Going to Zermatt, Switzerland

Posted on April 30, 2024 by Helga

Tuesday

Dear Elsie

It is the strangest thing that we arrived in Italy on Friday and today is only Tuesday. It feels we have been here for much longer than the 4 nights we have slept under Italian sky. We have sucked the marrow out of each day. Today we woke early and after final preparations, we headed to Arona station to begin our long trip to Zermatt, Switzerland. I accidentally booked the ‘slow’ train from Arona to Domodossola, but convinced Mike we were getting more for our money! We changed at Domodossola to get on the next train to Brig. After arriving in Brig, we changed to a different platform and got on the train to Zermatt. Brig is in Switzerland so this is a Swiss train and I have full internet access thanks to Free Matterhorn Railway! In fact I’m starting this entry on the way to Zermatt so you are getting the blow by blow account of our journey.  This is leaving Brig.

The Swiss train is clean & I just love that you can’t miss where you are going, when you will arrive and after which station your destination will be. There is no ambiguity here…

Definitely on the right train. Now, I’m going to pack my laptop away, sit back and enjoy the ride.

No internet on the train home, so here’s a summary of what happened next.

Today’s excursion into Switzerland was all for Mike. In late 2022, we had booked for all three of us (Julian, Mike and I) to go to St Moritz on the famous Bernina Express. Our time in Italy was dominated by Mike’s encounter with Covid. Because he had tested positive, he didn’t join us as he felt there was a good chance he could pass it on. Julian and I went alone. That was 11th November 2022 and I wrote about it here.…

Today, was all for Mike. I was just too happy to join him. It was certainly a day to remember.

We arrived in Zermatt and the first thing we did was get tickets for the Cogwheel Train to take us up to Gornergrat…. this is what the train looks like.

This is why it’s called a Cogwheel train. It rides on this rail…

On the train this was our first glimpse of the Matterhorn..

The cloud drifted over the top of the mountain, but at times we could see its peak.

There were plenty of photo opportunities. There literally was 360 degree views of the Swiss Alps

  

Little video I took…

Certainly it’s one of the highlights of my life. We got back down to Zermatt and decided to walk up the Main rd. No visitor cars are allowed. There are delivery and hotel vehicles which are all electric.  

By 3.15pm, we were on the train for our return trip. This was when things went a little wonky! The trip involved 3 parts to get home – we were returning the way we came- Zermatt to Brig, Brig to Domodossola and Domodossola to Arona. We only had 7 minutes to get off the train at Brig, cross to the main line platform and get on the train to Domodossola.  Swiss efficiency was guaranteed. We would easily make it. Only on this occasion the Swiss train from Zermatt to Brig ran 5 minutes late! We only had 2 minutes. The train conductor led us to the very front of the train and told us our platform was number 7. As soon as the train stopped, we leapt off it and galloped down the platform, across the concourse, into the main station, down the corridor and up the steps to platform 7. We were on the train with 1 minute to spare. I was shattered! Just look at the circuitous route we had to travel. 3.5 hours each way.

But we did it. We arrived back in Arona almost 12 hours after leaving this morning. We will sleep well tonight. We are so grateful for the opportunity and a safe return.

Today I started my favourite book of the Bible. The Gospel of John. Verses that meant so much to me when I became a Christian…an understanding dawned with these…

John 1:11-13
11 He came to that which was His own, but His own did not receive him. 12 Yet to all who did receive Him, to those who believed in His name, He gave the right to become children of God— 13 children born not of natural descent, nor of human decision or a husband’s will, but born of God.

It’s not about now – we are only passing through.

Keep the smile going.

God bless you.

In His Grip,

Gran xx 🙂

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Stresa and Isola Bella

Posted on April 29, 2024 by Helga

Monday

Dear Elsie

Today the sun shone, so we were quickly out and about to enjoy the pleasure of some Italian spring. We took a ferry from Arona to a town 16km further along the lake, called Stresa. It’s always a treat going on a ferry. It was our first time on Lake Maggiore. Leaving Arona afforded us the opportunity of seeing the little town from the water. Notice the trees lining the water front – these are Plain trees and are a feature all over these parts. It looks like they prune them way back for winter and when spring comes, their foliage returns in abundance.

