FlyNow lll

Gorgeous packaging at Bi Chalai....

Swan table & chair detail..

Window displays with a difference...

Even the garnishing at Sukishi is special...

Store exterior, Dusk Till Dawn...

And if you need to pee, the fab sign will point the way...

Getting to the Siam Centre is easy via the BTS to Siam station...it's right there. Go & be enthused & inspired ...

 

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Songkran! The annual water festival in Thailand...

Sawasdee pee Mai, happy new year! It's Songkran, the annual Thai water festival & we caught it in Bangkok on our last day in the city. What a total blast! Not really knowing what to expect we walked down Silom Road & what followed was mad, amazing fun! Everyone was going bananas - we got blasted by fire hoses, water guns, buckets & cups of ice water, blobs of foam, you name it...then we had our faces smeared with powder paint, a sort of blessing by Thai people who randomly paint your face as they pass you by. I really haven't had such a cool time in years...throngs of people, all happy faces...kids & big people having the time of their lives. The festival happens every year between 12 & 15 April. If you want to celebrate it, be prepared to get drenched...I mean soaking wet people! No-one is exempt! Don't take a handbag as it will get soaked; just buy one of those waterproof neck cases on the street (about 40 Baht) to protect your phone & to hold some cash. And go armed with your own water weapon so you can join in the crazy fun!

On the way there...powder paint on a car...

Scenes down Silom Road....happy faces ..

Oscar...

 

Before the real soaking started...

 

 

Me, Paul & our sons Luke & Oscar...our last day in Bangkok....the perfect grand finale..

Luke, armed & dangerous...

And after the soaking began....FUN!!!!!

 

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A oasis in the middle of Bangkok...Lumphini Park

Lumphini Park is a tranquil space in Bangkok...a huge, beautiful park spanning about 142 acres. It's Bangkok's version of Central Park & offers locals & tourists the same: the perfect place to go to get away from the organised chaos of the city. The park dates back to the 1920's & has become the place for locals to go before & after work to exercise, walk or just to connect with nature. We went for a ride on the lake in one of those fabulously kitsch pedal swan boats - such fun! There is interesting wildlife as well...monitor lizards roam the grounds, as well as stray cats and lots of birds - too many crows for my liking though- I hate that squawking noise they make all the time...disturbs the peace. Don't forget to spend some down time in this stunning park....

Take a ride in a swan boat on the lake...

 

Part of the Bangkok skyline, seen from the lake ..

Me doing a Swan Lake pose, for obvious reasons... :)

 

A monitor lizard in Lumphini Park...there are many walking around...don't try feed them!

The park is open from 04:30 until 21:00 daily, no charge to go in. Take the BTS to SalaDaeng and cross to the other side of the road using the overhead walkway as the street intersection is crazy & quite dangerous.

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