The outline of Arona with the castle on the right.

And a glimpse of the huge San Carlo statue

Turning our attention to where we were headed, we were struck by the beauty of the snow covered Swiss Alps…  

Teddy enjoyed the trip.

We soon arrived with another boat load of tourists…

Arriving in Stresa, we were in need of a cappuccino. I went to the first little kiosk and ordered two, without asking the price. They were 3 euros each! Ouch. But it was really good coffee. We strolled the quiet streets (not many businesses were open as it was still quite early). We then encountered a cafe a couple of blocks in and there on the sign was Cappuccino 1.50! Mike couldn’t help himself and even though I hadn’t finished my 3 euro cup, I was duly handed the 1.50 option. We soon understood the 3 euro coffee was a double shot and the 1.50 wasn’t. By the time I had gently let the final sip slip smoothly down my throat, I was buzzing! We enthusiastically wondered up quaint pathways admiring the greenery & different architecture.

Twas then time to join the queues of tourists who had lined up to go to one of the tiny islands that are very close to Stresa. We had decided to go to Isola Bella, a short 10 minute ferry ride away.

The main feature of Isola Bella is this place…

The island is tiny- originally inhabited by fishermen, it had 2 small churches and vegetables were grown. That was until 1630. Then a massive project was undertaken by one Vitaliano VI who is considered the founder of Isola Bella. This majestic palace was built over a few hundred years, right up to 1948. It’s known as the Borromeo Palace and is a sight to behold. However, the interest in it is overwhelming and hundreds of tourists flock from all corners of Italy & the world to pay the 22 Euro entry fee to admire the artwork and ornate detail within its walls. If the queue had not been 150 strong, we may have considered the honour of the visit, but we chose rather to enjoy the quaint passages that zig zag through the front buildings.

Pruned Plain trees coming to life…

Clearly no crime on the island – key left of the outside of the door.

From the northern plaza, this is the view.

The building in the middle is on the neighbouring island which is also on the lake route for tourists who want see all three islands. The little patch of greenery in front of the island is inhabited by two beautiful swans which were only visible through my binocs.

From the water, leaving the island, we got another peak at the gargoyles and statues that make up the majestic terraced and landscaped gardens of Borromeo Palace…

Back to Stresa we wandered the streets for another little while before our bus was due to arrive. We got to the bus stop in good time and then the wait began. The bus was at least half an hour late, but it eventually came and off we went, trundling along the lake side enjoying the scenery until we arrived home. A satisfying day of sight-seeing.

Later in the afternoon we walked to the big Carrefour which is just under 2km away. Shopping done, we spent a quiet evening enjoying round two of the pasta dish I made last night. This evening’s was better!

We are gearing up for Zermatt tomorrow! I hope all goes well. The weather looks great!

I can’t let the day end without mentioning Mike’s sister Monica who should have been celebrating her 76th birthday on earth today. This time last year, I would never have imagined that this birthday she would be celebrating in eternity. She was so ready. I’m sure she’s rejoicing.

Psalm 100 is described as one for giving grateful praise.
Shout for joy to the Lord, all the earth.

It’s not about now – we are only passing through.

Keep the smile going.

God bless you.

In His Grip,

Gran xx :)ma

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Shopping Where the Locals Shop

Posted on April 28, 2024 by Helga

Sunday

Dear Elsie

Today was the day I got over my shyness and went confidently into an all-Italian, no-English speaking coffee shop and boldly asked for 2 cappuccino and 2 croissants. I didn’t even ask the price. It had been pouring with rain overnight and continued this morning, so my strategy was to go to the closest cafe with a cappuccino machine. After a 2 minute walk, dodging puddles, gripping tightly to my blue umbrella, we shook off the drops and opened the door. Clearly a popular stopping point for young and old, we followed suit and dropped out umbrellas onto the floor by the door. A few minutes later, we were seated with the breakfast treat before us.

I debated in my mind what the price would be for 2 cappuccino and 2 croissant –  10 Euro, 12 Euro? We would pay whatever it cost. Imagine my surprise when I went to tap the machine and this was spewed out…

Cafe de Lago, you rock – it doesn’t give a breakdown and the chocolate croissant may be have been more expensive than the plain, but it was a good price either way. Apart from the concern of daily croissants not being part of a healthy balanced diet, we will return – just not every day! Later in the day we passed a larger restaurant with similar prices, so we may try that out too.

It was then onto Carrefour where we perused the aisles looking for the ‘special’ signs and comparing what we were buying with what the sign said. Desperate for veggies, I found a few for dinner tonight.

The cost…

With the rainfall, we spent a few hours in the apartment before mid afternoon, the rain  stopped & we took a long walk along the lake front.

We passed the creeper house….if this was South Africa, I don’t know how many spiders, snakes and other creepy crawlies would be in that foliage…

Quite a sight. We also passed the yacht club… 

And many more yachts dotted across the shores of Lake Maggiore..

We walked on to the next town where we found a fruit and veg stall. We bought some fruit and returned home. Reentering Arona…

Arona seems to be below a well flown flight path. We often hear planes flying overhead. There has been so much cloud we haven’t seen many, but I opened Flight Radar to have a look. I decided to take a screenshot so you can see where we are in relation to Milan. When we came in November 2022, we were at Varenna, just north of Lecco which is on Lake Como. Varenna was at about the tail of the small plane above Lecco.

Our plan for the next couple of days is decided. Tomorrow we hope to take a ferry across the lake to the castle and maybe a little further to a very popular town of Stresa. Tuesday, we have booked train tickets to Zermatt which will be a long awaited trip for Mike to  (hopefully) see the Alps. He would love to see the Matterhorn but the weather isn’t really favourable. Maybe it will clear but just the train trip on its own will be worth it.

Another wonderful day in Italy. I am grateful for good health and tonight, a home cooked meal!

Psalm 99:5
Exalt the Lord our God and worship at His footstool;

It’s not about now – we are only passing through.

Keep the smile going.

God bless you.

In His Grip,

Gran xx 🙂

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Trolley-Car, Castle, Ginormous Statue and a Park Walk

Posted on April 27, 2024 by Helga

Saturday

Dear Elsie

Today was the first full day in Arona and we made good use of it. We had two main things to do today. One was to get to TIM which is the cell phone shop to buy a SIM card and the other was to go on the trolley car. This, we were told, does a 40 minute loop of Arona. Seeing as rain was forecast, jumping on what they describe as a ‘tourist train’ sounded like a good idea. You could also hop on and hop off. For 10 Euro we were in.

At 10am, off we went. We didn’t know where it was going to take us. We thought it would drive around the streets of Arona, so imagine our surprise when we ended up at a the local Castle – which is now a ruin with an exceedingly majestic view of Arona and Lake Maggiore. No entry fee. The 10Euro was already worth it. There were beautiful views from every angle…

Mike admiring an ancient arch at the entrance…

This is the house at the castle which is now a restaurant…notice the door to nowhere.

These are the main ruins of Arona Castle. It’s full name is Rocca Borromeo di Arona

There is this famous resident of Arona named St Charles or San Carlo. He was born at this castle.

And because he was such a popular saint, they built a ginormous statue in his honour. Unbeknown to us, this would be the next stop. The trolley car had dropped us at Arona Castle and after an hour, it arrived to collect us…

And off we went to the next stop…

Which was the ginormous statue of St Charles. Look at the people standing on the terrace at his feet. That gives you an idea of his size…

Apparently the statue took 80 years to complete. We didn’t stay long here. We took photos and hopped back on the car because the rain was coming.

With rain steadily falling, we arrived back at the waterfront, got off the car and put up our umbrellas. Then it was off to TIM where an Italian SIM card was finally purchased for 30Euro. It can be used outside of Italy which is helpful – not in SA mind you, but in Europe, including Denmark and Norway.

We came home and hade a restful afternoon. A lovely chinwag with Stacey and then we were up for the next activity. It was very overcast with light rain when we took to the streets.

We needed to walk for our supper, so off we went to what is known as Lagoni Natural Park. It’s a couple of kilometers away and then the walking around is endless. On the way up, we stopped by a church to take a pic…

It was significant because we can just see this steeple from our balcony.

The walk became more picturesque the further we went…

Rural Arona living…

Beautiful wonderland…

We encountered some donkeys and Shetland ponies…. they looked a bit bedraggled in the rain, but were well fed.

A round walk of 6.83km and we were home! Considering the weather forecast for today, we did well. It wasn’t as bad as it looked but I don’t think the donkeys agree!

Tomorrow is another day! Good night!

Psalm 97:1
The Lord reigns, let the earth be glad; let the distant shores rejoice.

It’s not about now – we are only passing through.

Keep the smile going.

God bless you.

In His Grip,

Gran xx 🙂

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Flying Ethiopian Airlines & Arriving in Italy

Posted on April 26, 2024 by Helga

Friday 

Dear Elsie

Today was the day we arrived safely in Italy and, after leaving home at 11.30am yesterday morning, we arrived at our holiday apartment just after 9.30am today! It’s probably the quickest we’ve ever got to Italy & it was mainly due to flying Ethiopian Airlines. The trip itself was pretty good. The plane from Cape Town to Addis was a Dreamliner, modern, very spacious and comfortable. We risked booking split seats, selecting a window and aisle and it worked out that the middle seat remained free all the way through. That made a big difference.

Everyone had told us the airport at Addis is a ‘dive’.  We had heard there were 7 gates, so we weren’t sure it was very big. Ethiopian airlines have a 146 planes, so they are flying all over the place. We only had an hour and a half to get off the plane & get to the next gate. Our flight took off almost half an hour late, so we were going to arrive late which we did. But still, I thought we would be fine. We were soon to learn why Addis airport is considered less than optimal.

Because they only have 7 gates with air-bridges, they depend heavily on buses to transport passengers to and from the terminal. After landing, we taxied for about 15 minutes. Then it took an interminable age to get everyone off only to discover, we needed to go by coach to the terminus.

That took time, but the worst was still to come. After we got into the building, we were herded towards  a security point where all our luggage had to be x-rayed. There were attendants running up and down asking if people were flying to different parts of the world because their flights were about to leave. If someone was, they tried to get them into a shorter queue to get through security. But it was at this point that there was bedlam. It wasn’t just luggage and take your laptop out – it was shoes, watches, cell phones, belts, anything with metal. And people were leaving things on (mainly watches) which were then causing security to beep. They were becoming frantic because their flights were about to leave. Tempers were rising. Furious passenger were being told to calm down and all the time there was this steady stream of onward flyers undressing and dressing, unpacking and packing, sorting and looking for their stuff, setting off the security machine, returning to do it again. Chaos!  By now it was about 11.45pm and our flight was due to leave at 00.15am, but I still wasn’t too stressed. I was really sure they wouldn’t leave without us. Watching the bun fight around me, I tried to figure out WHY this was being done to in-transit passengers. What security risk were we? I couldn’t fathom it. Anyway, we finally reassembled ourselves, made sure we had everything and bulleted up the stairs where a gentleman asked where we were going. When we told him to Milan, he said our gate had changed and it was now A10. It was right there. We spent a few minutes talking to David and sending photos to the family and then it was time to go. It was the shortest layover we’ve ever had. I feel we need a t-shirt saying, “We flew via Addis”

The onward flight was in the dead of night. They did not fly direct but had to detour out over the Red Sea so as to avoid Sudan. Why, I don’t know.  Despite the lateness of the hour Ethiopian Airlines saw fit to give us dinner at about 1am. After that we tried to sleep but it was in short fitful spurts. My watch eventually told me I had slept for half an hour. We had the moon on our side and what a glorious sight it was flying over Greece. My cell phone couldn’t do it justice.

On arriving at Malpensa in Milan, the only odd thing they did and we’ve never had before is they checked our boarding passes when we left the plane. That held up the queue while people scratched for a piece of paper they had lost track of.

Here, there is no stress. The couple who own the apartment where we are staying are absolutely charming. They went out of their way to make us welcome and allowed us a very early check in. We weren’t here long when this happened.

Today was a day for recovery and getting our bearings. Tomorrow, as the rain falls, we will do some exploring or maybe we won’t. We’ll see. The temperature has been down to about 14C but came up to 17C this afternoon. Not too cold after all.

In my Bible reading today I saw something I’d never noticed before. Gideon was threshing wheat in a winepress. The Lord will meet you wherever you are.

Judges 6:11
The angel of the Lord came and sat down under the oak in Ophrah that belonged to Joash the Abiezrite, where his son Gideon was threshing wheat in a winepress to keep it from the Midianites.

It’s not about now – we are only passing through.

Keep the smile going.

God bless you.

In His Grip,

Gran xx 🙂

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At Cape Town Airport

Posted on April 25, 2024 by Helga

Thursday

Dear Elsie

Today is the day we hop on a plane and fly to Italy. We split our luggage between a roller bag and a backpack. It makes carrying it easier.

Julian dropped us at the airport and we easily checked our luggage, went through security and down the tunnel for passport control…

As we had only had one cup of coffee this morning, Mike, wasted no time ordering our second.

Then it was time for some plane watching…

Mike is watching something on his cell phone, while I’m sitting writing and have this view…

While Ethiopian Air has raised some eyebrows, one of the best reasons to fly via Addis is because it cuts down the flight time to Europe by about 4 hours – that’s if this works and everything is on time. It’s roughly 6 hours to Addis and 6 hours from Addis to Milan. Our stop in Addis is only an hour and a half. We’ll wait to see if that’s enough. For those family members who can see my location,  we are due there at 10.45pm tonight, but as they are an hour ahead it will be around 9.45pm SA time. We are due to leave for Milan at 11.15pm SA time. We are expected to arrive in Italy at 5.50am tomorrow morning – Italy is same time zone as SA, so when you wake up tomorrow morning, we should have arrived, God willing.

It’s good to be travelling again.

Psalm 94: 18-19
When I said, “My foot is slipping,” your unfailing love, Lord, supported me. When anxiety was great within me, your consolation brought me joy.

It’s not about now – we are only passing through.

Keep the smile going.

God bless you.

In His Grip,

Gran xx 🙂

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Teddy Ready

Posted on April 24, 2024 by Helga

Wednesday

Dear Elsie

Today was the day I took off so we could get fully ready for our holiday. It was such a good idea.

The day began very gloomy…fancourt slate kind of day…all grey from sea to sky.

Mid morning I had a facial and then I came home to pack and do some cleaning. The packing is just about done and I’m very happy with my luggage weight. My main check in suitcase is about 11.5kg and my backback is about 6kg. Dragging these two bags across cities will be completely do-able.

In the afternoon, I saw Teddy and thought how his clothes had faded in the sun. He needed some brightening (and warming) up if he was going to Northern Europe. I sat down on my rocking chair and started knitting.

It was only 4 stitches and was done in no time. Teddy is ready.

Teddy’s travels are about to begin.

We are very happy with today’s progress and will be ready to leave for the airport late tomorrow morning.  We are trusting all will go well.

Today is Jessica’s 29th birthday! Happy birthday Jess! The Lord bless you extravagantly in the exciting year ahead.

Psalm 92:1-2
It is good to praise the Lord and make music to your name, O Most High,
proclaiming your love in the morning and your faithfulness at night,..

It’s not about now – we are only passing through.

Keep the smile going.

God bless you.

In His Grip,

Gran xx 🙂

 

 

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Another White Night

Posted on April 23, 2024 by Helga

Tuesday

Dear Elsie

Today began in mist and this evening will be another white night as cloud descends on the town in a very autumnal manner.

Today I had a haircut. It was arranged for last Tuesday at 9am and then I got sick, so I postponed a week. I arrived at 9am and rang Tammy’s bell. She gingerly said, “hello”. I said cheerfully, “Hello! It’s Helga” She said “Okay, I’m opening”. I went up and that was when she told me our appointment was 12.30pm! I checked our whatsapps and sure enough, there it was – 12.30pm. This is what I had written in my diary.

Clearly my brain was somewhere else! Tammy is both adaptable and flexible – very easy going, so she had me sit in her lounge for 15 minutes while she finished her client’s hair and I went in next. All done.

I worked about 6 hours and then put my auto-response on and I am off-duty officially until 14th May. I can work if I want to, but there is no expectation on me.🎉

Tomorrow, I am off and Thursday we leave. Our third stop in Northern Europe is Flam where we have booked to go on a very high cable car, so hopefully the weather will be accommodating. Let’s have a look at the latest.

We’ll hope for visibility. I know that if the weather is bad, the cable car thing may be cancelled. We’ll wait to see.

Julian has arrived and dinner will soon be had.

Psalm 91:15
He will call on me, and I will answer him; I will be with him in trouble, I will deliver him and honour him.

It’s not about now – we are only passing through.

Keep the smile going.

God bless you.

In His Grip,

Gran xx 🙂

 

 

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Sunrise From Simon’s Town Rd

Posted on April 22, 2024 by Helga

Monday

Dear Elsie

Today is my second last day at work before I take a 3 week break. I got up early and did an early morning walk . I’m still coughing so not swimming, which is a shame because the weather has been so calm. I enjoyed sunrise from Simon’s Town rd. Picture perfect…

A little further on there was the Game Changer superyacht anchored off Glencairn

We have been seeing quite a lot of dolphins in the bay and the other day an Orca swam by.

The railway pilon that came down in a recent storm has now been repaired and trains are running again. It’s good to hear their distant rumble as they pass by. One day I hope to catch one from Sunny Cove to Simon’s Town.

I’m still keeping an eye on the weather. After Alesund, we arrive in Nordfjordeid – on the 8th May. No rain, but cloud is forecast. On this day we are due to go on a train trip.

This coming Friday, Mike and I will arrive in Arona and that’s where a rainy spring weekend is expected. It seems to clear from Monday through to the end of our stay so if it stays like that, it won’t be too bad.

Today I worked for 8 hours. Tomorrow I hand over to my colleagues – it will be my last day of work. I haven’t take this much leave for 7 years. When we went on our last holiday in 2022, I worked.

Last chapter of Joshua – final words are always important ones – the last instructions he gave before leaving earth…
Joshua 24:14
Now fear the Lord and serve Him with all faithfulness.

It’s not about now – we are only passing through.

Keep the smile going.

God bless you.

In His Grip,

Gran xx 🙂

 

 

 

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Exercise With A Purpose

Posted on April 21, 2024 by Helga

Sunday

Dear Elsie

Today was the day, I left home not long after 7am and drove the big car back to the garage. It was a chilly morning.

I was eager to experience 10 degrees walking home, as that’s the expected maximum in northern Europe in our upcoming holiday. I took the guinea fowl way home.

Within 2km I needed to take my jacket off. I took a little detour and went up Ravine steps to the base of Elsie’s Peak (your peak Elsie!) and up to the short path that joins Mountain Rd with Contour Way. From there, I could see the construction that has started at the base of the mountain.

The mist had started to lift and we had the promise of some sunshine.

So it turned out to be exercise with a purpose. I got the big car off the kerb and got to walk in coldish weather. I think if we go on a hike in Alesund on 7th May, we will need to get out early, but I think if the temperature is between 7 & 9, that will be not be too bad.   I don’t think it will take too long. One thing I  know for sure, we are stair fit. It’s not uncommon for me to do our stairs about 4 times a day – that’s 340 steps, so 418 should be no problem. If we have some energy afterwards, we can also walk around the town. That will take about an hour. We’ll see how my blog of 7th May stacks up with these ideas.

Meantime, this afternoon I did a little shopping and on my way home, I spotted this enormous yacht in False Bay. I was so curious as to what it was, where it came from and what it was doing there. My curiosity was fulfilled when I opened Facebook and this photo of it in False Bay was posted by Charles Booysen.

He added a link to its name, the superyacht “Gamechanger” so I googled who owned it and it came up with billionaire heiress, Karen Lo.  I don’t know if she’s in town, but her yacht is. I was hoping it would cruise a little closer to Fish Hoek so we could see it from our house, but it seemed to stay on the Glencairn side.

One of my favourite verses from Joshua, (apart from 1:9) is this one. If you ever feel wrongly judged, remember….

Joshua 22:22
The Mighty One, God, the Lord! The Mighty One, God, the Lord! He knows!

It’s not about now – we are only passing through.

Keep the smile going.

God bless you.

In His Grip,

Gran xx 🙂

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Swellendam & Back

Posted on April 20, 2024 by Helga

Saturday

Dear Elsie

Today we visited you in Swellendam! We left early in the morning when it was still dark. After the sun rose, we drove through a lot of mist.

Because it was so misty, we ended up going really slowly but as a result, the petrol consumption was very good!

We had a wonderful few hours with you. I took 30 photos of you!

And you had such a lot of fun on your hammock as well. We were there for a number of reasons, to drop some things off and to have your Mom do some sewing for Granpa. We had such a happy time but all too soon it was time to leave for home again.

We had an uneventful trip back to Cape Town. We drove via Baden Powell Drive which was quiet and free flowing. Some time ago, protestors dug a trench across the road to disrupt traffic. We found that part!

On arriving home, the missing coffee machine part arrived via Uber parcel and Mike lost no time getting it working.  It’s one touch, bean to cup!  First cappuccino…

This evening we popped into the Beretta’s. I’ve borrowed Peter’s First Ascent jacket for our trip. It is as warm as toast and I am as happy as pie.

Psalm 89:1
I will sing of the Lord’s great love forever; with my mouth I will make your faithfulness known through all generations.

It’s not about now – we are only passing through.

Keep the smile going.

God bless you.

In His Grip,

Gran xx 🙂

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Out With The Old Coffee Machines

Posted on April 19, 2024 by Helga

Friday

Dear Elsie

I was happy to get voice notes from you today! I am looking forward to seeing you. One thing I haven’t yet written about relates to our coffee machine we bought exactly 5 years ago. It suddenly started tripping the switch and just like that, we had a problem.

We got our first Breville coffee machine in March 2015 and that only lasted 4 years before the grinder went. Mike did a repair but it wasn’t long before the grinder went again. We bought our current one in April 2019, so 5 years later, the grinder works but the coffee making side doesn’t. To overcome the issue, for the last week, we have ground the coffee with our current one and then made the coffee in the old one. We have one in the kitchen and one in the scullery and my first few hundred steps of the day are spent going between the two! Breville 2019 – coffee gets ground here…

Breville 2015 – coffee gets made here.

So today, Mike packed them and took them to the Kenwood Guys in Milnerton for servicing. While there, they showed him a bean to cup Delonghi that they were asking half the price for. It was in exceptional condition. Mike phoned me to ask my opinion. Always one to want to save money, I said yes….so this zooty new Delonghi Prima Donna coffee machine was bought.

The other two are being repaired by the Kenwood Guys and then they will go into the rental units.

Coffee issues fixed – or so we thought – until we got home and tried to make a cup. There was a fault light. On phoning the Kenwood Guys, they sheepishly admitted that the missing part (they told us about and that they would send to us) was actually required to make the thing work. 🤯 It hasn’t come today but they assure us it will come tomorrow with Uber package. We’ll see.  There’s always something.

At least it’s not Covid. As I was still coughing today, Mike insisted I do a Covid test.

Grateful for that.

I am up to date with my work and have had a successful week. Last day is Tuesday.

Proverbs 13:12
Hope deferred makes the heart sick, but a longing fulfilled is a tree of life.

It’s not about now – we are only passing through.

Keep the smile going.

God bless you.

In His Grip,

Gran xx 🙂

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1 Out Of 8 Women Will Get Breast Cancer

Posted on April 18, 2024 by Helga

Thursday

Dear Elsie

Today was the day Riana & I went for our annual Mammograms. It is a shocking statistic that 1 out of 8 women will get breast cancer during the course of their life. My mother had breast cancer.  Within my friend’s group, 3 have had breast cancer, including Riana. My 36 year old colleague is recovering from it. The 41 year old best friend of the radiographer who did my ultrasound today is dying from it.  It seems to be so prevalent in our community, yet so easily detected, that it would be remiss of me not to have an annual mammogram. And so I was back here.

And the gratitude I have for this day increased as all was well with both Riana and I.

Happy days! The radiographer who did our ultrasounds laughed and said we were breast friends and bosom buddies! It has become an annual outing for Ri and I to go for our mammogram. The cost? R2,071.77 for both a mammo and an ultrasound. I haven’t had an ultrasound for probably a decade, but they said they wanted to do one to double check & it didn’t add to the cost of the mammo.

Riana came up for coffee afterwards. We had a chat and then she left.  The day was spectacular so I moved into the lounge to enjoy a special work view.

It had been a misty sunrise.

Very privileged to live here. It doesn’t get old.

The afternoon was taken up with work and I may do a little more now…. or maybe not! Tomorrow is another day. I’m glad to be feeling better.

This year, so far, I don’t think I’ve written the Proverb of the day.

This is Proverbs 13:11
Dishonest money dwindles away but he who gathers money little by little makes it grow.

It’s not about now – we are only passing through.

Keep the smile going.

God bless you.

In His Grip,

Gran xx 🙂

 

 

 

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Sleep Deprived

Posted on April 17, 2024 by Helga

Wednesday

Dear Elsie

Today I woke up still feeling a bit under the weather. I’m not completely better, but my throat is no longer sore. I now have a streaming nose. I am also sleep deprived. I haven’t slept well the last few nights. Last night it was a mosquito that woke me up and tormented me for an hour. The night before it was my sore throat. I am sure I will sleep better tonight.

The sun rose and with mist rolling into the bay, it looked amazing.

Way before sunrise, I spent a little time sitting on the balcony admiring & enjoying the stillness of the early morning. Later, after the mist rolled in, the temperature was a number of degrees colder than my morning visit to the balcony. The wind is from the north, although no rain is forecast. It’s just very autumnal weather.

I do enjoy it when the weather is decisive… and that seems to be what we can expect on our upcoming holiday. It will range from cold to very cold. I have found Accuweather to be pretty reliable. This is Flam, one of our stops.

A bit on the chilly side but we will be happy with partly sunny.  Of course, it could change, but we hope for the best.

After feeling very tired, I’m getting a second wind and going to take myself off up the road. I’ll look out for the puff adder that has arrived on the street and comes out from time to time. The snake man comes rushing over only to find it’s slithered away.

I left the house and as I walked down the road, I realised I had a follower.

He gapped it when a car came along.

Meanwhile, at the end of the road, the yachts were in full view.

On the way home, Dhiresh was arriving at his temporary accommodation, so I stopped to chat. His house was badly damaged by the fire. It only affected one floor but it’s going to take 6 months to fix. He hopes to be back in by Christmas.  He said that it happened so fast and he just had to rush to get his family out. Then he realised he’d left some keys inside and dashed back in to get them. He said the smoke was crippling. It was so debilitating, he could do nothing else except grab the keys and struggle back out.

Psalm 86:7
When I am in distress, I call to you, because you answer me.

It’s not about now – we are only passing through.

Keep the smile going.

God bless you.

In His Grip,

Gran xx 🙂

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Shadow Fun

Posted on April 16, 2024 by Helga

Tuesday

Dear Elsie

Today I felt a little better so spent no time in bed and most of the day at my desk. I got 7 hours of work done. I also took a drive to the traffic department to try get the new half-car into  my name. There was hardly a person in the place. I went straight to the front of queue and within a minute was summoned to the window. I found there needs to be an extra step done ( in Johannesburg), so it will need to wait another week.

This afternoon, I went out on the balcony and when the sun is at a certain angle, I can see my shadow on the cottage roof. I gave myself a wave.

When I showed it to Mike, he came to join me.

Shadow fun!

Also, while on the balcony, I took a photo of the Ruth First fisheries ship which was patroling the bay today. They have an inflatable that they put down and 3 men took it off to a fishing boat that was heading back to Kalk Bay Harbour. On returning to the ship, the dinghy got hoisted up with what looked like all three men still in it.

While we were enjoying the view, we saw a plane fly overhead. I looked it up on Flight Radar and we watched it descend after a very long flight from over the pond.

I’ve just walked to the end of the street. What a beautiful evening.

Calm days are forecast for the days ahead.

Luke 18:14
For all those who exalt themselves will be humbled, and those who humble themselves will be exalted.

It’s not about now – we are only passing through.

Keep the smile going.

God bless you.

In His Grip,

Gran xx 🙂

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